Scripture: Matthew2:1-12, 16
When Jesus was born into this world, it caused more abrupt change than just in the ministry that would begin in another 30 years. The elite of Israel had always seen themselves as God’s favorites, and that the poor, the handicapped, the Gentiles were despised and rejected by the Lord because they had so little to give, and whatever they did have would have been undesirable by the standards that the upper class had established.
But at Christmas, we saw that the only ones who received the angels glorious message were the shepherds – dirty, smelly, and unclean – the very example of what “spiritually bereft” was all about. Why did they receive the “glad tidings”? Because they would listen and rejoice! It wasn’t King Herod, Hebrew leader of the nation; it wasn’t the Pharisees, the educated and intellectually best of Israel; it wasn’t the priests or Levites; it wasn’t anyone who would be expected to know of the coming of Messiah. It was given to the least, the unworthy, the sinful, the worst of the entire nation.
Last Sunday, we read that another who was granted discovery of the infant Son of God, was a man named Simeon. He was a man without any standing, without any prestige, without any apparent education, but what he had that brought honor to the LORD was great faith. He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would never die before he came face to face with his Savior, and when the time was right, he was also told when he should go to temple to meet him.
Today, we hear of another group of men who were led to Jesus’ side. They were Persians who would never have been expected to even desire to meet Messiah. They were a group of astrologers from the east – those we call “Magi”.
Read Matthew 2:1-6
These wise men, these astrologers, watched the heavens for signs in the stars. I don’t know how they did this exactly, but apparently in the case of Jesus’ birth, they all saw something that told them a great King had been born in Israel. And as intelligentsia in their nations, possibly even priests, but probably not royalty, they had the curiosity and eagerness and resources to go and pay their respects to this new king.
It was one of those prophetic stars that began to lead them eastward, toward the land of the new royal Personage. But when they got to Israel, the star stopped being as directional as it had been, and as they began to ask where they might find this future king, no one seemed to know anything about him. We have no indication as to how long it took them to get to Israel, or how long it was before word of their search reached the ears of Herod. But when it did, the king was obviously concerned over this rumored birth.
The child wasn’t part of his family, so it had to be someone who would, one day, challenge his, or his sons’, authority, and that was not a good thing. His heart began to fill with a blend of hatred, anxiety, fear, and conspiracy, and he sent word to his most trusted advisors - first, to see if they had heard anything about this threatening birth, and second, to hear if they knew of any prophecy regarding him.
Herod was a typical ruler of that time. Intrigue was a routine, everyday matter in the royal court, and there would have been threats to his monarchy all the time. And when they were exposed, they would be put down in the most violent, tyrannical manner possible. And that would be his plan for this upstart pretender to his throne.
But his advisors were little help to him – they had no idea who it might be, who his family might be, and the only help they could give was through the prophecy of Micah (Micah 5:2-4). Many centuries before, the prophet had proclaimed that a future king would come from Bethlehem, this ruler’s royal line would be long, and would be anchored even in “ancient times”. He would rule as a shepherd over his sheep, and would have a power and majesty that was based in the “name of the LORD his God”.
Herod just had to find this upstart, and put an end to the threat that he held toward the throne.
Read Matthew 2:7-12
Since Herod’s trusted men couldn’t give him any more than the probable town of Jesus’ birth, he resorted to summoning the gentile visitors to his court. After questioning them to get additional information, he sent them, not his guards or priests, to find the child, and then to let him know where he was.
Of course, he had no intention whatsoever of worshiping the baby – his only plan was to eliminate him! These gentile newcomers didn’t really know Herod, and they would have done as he requested, IF that is, God hadn’t intervened.
The star had been leading these wise men for many months, and it wasn’t in a random way. First, it intentionally took them to Jerusalem, not Bethlehem, and it waited there until Herod had learned all that God wanted him to know. And it was only then that the star took them to the place where Jesus was – not to his birthplace, but to the house where he was living at the time! And they brought appropriate gifts for this Special Child – gold was a royal gift for a King, and while the other two gifts were also royal in nature, incense would also be used by a priest in his temple duties (Hebrews 4:14-16), and myrrh was an agent for embalming.
Now God was working through gentiles, just as powerfully as He had with the “unclean” shepherds who had come to offer their praises, and then through a man whose only qualification to receive the LORD’s blessing was his faithfulness. The high and mighty of Israel, the priests, the Pharisees, and even the nation’s king, had also received the word of Jesus’ birth, but refused to give him anything – not praise, not gifts, not honor – only their hatred for the Son of God would spew from their dark hearts.
Is the Lord working through you? Or are you receiving his word, and letting it
end there?
Read Matthew 2:16
Herod had a plan to rid himself of this nuisance, but God had a far greater plan at work – one in which many would be freed from the condemnation of sin and death! Herod’s plan was one of hatred, while God’s was founded in eternal love. Herod’s plan was one of death and destruction, while God’s plan was one of life through forgiveness. Herod’s plan would fail, but God’s plan can never fail.
Did you know that the LORD has plans for all of us? And did you know that the world has a totally different set of plans for our lives? Can you imagine the radical difference between these two? The difference is pretty much the same as the difference between God’s and Herod’s!
But there is one problem that existed in Herod’s day that no longer exists for us. For those people, Jehovah was only for Israel, and the Jews protected that privilege jealously. But with the coming of Jesus, Jehovah had become the God of all the earth! And the LORD has protected that privilege even more jealously. He has come for the poor, the sinner, the outcast, and the foreigner. He has come for the hated and the oppressed. He has come for the lost and the seeker. He has cleared the way for all who will believe in his holy way, and while our gift to Him is faith, His gift to all who believe is forgiveness and eternal life.
Do you know Him today? Are you serving Him today? Are you praising Him today? Are you following and obeying Him today?
Jesus has come to us in both Flesh and Spirit, that the world might know God in truth and hope and love.
Won't you love Him in return?
