Where is the King?
Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Core Idea: Jesus isn’t just the King of the Jews but the Savior of the world. And we are now called to live under His life-giving authority – to surrender ourselves to His lordship. This Christmas, may we give Jesus the worship He deserves as we invite the world to shout for joy – proclaiming that the King has come.
INTRODUCTION
Good afternoon, Lighthouse. We are going through the first two chapters of Matthew this Advent. Last week, we looked at the birth of Jesus through the eyes of Joseph – and learned that Jesus may not be the King we expected but He surely is the King we all need. He was born to save us from our sins and give us life – but more importantly, this King promises that He will be with us always. Today, we’ll look at the story from the perspective of the Magi. So, please turn your Bibles to Matthew 2:1-12. Let me read this for us.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘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 shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 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, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Now, let me begin by pointing out a number of assumptions about this story that we need to clear up. First, a popular understanding is that these men were kings which most likely was influenced by the song, We Three Kings. But Matthew clearly states that they weren’t kings but Magi. ESV Study Bible describes them like this: “Wise men or Magi applied to a wide range of people whose practices included astrology, dream interpretation, study of sacred writings, the pursuit of wisdom and magic.” In other words, they were people of education, power, and influence. Most likely, they served in royal courts as counselors or advisors – people looked to them for wisdom and guidance. Second, there’s no indication that there were three men. This tradition was probably derived from the fact that there were three gifts, but just because I want to give three gifts to Alicia doesn’t mean that there are three of me. In fact, history tells us that astrologers in ancient times often traveled with their wives, children, and servants to study the stars. Then it’s possible that the Magi from our passage were traveling in a large group. Third, did you notice in verse 11 that when the wise men first saw Jesus, they weren’t at the manger, but they entered a house? Scholars estimate that the Magi probably arrived several months after Jesus was born. I honestly didn’t know this until I was studying this passage – clearly, I need to read the Bible more thoroughly. All this to say, a lot of the Christmas traditions we know might not be accurate or reliable. But there’s one thing we know for sure: Magi from the east came to Jerusalem to worship the King of the Jews. What does this mean for us? Three things:
· THE JOURNEY (V. 1-2)
· THE THREAT (V. 3-8)
· THE GENTILES (V. 9-12)
1) THE JOURNEY
Verse 2. Matthew tells us that the Magi came from the east because of the appearance of a unique star. Now, we’re not sure how they knew that this star was pointing to the coming of the King because it’s not in the text. But considering that the Magi most likely are from somewhere near Persia where many of the Israelites had been sent into exile, scholars speculate that they must have come across the prophecy from Numbers 24:17 which says, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Here, Balaam prophesied that a King would come out of Israel to rule the whole world and bring blessing to all the nations on earth. It’s possible that the Magi connected the star they saw to this prophecy and were compelled to make this journey to see the King for themselves. Again, we’re just not sure. But what’s certain is this: the journey they made couldn’t have been easy. Persia was around 1800 km away from Jerusalem. So, if we assume that they traveled on camels, the journey would’ve taken about a month. But since they were guided by the star, it meant that they most likely traveled at night – which would’ve taken them much longer and possibly very dangerous. At the same time, there was no guarantee that they would even find this King. In fact, what if they were wrong about the star? It would’ve been a huge waste of money, time, and energy. They must have had so many questions – but they were convinced that this King was worth the cost. They had to get near Him – so, they risked everything and followed the star.
Now, it’s important to point out that the Bible clearly forbade and condemned the practice of studying the stars to determine their life decisions. An example is found in Isaiah 47:13-14 which says, “All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame.” But instead, it was always God’s will that we look to His Word for guidance. One example is from Deuteronomy 4:1, 6 which says, “Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you… Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations.” God desired that His people would live their lives according to the wisdom they gained from His Word. Then we can’t help but ask, “Why did God use a star to guide these Magi? Why didn’t He just send an angel as He did with Joseph and Mary?” The answer to this question is a lot more wonderful than we think. These Magi came from a culture where looking to the stars for guidance and wisdom was common – it was how they coped in life. The equivalent of this would be how people today look at a horoscope to determine their destiny. Knowing this, in order to reach them, in order to draw them closer to Himself, God met them where they were – He was speaking their language.
This is incredibly encouraging for all of us because it implies that He knows and understands us. He is aware of our limitations and struggles. He sees our circumstances and hearts. And He will do whatever it takes to reach us wherever we are so that we may come to know and worship Christ. One of the biggest things that I personally struggled with was people-pleasing. Everything I did was to look good in front of others so that I would be accepted, loved, and respected – only to realize that it was leading me to despair because no matter what I did, it was never enough. I couldn’t please everyone. But God opened my eyes to see that I’m accepted just as I am because of what Christ did – and that radically changed the way I saw myself and the way I perceived others. He gave me a new heart so that I didn’t have to please people but be able to love people knowing that I was accepted by the King. Now, Jesus didn’t say to me, “Come, follow Me and I will send you out to fish for people” as He did to Peter and Andrew (Mk. 1:17). He didn’t say, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me” as He did to the rich young ruler (Mk. 10:21). He didn’t come in blinding light, asking me, “Why do you persecute Me?” as He did to Paul (Acts 9:4). He knew who I was, what I struggled with, what my fears were, and He spoke to me in ways that I would understand so that I would respond to His life-giving invitation. In fact, every conversion story you will hear will be unique and different because God is personalizing His message to us. The content remains the same (that Jesus died for us to give us life) but the way that the gospel comes alive is unique to each Christian. It’s like any love story. The content is the same (two people are madly in love) but the way that unfolds is unique to each couple.
Then if you’re not yet a Christian, first of all, thank you so much for choosing to spend this time with us. This point is specifically for you: know that God speaks your language – and He will meet you wherever you are. He will orchestrate all things to bring you hope, shine light in your darkness, and give you life and life to the full – even if it means that He has to move the stars to do so – all because He loves you. In fact, if you’re here listening to this, I believe that God is already moving in your life. It really is no coincidence that you’re here today. You’re here because He wanted you to hear this truth. This story is for you. Then I invite you to come to God just as you are – with your struggles, with your doubts, with your burdens. He will speak to you – and He will point you to Christ who alone is the answer to our lives. And I pray that you would respond with an open heart so that you would begin this journey as the Magi did. What does that even mean practically? It could be reading the Bible for yourself, praying to tell God what’s on your heart, or joining a church to surround yourself with other Christians who will walk with you. The Magi knew that they could not honor and worship the King from where they were – they needed to be in proximity. In the same way, if you feel this tug in your heart, God is drawing you to Himself so that you may know how beautiful our Lord is. Then let this Christmas be the day that you began this journey. Don’t give up no matter how difficult the journey may get. He is worth the cost.
Well, the Magi followed the star and traveled a long distance – looking for the King of the Jews. Now, why didn’t the star lead them straight to Bethlehem? Why did God lead them first to Jerusalem? Because God was extending His grace to Herod and the religious leaders – which leads to our next point.
2) THE THREAT
Verse 3, “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” Herod was one of the worst tyrant-kings Israel had ever had. He was politically shrewd and incredibly paranoid about losing power. So, when his rule was threatened, he became unbelievably ruthless. For example, he had his wife, his sons, and other relatives killed because he believed that they were conspiring against him. And from time to time, he would actually dress up like a commoner and go into the city to see what people were saying about him – and sent soldiers later to murder anyone who spoke against him. No wonder all of Jerusalem was disturbed when they heard that Herod was disturbed. The whole city was on the edge because they weren’t sure what Herod would do. Then can you imagine what was going through Herod’s mind when he heard that these Magi from the east came to look for another King? He was disturbed, troubled, and agitated. He knew that his throne was being challenged. So, Herod got to work right away trying to track down this King so that he could take Him down. And since Herod was ignorant of the Word of God, he consulted those who were familiar with it the most – the chief priests and the teachers of the law. He asked them where this King was to be born.
Verse 5. The religious leaders responded immediately, “In Bethlehem in Judea” – knowing that this was what Micah prophesied more than five hundred years ago. Now, what you would expect to read next is: “The religious leaders with great excitement packed up their stuff and followed the Magi to find the King of the Jews.” This was the Messiah they had been waiting for. Then you would think that they would want to witness the birth of this King – but we actually don’t hear about them at all. They honestly didn’t care. They weren’t interested because they were content. They loved their power and privilege. If Jesus’ coming was a threat to Herod, Jesus’ coming was nothing but an inconvenient interruption to these religious leaders. Verse 8. Then with the information given, Herod pretended kindness by informing the Magi that he desired to join them in worshiping the new King. But the truth was that he intended to murder as he was determined to have the baby killed at all costs.
What does this mean for us? This teaches us that the birth of Jesus, the story of Christmas, is a threat to our lives because it tells us that Jesus is King. Jesus isn’t just a good teacher, but He is the Creator of the universe, the Savior of the world, the Lord of all things – the true King bringing with Him a completely new way of life, a completely new way of doing things and we’re called to submit to His lordship. We’re called to obey. The birth of Jesus is not simply an occasion for sentiment – He’s not simply to be adored as a baby in a manger. Jesus Christ is to be worshiped because He is the Son of God. And this is a threat to our lives because we’re not very different from them. Just like Herod, we too find Jesus disturbing because He is a threat to our throne. We want to remain the king over our lives. We want to make the call. We want to be in control – so, we actively resist His lordship. And just like the religious leaders, we too find Jesus disturbing because He is a threat to our comfort. We don’t want to change anything. We like the way things are. We don’t want to rock the boat – so, we actively ignore His lordship.
Now, did you notice that both Herod and the religious leaders didn’t move? They refused to make their way to Bethlehem. They remained where they were. In the same way, does this describe where you are right now? You know that Christmas is all about Jesus. But nothing seems to change – you refuse to move. So, like I shared last week, every year, Christmas comes and goes without changing us or deeply affecting our lives – it just remains sentimental and we’re just waiting for this busy season to be over. Brothers and sisters, Christmas tells us that Jesus is the King who rightfully belongs on the throne of our lives – and He wants us to surrender and obey. Then let me ask you, “Are you still actively resisting His Word? Are you still actively ignoring His Word? Or are you humbly applying the gospel truth in every area of your life – the way you use money, the way you speak, the way you study or work, the way you relate to others, the way you deal with certain temptations, the way you combat sin, the way you view yourself, and so on? Are you working out your salvation with fear and trembling?” Of course, this is not to say that we’re saved by our works – it simply means that sanctification requires us to make every effort to live out the gospel truth with the strength that comes from the Holy Spirit. Then I pray that we won’t be like the religious leaders who knew a lot but didn’t do a thing. We cannot remain where we are and worship the King. We must be on this journey as well. Let’s not waste Christmas – let this be an opportunity for us to remember that He is our King.
3) THE GENTILES
Verse 9, “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Bethlehem wasn’t far – it was around 10 km from Jerusalem. So, the Magi didn’t waste any time – they relocated the star, and soon, it led them to the exact location of the Child. Can you imagine how moving this moment would’ve been for them? After traveling for weeks, despite all their doubts and questions, they were finally here – behind this door, they would finally meet the King. Actually, we don’t have to guess what they felt at that moment. Matthew tells us in verse 10 – “they were overjoyed.” It’s not visible in our translation but the Greek literally says, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” In other words, they experienced the joy that couldn’t be described in words. They were overflowing with joy.
So, imagine this with me. With this uncontrollable excitement, they gently knocked – not to wake the baby up. Joseph opened the door – confused to see these men because he wasn’t expecting anyone. Then the Magi explained, “Don’t be alarmed. We’re from Persia and we traveled for months to celebrate the King’s birth. We saw this star and we knew the King was born – the One who will bring salvation to the nations. In fact, we followed the star which led us to this house. Can we see the child?” Joseph and Mary may have been startled but I wonder if this actually encouraged and comforted them because it was affirming what God said about this Child. Even through these unlikely guests, God was graciously strengthening their faith. Verse 11, “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, frankincense and myrrh.” Note that they worshiped Him, not His father or mother. Now, it was customary in the ancient world to bring gifts when you were approaching royalty. So, it’s not surprising that the Magi brought gifts for Jesus. But one thing that’s still debated is whether these gifts have specific symbolic significance or not. Some claim that gold represents Jesus’ Kingship because it was a jewel that was most appropriate for a King. Frankincense represents Jesus’ deity because it was incense used in the temple where the presence of God was. And myrrh represents Jesus’ humanity, His death because it was a perfume that was used to prepare people for burial. But the point really is this – that the Magi brought extravagant gifts that were fit for a King. In other words, the Magi saw this baby Jesus as the King to rule the world – and they worshiped Him.
This in fact is the point of the whole story. This is what Matthew wanted his readers to see. You see, each of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) – while they tell the same story, they each have an intended audience. Matthew’s intended audience was the Jews, and his purpose was to show them that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Savior King. But interestingly, the first people who came to worship Jesus were not the religious leaders but these gentile Magi – and that was no accident. Matthew wants his readers to know that the core of the gospel message is that Jesus has come for the nations. This is why he bookends his Gospel with a focus on the nations – he begins the book by showing the nations coming to see the Messiah and ends the book by telling us to go and tell the nations about the Messiah (the Great Commission). Pastor John Piper said, “God wields the universe to make His Son known and worshipped.” This is what he means: the same God who sovereignly arranged the stars in the sky 2,000 years ago to communicate to some wise men out in the east somewhere, to draw them to the joyful praise of Jesus the King is the same God who is sovereignly orchestrating our lives today to send us out so that we would draw others to the joyful praise of Jesus the King. Then it’s no coincidence that you are where you are today – the neighborhood you’re in, the job you have, the family you’re born into. These are not a set of random circumstances – God has specifically placed you there, not by chance, but intentionally to speak through you, to work through you to impact the lives of those around you. Brothers and sisters, this news is incredibly good. Then how can we keep this to ourselves? The world must know. Then let us be intentional in sharing this story with those around us. Knowing that Christ is our Immanuel (God with us), let us go and share this good news confidently so that they too may rejoice exceedingly with great joy. Christmas is the time for us to proclaim.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus isn’t just the King of the Jews but the Savior of the world. And we’re now called to live under His life-giving authority – to surrender ourselves to His lordship. Then this Christmas, may we give Jesus the worship He deserves as we invite the world to shout for joy – proclaiming that the King has come.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Spend some time sharing your journey of faith (your conversion story) with your CG. Just as God guided the Magi through a star, share how God has guided you to the joyful praise of Jesus the King.
2) Is Jesus more of a great adviser or a great King in your life? Is there an area of your life that you are actively resisting or ignoring His lordship? What does it mean for you to surrender to His lordship in that area?
3) Who in your life needs to hear this good news? Pray for them. And be challenged to share the gospel with them.