Will you read with me Matthew 2 verses 1 to 12?
That's Matthew 2 verses 1 to 12.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,
Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked,
Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?
We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law,
he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written.
But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.
For out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
Go and search carefully for the child.
As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way,
and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary,
and they bowed down and worshipped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,
they returned to their country by another route.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?
Let's pray together.
Father, we need you to give us ears to hear you.
Give us hearts that are ready to listen to what you have to say in your word in Matthew.
So we pray that you would be speaking to us through Matthew,
and that you would give us these hearts that are ready to listen to you.
The world wants us to believe all sorts of things.
Help us to be discerning and to listen to your truth instead.
We pray for your help.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, the famous comedian, Ricky Gervais, is pretty outspoken that believing in God is just ridiculous.
He once tweeted,
If you want to deny something, don't choose evolution or the Holocaust.
You'll look silly.
Way too much evidence.
Choose a God or homeopathy.
Another tweet.
Everyone has the right to believe anything they want.
And everyone else has the right to find it ridiculous.
Or in an interview,
I don't believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence.
Have you ever thought,
If only God made himself clearer,
it would be easier to believe in him?
What we're going to hear today in Matthew's history of Jesus' life
is going to show us that there's an even deeper reason
why we struggle to trust and believe in God.
So let's have a look at this story.
So yeah, this story of the wise men,
it's a famous one at Christmastime.
It's a very pleasant children's story.
In our scientific age,
we might find the idea of a star appearing in the sky quite unusual,
to say the least.
But in Mesopotamia,
which was kind of our modern-day Iraq,
just to the east of Israel,
which is probably where these magi were from.
And in other parts of the world,
there was quite a sophisticated development of the study of the stars,
thinking that you get divine information through observing the stars.
So these magi,
these astrologers,
would have been advising their kings and their rulers.
They would have been court officials.
So when Nero became emperor of Rome,
historians record a visit from Magi to pay their respects.
So this kind of visit wasn't entirely unusual,
but what happened with the story of Jesus is unique.
From their home,
perhaps in Babylon,
they see a star rising.
And some have attempted to work out what this star was.
So some think it was Halley's Comet.
But that was recorded in 12 BC.
And Jesus was born about 4 BC.
I know that before Christ,
that doesn't quite make sense,
but there's this discrepancy
that got worked out later on.
So Halley's Comet,
not quite lining up,
but Saturn and Jupiter aligning.
But that was in 7 BC.
Some think it might have been a star coming into being,
a nova or supernova exploding star.
So Chinese records,
talk about in 5 BC.
We don't really know is the short answer.
And it's not really the point.
What's most surprising
is that the Bible
is pretty clear in telling us
not to seek out special information
through like omens and mediums
and psychics and astrology.
But without criticism here,
there is no criticism.
Here are these foreigners to God's people,
potentially from Babylon,
the enemy of God's people,
probably ignorant of God's promises
in the Old Testament,
seeing this rising star.
And what do they do with this information?
Well, the emphasis on the star rising
is Matthew wanting us to think
of the prophecy in Numbers 24, 17,
during the days of Moses,
like 1,400 years earlier.
So the prophecy was,
a star shall come out of Jacob
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.
A ruler will come,
in other words.
These foreign astrologers,
seeing this divine sign,
come to Jerusalem,
the city of the king of Israel.
Now, they would have had to walk
or ride animals
for over 1,000 kilometres.
Imagine putting that in Jerusalem
into Google Maps
and it says,
two months
to get there.
You might think twice
about the journey
and that's just one way.
But they come.
Naturally,
they go to King Herod,
but he doesn't have a son
that young
to fit the bill.
And so word apparently spread
throughout all Jerusalem
with the hope
of God's promises
in Jewish ears
and in their hearts.
This gossip
would have spread quickly.
Could it really be happening?
After 400 years
of silence from God,
could the son of David
have arrived?
Herod certainly thinks so
because he asked
the chief priests
when the Messiah,
where he was to be born.
Is the everlasting kingdom
of righteousness
and peace
finally here?
Is the king here?
I think it should have been like
if you're a prisoner of war
in World War II.
My grandfather
was a prisoner of war
in World War II.
Could you imagine that,
being a prisoner of war?
And imagine
someone
comes and whispers
in your ear
away from
the officers
in charge of you
and just whispers
that the allies
have invaded Berlin.
The war is almost over.
You can have a full meal again.
You can go home.
That cold, dark night
is about to change.
The light
is coming up.
That's what it should have felt like,
this news.
But what's Herod
and all Jerusalem's reaction
in verse 3?
They're troubled.
It's a word
for inner turmoil.
They were afraid.
Why?
This should have been
awesome news.
Why were they afraid?
I think maybe
Acts chapter 5
gives us a hint.
In living memory,
there had been
at least two
widely known instances
where a man
claimed to be somebody
leading Jews
to rebel
against the authority
of Rome.
And for both
these men,
Judas and Theodos,
Rome came crashing down
and killed them
and killed
those who followed them
very quickly.
This is politically
dangerous news
that a king had come
who wasn't appointed
by Rome.
Maybe they were afraid
of Rome.
I was intrigued
that the word
troubled
is the same one
used in
a Greek translation
of Isaiah 8
verse 12
which is
surrounded by
this promise
of Emmanuel.
I'm just raising it
because I would love
to just
get you guys
to tell me
what you think.
Go away and read
Isaiah 7 to 9
and think
is Matthew
using Isaiah
7 to 9
in his story
of Jesus coming?
I'd love to hear
your thoughts.
As you look at it,
look how
the promise
of Emmanuel
is God with us.
God can be with us
in judgment
and God can be with us
for salvation.
The sign
has both
emphases
in Isaiah.
So I'd love
to hear your thoughts.
So Herod and Jerusalem,
they were probably
afraid of Rome.
Maybe Jerusalem
was afraid of Herod,
what he would do
to protect his throne
which,
yeah,
as we're going
to see next week,
there would be good
reason to be afraid
of Herod.
So we might be
sympathetic to this fear.
But this isn't
just some ordinary man
claiming to be somebody.
If this really is
God's eternal king,
could Rome
stop him?
Could Rome
stop God?
Surely not.
Well,
I think they were afraid
to lose their current
way of life.
I think they would
rather keep
the status quo.
Even though it's
not perfect,
they'd rather not
rock the boat.
Like Israel,
after just being
delivered from
slavery in Egypt,
heading towards
the promised land,
because of just
a little bit of
hardship,
they longed to be
back in slavery
in Egypt.
they feared the
life they had.
And Herod
leads the way
in this self-protection,
this protecting
of their life.
So Herod
and the people
had God,
they didn't just
have a star,
they had
much more
specific revelation
from God.
Herod summons
all the chief
priests,
all the experts
in the law,
the experts
in the Bible
and asks when
the Messiah
was to be born.
This is a really
simple question.
It should have
been common
knowledge.
It's a bit
surprising that
Herod even
asked this
question.
The prophet
Micah,
chapter 5,
verse 2,
it was very
clear.
The Messiah
is going to
come in
King David's
own town
of Bethlehem.
I'm going to
read the
original quote
from Micah.
But you,
O Bethlehem,
Ephathrath,
I don't know
how to say
that,
who are too
little to be
among the
clans of
Judah,
from you
shall come
forth from
me,
one who
is to
be ruler
in Israel,
whose coming
forth is
from old,
from ancient
days.
Therefore he
shall give
them up
until the
time when
she who
is in
labor has
given birth.
Then the
rest of his
brothers shall
return to
the people
of Israel,
and he
shall stand
and shepherd
his flock
in the
strength of
the Lord,
in the
majesty of
the name
of the
Lord his
God,
and they
shall dwell
secure.
For now he
shall be
great to
the ends
of the
earth,
and he
shall be
their
peace.
To make
it even
clearer for
us,
Matthew
kind of
meshes
into this
quote,
2 Samuel
chapter 5
verse 2.
You might
think that's
just a
random part
of the
Bible.
It's not
random.
This is
the moment
that King
David is
enthroned
over Israel.
This part
that's
meshed in.
And Matthew
just starts
this story,
it almost
seems like
minor biographical
detail,
saying these
things happened
after Jesus
was born in
Bethlehem.
But this is
big news,
that he was
born in
Bethlehem.
Can you
get any
clearer than
that?
Herod and
Jerusalem had
all the
light of
knowledge of
what God
has said,
and what
did they do
with it?
They were
troubled,
they were
afraid.
I think
they feared
to lose
the degree
of control
that they
had over
their lives.
Herod feared
to lose
his control.
His throne
was under
threat.
I think
we see
this in
all Herod's
scheming.
He said
with his
lips that
he wanted
to come
and worship
this king,
but his
behaviour
tells a
very different
story.
Bethlehem
is just
15 kilometres
south to
Jerusalem.
It's like
from here
to Toronto.
He didn't
bother.
The Magi
travel for
months.
He didn't
bother a
few hours
walk.
If he
really wanted
to come
and worship
that king,
it would
be quite
easy to
do so.
He didn't
need to
summon all
the chief
priests and
the scribes.
Why did
he summon
all?
He needed
one, if
that, because
it was pretty
common knowledge.
I reckon
that's a
political move.
I think
he's sending
a message
to the
chief
priest,
I'm in
charge of
this
situation.
I could
be wrong
about that.
But he
summons all
and then
immediately
after,
he has
a secret
meeting.
He has
a secret
meeting with
the Magi
to find
out when
the star
had appeared
and from
the next
week's
story,
it's at
least within
two years.
He wanted
to keep
this knowledge
secret,
just he
knew it.
He's trying
to keep
control of
this situation.
And then
he gives
these foreign
visitors
orders.
He's got
no jurisdiction
over them.
He's trying
to control
them under
the pretense
of wanting
to worship.
He's trying
to control
this threat
to his
throne.
I don't
think we
can be
sure that
he had
murderous
intent at
this point,
but at
the very
least he
was trying
to stay
in control.
now we
can
tsk,
tsk
Herod
and
distance
ourselves
from him,
but I
wonder if
we're really
that different.
So for
instance,
are you
here today
to sign
off on
your religious
duty so
that the
rest of
your week
is yours
to do
with what
you want?
Or are
you here
to listen
to God
through his
word so
that you
are renewed
again to
live another
week for
his sake?
It's going
to look very
similar on
the surface.
One is
trying to
control God
so that you
can stay
in control
of your
life.
The other
is giving
yourself to
God.
I wonder
how else
we try
and keep
Jesus in
his little
corner and
keep him
away from
the throne
of our
lives.
Contrast
this with
the foreign
astrologers
who only
have a
star to
go by.
Although
they appear
to be
obeying
Herod,
they are
actually
following
the one
who's
actually
in
control.
The
star
they had
seen
appeared
again
and it
moved.
Not
really sure
how this
worked,
but it
moved.
This is
supernatural
stuff.
We're not
told exactly
how but it
directed them
to the
exact place,
the exact
house where
Jesus was.
God was
drawing them
to his
king.
Now I
think I
need to
make clear
the point
of the
Magal
being more
sincere in
following the
star than
the Jews
were in
following God's
word.
I don't
think that's
meant to
discourage
us from
finding God
through his
written word.
We're not
meant to
leave here
and go
get our
palm read
or go
read our
horoscopes.
It's not
what this
text is
trying to
get us
to do.
We're not
meant to
look for
signs like
God if you
want me to
buy that
car make
this traffic
light go
green.
We're not
meant to
do that.
the whole
point of
Matthew
writing this
book is
so that we
would clearly
know Jesus.
God isn't
condoning
astrology
but I
think it
does show
us that
God is
willing to
meet people
where they're
at and
draw them
to himself.
I think
that's the
main point
we're meant
to take.
God is
willing to
meet these
Magi
where they're
at and
draw them
to himself.
I think
the lesson
we're meant
to get
the contrast
between Herod
and Jerusalem
and these
foreigners
is at the
level of the
attitude of
their heart.
Something very
different is
going on.
Instead of
fear,
having been
shown the
way to
King Jesus,
isn't this a
lovely phrase,
they rejoiced
exceedingly
with great
joy.
I want
more of
that.
Don't
you?
They
rejoiced
exceedingly
with great
joy.
I want
more of
that.
Instead
of trying
to maintain
control,
when they
enter the
home,
they express
the giving
up of
their control
by falling
at his
feet.
The point
of mentioning
Mary being
there is
not to
suggest that
she deserved
worship as
well.
the verse
clearly says
they fell
down and
worshipped
him.
I think
mentioning
Mary,
I'm not
sure of
this,
but I
think
mentioning
Mary without
Joseph is
maybe Matthew's
way of
suggesting that
these
worshippers
knew of
the scandalous
beginnings of
the virgin
birth and
the birth
prior to
marriage.
They
trusted that
God had
led them to
the true
king,
despite the
rest of
society,
despising
and rejecting
Jesus.
I think
that's what's
going on
here.
Instead of
trying to
protect the
life they
had like
Herod over
his little
kingdom and
all Jerusalem
trying to
protect their
city,
there's another
lovely phrase,
they opened
up their
treasures.
Matthew could
have just
said,
and they
gave gifts,
but he's got
this little
phrase,
they opened
up their
treasures.
They weren't
trying to
protect it,
they opened
it.
This is what
happens when
you're filled
with great
joy at
being brought
to God's
king.
You gladly
give him the
best you
have.
You only
do that if
you've found a
greater treasure.
gold and
frankincense
and myrrh.
We get
gold being
a royal
gift,
frankincense
used for
incense.
Myrrh we
think of
being used
for burial
and maybe
that's what's
going on
here to
allude to
Jesus'
death,
but myrrh
was also a
spice used
for celebration
and joy.
So we find
it in the
book of
Song of
Songs,
for instance.
These are
all gifts
of celebration.
And I'm
wondering what
the purpose
of these
gifts are.
Like I
suppose they
could have
been trying
to get
political
favour from
the king
once he'd
grown up,
but rejoiced
exceedingly
with great
joy just
seems a bit
out of place
for a
diplomatic
visit.
I think
there's
something
deeper
going on.
I think
these
worshippers
gave her
the best
they had
as a
small
expression
of the
value
of the
king.
To be
associated
with the
king
was their
treasure.
And so
they gladly
open up
their other
treasures.
Any Jew
hearing this
would think
of what
happened
with Solomon,
the son of
King David,
when the
Queen of
Sheba from
the east
came.
We read
it in
1 Kings 10.
when she
experienced
the supreme
wisdom of
the son
of David,
seeing the
temple,
seeing how
happy his
people were
under his
rule,
this foreigner
praises God
because the
Lord loved
Israel forever.
He has made
you king that
you may execute
justice and
righteousness.
And then she
gives a
bucket load of
gifts of
gold and
spices.
The gifts
were just a
small way of
expressing the
worth of this
king and the
privilege of
knowing him
and being
associated with
him.
And the
prophet saw a
day when all
the nations
would come and
give their
gifts to this
true son of
David.
So in
Isaiah 60
we hear
nations shall
come to
your light.
Your sons
shall come
from afar.
Your daughters
shall be
carried on
the hip.
Then you
shall see
and be
radiant.
Your heart
shall thrill
and exult.
They shall
bring gold
and frankincense
and shall
bring good
news.
The praises
of the
Lord.
Someone
greater than
Solomon is
here is
what Matthew
wants us
to see.
And while
God is
bringing
foreigners
to his
king into
exceeding
joy,
gladly
falling before
him,
Herod and
all Jerusalem
fear the
loss of
their control
and the
life they
have.
we see
how pathetic
Herod's
attempts are
to control
the situation
with everything
else going
on.
Can
Herod make
a star
in heaven
rise or
fall or
move?
Like his
political
scheming is
just pathetic
compared to
a star.
And then
we've got
this dream.
dream.
The king
of heaven
sends a
message to
these foreigners
in a dream
and they
obey the
real king,
not Herod.
Herod and
Jerusalem's
attempts to
stay in
control is
laughable in
light of who
has just
arrived on
earth.
I wonder
if our
attempts at
staying in
control are
any better.
Hasn't this
year shown us
how little we
are in
control?
What a
blessing to be
shown that.
A hard
lesson,
but a
blessing.
If you
have been
consumed with
worry this
year, then
come to
the one
who's really
in charge.
It's not
that God
hasn't clearly
shown the
world that
Jesus really
is in
charge.
They had
plenty of
testimony
then, and
we have
even more
today, this
morning.
Not only
because things
are clearer in
hindsight,
but Matthew
has helped
us see that
Jesus is
fulfilling all
God's promises
throughout
thousands of
years of
his speaking
into the
world.
He's made
it really
clear, Jesus
is the
son of
David.
Even this
early in the
story, we've
got so much
more to learn
about this
king and
what the
kingdom is
all about,
but even
this early in
the story,
we can be
sure he
is worthy
of our
worship.
So the
question is,
what will
we do
with this
king?
Will you
be afraid
to lose
control of
your life?
Or will
you joyfully
open your
treasures at
his feet?
These are
the only two
options.
Jesus
claims
jurisdiction
over all
nations,
every
person.
he says
in Matthew
11,
all things
have been
handed over
to me
by my
father.
What a
claim.
And again,
after he
gets the
victory on
the cross,
rising to
resurrected
life, some
of his last
words in
Matthew are,
all authority
in heaven and
on earth has
been given
to me.
Abraham
Cooper
famously
said,
there is
not a
square
inch in
the whole
domain of
our human
existence
over which
Christ, who
is sovereign
over all,
does not
cry,
mine.
Mine.
What we do
with our
bodies,
our
church
services,
our drive
to work,
our country,
our homes,
our Netflix,
our Instagram
feed, our
sport, our
evenings, our
mornings, our
eating, our
drinking, our
work, our
relationships, our
parenting, our
health, our
leisure time, our
sleeping, our
bank accounts, our
words, our
desires, mine.
What will you
do with this
king?
Will you be
afraid to lose
control of your
life or will
you joyfully open
up all these
treasures at his
feet?
I think how we're
going to respond is
going to be
dependent on two
things.
Firstly, will
we realise that
we aren't very
good at ruling
our own life?
If we think
we're good at
it, then you're
going to have no
time for Jesus.
So GK
Chesterton famously
responded to a
news column that
asked, what is
wrong with the
world?
And he wrote
into the
newspaper with
the simple
words, I
am, and
signed off.
I am.
Why is this
relationship
struggling?
I am.
I am the
problem.
Matthew has
already told us
that this king's
name is Jesus
because he will
save his people
from their sins.
We're not good
at being in
charge.
I am not good
at being in
charge.
The other
thing we need
to know to
joyfully open
our treasures
at his feet
is, is he a
good king?
is he a good
king?
To really
answer that, we
don't have time
this morning.
We need to listen
to the rest of
Matthew and get
to know Jesus
better.
But for now, I
just want to
quickly go back to
Matthew 11.
After he said,
all things have
been handed over
to me by my
father, here's his
invitation to come
under his authority.
He says, come to
me.
Come to me, all
you who are weary
and burdened, and
I will give you
rest.
Take my yoke upon
you.
In other words,
come under my
rule and learn
from me.
Why?
For I am gentle
and humble in
heart, and you
will find rest for
your souls.
He uses his
authority to serve
us, which is
incredible.
The problem in
trusting Jesus
isn't that God
hasn't made it
clear.
Matthew has
shown us that
Jesus is the
answer to God's
promises, very
obviously.
The question
is, will we
try and control
our lives?
Will you be
afraid and try
and stay in
control?
Or will you
be drawn by
God to come
and see more
and more of
this Jesus, get
to know him
better, and
rejoice exceedingly
with great joy
as you find rest
for your souls?
That's our
choice.
Will you pray
with me as we
finish?
Let's pray.
Father, I pray
that you would
show Jesus to
each of us in
our hearts.
Please show
us just how
we aren't good
at controlling
our own lives.
Please convict
each one of us
of that afresh.
And please show
us that Jesus
really is in
charge.
And please
show us the
goodness of
Jesus.
We praise you
that even
though you
have all
authority, you
are gentle.
We praise you
that you
offer us
rest.
We don't
deserve it, but
that's what you
offer us.
We thank you
for that.
Father, I pray
that you would
reveal your son
to us more
and more as
we listen to
Matthew.
And I pray
that you would
give each one
of us rest,
that we would
joyfully open
up our life,
giving it to
you.
In Jesus'
name I pray.
Amen.