The True Meaning Of Christmas Series

Text: Matthew 2:1-12

Title: The true meaning of Christmas

“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.” (v2)

The true meaning of Christmas is the worship of Jesus

Matthew 2: 1-12 contains 3 different attitudes towards the true meaning of Christmas

A. Those who are hostile towards the true meaning of Christmas

1.King Herod

King Herod was the first in a long line of people to become hostile towards the true meaning of Christmas

In what way is King Herod hostile to the true meaning of Christmas?

A.He starts off by being disturbed (v3)

“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

…he was greatly agitated

…he became alarmed

B.Then he moves from being disturbed to being deceitful (v7-8)

“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.”

He pretends to be a big fan of Christmas

Find out what time your Christmas Eve service is so I can come join you

C. Then lastly we see that he becomes destructive (v16)

“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”

Why are Herod and many more like him hostile towards the true meaning of Christmas?

Telling people that the true meaning of Christmas is the worship of Jesus is going to disturb a lot of those same people.

Those most likely to be disturbed about the true meaning of Christmas are those who believe

•Christmas is all about giving gifts.

•Christmas is all about giving and going to parties

•Christmas is about singing Christmas songs

These things are all good but they are not the true meaning of Christmas

Nowhere in verse 2 does it say…

We saw his star in the east and have come to …give him gifts

We saw his star in the east and have come to …give him a party

We saw his star in the east and have come to…sing songs to him

Verse 2 says

We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.

Remember that I showed you that Herod went from being disturbed about the true meaning of Christmas to being deceitful

He was disturbed that the true meaning of Christmas was the worship of Jesus so became deceitful- he pretended to be a worshiper of Jesus

“Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him report to me, so that I may go and worship him.” (v8)

It’s no different today

During the Christmas season you find lots of deceitful people pretending to be worshipers of Jesus.

If you were an alien from outer space and you landed on earth during the Christmas season you would think that

•The western world was 100% Christian.

•That Time Square was the Holy land

•That every channel on cable T.V. was a Christian channel

•That every church in the world worshipped Jesus

Are they really worshipping Jesus or are they just being deceitful?

Are they just like Herod and pretending to be worshippers of Jesus?

If we’re not doing what we are doing in order to worship Jesus then we have missed the true meaning of Christmas.

We can’t call it a Christmas event if it is not in some way worshipping Jesus!

“I’m going to a Christmas party.” Before I call it a Christmas party I need to ask myself the question “ In what way am I going to worship Jesus at that party? If the answer is in no way!

Then it is not truly a Christmas event. Don’t call it a Christmas party! Why? The true meaning of Christmas is the worship of Jesus!

Then we find Herod goes from being deceitful to being destructive.

He tries to take the life of Jesus.

Again it’s no different today

I don’t have to tell you that there are those who are hostile to the true meaning of Christmas (the worship of Jesus) who will stop at nothing in order to take Christ out of Christmas.

They want to destroy the true meaning of Christmas

Why? They find the true meaning of Christmas offensive!

The true meaning of Christmas will always be offensive!

Praise God! Herod tried to destroy Christmas and he couldn’t do it!

Before we go on to the second attitude let me summarize what we just heard.