The Birth of a King
Matthew 2:1-12
This morning I want to ask you what is your favorite T.V. Christmas Special?
Ginny has her favorite and I have mine. Ginny loves, “White Christmas,” and my all time favorite is, “Miracle on 34th Street.” But running a close second for me in, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Not the 2000 Jim Carey remake, though it is good. I like the old 1966 cartoon. Lets watch a few scenes from it.
It seems like every Christmas story has its Grinch. In Dickens Christmas carol the Grinch of the story is “Ebeneser Scrooge,” and in miracle on 34th street is the dreaded “Mr. Sawyer,” the store phycologist.
Even the first Christmas Story had its Grinch, and he hated Christmas. He despised the very idea of Christmas, more so Ebeneser Scrooge with his Bah Humbug, and even more then the Grinch who tried steal Christmas from the Who of Whoville. The Grinch in the first Christmas Story tried to steal Christmas from the entire world. We learn about this evil Grinch in Matthew’s Gospel chapter 2 beginning with verse one. If you have your Bibles turn with me to Matthew chapter 2. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. Lets read it together from the screne.
Matthew 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and 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.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ‘But 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.’ ‘Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
This story of Herod is one of deception and hatred. You see if you were to read on a few more lines you would discover the only reason Herod wanted to find the Christ Child was to kill him. Can there be a crime more diabolical than the murder of a child.
We can not stomach abuse to children. Have you heard the story of Eric Sellers.
Eric shook his 4 pound baby so hard that he snapped the infants thigh bone. The judge told him "Your actions tell me you’re not the father of this child. You’re just the sperm donor,"
The judge went on to say, "You did this to the littlest of all victims that I can imagine."
Earlier this month, the judge had found Sellers guilty of felonious assault and child endangering.
The obviously upset judge noting the court clinic evaluation of Sellers described him as "focusing only on himself and often engaging in aggressive behavior."
The courts description of Sellers could just as easily been used of King Herod, “Focusing only on himself and often engaging in aggressive behavior.”
Herod, when he was unable to find the Christ Child, ordered all the babies in the area around Bethlehem two years old and under to be put to death.
If you are like me the more you hear about Herod the less you like him. But Herod is only one king in this first Christmas story, there was second King, King Jesus.
This morning I would like to take a few minutes and look at the contrast between King Herod, and King Jesus, then ask the question how should we response to each.
THE FIRST CONTRAST IS IN HOW EACH KING UNDERSTOOD POWER.
King Herod Grappled For Power.
Someone has said, “Herod was addicted to power. Power has been described as the ultimate human obsession. If it were an alcoholic beverage, Herod was passed out on the floor drunk with it. The Bible links power, more often than not, to something we call sin. If power is defined as the ability to control resources in order to secure one’s own destiny, then Herod was the epitome of power.
Look again at our text.
Matthew 2:3
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod was cruel and merciless. He was incredibly jealous, suspicious, and afraid for his position and power. The people understood what a evil man Herod was. They knew that any threat to his power meant bloodshed. By bitter experience they knew he would release his carnage against innocent people. Their fears for their own safety was well grounded.
Fearing his potential threat, Herod had the high priest Aristobulus, who was his wife’s brother, drowned-after which he provided a magnificent funeral where he pretended to weep. He then had his wife killed, and then her mother and two of his own sons. That barbaric act was exceeded in cruelty only by his slaughter of “all the male children who were in Bethlehem, from two years old and under” (Matt. 2:16) in hopes of killing any threat to his throne from the One the magi said had been born King of the Jews.
King Herod grappled for Power
But King Jesus Gave Up Power.
Look with me at Philippians 2:5-7
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
I really want you to get this, Jesus, seating on the right hand of God the Father, laid aside his royal robes, laid aside his power, laid aside everything King Herod was trying to hang on to, and came into our world as a helpless, dependent, powerless infant. Why would he do such a thing? The answer is found just a few verse back, look at Matthew 1:18.
The angel is talking to Joseph and tells her, Don’t beafraid to take Mary as your wife…
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus was willing to surrender all power in order to save us from our sins.
THE FIRST CONTRAST IS IN HOW EACH KING UNDERSTOOD POWER.
King Herod Grappled For Power.
King Jesus Gave Up Power.
THE SECOND CONTRAST IS IN HOW EACH KING UNDERSTOOD POSSESSIONS.
King Herod grasped for possessions.
In Jerusalem, the king built a new market, an amphitheater, a theater, a new building where the Sanhedrin could convene, a new royal palace, and last but not least, he started to rebuild the Temple. And there were other cities where he ordered new buildings to be placed: Jericho and Samaria are examples. In all King Herod built 7 palaces and 7 theaters one of which seated 9,500 people. He even built stadiums for sporting events the largest could seat 300,000 fans!
While he was building, he was also building up a vast bank roll for his many projects. Herod wanted it all and worked hard to get it all. Herod grow to depend upon his riches.
Where King Herod grasped for possessions.
King Jesus glady relinquished possessions.
When a Teacher of the Law come up and said he wanted to follow Jesus, King Jesus told him,
Matthew 8:20
Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
Someone has put it this way, “Jesus was curt, “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
Later in the story we find him without the money needed to pay the temple tax. He sends Peter to catch a fish and in the fish’s mouth is a coin to pay the necessary tax.
At the close of the story, at the foot of the cross, we find the soldiers who are crucifing King Jesus gambling for his clothes, his only earthly possessions.
So it is fitting that the story of King Jesus begin, not in a plalce, but in in manger. He was not surrounded by heads of state, but by shepherds. He was not wraped in royal purple, but in grough tore cloth.
THIRD CONTAST IS HOW EACH KING IS UNDERSTOOD IN HISTORY.
King Herod died as he lived dejected.
Herod died with power, possession, but with no one who cared.
About seven years ago I had funeral for a man who had lived in the community for over sixty years. The saddest moment in the service was not at the end, but at the beginning. I walked into the funeral home and discovered the funeral director and I were the only people to come and mourn for this man. When I questioned why, the mortician said, “He was not a nice man.”
King Herod also was not a nice man. One of his most bloodthirst and cruelty insane acts was at the close of his life. He had the most distinguished citizens of Jerusalem arrested and imprisoned shortly before his death. Because he knew no one would mourn his own death, he gave orders for those innocent prisoners to be executed the moment he died-in order to guarantee that there would be mourning in Jerusalem when he died.
King Herod died as he lived with possession and power, but he died in dispare.
King Jesus also died as he lived, devoted.
Jesus said during his life, “I do nothing unless the father tells me.”
He also prayed in the garden just before his death, “not my will but thy be done.”
And as he hung on the cross, suspended between heaven and hell, he cried out Father into your hands I commend my spirit.
So it is only right that wisemen would travel hundreds of miles to welcome this King of Kings.
This morning you will either worship like King Herod, or you will worship King Jesus.
You know people who have worship like King Herod. They have bowed down and made sacrifices to the gods of power and possessions.
We all know their stories. It the story of Howard Hughes who became so parinode he died alone cut off from human contact. It the story of Scott Peterson who was willing to murder his wife and unborn child to get what he wanted. It is the story of the exectuives at Enron who abandoned all principals to make a fast buck. It is the story of the sixty-seven year who made money, but no one came to his funeral, because, “he was not a nice man.” We all know their stories, the question this morning is will it be your story?
The story can be different, some like the wisemen, have bowed down and worshipped King Jesus. We also know their stories. It is the story of Mother Tereas who as of a young nun who devoted her life to work with the lepories of India. It the story Billy Graham who determined early in his life the Bible was the word of God, and has faithfully proclaimed his intire life. It is the story of a saint of God who takes on the challenge of a Jr. High class so she can teach children about the Jesus she loves.
This morning if would like to have a new story, a worshipping Jesus Story, the wisemen show us how to change our story.
First you need to worship Jesus by seeking Him. The Bible says,
Matthew 2:1
Magi (or wisemen) from the east came to Jerusalem and 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.”
Worship begins with seeking Jesus.
These men were seekers of truth, and that truth led them to Jesus. Those who seek real truth can find It.
If we keep our eyes open, and allow Jesus to speak to us He will do so in a language we understand. The wisemen did whatever they had to do to find the Christ. Maybe there is a lesson there for us.
When you seek the truth, really seek the truth, you will always find your way to Jesus. Do you know why? He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father but by me.
You need to not only worship Jesus in your seeking,
You need to worship Jesus in your attitude.
The Bibles says, Lets just read it together.
Matthew 2:11a
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
The wisemen’s goal was not to just gain more knowledge, but to find the Savior, wisdom was not enough, they needed the experience of worship. They did not want to just know about Jesus they wanted to meet him in worship. I find it interesting that before they give Jesus their gifts they present themselves in worship. Though we may give to Jesus from our finest blessings it will not please Him as much as when those gifts are preceded by worship. Before the treasures on the hands were opened the treasures of their hearts were opened. They bow down and worshipped. It was as the first thing they did, not the last thing. If we get caught up in the gifts, we miss how important the moment of worship is and we miss the whole point of the wisemen’s coming.
Would it make a difference if each time you came into God’s House you came determined to meet Jesus face to face?
Like the wisemen, if you want to find Jesus you must seek Him in an attitude of worship.
Finally, you need to worship Jesus in your giving.
Matthew 2:11b
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
They gave gold. Throughout history gold has been considered the most precious of metals.
Frankincense was a costly, beautiful-smelling incense that was used only for the most special of occasions
Myrrh was also a perfume, not quite so expensive as frankincense but nevertheless valuable
Their giving was not so much an addition to their worship as an element of it. The gifts were an expression of worship, given out of the overflow of adoring and grateful hearts.
Right worship is always, and must be, the only basis for right giving and right learning and right service. Giving that is generous but done apart from a loving relationship with God is empty giving.
So, If you want to change your story from one of Grappling, grasping and dejection to one of giving, growing and devotion, you just need to Worshp Jesus. Worship Jesus in your seeking after him, in your attitude toward him, and in your giving to him.
This morning if you do not know this Jesus I have been talking about, you just need to seek him in prayer. He promises that If you seek him with your whole heart he will be found.
As we sing our closing song, If you would like to exchange your life of dispare for a life of direction come forward and meet me in prayer.
If you are tried of the race rat where only the rats win and would like instead to run the race Jesus sets before you come forward and meet me in prayer.
If you have grown weary of carring the load of the world of your shoulders, exchange this morning to Jesus york which he said is easy and light.
This is your morning. To day you can stopping worship at the throne of the Herods of this world and start worshipping at the throne of Christ Jesus. Just come forward and join me in prayer.
