They Came, They Saw,They Worshipped
Matthew 2:1-12
OKAY MGCC – welcome to church!
Welcome to week 3 of our study of Matthew’s Gospel.
It has been awhile so I want to do a very brief review.
IN WEEK ONE…
As we looked at Matthew’s Genealogy we saw the main point is driving home is that Jesus is King and the true heir to the Davidic Throne. And Jesus as King Has…
• The authority to speak
• The power to rule
• The desire to include
• The right to reward
IN WEEK TWO…
We saw that Joseph (Jesus’ earthly dad) woke up to who Jesus was… the King, the Christ, the Savior, Immanuel (God with us)… When Joseph woke up to who Jesus is, He did what the angel commanded.
And Joseph taught us that obedience..
• Can At Times Be Embarassing
• Obedience Is Often Inconvenient
• Obedience Doesn’t Always Make Sense
• Obedience Usually Comes With A Price
• Obedience Will Always Be Rewarded
OKAY – let’s do this… The Gospel of Matthew week three
“They Came, They Saw, They Worshipped…”
AND MGCC – here is how I want us to unpack today’s conversation, BY…
FIRST – by telling the story of the wisemen using Matthew 2:1-12 as our guide…
AND THEN – by pulling out a few of truths that they teach us about worship. SO – are you ready?
Prayer
Their Story
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,
Bethlehem = Beth (house) and Lehem (bread)
House of Bread
SO - the Bread of Life (John 6:48) was born in the House of Bread, pretty cool.
QUESTION – and Bethlehem was the hometown of what great Old Testament guy? David.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. – Matthew 2:1
WHO WAS - a very cruel, crafty, cunning, paranoid, evil and sadistic leader.
About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews?
NOW – these guys seem to be very confident, like they have no doubt that there is a newborn king, and that he is nearby.
We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem… - Matthew 2:1-3
OKAY… so the Wise Men show up in Jerusalem after the birth of Jesus. WHICH - runs contrary to most of our nativity scenes that show the shepherds and the Wise Men arriving in Bethlehem at the same time.
NOW - the shepherds were there on the night Jesus was born… BUT - the Wise Men arrive sometime later, ¬maybe, even up to two years after the birth of Jesus.
(My daughter Chelsea always sets up here nativity scene during Christmas with the wisemen off in the distance)
QUESTION…. SO JUST WHO - were these Wise Men?
WELL THEY - were basically, the professors and philosophers of their day, originating (most likely) from the country we now call Iraq. THEY – were highly educated men who were trained in medicine, history, religion, prophecy, astronomy and astrology. AND UNDERSTAND - back then, astrology was connected with people’s search for God.
YOU SEE - the ancients studied the skies in order to find answers to the great questions of life--Questions like:
Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
AND ANOTHER - important fact for us to keep in mind about these wise guys is that they were highly influential men who served as advisors to kings. While they were not kings themselves, it would not be far from the truth to say that these men were often kingmakers.
QUESTION - what was it that motivated these educated, wealthy and influential men to make the treacherous 1,000+ mile journey across the desert?
THEY – came to see a baby who was born King.
NOW - they knew a baby had been born in Judea, but they didn’t know where.
And they knew he was a King, but didn’t know His name.
SO THEY - come to Jerusalem--the capital city--seeking help.
WHICH - makes perfect sense, because they wanted to welcome the “King of the Jews.”
NOW - verse 2 adds a detail that has baffled and intrigued Biblical scholars and astronomers for 2,000 years:
We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him… - Matthew 2:2
QUESTION – what was this star that rose in the east…?
NOW – many theories have been purposed over the years.
ONE OF – the earliest was from Origen of Alexandria, one of the early church Fathers, who in the second century said that the star that guided the wisemen was a comet.
Johannes Kepler, the father of modern astronomy, explained the star as the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation, Pisces in 7 BC. Which is probably the most popular view of astronomers today.
NOW – I lean towards the star being a miraculous creation by God. KIND OF LIKE - the great fish that God created just for Jonah…
OR LIKE - the ‘Shekinah Glory’ (pillar of cloud and of fire) that guided God’s people during their wilderness wanderings…
ANOTHER REASON – I believe that this was a miraculous star is because later in Matthew 2 when the star reappears it moves from north to south, leading the wisemen from to Bethlehem. BUT UNDERSTAND – that is not how stars appear to move in the sky. YOU SEE - as the earth rotates on its axis, stars appear to move from east to west, not south.
We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him… - Matthew 2:2
YEAH – there are a lot of things that we do not know about this star… HOWEVER – there are some things that we do know.
NUMBER ONE – the stars purpose was to get the attention of the Wise Men.
Which it did…
I MEAN - the sudden appearance of a bright star in the heavens would make perfect sense to them and would in fact fit what they already believed. YOU SEE – they associated the birth of a great ruler with unusual events in the heavens…
NUMBER 2 – the rising of the star was a fulfillment of a prophecy that we find in the book of Numbers, chapter 24.
NOW - the book of numbers recounts the journey of God's people from Mount Sinai to the edge of the promised land. AND UNDERSTAND - as God’s people journeyed they grew in numbers, power and might.
WHICH – begins to freak out a guy named Balak, the king of Moab, SO - Balak called for Balaam, a prophet and seer, to curse God’s people.
HOWEVER - as the story continues, God makes it clear to Balaam that he is not to curse Israelites, but to bless them. NOW – it took some convincing by God, the angel of the Lord and a talking donkey to get Balaam to obey.
He finally did and He pronounced several blessing on God’s people. His final blessing begins in Numbers 24:16-17…
The prophecy 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:
“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.
- Numbers 24:16,17
Sometime in the future… but not near
A star will come out of Jacob and Scepter (a King) will come out of the nation of Israel
QUESTION – how did these guys know about these words in Numbers 24.
WELL – before and after Jerusalem fall God’s people had been scattered throughout Babylon and Persia and the prophet Daniel even served the king of Babylon as an interpreter of dreams
OKAY – here is the bottom line about the star.
• God the Creator of the heavens and the earth had His hand in this bright rising star thing.
• It was a fulfillment of OT prophecy
• If God wanted to get a message to these guys, He picked the perfect way to do it.
We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him…
AND HEY – one more thing worth mentioning.
The very first people to worship Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel are Gentiles.
AND UNDERSTAND – Gentiles coming to God through the Messiah was predicted by the Old Testament prophets.
LIKE – Isaiah in…
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. – Isaiah 60:1-3
They Came, The Saw, They Worshipped
NOW – I know that most of our images of these wise guys show just three guys riding in on their camels across the desert.
BUT LISTEN - nothing could be further from the truth.
I MEAN - there is no way that these (educated, wealthy and influential) men traveled 1,000 miles across the desert by themselves.
UNDERSTAND - that is not how important officials traveled back then… INSTEAD - they would travel in a very large, you could say in a grand caravan. Like this…
YEAH – these wise men and their Caravan, no doubt came sweeping into Jerusalem with great ‘pomp and circumstance.’ LIKE - at a minimum they would have brought with them a full military escort along with their servants.
The total party could have amounted to more than 300 people.
NO - wonder all of the news networks in Jerusalem were covering their arrival, AND - fighting to get the first exclusive interview.
AND NOTICE - that these Magi had no trouble gaining an audience with King Herod. This fact alone shows us just how important and distinguished they were.
OKAY…
SO THIS – huge caravan… is making it’s way down the streets of Jerusalem.
AND – Herod who at the time was more paranoid then ever wants to know why they are here…
AND - when he finds out that they have come to worship a a newborn King of the Jews, Matthew says that Herod is deeply disturbed… (now the word used here literally means being terrified or in turmoil)..
YOU SEE – Herod was king not by family lineage but by Roman appointment. not part of the bloodline of King David… THEREFORE - over the years, whenever he faced real or perceived threats to His throne, he would often resort to murder. IN FACT – Herod even murdered a couple of his own sons, one of his wives and a mother-in-law.
“I’d rather be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son”
– Caesar Augustus
AND – did you notice that Matthew says that not only is Herod deeply troubled (by their arrival)…
BUT – so is all of Jerusalem…
King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem… - Matthew 2:1-3
QUESTION – why is all of Jerusalem disturbed?
BECAUSE – they know Herod… and they are therefore afraid, waiting for the inevitable response of this cruel, paranoid, sadistic king….
AGAIN - Herod wants to know where this threat to his throne was located… SO,
He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born? “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said,
“for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” - Matthew 2:4-6
HEY – did you notice that the scribes don’t even have to look it up. I MEAN – it appears that they already know the answer.
AND LISTEN…
IF WE - add what the scribes already knew, to what the Wise Men figured out,
WE CAN - can safely conclude that the signs of Jesus’ coming were clear enough for anyone to see…. POINT –
God always speaks loud enough for a willing ear to hear.
In fact He is speaking even now in this room, and everyone with ears to hear will hear. AMEN?!
The religious scholars knew, and did nothing.
The Wise Men heard, and did something
They came, they saw, they worshipped
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared.
NOW – Matthew chose not to record their answer, but we do find later in Matthew 2, that Herod, sends His soldiers to Bethlehem to kill all boys in Bethlehem who were 2 years old and under.
Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” – Matthew 2:7,8
After meeting with the King the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! - Matthew 2:9,10
OKAY
APPARENTLY - as the Magi set out for Bethlehem, which was only five miles south of Jerusalem, the star that they saw in the east suddenly reappears, moving south.
The star went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was… - Matthew 2:9
AGAIN - that doesn’t sound like a completely natural, random star, does it? INSTEAD - it sounds more like a miraculous star created by God to lead the wise men to the exact location.
I MEAN – who needs google maps… right?
AND – I love their response to seeing the star…
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy
Matthew 2:10
The Greek literally reads…
They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy
QUESTION… why were they so joyful?
BECAUSE – now they know that…
• Their search, has not been in vain
• They will see, the one who is born king of the Jews
AND LISTEN – it’s worth noting that even though their goal (seeing Jesus) had not yet been realized, they still rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, because (the star was a sign)…
THAT – what they sought, would be happening soon.
YOU KNOW MGCC – I am convinced that God wants us to do the same thing (rejoice with exceeding great joy) when we look upon our future forever.
No we are not there, we are not home yet…
But one day we will be… and what a day of rejoicing that will be!
They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
– Matthew 2:11
QUESTION – have you ever wondered if they were a little disappointed when they finally found Jesus? After all…
• He did not look like a king.
• His home was far from a castle.
• He had no scepter in his hand, commanded no armies,
• gave no speeches, passed no laws.
• No royal decree came from his lips.
In fact – at the time Jesus was just learning to both walk and talk
UNDERSTAND - to the outward eye, he was simply a peasant child born in poverty. BUT - to these wise men, he was a King.
AND LISTEN – as far as these wisemen were concerned
JESUS - possessed more royalty stumbling around in His diapers then Herod did strutting around, in his fancy royal robes…
YEAH - somehow these wisemen saw beyond the present and into the future -- and so in deep faith, they bowed and worshipped toddler Jesus.
YEAH – somehow they knew that one day this toddler would rule the world, so the unashamedly and full of great joy fell on their faces before Him…
MAYBE - because they knew of these words we read earlier from Numbers 24…
A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.
- Numbers 24:16,17
OR MAYBE - because of the legacy of the prophet Daniel, who was also a wiseman in their country centuries earlier and who wrote…
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
– Daniel 7:14
AND LISTEN – don’t miss the power and the sheer audacity of this scene of these powerful and influential men bowing down and worshipping a child.
I MEAN – it would be like the leader of a great nation (China, Russia, England…) rolling into our country in a massive caravan of black SUV’s flags waving on their windows.
Pulling into a housing project and bowing down in the front yard to a 2 year toddler.
AND LISTEN… I SO - love the contrast.
When the wisemen meet Herod, they make no effort to worship him.
But when they finally meet young King Jesus, these wealthy, educated and extremely intelligent men fell on their faces before Him, giving Jesus the honor due a king.
YES - what Herod craved and demanded,
The Christ-child received without asking.
AND NOW - we come to the last detail, the one for which these wise guys are most remembered…
Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh… - Matthew 2:11
UNDERSTAND - bringing gifts was just something that you did in that culture, when approaching someone who was far superior to you.
They brought Jesus..
• GOLD – which is one of the rarest and most expensive metals. It represented the wealth and power of a king.
• FRANKINCENSE – which was used in temple worship.
• MYRRH --a kind of perfume made from the leaves of a rose. It was used in beauty treatments, but when mixed with vinegar it became an anesthetic. And after a person died, myrrh was used to anoint the body and prepare it for burial.
Gold pointed to his majesty . . . for Jesus is king.
(it no doubt also help finance the upcoming move to Egypt as well)
Frankincense pointed to his deity . . . for he is God.
Myrrh pointed to his humanity . . . for he was destined to suffer and die.
NOW - did the wise men understand the deeper meaning of their gifts? No, probably not.
BUT – let there be no doubt that God arranged it so that their gifts to the Toddler King, would point us to who Jesus really is and why He came.
MGCC – Jesus is God, the Savior King who came to die for His people.
AND THEN MATTHEW – wraps up their story with these words…
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. – Matthew 2:12
OKAY…
That’s their story
SO… what does their story teach us about worship
What They Teach Us About Worship . . .
We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him… They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
– Matthew 2:11
OKAY – there are at least 5 truths about worship we learn from these wisemen.
Worship Begins With Seeing
We saw his star as it rose… they saw the child with His mother Mary and the bowed down and worshipped Him.
- Matthew 2:2,11
UNDERSTAND – worship begins with seeing…
YOU KNOW – I find it interesting that even though the star was visible in the sky, not everyone ‘really’ saw it.
I DON’T KNOW - maybe they were not paying attention or they were not looking.
OR MAYBE – like us, who at times can see things for so long that we no longer really see them anymore.
(First time hit Pantops from I 64)… OMG/Traffic
Worship begins with seeing…
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. – Ps 19:1
A few years back while I was standing on the beach looking across the Gulf of Mexico as the sun was setting God decided to show off and just light up the skies…
Proclaiming of His power, beauty and creativity.
UNDERSTAND - when we see things like His creation –
WHEN WE - consider that it ‘all’ came about simply by words spoken from His mouth,
WE WILL/SHOULD - stand in absolute awe of Him, and we break out in worship…
Worship begins with SEEING…
SEEING - His creation.
AND – like the wisemen seeing Jesus
SEEING HIM – for who He is,
SEEING HIM – for what he has done and will do
Worship begins with seeing…
MGCC – lift up your eyes… and SEE! (God is all around you)
OPEN UP – this book and see, SEE…
• His plan and purposes
• His grace and mercy
• Greatness and goodness
NEXT…
Worship Requires Seeking
We saw the star and we came to worship him…
- Matthew 2:2
UNDERSTAND…
In true worship seeing always leads to seeking…
I MEAN once you see, you just have to get closer.
The Wisemen..
A few years back as I was getting into my car I looked up…
And I just had to get out of my car.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you… - Jeremiah 29;13,14
I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. – Isaiah 45:19
I you want to find me
I want you to know me
Jesus said,
Seek and you will find… - Matthew 7:7
From the wisemen we learn, that worship
- Begins with seeing
- Requires seeking
QUESTION – what are you doing… to see/seek Him?
Worship Is Grounded In Scripture
Where is the Messiah supposed to be born? “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote… “
– Matthew 2:4-6
UNDERSTAND…
When they got sidetracked in Jerusalem, they went to the Word of God to get direction
MGCC SCRIPTURE – is essential to worship.
UNDERSTAND – Scripture not only helps us to ‘see’ Jesus more clearly, but it also guides us as we seek Him.
YES - true worship always involves God’s Word (His truth).
A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” - John 4:22,23
AND LISTEN – over the years I have found that Scripture not only ground my worship…
BUT THAT – Scripture also propels, ignites and sustains my worship..
LIKE – just this week in our new Bible reading…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14
From the wisemen we learn, that worship
- Begins with seeing
- Requires seeking
- Is grounded in Scripture
Worship Is Expressed By Submission
They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
– Matthew 2:11
UNDERSTAND – bowing down is a sign of both respect and submission… It is a visible acknowledgement that one who stands before you is much greater than you.
Jesus > You
He must become greater; I must become less. – John 3:30
OKAY – here’s the deal the wisemen teach us that worship is made visible in our submission, LORD…
- you are in charge, not me
- your will, not mine
- your perfect way, not my crooked way
- your purpose not my agenda
AND LISTEN – we see their submission in the final words that Matthew writes about them…
When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. – Matthew 2:12
Why another route?
Why change their plans after booking their hotel?
BECAUSE… God showed up and them to.
Get It?
OKAY – here’s the deal…
Worship that does not involve submission is not really worship
Jesus said (quoting Isaiah)
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me… - Matthew 7:6
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
– Luke 6:46
LISTEN… - here is what I am trying to say…
EVERY TIME - we submit to God (every time we do what he says, live how He calls us to live) It is an act of worship…
UNDERSTAND - you do not need a song or a guitar to do it.
AMEN?!
YES - anytime you…
• forgive those who hurt you
• pray for your enemies
• reach out to the hurting
• use your gifts and abilities to serve His church
It is an act of worship!
Conversely whenever we refuse to submit to what God says, it is an act of rebellion…
AND LISTEN – the picture this portrays is not one of bowing before God, but turning our backs to God, the ultimate sign of disrespect to a ruler…
In NYC a few years back at the funeral of a fallen officer.
Worship Demands Sacrifice
Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. – Matthew 2:11
UNDERSTAND - In order to worship Jesus these guys made some pretty significant sacrifices, They sacrificed …
• Time and Comfort - they traveled thousands of miles across the desert… and listen, their caravan did not have AC, XM radio or a DVD player…
• Wealth And Resources – bringing expensive gifts (and yeah, they had them with them… they thought ahead, they planned their giving. LIKE - they didn’t simply arrive, and look to see what was left in their wallets.
QUESTION – is that how it is…
• When you give? Like do you plan your giving ahead of time?
• With your time and comfort?
UNDERSTSND MGCC – when it comes to our God we cannot separate sacrifice from worship.
LISTEN - worship that costs us nothing, for the most part means nothing
IN FACT - the very first time the word worship is ever used in the Bible it is in the context of sacrifice…
He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” - Genesis 22:5
I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. – Romans 12:1
NOW – as hit the final stretch in this conversation, I want us to consider the 3 different responses to Jesus that we see in Matthew 2…
The response of the crafty and cruel King Herod was HOSTILITY. I mean - the just the idea of Jesus moved him to murder. To do anything he could to get rid of Him.
The response of the religious leaders was APATHY. Like, they knew exactly where Jesus was to be born, but they made no effort to see him. The wisemen travels 1000 miles these guys would not even go down the block to see Him.
The response of the wisemen was WORSHIP. They were eager to seek the Messiah and did whatever it took to find Him.
QUESTION – what is your response to Jesus this morning?
Is it hostility?
Is it apathy?
Or is it worship?
Remember…
Worship begins with seeing
(do you see Him?)
Worship involves seeking
(are you seeking Him with all of your heart)
Worship is grounded and ignited by Scripture
(are you in this book)
Worship visibly expresses itself in submission
(are there some areas where you need to worship by your submission)
Worships demands sacrifice
(when you give financially this week will it be a sacrifice)
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. If only you would listen to his voice today! – Psalm 95:6,7
