Matthew’s Unique Message #1
A Tale of Two Kings
(Title and background on Herod from : A Tale of Two Kings by Brian Bill www.sermoncentral.com)
Matthew 1:1-17; 2:1-18
CHCC: June 3, 2007
INTRODUCTION:
This summer I plan to preach a series of messages taken from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew was one of Jesus’ 12 Disciples. He tells about his own call in 3rd person in Matthew 9:9. As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
Matthew left a good “government job” as a Tax Collector to travel with Jesus during the three years of his public ministry. Matthew was an eyewitness to his death, burial, and post-resurrection appearances as well as to his ascension into heaven. Matthew was present on Pentecost Sunday when the Church was born, and he was involved in the work of the early church in Jerusalem.
Matthew is the longest of the four Gospels. Because he wrote specifically for Jewish readers, Matthew’s Gospel is full of references to prophecies from the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled. I thought it would be interesting for us to look at the things Matthew wrote about Jesus that none of the other Gospels recorded. I didn’t come across any book that told me what parts were unique to Matthew, so I got a Bible that put the 4 Gospels side by side and found them myself.
We’re going to look at the things we would not have known about Jesus if we didn’t have the book of Matthew. The first thing I found was that Matthew gave some details about the Birth of Christ that no one else recorded.
None of the other writers mentioned the visit of the Wise Men. (If it wasn’t for Matthew, your Nativity scene at Christmas would be lopsided. There would be Shepherds on one side, but no Wise Men on the other.)
Only the Gospel of Matthew tells about the clash between King Herod and the newborn baby King. You see, both King Herod and the baby Jesus were given the Title: KING OF THE JEWS. But Matthew makes it clear that only Jesus had a LEGITIMATE claim to that title.
1. Herod – Illegitimate KING / Jesus – Legitimate KING
King Herod ruled over Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth. Herod had been born into a family of wealth and privilege, and at the age of 25 the Roman Occupiers named Herod as Governor of the Jewish region. The Roman Senate was so impressed with the way Herod managed to control the rebellious Jews that they gave Herod the title KING OF THE JEWS in about 40 BC.
For the 40 years before the birth of Christ, Herod went by the lofty title: HEROD THE GREAT, KING OF THE JEWS. But then the day came when Herod heard that some unusual Visitors had come into Jerusalem. These Strangers from the East asked Herod a question that threatened his Political Position. They asked him, “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.” Matthew 2:2
Herod knew he held the TITLE King of the Jews … but he had not been BORN King of the Jews. The Jews viewed Herod as an ILLIGITIMATE King --- a King who got his Authority from the hated Romans … and who held onto power through terror and tyranny. Because of this, Herod was always on guard against anyone who might claim to be a Legitimate Heir to the Throne of David.
If you’ve read the New Testament (which I hope you have) you may have wondered why two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) contain long lists of the names of Jesus’ ancestors. In Jewish culture, when a boy was born, his Lineage would be recited, going back as far as possible. The early church modified this practice by reading a person’s Lineage at their Baptism.
It’s interesting that Matthew, who wrote for a Jewish audience, placed his Genealogy at the BIRTH of Christ --- while Luke, who wrote for the Gentile Christians, placed his Genealogy at the BAPTISM of Jesus. The two genealogies differ in other ways, also. Luke traces Jesus lineage all the way back to Adam. Luke was writing to all Believers, of every race and nationality. He traced Jesus lineage from MARY who was his actual genetic parent … all the way back to DAVID and then ABRAHAM and then to ADAM. Luke was showing that Jesus was born as the “Second Adam.” He was reinforcing the teaching of his dear friend Paul. The Apostle Paul taught that sin and death came into the world through Adam and that Forgiveness and Eternal life came through Jesus Christ. (Romans 5)
Matthew gave a different kind of Genealogy … because he had a different audience and a different purpose than that of Luke. You see, Matthew wrote his gospel for Jewish believers and Jewish seekers. His purpose was to show them that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah.
Matthew started with ABRAHAM, the Father of the Jews --- and traced Jesus’ lineage through DAVID, the first King of the Jews--- and then to JOSEPH. While Joseph was not the Genetic father of Jesus, he WAS the LEGAL father of Jesus. In the Jewish mind, the Messiah must come from the Legal as well as the Genetic line of David.
King Herod knew that somewhere in the Ancient Oracles there was a prediction that told the exact place where this Jewish Messiah would be born. So he called on some of his Ministers and Religious Specialists to find out what the Scriptures had to say about a coming King. They came up with the answer right away, quoting the Prophet Micah and told Herod the King would be born In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written, “And 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.” Matthew 2:5-6
Herod was constantly on guard against attempts to usurp his throne, so he sent these “stargazers” to Bethlehem with this commission: “Go and make careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Matthew 2:7-8 Of course, Herod had no intention of worshipping this child.
It’s at this point we see the CLASH between two Kings … who could not have been more different. One held an illegitimate claim to the title King of the Jews. The other was born from the legitimate line of King David. One held all the political and military POWER while the other was a defenseless infant. … Or at least that’s the way it looked …
2. Herod – Earthly Power / Jesus – Heavenly Power
All the POWERS of EARTH may have been at Herod’s disposal, but all the POWERS of HEAVEN were protecting the baby Jesus. After the Wise Men worshipped the child King, they had a dream that warned them not to trust Herod. So they snuck out of town by a different route. When Herod found out he’d been tricked, he was enraged.
What happens next is so horrific that it’s hard to comprehend … unless you have some background about King Herod. Above anything else, Herod was addicted to Power. He was also Paranoid. And his cruelty grew in direct proportion to his paranoia. Herod became the kind of Despot who would brutally wipe out anyone who stood in his way.
Over the years, Herod had killed many people: his brother-in-law, his mother-in-law, two of his sons, and one of his 10 wives … just to name a few. He became the Stalin, Hitler, or Sadaam Hussein of his day. The Historian, Josephus, called him “barbaric” and another writer labeled him “the malevolent maniac.” What Herod was about to do next would gain him the title, Butcher of Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:3 says that when the Wise Men asked Herod where the new King of Jews had been born, “…he was greatly disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” The word translated “disturbed” means to shake violently. No wonder the whole city was disturbed. They knew there was no limit to what Herod might do to protect his power. And just as the population feared, Herod reacted with unspeakable violence.
King Herod ordered that every boy in Bethlehem who was two-years-old or younger must be executed. Matthew 2:17-18 explains, Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
At this point the Powers of Heaven swooped down to defend the Infant King. Joseph had a dream that warned Him of the danger. Matthew 2:14-15 says, So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." It’s quite likely that Joseph was able to finance this unexpected journey to Egypt by using the expensive gifts from the Wise Men. God had provided everything that was needed to protect His Son.
If all we had was “… Mark, Luke & John,” we wouldn’t know anything about this Clash of Two Kings. We wouldn’t know about the Wise Men who came to worship the newborn King of the Jews. We wouldn’t know the miraculous way that the powers of Heaven saved the Messiah from Herod’s cruel attack.
This account --- that only Matthew gives --- holds an important Theme. All through his Gospel, Matthew shows us two Kingdoms in Conflict. Herod represents the Kingdom of this World, which is doomed to fall. Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of Heaven … which can NEVER be defeated.
3. Herod – Doomed to Fall / Jesus – Destined to Rule
But it didn’t look that way in the beginning of this “tale of two Kings.” Herod looked Invincible. He held all the power this world can give: wealth, military might, and political power. He had build an impressive Kingdom. History records that Herod built 7 palaces and 7 theaters that could seat up to 10,000 people. He built a sporting stadium that seated 300,000 fans. And he even constructed a magnificent new Temple that was the pride of Jerusalem … until it was demolished in 70 AD, that is.
Herod was not hesitant to use his Power to Protect his Kingdom. He was constantly surrounded by bodyguards and palace spies. He killed anyone who he even suspected of disloyalty. He commissioned thousands of slaves to build over 10 emergency fortresses where he could be protected in any circumstance. The Power of the Roman Army held him up, but it wasn’t enough to keep Herod’s Kingdom from falling.
At the end of his life, Herod’s paranoia had developed to the point of insanity. He was slowly dying of a Disease that covered his skin with open sores and sent him into convulsions. --- And when Herod died, the Infant King he had tried to destroy quietly returned home where he grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men Luke 2:52
The Jews had been waiting and watching for their Messiah to come and establish His Kingdom. Matthew wrote his Gospel to show these Jewish people that Jesus WAS the Messiah they’d been waiting for. But the kind of Kingdom Jesus establish was NOT a Kingdom of this World. Jesus brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth … and His Kingdom will never fall.
CONCLUSION: This account of two Kings holds a challenge for all of us. We all have a choice to make. Will WE choose to put our trust in the Kingdom of this World, or will we put our faith in the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus brought to earth?
This world seems to offer us power and security and pleasure … but like Herod’s Kingdom, it is doomed to fall.
On the other hand, the Kingdom of Heaven doesn’t look very imposing at first glance. It is a Kingdom of innocence and purity … a Kingdom of service and love. And it is an everlasting Kingdom. It is the only Kingdom that will last when all others have fallen.
Which Kingdom will you choose? Will you give your allegiance and your life to the things of this world … or will you follow Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven?
