Sermon Central
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Christmas Throught The Eyes Of The World Series
Contributed by Craig Lee on Nov 1, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: What the world saw when Jesus was born!
Christmas Trough The Eyes of The World
Luke 3:15, Matthew 2:1-3, Luke 2:8-20
The past two weeks we have taken a look at Christmas from the prospective of Jesus’ parents.
For Mary a precious child was born, the very Son of God. Joseph, chosen to be the father to protect and love Mary, raising God’s son.
This week we will change focus and look at what was happening in the world and how they viewed the birth of Jesus.
Christmas Through the Eyes of the World—
Some were…
…Looking for a Messiah Luke 3:15
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.
The people of Jerusalem where looking for the messiah.
Balaam, a sorcerer, foretold of Jesus’ birth in Number 24...
Then he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,
16the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. 18Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. 19A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."
The fact that God used a sorcerer did not approve of sorcery, however, God can use anything he wants to accomplish His will.
"The days are coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.
Zech. 9:9-10
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The religious leaders were teaching that the Messiah, the Christ was to come to rule and reign, setting up Israel as a sovereign nation.
Jews practiced the Levitical laws of sacrifice and atonement as set forth to Israel in the OT.
This Messiah was to be the great leader of the world.
--Many look to Jesus as a great religious leader!
When Jesus was born the world was looking for the Messiah.
Some were…
…Looking For A King Matthew 2:1-2
n The Magi (wise men)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Scholars are torn as to where the magi came from. Some say they were from many countries showing how all the earth will worship him. Others say that they were possibly Jews who remained in Babylon following the captivity of Israel and knew OT prophecy of the coming King.
They saw a star and followed it to Bethlehem to seek this King.
Application: Many today come to church looking for someone who will be a king to them.
Jesus was never sent to be a king.
I don’t know but it could be possible that their worship was only a political sign to enable their cause.
Application: Many today attend church for political or social reasons and have no intention of worshipping God.
But, they brought gifts, expensive gifts.
I still say that many come to church today and give gifts of worth only expecting something in return.
God doesn’t need your gifts, He wants your life!
n King Herod and Jerusalem Matthew 2:3
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod the Great, king of the Jew as set up by the Roman Emperor Caesar.
The Jews rejected the title due to the fact that he did not come from the line of David. This went back to the genealogy to Abraham and God’s chosen people.
Because of Herod’s title was not accepted by the Jews he was very cautious about being overthrown.
