I. I saw a Christmas cartoon this week which places one the wise men on his camel heading to Bethlehem and the caption depicts some of our concerns in this season."I hope I took the price tag off the frankincense before I wrapped it.”
A. The real Christmas story is a love story.
1. It is God’s love for all human kind displayed openly for the entire world to see.
a. Christmas is more than wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.
b. It is more than mistletoe, Christmas Carols and Cards to all the friends and family.
2. Christmas is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
3. Christmas is about God’s love which came to rescue us from ourselves.
4. It is also a story of how far God’s love will go and how powerful His love is to overcome even the most diabolical plans.
5. The Christmas story is a story of God’s love making sure His plan of salvation would work out perfectly.
II. 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
A. There is great mystery involved with the live and origin of the magi. Numerous fables and legends have evolved from these few short verses of Holy Writ.
1. "magi" These wise men from the east were experts in the study of the stars.
a. Tradition says that there were three and they were kings, but we do not know for certain.
b. They are called Wisemen and Kings.
c. Come from the east means they did not come from the religion nor the tradition of the Jews.
d. They were the first non-Jews to recognize Jesus as Lord. This was a clear sign that Jesus came not to save the Jews but all people.
2. The Greek historian Herodotus, writing in the fifth century B. C., identified the Magi as a caste of Medes who had a priestly function in the Persian Empire.
3. In the Book of Daniel the "astrologers" (magoi) are grouped with magicians, sorcerers, and Chaldeans as advisers to the court of Babylon with responsibility for interpreting dreams.
B. 2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him."
1. These Kings had kept track of the Old Testament Prophesies.
2. They read very carefully the Jewish Bible and they also saw a star which meant royalty.
3. The role of the star in
a. These astrologers, pursuing their observations of the stars in the heavens, encountered a sign of God
b. God broke through their misguided system to make the great event known.
III. 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
A. When Herod was trouble all of Jerusalem was troubled for He was a mean and ruthless despot.
1. Satan meant to thwart god’s Love Story.
2. Satan uses people and things to defeat God and His loving plan of Salvation.
B. Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
7 And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it."
8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil."
9 Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing?
10 "Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
11 "But put forth Thy hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse Thee to Thy face."
C. Gen 50:19 But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place?
20 "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.(NAS)
IV. Satan tries to use Herod the Great (37--4 B. C.) to thwart God’s Love Story.
A. The title Herod the Great refers not so much to Herod's greatness as to the fact that he was the eldest son of Antipater.
1. Nevertheless, Herod did show some unusual abilities.
a. He was a ruthless fighter, a cunning negotiator, and a subtle diplomat.
b. The Romans appreciated the way he subdued opposition and maintained order among the Jewish people.
2. Herod the Great established his authority and influence through a centralized bureaucracy, well built fortresses, and foreign soldiers.
a. To assure his continued rule, he slaughtered all male infants who could possibly be considered legal heirs to the throne.
b. His wife Mariamne also became a victim of his suspicion and brutality.
B. At times Herod implemented his policies with force and cruelty.
1. His increasing fear of Jewish revolt led to suppression of any opposition.
a. Herod's murder of his wife Mariamne I apparently haunted him. This was compounded when his two sons from that marriage, Alexander and Aristobulus, realized that their father was responsible for their mother's death.
b. By 7 B. C., Herod had both of these sons put to death.
c. Of Herod it was said, "It is better to be Herod's hog than to be his son."
2. As Herod became increasingly ill, an intense struggle for succession to his throne emerged within the family.
3. His 10 marriages and 15 children virtually guaranteed such a struggle.
V. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,
6 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a Ruler, who will shepherd My people Israel.'"
A. Herod begins to scheme and shrewdly plan how he can eliminate this potential adversary.
1. Herod the diplomat, the diabolical ruler hoped to gain the magi’s confidence and lure them back to him.
2. Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (NAS)
3. It is no coincidence that Jesus was born in the midst of one of the cruelest reigns of all Judah.
B. A valuable painting had been purchased by F. W. Boreham called "The Chess Player."
1. It portrayed Satan playing the game with a young opponent, and the man's soul was at stake.
a. The game had progressed to the point where it was the novice's turn, and there seemed to be no move he could make that would not mean defeat for him.
b. Awful despair was on his face as he realized his soul was lost, and Satan was grinning as he anticipated victory.
2. A champion player who had come to view the canvas studied the picture for a time and then called for a chessboard.
a. Placing the pieces in exactly the same position as in the painting, he said, "I'll take the young man's place."
b. He then made a move that showed how the devil's captive could have won and been set free.
C. 9 And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was.
10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
11 And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.
1. The joy, rejoicing, worship, and gifts which mark the response of these wise men to the birth of Jesus is quite a contrast to the troubled state and murderous intent of Herod and his Jewish advisers in Jerusalem
D. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.
1. God was still in control. Many human leaders and angry people think they can rule over people.
2. John 19:10 Pilate therefore said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?"
11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me up to you has the greater sin."(NAS)
3. Rom 13:1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
VI. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him."
14 And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt;
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi.(NAS)
A. Even ;Herod the Great could not stop God’s love though he tried in vain.
1. Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
B. Michael Scanlan tells the story of a Pentecostal minister in Uganda named Kefa:
1. “During the reign of terror under Idi Amin, death squads would go out every night to kill Amin's enemies.”
a. “One Sunday morning as parishioners came to church, they literally had to walk over the bodies of those who had been murdered the night before.”
b. “When they got inside, Pastor Kefa began to preach the Word of God.”
2. Even after the service had gone on for a couple of hours, the people protested when he started to close.
a. They cried out, 'No, no, we have nowhere else to go. We must feed on God's Word. Keep preaching!' An unusual experience for a pastor!
b. By late that afternoon, their fear and terrible sense of abandonment had finally been overcome by the truth of God's Word and His loving presence.
3. “As they closed the service, Pastor Kefa unmistakably recognized Idi Amin's goon squad at the back of the church.”
a. His parishioners followed him to the rectory.
b. As the pastor opened the door, three men drew their revolvers and said, 'We are going to kill you.'
c. "Kefa looked them straight in the eyes and answered, 'My life is hidden in Christ.
d. But if you ask me, I will pray for you.'
4. "Utterly astounded, the killers just stared at him.
a. Finally they said, 'Would you really?' Kefa said, 'Kneel down.'
b. They knelt down, and he prayed for them.
c. Then they left, and Pastor Kefa kept on preaching the Word of God."[Faith & Renewal, Mar/Apr 1993. Pages 21-22.]
C. Trials can show us character strengths or character weaknesses.
1. "God's intention in trial is to show how much gold is in the metal and then refine it further.
2. Satan's intention in trial is to show how much dross there is and thwart further refining." "Trial and temptation" by Andre Bustanoby. Decision, Mar 1988. Page 24.
