WEBVTT

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 Would you turn with me in a Bible to Matthew chapter 2?

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 We are looking at Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 through 12 this morning.

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 It's the story of the wise men, as it's traditionally known.

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 If you're looking in one of the Pew Bibles, page 807 is where you'll find it, Matthew 2, starting at verse 1.

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 Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king,

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 behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

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 Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?

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 For we saw his star when it rose, and have come to worship him.

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 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

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 And assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people,

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 he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

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 They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea.

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 For so it is written by the prophet,

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 And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.

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 For from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

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 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly,

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 and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.

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 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,

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 Go, and search diligently for the child.

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 And when you have found him, bring me word,

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 that I too may come and worship him.

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 After listening to the king, they went on their way.

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 And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them,

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 until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

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 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

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 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,

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 and they fell down and worshipped him.

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 Then opening their treasures, they offered him gifts,

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 gold and frankincense and myrrh.

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 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

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 they departed to their own country by another way.

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 Many people are preparing to travel long distances this time of year.

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 Perhaps you are looking forward to finishing the semester

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 and heading home to visit family.

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 Or perhaps you're staying here

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 and looking forward to friends or family visiting you.

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 Or maybe you're just not going anywhere at all,

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 and nobody's visiting you, and it's simpler that way.

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 Now let me ask, what motivates people

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 to embark on long, difficult, or even dangerous journeys?

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 Sometimes it's a desire to be reunited

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 with long-lost friends or family members.

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 Sometimes it's curiosity to be a world traveler,

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 bring back memories and photographs and souvenirs

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 and all kinds of interesting things.

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 Sometimes it's for the sake of expanding a business,

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 attending a conference, or for training or networking.

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 Well, in this morning's passage, we see a group of people,

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 the wise men, or the Greek word is the magi,

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 sometimes known as the magi,

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 they embark on a long, difficult, dangerous journey.

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 Now we're not certain where they came from.

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 They might have been from Persia.

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 There was lots of interest in astrology and stars in Persia,

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 or from Babylon perhaps, or perhaps from southern Arabia.

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 But either way, from any one of those three locations,

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 they would have had to travel a thousand miles or more

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 to get to Jerusalem.

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 Now even if they were riding on camels,

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 going 30 miles a day,

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 which is about the fastest you could go,

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 the journey would have taken at least a month each way,

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 without any of the modern traveling comforts

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 that we take for granted,

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 without any reliable police force

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 to protect them from robbers on the road,

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 without any call boxes or cell phones in case of emergency.

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 And the purpose of their journey

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 is to see a little kid

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 who is not related to them by blood,

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 who is not from their ethnic group or their nation,

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 who is probably too young to speak a word to them.

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 Now, babies are cute,

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 but you know what?

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 Now, they all look about the same.

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 Okay, parents, right?

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 Your own child is obviously the cutest in the world, right?

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 I mean, with that exception,

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 you know,

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 I don't know, they're all pretty cool,

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 but you wouldn't travel a thousand miles

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 for a whole month just to see an unusual baby.

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 And then when they arrive,

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 they bow down before him,

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 unload their most valuable possessions,

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 and return home empty-handed.

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 See, if you read this story,

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 you might be asking yourself,

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 why in the world

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 would they go all the way

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 in order to do that?

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 Well, according to the story,

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 the child whom they seek

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 is destined to be a king,

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 the king of the Jews,

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 as they say in verse 2.

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 But still, that raises a question.

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 Why would the elite members

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 of Persian or Babylonian

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 or Arabian society

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 care to visit the future king of Judea?

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 It would be like

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 President Obama

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 sending a delegation

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 of his cabinet advisors

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 to go on pilgrimage to Swaziland.

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 There's a small country

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 in southern Africa

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 that still has a hereditary monarchy

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 to bring lavish gifts

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 to the heir to the throne

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 and to declare

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 their undying loyalty to him.

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 It just wouldn't make sense.

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 Judea was a small province.

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 These were the elite members

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 of more powerful societies.

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 Why would they do this?

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 Well, the point of the whole story

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 is that this child whom they visit,

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 Jesus,

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 is destined to be

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 not only the king of the Jews,

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 but the king of all the world.

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 Now, last week we saw

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 in the end of Matthew 1

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 that Jesus is the savior.

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 That's what his name means.

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 Jesus, Joshua,

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 the Lord saves.

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 That he's come to save

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 or rescue his people

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 from their sins.

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 And we saw that Jesus is Emmanuel.

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 That he's God

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 who's come to live with us.

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 And here in chapter 2,

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 Matthew wants us to see

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 that Jesus is

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 not only the savior,

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 not only God with us,

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 but he is the king

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 of all the nations of the world.

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 Do you notice how many times

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 Jesus is referred to

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 as the king

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 in this story?

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 Verse 2,

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 king of the Jews.

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 Verse 4,

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 the Christ.

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 That word means the Messiah

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 or the anointed one.

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 Verse 6,

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 a ruler,

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 a shepherd.

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 Of course,

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 Jesus is implicitly

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 contrasted with Herod,

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 who is the king,

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 referred to as king

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 in verse 1,

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 3,

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 and 9.

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 Now in this story,

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 we see three groups of people

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 who respond in three different ways

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 to the news

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 about this newborn king.

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 We see Herod,

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 who is hostile.

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 Herod is willing

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 to chase after Jesus

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 to get rid of him.

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 We see the chief priests

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 and scribes

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 who are complacent.

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 They don't travel anywhere.

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 They just stay put.

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 And then we see the wise men,

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 who are worshipers.

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 They travel a long way

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 in order to seek this child,

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 in order to devote themselves

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 completely to him.

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 Now as we consider

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 their three responses,

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 the question for us is,

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 how do we respond to this news

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 that Jesus is the king?

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 So first,

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 let's look at Herod.

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 Herod is hostile to Jesus

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 because he's threatened

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 by Jesus.

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 Now at first,

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 Herod pretends

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 to be interested.

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 He says,

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 go and search for him

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 so that I too

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 can come and worship him.

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 But really,

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 Herod just wants

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 to get rid of Jesus.

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 And if you read later on

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 in the chapter,

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 that becomes very clear.

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 Verse 16,

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 when he can't find Jesus,

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 he makes a decree

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 to kill all the baby boys

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 in the region

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 under two years of age.

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 Now we know

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 not only from this story,

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 but from other

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 historical accounts

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 that Herod

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 was paranoid,

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 jealous,

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 and ambitious.

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 He was known

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 as perhaps

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 the greatest builder

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 in Jewish history.

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 He expanded the temple,

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 constructed great fortresses,

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 made a whole new city,

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 the port city of Caesarea,

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 built large ships,

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 but he also murdered

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 one of his wives

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 and two of his sons

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 and many others

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 who weren't related to him.

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 According to the Jewish historian

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 Josephus,

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 when Herod became ill

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 and realized

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 he was about to die,

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 he was so concerned

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 that no one would mourn

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 his death

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 that he gave an order

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 that a large group

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 of distinguished men

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 should be killed

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 at the time of his death

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 so that the displays

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 of grief that he craved

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 would take place.

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 Thankfully,

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 this order was not

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 carried out.

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 Now in one sense,

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 Herod is the hardest character

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 in this story

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 to relate to

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 because he's so cruel.

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 And merciless.

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 But there's one thing

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 that Herod understood

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 very clearly

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 and very accurately.

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 Herod understood

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 that you cannot have

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 two kings

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 reigning over

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 the same place

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 at the same time.

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 Herod had ruled

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 for 30 years

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 over Judea

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 and Jerusalem.

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 He was called

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 king of the Jews

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 and he loved

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 to rule his kingdom.

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 He loved to be in charge

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 and he knew

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 that if some child

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 who wasn't even

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 related to him

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 was prophesied

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 to be the next

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 king of the Jews

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 that his days

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 were numbered

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 and his authority

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 was limited.

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 That's why he was

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 immediately troubled

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 by the report

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 of a new king.

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 If this Jesus

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 was the true king

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 chosen and appointed

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 by God

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 then Herod must

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 bow his knee

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 to Jesus.

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 And that's the last

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 thing that he wanted

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 to do.

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 And so Herod

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 did everything

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 he could

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 to get rid

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 of Jesus.

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 Now probably

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 none of us here

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 express hostility

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 to Jesus

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 through physical

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 violence.

00:10:32.519 --> 00:10:33.340
 But let me ask

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 that Jesus' claim

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 to have universal

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 and unlimited

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 authority

00:10:36.779 --> 00:10:38.439
 trouble you.

00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:40.960
 In other words

00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:41.740
 is there some

00:10:41.740 --> 00:10:42.720
 part of your life

00:10:42.720 --> 00:10:44.079
 where you do not

00:10:44.079 --> 00:10:45.259
 want Jesus

00:10:45.259 --> 00:10:46.679
 to be king?

00:10:48.980 --> 00:10:50.039
 Is there a territory

00:10:50.039 --> 00:10:51.179
 where you want

00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:51.919
 to be in control

00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:53.799
 and you want

00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:54.399
 to make the final

00:10:54.399 --> 00:10:55.259
 decisions and you

00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:56.299
 do not want

00:10:56.299 --> 00:10:57.740
 anyone including

00:10:57.740 --> 00:10:59.559
 Jesus to tell you

00:10:59.559 --> 00:10:59.899
 otherwise?

00:11:02.319 --> 00:11:03.200
 Maybe it's your

00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:04.460
 career ambitions.

00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:06.819
 You feel threatened

00:11:06.819 --> 00:11:08.580
 if anything gets

00:11:08.580 --> 00:11:09.279
 in the way of them.

00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:11.319
 Or your

00:11:11.319 --> 00:11:13.080
 sex life.

00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:14.879
 Jesus' commands

00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:15.900
 seem unreasonable

00:11:15.900 --> 00:11:17.340
 and restrictive.

00:11:18.420 --> 00:11:19.280
 Or your money.

00:11:20.820 --> 00:11:21.259
 You just

00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:22.139
 want to ignore

00:11:22.139 --> 00:11:23.280
 what Jesus

00:11:23.280 --> 00:11:23.980
 says about money.

00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:26.900
 You might feel

00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:27.280
 threatened

00:11:27.280 --> 00:11:28.560
 in some

00:11:28.560 --> 00:11:29.280
 part of your

00:11:29.280 --> 00:11:29.920
 life by Jesus'

00:11:30.060 --> 00:11:30.840
 commands or even

00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:31.600
 simply by his

00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:32.120
 presence.

00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:35.040
 Jesus said

00:11:35.040 --> 00:11:35.520
 no one can

00:11:35.520 --> 00:11:35.900
 serve two

00:11:35.900 --> 00:11:36.340
 masters.

00:11:37.660 --> 00:11:38.220
 Either he will

00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:38.700
 hate the one

00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:39.140
 and love the

00:11:39.140 --> 00:11:40.480
 other or he

00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:41.000
 will be devoted

00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:41.480
 to the one

00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:42.200
 and despise the

00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:42.420
 other.

00:11:44.420 --> 00:11:45.220
 In other words

00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:45.940
 Jesus is either

00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:47.139
 Lord of all

00:11:47.139 --> 00:11:48.659
 or he is not

00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:50.519
 Lord at all.

00:11:51.700 --> 00:11:52.480
 And in all his

00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:53.659
 madness and

00:11:53.659 --> 00:11:55.039
 cruelty this was

00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:55.840
 the one thing

00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:56.659
 that Herod

00:11:56.659 --> 00:11:58.379
 rightly perceived.

00:12:00.100 --> 00:12:01.120
 And he responded

00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:02.480
 by trying to get

00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:03.139
 rid of Jesus.

00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:05.379
 Of course

00:12:05.379 --> 00:12:05.899
 Herod's attempt

00:12:05.899 --> 00:12:06.340
 failed.

00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.879
 And the good

00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:09.399
 news is every

00:12:09.399 --> 00:12:11.080
 attempt to get

00:12:11.080 --> 00:12:11.759
 rid of Jesus

00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:12.920
 will ultimately

00:12:12.920 --> 00:12:13.360
 fail.

00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:14.840
 Because Jesus

00:12:14.840 --> 00:12:15.379
 is Lord.

00:12:16.920 --> 00:12:17.660
 And one day

00:12:17.660 --> 00:12:18.259
 every knee will

00:12:18.259 --> 00:12:19.000
 bow before him.

00:12:20.280 --> 00:12:20.899
 And every tongue

00:12:20.899 --> 00:12:21.700
 will confess either

00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:22.399
 willingly or

00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:24.340
 unwillingly that

00:12:24.340 --> 00:12:24.920
 he is Lord.

00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:28.000
 Herod's life

00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.519
 ended with him

00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:30.900
 trapped in his

00:12:30.900 --> 00:12:32.180
 own fear,

00:12:33.060 --> 00:12:33.600
 paranoia,

00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:34.540
 and ambition.

00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:37.819
 he died a

00:12:37.819 --> 00:12:38.439
 terribly painful

00:12:38.439 --> 00:12:38.879
 death.

00:12:41.099 --> 00:12:41.699
 Because he

00:12:41.699 --> 00:12:42.079
 was never

00:12:42.079 --> 00:12:43.399
 and he did

00:12:43.399 --> 00:12:44.659
 not turn

00:12:44.659 --> 00:12:45.299
 and be

00:12:45.299 --> 00:12:46.000
 reconciled

00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:46.779
 to this

00:12:46.779 --> 00:12:47.039
 Lord.

00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:49.860
 So Herod's

00:12:49.860 --> 00:12:50.379
 example is a

00:12:50.379 --> 00:12:50.620
 warning.

00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:52.559
 And I pray

00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:52.959
 that we may

00:12:52.959 --> 00:12:53.559
 not be like

00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:53.879
 Herod.

00:12:55.219 --> 00:12:55.919
 That we may

00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:56.620
 not be hostile

00:12:56.620 --> 00:12:57.559
 to Jesus'

00:12:57.699 --> 00:12:58.240
 authority and

00:12:58.240 --> 00:12:59.379
 trapped in

00:12:59.379 --> 00:12:59.759
 our own

00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:00.319
 self-centered

00:13:00.319 --> 00:13:01.199
 ambitions.

00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:01.400
 Christians.

00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.580
 But maybe

00:13:03.580 --> 00:13:05.560
 we don't

00:13:05.560 --> 00:13:05.960
 feel like

00:13:05.960 --> 00:13:06.220
 Herod,

00:13:06.300 --> 00:13:07.060
 but the

00:13:07.060 --> 00:13:07.720
 second group

00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:08.040
 of people

00:13:08.040 --> 00:13:08.500
 we see in

00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:08.840
 the story

00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:09.140
 are the

00:13:09.140 --> 00:13:09.640
 chief priests

00:13:09.640 --> 00:13:09.960
 and the

00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:10.540
 scribes.

00:13:11.180 --> 00:13:11.740
 Now the

00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:12.180
 chief priests

00:13:12.180 --> 00:13:12.440
 and the

00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:13.420
 scribes are

00:13:13.420 --> 00:13:14.020
 not actively

00:13:14.020 --> 00:13:14.680
 hostile to

00:13:14.680 --> 00:13:14.960
 Jesus.

00:13:16.400 --> 00:13:16.960
 They don't

00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:17.360
 try to get

00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:17.860
 rid of him,

00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:19.120
 but they

00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:19.480
 don't show

00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:20.060
 any interest.

00:13:21.040 --> 00:13:21.300
 They're

00:13:21.300 --> 00:13:21.920
 complacent.

00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:23.020
 They're

00:13:23.020 --> 00:13:23.580
 apathetic.

00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:25.140
 Herod comes

00:13:25.140 --> 00:13:25.440
 to them with

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:25.860
 a question.

00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:26.460
 Where is the

00:13:26.460 --> 00:13:27.360
 Messiah to be

00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:27.680
 born?

00:13:27.980 --> 00:13:28.320
 And they

00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:29.280
 answer immediately,

00:13:30.000 --> 00:13:30.620
 quoting chapter

00:13:30.620 --> 00:13:31.080
 and verse

00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:31.440
 from the

00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:31.720
 Bible.

00:13:33.060 --> 00:13:33.659
 They know

00:13:33.659 --> 00:13:33.960
 the Bible

00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:34.299
 well.

00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:36.060
 In fact,

00:13:36.120 --> 00:13:36.440
 they quote

00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:36.940
 from Micah

00:13:36.940 --> 00:13:37.220
 and they

00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:37.740
 connect it

00:13:37.740 --> 00:13:38.960
 with what

00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:39.320
 God had

00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:39.620
 said in

00:13:39.620 --> 00:13:40.419
 2 Samuel 5

00:13:40.419 --> 00:13:40.899
 to David,

00:13:41.460 --> 00:13:41.700
 that he

00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:41.899
 would be

00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:42.340
 the shepherd

00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:42.980
 of the

00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:43.639
 people Israel.

00:13:44.539 --> 00:13:44.879
 They can

00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:45.700
 even string

00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:46.200
 two Bible

00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:46.580
 passages

00:13:46.580 --> 00:13:48.100
 together from

00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:48.560
 two different

00:13:48.560 --> 00:13:48.919
 parts of

00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:49.139
 the Old

00:13:49.139 --> 00:13:49.500
 Testament.

00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:51.820
 And surely

00:13:51.820 --> 00:13:52.120
 they had

00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:52.399
 heard the

00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:52.779
 report of

00:13:52.779 --> 00:13:53.159
 the wise

00:13:53.159 --> 00:13:53.399
 men.

00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:54.340
 Verse 3

00:13:54.340 --> 00:13:54.700
 says that

00:13:54.700 --> 00:13:55.320
 all Jerusalem

00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:55.980
 was troubled

00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:56.379
 by the

00:13:56.379 --> 00:13:56.680
 report,

00:13:56.779 --> 00:13:57.200
 so surely

00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:57.779
 they knew

00:13:57.779 --> 00:13:58.799
 where the

00:13:58.799 --> 00:13:59.340
 question was

00:13:59.340 --> 00:13:59.899
 coming from.

00:13:59.899 --> 00:14:00.759
 There's

00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:01.439
 this news

00:14:01.439 --> 00:14:02.100
 that a

00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:02.519
 new king

00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:02.860
 has been

00:14:02.860 --> 00:14:03.199
 born.

00:14:04.039 --> 00:14:04.379
 Perhaps

00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:04.740
 he's the

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:05.179
 Messiah.

00:14:06.579 --> 00:14:07.179
 And Bethlehem

00:14:07.179 --> 00:14:07.879
 is only six

00:14:07.879 --> 00:14:08.539
 miles away

00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:09.179
 from Jerusalem.

00:14:09.340 --> 00:14:09.740
 You could

00:14:09.740 --> 00:14:10.199
 walk there

00:14:10.199 --> 00:14:10.519
 in two

00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:10.959
 hours.

00:14:12.299 --> 00:14:12.620
 And yet,

00:14:13.319 --> 00:14:14.980
 they don't

00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:15.500
 seem to

00:14:15.500 --> 00:14:16.019
 bother to

00:14:16.019 --> 00:14:16.340
 go and

00:14:16.340 --> 00:14:16.600
 check it

00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:16.759
 out.

00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:18.959
 They don't

00:14:18.959 --> 00:14:19.379
 go anywhere.

00:14:20.019 --> 00:14:20.439
 They answer

00:14:20.439 --> 00:14:20.919
 the question,

00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:21.279
 they know

00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:21.679
 the Bible,

00:14:22.679 --> 00:14:23.939
 but they

00:14:23.939 --> 00:14:24.319
 don't seek

00:14:24.319 --> 00:14:24.860
 after Jesus.

00:14:24.860 --> 00:14:27.399
 You see,

00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:27.919
 it's possible

00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:28.300
 to know

00:14:28.300 --> 00:14:28.759
 the Bible

00:14:28.759 --> 00:14:30.060
 very well

00:14:30.060 --> 00:14:31.580
 and to

00:14:31.580 --> 00:14:31.820
 be able

00:14:31.820 --> 00:14:32.200
 to quote

00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:32.419
 it,

00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:33.940
 to impress

00:14:33.940 --> 00:14:34.240
 everyone

00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:34.680
 else,

00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:36.220
 and still

00:14:36.220 --> 00:14:36.519
 have a

00:14:36.519 --> 00:14:36.980
 heart that

00:14:36.980 --> 00:14:37.539
 is cold

00:14:37.539 --> 00:14:38.460
 and indifferent

00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:39.060
 toward Jesus.

00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:41.300
 You know,

00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:41.740
 you can do a

00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:42.180
 Master's of

00:14:42.180 --> 00:14:42.500
 Divinity.

00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:44.180
 You can do a

00:14:44.180 --> 00:14:44.560
 Ph.D.

00:14:44.580 --> 00:14:44.919
 in Biblical

00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:45.300
 Studies.

00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:47.320
 You can

00:14:47.320 --> 00:14:48.220
 become a

00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:50.320
 pastor or a

00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:50.659
 seminary

00:14:50.659 --> 00:14:52.480
 professor and

00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:52.779
 end up

00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:54.259
 skeptical and

00:14:54.259 --> 00:14:55.759
 critical and

00:14:55.759 --> 00:14:56.240
 cynical of

00:14:56.240 --> 00:14:56.939
 everyone else

00:14:56.939 --> 00:14:58.720
 in the church

00:14:58.720 --> 00:14:59.139
 who hasn't

00:14:59.139 --> 00:14:59.840
 been enlightened.

00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:03.720
 Now, if

00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:03.919
 you're a

00:15:03.919 --> 00:15:04.159
 Div school

00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:04.659
 student, you

00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:04.939
 might be

00:15:04.939 --> 00:15:05.360
 saying, well,

00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:06.679
 yeah, that's

00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:06.899
 true.

00:15:07.340 --> 00:15:07.939
 I feel like

00:15:07.939 --> 00:15:08.399
 that's true of

00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:08.799
 some of my

00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:09.159
 professors.

00:15:10.139 --> 00:15:10.779
 They know a

00:15:10.779 --> 00:15:11.259
 lot of Bible

00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:11.759
 and ancient

00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:12.240
 texts, but

00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:12.519
 they don't

00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:13.039
 love Jesus.

00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:13.360
 But you

00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:13.580
 know, I'm

00:15:13.580 --> 00:15:14.080
 not talking

00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:15.120
 about your

00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:15.519
 professors.

00:15:17.379 --> 00:15:17.919
 Because they're,

00:15:18.259 --> 00:15:18.600
 for the most

00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:19.399
 part, probably

00:15:19.399 --> 00:15:19.960
 not here today.

00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:23.740
 I want to

00:15:23.740 --> 00:15:24.179
 speak to you

00:15:24.179 --> 00:15:24.479
 who are

00:15:24.479 --> 00:15:24.739
 here.

00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:27.179
 If you're

00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:27.559
 in Divinity

00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:28.000
 School, are

00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:28.719
 you attending

00:15:28.719 --> 00:15:29.139
 to your

00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:30.019
 spiritual life

00:15:30.019 --> 00:15:31.899
 while you're

00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:32.759
 studying?

00:15:34.059 --> 00:15:34.759
 You're growing

00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:35.279
 in knowledge

00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:35.799
 about the

00:15:35.799 --> 00:15:36.379
 Bible and

00:15:36.379 --> 00:15:37.519
 about theology

00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:37.939
 and church

00:15:37.939 --> 00:15:38.299
 history.

00:15:38.459 --> 00:15:38.719
 Are you

00:15:38.719 --> 00:15:39.359
 seeking just

00:15:39.359 --> 00:15:39.939
 as diligently

00:15:39.939 --> 00:15:41.339
 to grow in

00:15:41.339 --> 00:15:41.959
 your obedience

00:15:41.959 --> 00:15:43.019
 to God,

00:15:44.059 --> 00:15:44.559
 in your

00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:45.339
 devotion to

00:15:45.339 --> 00:15:45.779
 Jesus,

00:15:46.579 --> 00:15:47.120
 in your

00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:48.379
 dependence on

00:15:48.379 --> 00:15:48.699
 the Holy

00:15:48.699 --> 00:15:49.279
 Spirit, in

00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:49.919
 your service

00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:51.139
 to God's

00:15:51.139 --> 00:15:51.439
 people?

00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:51.560
 love.

00:15:52.820 --> 00:15:53.420
 The

00:15:53.420 --> 00:15:53.960
 Apostle Paul

00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:54.480
 says, mere

00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:56.000
 knowledge puffs

00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:56.220
 up.

00:15:57.320 --> 00:15:57.760
 It can make

00:15:57.760 --> 00:15:58.280
 you proud.

00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:00.040
 But love

00:16:00.040 --> 00:16:01.120
 builds up.

00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:02.880
 Love seeks to

00:16:02.880 --> 00:16:03.840
 strengthen the

00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:04.440
 whole community.

00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:06.680
 Now, I've been to

00:16:06.680 --> 00:16:07.460
 seminary myself.

00:16:07.460 --> 00:16:07.560
 love.

00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:11.519
 I understand.

00:16:12.519 --> 00:16:13.040
 It's a

00:16:13.040 --> 00:16:13.320
 challenging

00:16:13.320 --> 00:16:13.800
 place.

00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:14.879
 You see, the

00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:15.580
 problem for many

00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:16.360
 people who study

00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:17.360
 religion in an

00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:18.480
 academic context is

00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:19.100
 that their knowledge

00:16:19.100 --> 00:16:19.960
 increases greatly,

00:16:20.340 --> 00:16:21.680
 and their Christian

00:16:21.680 --> 00:16:23.120
 maturity increases

00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.940
 only slightly, if at

00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:25.139
 all.

00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:26.440
 And so there's this

00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:27.379
 increasing gap where

00:16:27.379 --> 00:16:28.500
 you have all this

00:16:28.500 --> 00:16:30.300
 growing knowledge that

00:16:30.300 --> 00:16:31.200
 you're not living out,

00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:31.240
 life.

00:16:31.980 --> 00:16:32.520
 And that's a

00:16:32.520 --> 00:16:33.259
 spiritual danger

00:16:33.259 --> 00:16:34.520
 whenever that

00:16:34.520 --> 00:16:34.980
 happens.

00:16:36.420 --> 00:16:37.420
 And it opens the

00:16:37.420 --> 00:16:38.200
 door to things like

00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:39.440
 pride and hypocrisy.

00:16:41.560 --> 00:16:42.740
 Going to seminary or

00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:43.660
 divinity school can be

00:16:43.660 --> 00:16:44.160
 one of the most

00:16:44.160 --> 00:16:45.100
 spiritually challenging

00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:46.600
 times of your entire

00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:47.300
 life.

00:16:48.280 --> 00:16:49.400
 Almost nobody expects

00:16:49.400 --> 00:16:50.680
 that or thinks of it

00:16:50.680 --> 00:16:51.100
 that way.

00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:54.100
 It's a spiritual

00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:54.759
 battleground.

00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:56.879
 So, brothers and

00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:57.940
 sisters, be aware of

00:16:57.940 --> 00:16:58.820
 the spiritual battle

00:16:58.820 --> 00:17:00.280
 that you are involved in

00:17:00.280 --> 00:17:00.780
 every day.

00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:03.780
 Don't sacrifice your

00:17:03.780 --> 00:17:06.039
 devotion to Jesus on

00:17:06.039 --> 00:17:07.299
 the altar of academic

00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:08.340
 respectability and

00:17:08.340 --> 00:17:08.840
 success.

00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:12.140
 Don't let your life

00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:13.660
 become so dominated by

00:17:13.660 --> 00:17:14.440
 the demands of your

00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:16.319
 classes that you end up

00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:18.740
 with all A's, but

00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:20.340
 never get meaningfully

00:17:20.340 --> 00:17:22.900
 involved in the life of

00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:25.319
 a local church, God's

00:17:25.319 --> 00:17:27.400
 people, who Jesus died

00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:27.660
 for.

00:17:29.340 --> 00:17:30.220
 You see, God has

00:17:30.220 --> 00:17:30.860
 brought you here.

00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:32.180
 Students, God has

00:17:32.180 --> 00:17:32.960
 brought you here so

00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:34.200
 that you can learn from

00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:36.080
 an elderly person who

00:17:36.080 --> 00:17:36.880
 has walked with Jesus

00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:37.720
 their whole life.

00:17:38.660 --> 00:17:40.180
 So that you can come

00:17:40.180 --> 00:17:41.120
 alongside a new

00:17:41.120 --> 00:17:42.600
 Christian believer and

00:17:42.600 --> 00:17:43.640
 be challenged by their

00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:46.279
 spiritual fervor, even

00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:48.000
 as you encourage and

00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:48.519
 train them.

00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:50.180
 So you can learn to

00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:51.279
 communicate biblical truth

00:17:51.279 --> 00:17:52.380
 in a way that four and

00:17:52.380 --> 00:17:53.140
 five-year-olds can

00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:54.120
 understand if you serve

00:17:54.120 --> 00:17:55.019
 in children's ministry.

00:17:55.019 --> 00:17:55.480
 Christian.

00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:57.400
 Now, if you're not in

00:17:57.400 --> 00:17:58.119
 div school, if you're not

00:17:58.119 --> 00:17:58.940
 in seminary, if you have

00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:00.339
 no plans to go there, pray

00:18:00.339 --> 00:18:01.180
 for your brothers and

00:18:01.180 --> 00:18:02.359
 sisters who are.

00:18:04.200 --> 00:18:05.559
 And come alongside them

00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.799
 and encourage them in their

00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:09.460
 love for Jesus.

00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:12.319
 You know, even if you're not

00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:14.420
 studying religion, the

00:18:14.420 --> 00:18:16.000
 culture of many academic

00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.119
 institutions fosters a

00:18:18.119 --> 00:18:19.019
 mindset of critical

00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:21.759
 thinking, where you're

00:18:21.759 --> 00:18:23.099
 expected to write papers

00:18:23.099 --> 00:18:24.839
 making persuasive arguments

00:18:24.839 --> 00:18:25.659
 that you don't even

00:18:25.659 --> 00:18:26.139
 believe.

00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:28.559
 And it can foster a kind

00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:30.179
 of complacency, a kind of

00:18:30.179 --> 00:18:31.199
 smugness, a kind of

00:18:31.199 --> 00:18:32.419
 distance, as if all

00:18:32.419 --> 00:18:33.319
 knowledge is a game.

00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:35.240
 And the goal of gaining

00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:36.199
 knowledge is to impress

00:18:36.199 --> 00:18:36.639
 others.

00:18:37.899 --> 00:18:38.779
 But if that's what

00:18:38.779 --> 00:18:39.699
 knowledge is all about,

00:18:39.799 --> 00:18:40.319
 it's empty.

00:18:41.259 --> 00:18:42.059
 It's meaningless.

00:18:43.639 --> 00:18:44.659
 The scribes give a

00:18:44.659 --> 00:18:45.779
 technically correct answer,

00:18:45.899 --> 00:18:46.559
 but they don't get

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:46.980
 anywhere.

00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:50.699
 In their complacency, they

00:18:50.699 --> 00:18:52.719
 miss out on Jesus.

00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:56.659
 Let's not miss out.

00:18:57.980 --> 00:18:59.159
 So we see Herod, who is

00:18:59.159 --> 00:18:59.539
 hostile.

00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:01.639
 We see the chief priests,

00:19:01.679 --> 00:19:02.399
 who are complacent.

00:19:02.459 --> 00:19:03.779
 And finally, we see the

00:19:03.779 --> 00:19:06.299
 wise men, who come to

00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:06.559
 worship.

00:19:08.439 --> 00:19:09.759
 Now, most of us, when we

00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:11.119
 hear the word wise men or

00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:12.559
 wise people, we generally

00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:13.919
 have positive ideas.

00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.119
 But in the minds of

00:19:16.119 --> 00:19:17.399
 faithful Jews or early

00:19:17.399 --> 00:19:19.279
 Christians, wise men would

00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:21.079
 have been seen in an almost

00:19:21.079 --> 00:19:22.460
 entirely negative light.

00:19:23.259 --> 00:19:24.460
 The most unlikely

00:19:24.460 --> 00:19:25.559
 candidates to perceive

00:19:25.559 --> 00:19:26.460
 spiritual truth.

00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:28.819
 Now, the term wise men is

00:19:28.819 --> 00:19:30.019
 a translation of the

00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:31.059
 Greek word magi.

00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:32.740
 It's where we get the word

00:19:32.740 --> 00:19:34.879
 magic or magician.

00:19:35.740 --> 00:19:36.939
 And in other contexts,

00:19:37.519 --> 00:19:38.500
 magi refers to

00:19:38.500 --> 00:19:41.399
 astrologers who looked for

00:19:41.399 --> 00:19:43.199
 meaning and guidance in the

00:19:43.199 --> 00:19:44.240
 movements of the stars.

00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:47.299
 or sorcerers or wizards who

00:19:47.299 --> 00:19:48.980
 dabbled in the occult.

00:19:49.799 --> 00:19:51.680
 Or pagan priests or

00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:53.059
 advisors to pagan kings.

00:19:54.019 --> 00:19:54.900
 In fact, throughout the

00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:56.319
 Bible, references to magi,

00:19:56.440 --> 00:19:57.559
 apart from this passage, are

00:19:57.559 --> 00:19:58.900
 almost overwhelmingly

00:19:58.900 --> 00:19:59.559
 negative.

00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:02.620
 So Pharaoh's magicians in

00:20:02.620 --> 00:20:04.440
 Exodus attempt to duplicate

00:20:04.440 --> 00:20:05.120
 the plagues.

00:20:05.980 --> 00:20:06.819
 In Daniel, King

00:20:06.819 --> 00:20:09.440
 Nebuchadnezzar's magicians try to

00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:10.480
 interpret his dreams

00:20:10.480 --> 00:20:11.339
 unsuccessfully.

00:20:12.259 --> 00:20:13.519
 In the book of Acts, Simon,

00:20:13.720 --> 00:20:15.019
 the magician in chapter 8,

00:20:15.819 --> 00:20:17.099
 amazes the people with his

00:20:17.099 --> 00:20:19.059
 magic and tries to convince

00:20:19.059 --> 00:20:19.819
 them that he's somebody

00:20:19.819 --> 00:20:20.259
 great.

00:20:21.659 --> 00:20:24.559
 In Acts 13, there's a guy

00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.439
 named Alemus who's a magician

00:20:26.439 --> 00:20:28.379
 and false prophet who seeks to

00:20:28.379 --> 00:20:30.159
 turn people away from the

00:20:30.159 --> 00:20:30.939
 gospel of Jesus.

00:20:31.699 --> 00:20:32.879
 In Acts 19, the Christian

00:20:32.879 --> 00:20:34.119
 believers in Ephesus who had

00:20:34.119 --> 00:20:36.000
 practiced magic confessed their

00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:37.159
 sins and burned their books.

00:20:38.419 --> 00:20:39.519
 Of all things.

00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:41.779
 So if you were an early

00:20:41.779 --> 00:20:44.259
 Christian and you gathered

00:20:44.259 --> 00:20:45.859
 with other Christians and you

00:20:45.859 --> 00:20:47.119
 heard this story read for the

00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:48.240
 first time that a group of

00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:52.400
 magicians came all the way from

00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.139
 who knows where and worshiped

00:20:56.139 --> 00:21:00.660
 Jesus, you'd be surprised.

00:21:01.500 --> 00:21:03.059
 It would never be a story that

00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:05.160
 you would make up because it

00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:06.220
 would be so unexpected.

00:21:06.220 --> 00:21:07.779
 It's sort of like saying the

00:21:07.779 --> 00:21:11.660
 local horoscope reader came to

00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:14.980
 church and gave their whole

00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:15.980
 fortune in the offering.

00:21:18.779 --> 00:21:20.319
 You sort of think, what's going

00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:20.680
 on?

00:21:21.380 --> 00:21:22.940
 That sounds a little weird.

00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:27.460
 But they were drawn.

00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:30.319
 Even though they were in some

00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:31.720
 people's minds the most unlikely

00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:33.360
 candidates to perceive the truth,

00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:35.000
 they were drawn to seek Jesus.

00:21:35.759 --> 00:21:37.199
 They were drawn by this star.

00:21:38.259 --> 00:21:39.459
 Interestingly enough, God

00:21:39.459 --> 00:21:43.399
 communicates to them in a way

00:21:43.399 --> 00:21:44.599
 that they understood.

00:21:45.179 --> 00:21:46.419
 They spent a lot of time looking

00:21:46.419 --> 00:21:46.899
 at stars.

00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:48.819
 They probably had some

00:21:48.819 --> 00:21:50.099
 superstitious beliefs about

00:21:50.099 --> 00:21:52.059
 stars, but they see this star,

00:21:52.899 --> 00:21:54.740
 which is something that they can

00:21:54.740 --> 00:21:56.799
 understand, and yet it points

00:21:56.799 --> 00:21:59.079
 them to seek something that they

00:21:59.079 --> 00:21:59.919
 don't yet understand.

00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.460
 It wasn't an ordinary star.

00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:06.000
 Not only did it rise, it went

00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:07.500
 before them and came to rest over

00:22:07.500 --> 00:22:09.240
 the place where the child lay.

00:22:09.779 --> 00:22:11.560
 The star behaves a little bit like

00:22:11.560 --> 00:22:14.940
 the pillar of fire that led the

00:22:14.940 --> 00:22:16.360
 Israelites through the wilderness

00:22:16.360 --> 00:22:19.080
 at night, and the pillar of cloud

00:22:19.080 --> 00:22:19.580
 by day.

00:22:20.560 --> 00:22:22.259
 In other words, it was a supernatural

00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:24.220
 guidance of some kind.

00:22:25.180 --> 00:22:26.840
 It wasn't just an unusual comet.

00:22:26.839 --> 00:22:30.859
 Now they're led by this star.

00:22:31.859 --> 00:22:33.139
 And the Magi seek after Jesus

00:22:33.139 --> 00:22:34.659
 with great eagerness and diligence.

00:22:35.679 --> 00:22:37.159
 They travel for hundreds of miles

00:22:37.159 --> 00:22:38.859
 over dangerous roads.

00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:40.919
 They leave behind the comfort and

00:22:40.919 --> 00:22:42.179
 security of their home country.

00:22:42.299 --> 00:22:43.659
 They come to Jerusalem and they ask

00:22:43.659 --> 00:22:44.240
 for directions.

00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:46.359
 Now when's the last time you've seen

00:22:46.359 --> 00:22:48.480
 a group of several grown men

00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.240
 asking for directions, willingly?

00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:53.779
 I wasn't among them.

00:22:56.099 --> 00:22:56.660
 Right?

00:22:56.779 --> 00:22:58.259
 And when the local religious leaders

00:22:58.259 --> 00:23:00.099
 are complacent, they're not

00:23:00.099 --> 00:23:00.900
 deterred by that.

00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:02.319
 They're not discouraged by the

00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:04.000
 complacency of the religious leaders.

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:06.900
 They keep following the star all the

00:23:06.900 --> 00:23:07.779
 way to Bethlehem.

00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:12.660
 They find an ordinary house in an

00:23:12.660 --> 00:23:14.160
 unassuming small town.

00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:17.019
 But when they reach their destination,

00:23:17.180 --> 00:23:18.460
 they're not disappointed by

00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:21.140
 how ordinary it is.

00:23:21.240 --> 00:23:22.500
 They're overjoyed.

00:23:24.660 --> 00:23:27.200
 And then they bow before Jesus

00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:29.560
 and present him with lavish offerings

00:23:29.560 --> 00:23:30.519
 fit for a king.

00:23:33.320 --> 00:23:34.720
 You might ask, what motivated them?

00:23:34.800 --> 00:23:39.220
 What drove them to do this crazy trip?

00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:45.579
 They saw that this child, Jesus,

00:23:46.019 --> 00:23:49.200
 is a priceless treasure like nothing

00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:49.600
 else.

00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:54.180
 And so when they saw him, it was worth it.

00:23:54.940 --> 00:23:56.680
 It was worth all the trouble of the

00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:56.960
 journey.

00:23:58.259 --> 00:23:59.680
 And when they finally got there, they

00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:00.500
 rejoiced.

00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:02.200
 It says they rejoiced exceedingly with

00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:02.779
 great joy.

00:24:02.900 --> 00:24:05.920
 That's like more superlatives than you

00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:09.039
 can possibly grammatically

00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.299
 put in the same sentence.

00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:12.379
 Rejoice.

00:24:12.500 --> 00:24:13.440
 It could have just said they

00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:13.920
 rejoiced.

00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:14.680
 That would have been enough.

00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:16.720
 It could have just said rejoice

00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:17.299
 exceedingly.

00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:19.119
 Rejoice exceedingly with great joy.

00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:22.700
 They're jumping up and down.

00:24:22.839 --> 00:24:24.139
 I don't know how they expressed it.

00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:25.700
 However they expressed their joy,

00:24:26.299 --> 00:24:27.220
 they were overjoyed.

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.659
 And they presented Jesus with their

00:24:29.659 --> 00:24:30.579
 most precious treasures.

00:24:32.440 --> 00:24:33.759
 You see, they began the farthest

00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:34.079
 away.

00:24:35.639 --> 00:24:37.240
 But they ended up in the presence of

00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:37.940
 the king himself.

00:24:39.039 --> 00:24:40.420
 That's the irony.

00:24:41.899 --> 00:24:43.619
 Jesus is ignored and rejected by the

00:24:43.619 --> 00:24:44.980
 people who are closest to him.

00:24:46.119 --> 00:24:47.659
 Who know the most about him.

00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:50.119
 Who live just around the corner.

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:52.619
 And can access him most easily.

00:24:53.339 --> 00:24:55.759
 And he's sought after and found by

00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:56.859
 people who are far off.

00:24:57.559 --> 00:24:59.619
 Who are foreigners and outsiders.

00:25:01.539 --> 00:25:02.519
 Now maybe you're here.

00:25:02.599 --> 00:25:03.960
 Maybe you're from a part of the world

00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:06.119
 where very few people are Christians.

00:25:06.119 --> 00:25:08.919
 Or maybe you're from a family

00:25:08.919 --> 00:25:12.519
 where nobody else believes that Jesus

00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:13.779
 is the Messiah.

00:25:14.919 --> 00:25:16.459
 Maybe you've come here to New Haven

00:25:16.459 --> 00:25:18.139
 for a time and for some reason

00:25:18.139 --> 00:25:19.779
 you're drawn to learn more

00:25:19.779 --> 00:25:21.659
 about Christianity.

00:25:22.899 --> 00:25:24.299
 Or maybe you just came to church

00:25:24.299 --> 00:25:25.599
 because a friend invited you.

00:25:26.459 --> 00:25:27.619
 And you thought, why not?

00:25:28.699 --> 00:25:29.839
 I respect my friend.

00:25:29.899 --> 00:25:30.939
 I'll come along with him.

00:25:30.940 --> 00:25:34.299
 Well, this story is good news for you.

00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:37.100
 Because it says that Jesus wants to

00:25:37.100 --> 00:25:39.640
 include people in his kingdom,

00:25:39.940 --> 00:25:41.140
 in his family,

00:25:41.620 --> 00:25:43.220
 from every part of the world.

00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:46.279
 Christianity is not just a religion

00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:47.400
 for Western people.

00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:50.500
 It is not just for people who grew up

00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:51.940
 with Christian parents.

00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:54.740
 Christianity is for people from all

00:25:54.740 --> 00:25:55.559
 nations.

00:25:56.039 --> 00:25:57.480
 And all backgrounds.

00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:00.940
 If you don't yet believe in Jesus,

00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:02.480
 keep on seeking

00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:05.460
 until you find the truth about him.

00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:08.740
 God might not send you

00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:10.039
 a bright light in the sky.

00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:12.259
 But maybe he has put

00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:13.480
 a Christian friend

00:26:13.480 --> 00:26:15.000
 in your path.

00:26:15.799 --> 00:26:16.779
 Or a book.

00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:18.480
 Or something

00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:19.940
 to draw you

00:26:19.940 --> 00:26:21.279
 to seek after

00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:22.400
 this Jesus.

00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:26.900
 This is the most important thing

00:26:26.900 --> 00:26:27.600
 that you can learn

00:26:27.600 --> 00:26:29.480
 while you're here in New Haven.

00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:32.420
 It's about this Jesus.

00:26:33.740 --> 00:26:34.940
 So let me encourage you

00:26:34.940 --> 00:26:36.300
 to seek after him

00:26:36.300 --> 00:26:37.460
 until you find.

00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:40.519
 Even in the Old Testament,

00:26:41.220 --> 00:26:42.300
 God had always planned

00:26:42.300 --> 00:26:43.880
 to shine his glory

00:26:43.880 --> 00:26:44.940
 to the ends of the earth.

00:26:46.060 --> 00:26:46.820
 The people of Israel

00:26:46.820 --> 00:26:47.780
 were called to be a light

00:26:47.780 --> 00:26:48.380
 to the nations.

00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:50.960
 And a few times

00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:52.100
 in the Old Testament

00:26:52.100 --> 00:26:53.840
 we see this theme.

00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:56.299
 In 1 Kings 10,

00:26:56.380 --> 00:26:57.100
 the Queen of Sheba

00:26:57.100 --> 00:26:58.660
 comes from far away

00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:00.720
 bringing gold

00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:01.380
 and spices

00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:02.460
 to King Solomon.

00:27:03.539 --> 00:27:04.539
 And she praises him

00:27:04.539 --> 00:27:05.240
 for his wisdom.

00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:07.960
 Isaiah 60

00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:08.840
 says,

00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:09.759
 Nations shall come

00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:10.340
 to your light

00:27:10.340 --> 00:27:10.880
 and kings

00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:11.500
 to the brightness

00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:12.259
 of your rising.

00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:13.940
 They shall bring gold

00:27:13.940 --> 00:27:15.299
 and frankincense

00:27:15.299 --> 00:27:17.019
 and they shall bring

00:27:17.019 --> 00:27:17.579
 good news.

00:27:17.680 --> 00:27:18.740
 The praises of the Lord.

00:27:18.740 --> 00:27:18.880
 The Lord.

00:27:20.960 --> 00:27:21.360
 You see,

00:27:21.420 --> 00:27:22.000
 the wise men

00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:23.079
 were fulfilling

00:27:23.079 --> 00:27:25.500
 that very pattern.

00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:27.660
 And at the end

00:27:27.660 --> 00:27:28.100
 of the Bible,

00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:29.420
 Revelation 21

00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:30.019
 says that

00:27:30.019 --> 00:27:31.579
 the same thing

00:27:31.579 --> 00:27:32.039
 will happen

00:27:32.039 --> 00:27:34.019
 in even greater number.

00:27:34.299 --> 00:27:35.059
 The kings of the earth

00:27:35.059 --> 00:27:36.140
 will bring their glory

00:27:36.140 --> 00:27:37.460
 into the new Jerusalem.

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:39.140
 The nations

00:27:39.140 --> 00:27:39.620
 will present

00:27:39.620 --> 00:27:40.860
 their most valuable treasures

00:27:40.860 --> 00:27:41.420
 to Jesus,

00:27:41.539 --> 00:27:42.420
 the King of kings

00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:43.960
 and Lord of lords.

00:27:44.740 --> 00:27:45.000
 You know,

00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:45.779
 why do you present

00:27:45.779 --> 00:27:46.920
 valuable gifts

00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:47.380
 to someone?

00:27:47.380 --> 00:27:49.500
 Why do you

00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:51.380
 buy something

00:27:51.380 --> 00:27:52.500
 for somebody else

00:27:52.500 --> 00:27:53.180
 for their birthday

00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:53.900
 or for Christmas

00:27:53.900 --> 00:27:55.380
 or for some occasion?

00:27:55.600 --> 00:27:56.940
 It's because you value them.

00:27:57.960 --> 00:27:58.840
 It's because you want

00:27:58.840 --> 00:27:59.580
 to honor them.

00:28:00.740 --> 00:28:02.060
 It's because they're worth

00:28:02.060 --> 00:28:03.480
 all the money

00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:04.440
 you pay for that gift

00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:05.420
 and a lot more.

00:28:06.540 --> 00:28:07.260
 And the wise men

00:28:07.260 --> 00:28:07.880
 brought their most

00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:08.700
 precious gifts

00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:09.400
 to Jesus

00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:11.140
 because he was

00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:11.980
 worth it

00:28:11.980 --> 00:28:13.100
 to them.

00:28:13.099 --> 00:28:15.759
 And Revelation

00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:16.459
 says that

00:28:16.459 --> 00:28:17.539
 in the new Jerusalem

00:28:17.539 --> 00:28:18.459
 there will be no need

00:28:18.459 --> 00:28:19.139
 of sun or moon

00:28:19.139 --> 00:28:19.919
 because the glory

00:28:19.919 --> 00:28:20.459
 of God

00:28:20.459 --> 00:28:21.439
 gives it light

00:28:21.439 --> 00:28:22.379
 and its lamp

00:28:22.379 --> 00:28:23.459
 is Jesus the Lamb

00:28:23.459 --> 00:28:24.599
 who will reign

00:28:24.599 --> 00:28:26.000
 forever and ever.

00:28:27.819 --> 00:28:28.339
 You see,

00:28:28.399 --> 00:28:28.980
 the picture we see

00:28:28.980 --> 00:28:29.599
 of the wise men

00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:30.319
 coming and being

00:28:30.319 --> 00:28:31.219
 and joyfully

00:28:31.219 --> 00:28:32.159
 bringing their treasures

00:28:32.159 --> 00:28:32.639
 to Jesus

00:28:32.639 --> 00:28:33.259
 is only

00:28:33.259 --> 00:28:35.319
 a glimpse

00:28:35.319 --> 00:28:37.159
 of what will happen

00:28:37.159 --> 00:28:37.679
 one day.

00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:40.859
 And on that day

00:28:40.859 --> 00:28:42.879
 the Christmas carol

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:43.980
 will have its fullest meaning.

00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:45.440
 Joy to the world.

00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:47.160
 The Lord is come.

00:28:48.040 --> 00:28:49.580
 Let earth receive

00:28:49.580 --> 00:28:50.400
 her king.

00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:53.360
 Now until that day

00:28:53.360 --> 00:28:56.120
 we're on a long

00:28:56.120 --> 00:28:57.200
 painful

00:28:57.200 --> 00:28:58.400
 dangerous

00:28:58.400 --> 00:28:59.180
 journey.

00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:01.320
 As we walk

00:29:01.320 --> 00:29:01.900
 through the wilderness

00:29:01.900 --> 00:29:03.680
 of life on earth

00:29:03.680 --> 00:29:05.180
 and sometimes

00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:05.680
 the journey

00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:06.500
 seems to go on

00:29:06.500 --> 00:29:06.940
 and on

00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:09.480
 through strange lands

00:29:09.480 --> 00:29:11.680
 uninhabited deserts

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:12.680
 deserts

00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:13.900
 chaotic

00:29:13.900 --> 00:29:15.360
 inns

00:29:15.360 --> 00:29:18.100
 sometimes the road ahead

00:29:18.100 --> 00:29:19.200
 might seem very dark

00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.860
 but brothers and sisters

00:29:21.860 --> 00:29:24.160
 as we walk this road

00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:26.400
 dark as it may seem

00:29:26.400 --> 00:29:27.080
 at times

00:29:27.080 --> 00:29:28.700
 may we look forward

00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:29.259
 to the day

00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:31.340
 as the wise men

00:29:31.340 --> 00:29:33.380
 ardently longed

00:29:33.380 --> 00:29:34.880
 to see this king

00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:35.799
 may we look forward

00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:36.240
 to the day

00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.980
 when we will see

00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:38.200
 the king

00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:39.160
 Jesus

00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:40.299
 in his beauty

00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:41.900
 when we will see him

00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:42.720
 face to face

00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:44.759
 and when

00:29:44.759 --> 00:29:45.860
 we will dwell

00:29:45.860 --> 00:29:47.019
 in his light

00:29:47.019 --> 00:29:48.299
 and his joy

00:29:48.299 --> 00:29:49.140
 forever.

00:29:51.059 --> 00:29:51.880
 Let us pray.

00:29:51.880 --> 00:29:51.920
 Let us pray.

00:29:51.920 --> 00:30:03.980
 Almighty God

00:30:03.980 --> 00:30:04.600
 you revealed

00:30:04.600 --> 00:30:06.240
 your son Jesus

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:08.340
 to the nations

00:30:08.340 --> 00:30:08.940
 of the world

00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:10.820
 by the leading

00:30:10.820 --> 00:30:11.380
 of a star.

00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:13.500
 We pray

00:30:13.500 --> 00:30:13.900
 that you would

00:30:13.900 --> 00:30:14.600
 lead us

00:30:14.600 --> 00:30:18.740
 to long

00:30:18.740 --> 00:30:19.560
 for your presence

00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:21.919
 Lord

00:30:21.919 --> 00:30:23.579
 to do

00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:24.379
 whatever it takes

00:30:24.379 --> 00:30:25.919
 to seek

00:30:25.919 --> 00:30:26.480
 after you

00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:29.619
 knowing that

00:30:29.619 --> 00:30:29.879
 you have

00:30:29.879 --> 00:30:30.299
 promised

00:30:30.299 --> 00:30:33.079
 that to all

00:30:33.079 --> 00:30:33.539
 who seek

00:30:33.539 --> 00:30:34.879
 they will find

00:30:34.879 --> 00:30:37.740
 because Lord

00:30:37.740 --> 00:30:38.319
 we don't seek

00:30:38.319 --> 00:30:38.919
 you on our own

00:30:38.919 --> 00:30:39.419
 initiative

00:30:39.419 --> 00:30:42.399
 wise men

00:30:42.399 --> 00:30:43.779
 sought after you

00:30:43.779 --> 00:30:44.299
 because they were

00:30:44.299 --> 00:30:45.200
 drawn by a star

00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.819
 and Lord

00:30:47.819 --> 00:30:48.220
 we seek

00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:48.620
 after you

00:30:48.620 --> 00:30:49.100
 because you

00:30:49.100 --> 00:30:49.819
 have drawn us

00:30:49.819 --> 00:30:51.920
 so Lord

00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:52.240
 we pray

00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:52.480
 that you

00:30:52.480 --> 00:30:52.960
 would encourage

00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:54.140
 us

00:30:54.140 --> 00:30:59.360
 to

00:30:59.360 --> 00:31:01.019
 seek after you

00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:01.340
 with all

00:31:01.340 --> 00:31:01.980
 of our hearts

00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:04.480
 knowing that

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:04.819
 you have

00:31:04.819 --> 00:31:06.620
 promised

00:31:06.620 --> 00:31:08.400
 one day

00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:09.700
 to return

00:31:09.700 --> 00:31:11.299
 and to reveal

00:31:11.299 --> 00:31:12.460
 your glory

00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:13.420
 in all

00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:14.000
 its fullness

00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:15.400
 to everyone

00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:16.220
 who looks

00:31:16.220 --> 00:31:16.579
 to you

00:31:16.579 --> 00:31:19.200
 we pray

00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:19.480
 this in

00:31:19.480 --> 00:31:20.000
 Jesus name

00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:21.019
 amen