Who will be King?

Will you read with me Matthew 2 verses 1 to 12?

Matthew 2:1–12

That's Matthew 2 verses 1 to 12.

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 when it rose 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 Messiah was to be born.

In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written.

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.

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 search carefully 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 when it rose 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 worshipped him.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

they returned to their country by another route.

Well, good morning, everyone.

Will you pray with me as we come to God's word?

Let's pray together.

Father, we need you to give us ears to hear you.

Give us hearts that are ready to listen to what you have to say in your word in Matthew.

So we pray that you would be speaking to us through Matthew,

and that you would give us these hearts that are ready to listen to you.

The world wants us to believe all sorts of things.

Help us to be discerning and to listen to your truth instead.

We pray for your help.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, the famous comedian, Ricky Gervais, is pretty outspoken that believing in God is just ridiculous.

He once tweeted,

If you want to deny something, don't choose evolution or the Holocaust.

You'll look silly.

Way too much evidence.

Choose a God or homeopathy.

Another tweet.

Everyone has the right to believe anything they want.

And everyone else has the right to find it ridiculous.

Or in an interview,

I don't believe in God because there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence.

Have you ever thought,

If only God made himself clearer,

it would be easier to believe in him?

What we're going to hear today in Matthew's history of Jesus' life

is going to show us that there's an even deeper reason

why we struggle to trust and believe in God.

So let's have a look at this story.

So yeah, this story of the wise men,

it's a famous one at Christmastime.

It's a very pleasant children's story.

In our scientific age,

we might find the idea of a star appearing in the sky quite unusual,

to say the least.

But in Mesopotamia,

which was kind of our modern-day Iraq,

just to the east of Israel,

which is probably where these magi were from.

And in other parts of the world,

there was quite a sophisticated development of the study of the stars,

thinking that you get divine information through observing the stars.

So these magi,

these astrologers,

would have been advising their kings and their rulers.

They would have been court officials.

So when Nero became emperor of Rome,

historians record a visit from Magi to pay their respects.

So this kind of visit wasn't entirely unusual,

but what happened with the story of Jesus is unique.

From their home,

perhaps in Babylon,

they see a star rising.

And some have attempted to work out what this star was.

So some think it was Halley's Comet.

But that was recorded in 12 BC.

And Jesus was born about 4 BC.

I know that before Christ,

that doesn't quite make sense,

but there's this discrepancy

that got worked out later on.

So Halley's Comet,

not quite lining up,

but Saturn and Jupiter aligning.

But that was in 7 BC.

Some think it might have been a star coming into being,

a nova or supernova exploding star.

So Chinese records,

talk about in 5 BC.

We don't really know is the short answer.

And it's not really the point.

What's most surprising

is that the Bible

is pretty clear in telling us

not to seek out special information

through like omens and mediums

and psychics and astrology.

But without criticism here,

there is no criticism.

Here are these foreigners to God's people,

potentially from Babylon,

the enemy of God's people,

probably ignorant of God's promises

in the Old Testament,

seeing this rising star.

And what do they do with this information?

Well, the emphasis on the star rising

is Matthew wanting us to think

of the prophecy in Numbers 24, 17,

during the days of Moses,

like 1,400 years earlier.

So the prophecy was,

a star shall come out of Jacob

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.

A ruler will come,

in other words.

These foreign astrologers,

seeing this divine sign,

come to Jerusalem,

the city of the king of Israel.

Now, they would have had to walk

or ride animals

for over 1,000 kilometres.

Imagine putting that in Jerusalem

into Google Maps

and it says,

two months

to get there.

You might think twice

about the journey

and that's just one way.

But they come.

Naturally,

they go to King Herod,

but he doesn't have a son

that young

to fit the bill.

And so word apparently spread

throughout all Jerusalem

with the hope

of God's promises

in Jewish ears

and in their hearts.

This gossip

would have spread quickly.

Could it really be happening?

After 400 years

of silence from God,

could the son of David

have arrived?

Herod certainly thinks so

because he asked

the chief priests

when the Messiah,

where he was to be born.

Is the everlasting kingdom

of righteousness

and peace

finally here?

Is the king here?

I think it should have been like

if you're a prisoner of war

in World War II.

My grandfather

was a prisoner of war

in World War II.

Could you imagine that,

being a prisoner of war?

And imagine

someone

comes and whispers

in your ear

away from

the officers

in charge of you

and just whispers

that the allies

have invaded Berlin.

The war is almost over.

You can have a full meal again.

You can go home.

That cold, dark night

is about to change.

The light

is coming up.

That's what it should have felt like,

this news.

But what's Herod

and all Jerusalem's reaction

in verse 3?

They're troubled.

They're troubled.

It's a word

for inner turmoil.

They were afraid.

Why?

This should have been

awesome news.

Why were they afraid?

I think maybe

Acts chapter 5

Acts 5 · chapter mention

gives us a hint.

In living memory,

there had been

at least two

widely known instances

where a man

claimed to be somebody

leading Jews

to rebel

against the authority

of Rome.

And for both

these men,

Judas and Theodos,

Rome came crashing down

and killed them

and killed

those who followed them

very quickly.

This is politically

dangerous news

that a king had come

who wasn't appointed

by Rome.

Maybe they were afraid

of Rome.

I was intrigued

that the word

troubled

is the same one

used in

a Greek translation

of Isaiah 8

Isaiah 8:12

verse 12

which is

surrounded by

this promise

of Emmanuel.

I'm just raising it

because I would love

to just

get you guys

to tell me

what you think.

Go away and read

Isaiah 7 to 9

and think

is Matthew

using Isaiah

7 to 9

in his story

of Jesus coming?

I'd love to hear

your thoughts.

As you look at it,

look how

the promise

of Emmanuel

is God with us.

God can be with us

in judgment

and God can be with us

for salvation.

The sign

has both

emphases

in Isaiah.

So I'd love

to hear your thoughts.

So Herod and Jerusalem,

they were probably

afraid of Rome.

Maybe Jerusalem

was afraid of Herod,

what he would do

to protect his throne

which,

yeah,

as we're going

to see next week,

there would be good

reason to be afraid

of Herod.

So we might be

sympathetic to this fear.

But this isn't

just some ordinary man

claiming to be somebody.

If this really is

God's eternal king,

could Rome

stop him?

Could Rome

stop God?

Surely not.

Well,

I think they were afraid

to lose their current

way of life.

I think they would

rather keep

the status quo.

Even though it's

not perfect,

they'd rather not

rock the boat.

Like Israel,

after just being

delivered from

slavery in Egypt,

heading towards

the promised land,

because of just

a little bit of

hardship,

they longed to be

back in slavery

in Egypt.

they feared the

life they had.

And Herod

leads the way

in this self-protection,

this protecting

of their life.

So Herod

and the people

had God,

they didn't just

have a star,

they had

much more

specific revelation

from God.

Herod summons

all the chief

priests,

all the experts

in the law,

the experts

in the Bible

and asks when

the Messiah

was to be born.

This is a really

simple question.

It should have

been common

knowledge.

It's a bit

surprising that

Herod even

asked this

question.

The prophet

Micah,

Micah 5:2

chapter 5,

verse 2,

it was very

clear.

The Messiah

is going to

come in

King David's

own town

of Bethlehem.

I'm going to

read the

original quote

from Micah.

But you,

O Bethlehem,

Ephathrath,

I don't know

how to say

that,

who are too

little to be

among the

clans of

Judah,

from you

shall come

forth from

me,

one who

is to

be ruler

in Israel,

whose coming

forth is

from old,

from ancient

days.

Therefore he

shall give

them up

until the

time when

she who

is in

labor has

given birth.

Then the

rest of his

brothers shall

return to

the people

of Israel,

and he

shall stand

and shepherd

his flock

in the

strength of

the Lord,

in the

majesty of

the name

of the

Lord his

God,

and they

shall dwell

secure.

For now he

shall be

great to

the ends

of the

earth,

and he

shall be

their

peace.

To make

it even

clearer for

us,

Matthew

kind of

meshes

into this

quote,

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 5:2

chapter 5

verse 2.

You might

think that's

just a

random part

of the

Bible.

It's not

random.

This is

the moment

that King

David is

enthroned

over Israel.

This part

that's

meshed in.

And Matthew

just starts

this story,

it almost

seems like

minor biographical

detail,

saying these

things happened

after Jesus

was born in

Bethlehem.

But this is

big news,

that he was

born in

Bethlehem.

Can you

get any

clearer than

that?

Herod and

Jerusalem had

all the

light of

knowledge of

what God

has said,

and what

did they do

with it?

They were

troubled,

they were

afraid.

I think

they feared

to lose

the degree

of control

that they

had over

their lives.

Herod feared

to lose

his control.

His throne

was under

threat.

I think

we see

this in

all Herod's

scheming.

He said

with his

lips that

he wanted

to come

and worship

this king,

but his

behaviour

tells a

very different

story.

Bethlehem

is just

15 kilometres

south to

Jerusalem.

It's like

from here

to Toronto.

He didn't

bother.

The Magi

travel for

months.

He didn't

bother a

few hours

walk.

If he

really wanted

to come

and worship

that king,

it would

be quite

easy to

do so.

He didn't

need to

summon all

the chief

priests and

the scribes.

Why did

he summon

all?

He needed

one, if

that, because

it was pretty

common knowledge.

I reckon

that's a

political move.

I think

he's sending

a message

to the

chief

priest,

I'm in

charge of

this

situation.

I could

be wrong

about that.

But he

summons all

and then

immediately

after,

he has

a secret

meeting.

He has

a secret

meeting with

the Magi

to find

out when

the star

had appeared

and from

the next

week's

story,

it's at

least within

two years.

He wanted

to keep

this knowledge

secret,

just he

knew it.

He's trying

to keep

control of

this situation.

And then

he gives

these foreign

visitors

orders.

He's got

no jurisdiction

over them.

He's trying

to control

them under

the pretense

of wanting

to worship.

He's trying

to control

this threat

to his

throne.

I don't

think we

can be

sure that

he had

murderous

intent at

this point,

but at

the very

least he

was trying

to stay

in control.

now we

can

tsk,

tsk

Herod

and

distance

ourselves

from him,

but I

wonder if

we're really

that different.

So for

instance,

are you

here today

to sign

off on

your religious

duty so

that the

rest of

your week

is yours

to do

with what

you want?

Or are

you here

to listen

to God

through his

word so

that you

are renewed

again to

live another

week for

his sake?

It's going

to look very

similar on

the surface.

One is

trying to

control God

so that you

can stay

in control

of your

life.

The other

is giving

yourself to

God.

I wonder

how else

we try

and keep

Jesus in

his little

corner and

keep him

away from

the throne

of our

lives.

Contrast

this with

the foreign

astrologers

who only

have a

star to

go by.

Although

they appear

to be

obeying

Herod,

they are

actually

following

the one

who's

actually

in

control.

The

star

they had

seen

appeared

again

and it

moved.

Not

really sure

how this

worked,

but it

moved.

This is

supernatural

stuff.

We're not

told exactly

how but it

directed them

to the

exact place,

the exact

house where

Jesus was.

God was

drawing them

to his

king.

Now I

think I

need to

make clear

the point

of the

Magal

being more

sincere in

following the

star than

the Jews

were in

following God's

word.

I don't

think that's

meant to

discourage

us from

finding God

through his

written word.

We're not

meant to

leave here

and go

get our

palm read

or go

read our

horoscopes.

It's not

what this

text is

trying to

get us

to do.

We're not

meant to

look for

signs like

God if you

want me to

buy that

car make

this traffic

light go

green.

We're not

meant to

do that.

the whole

point of

Matthew

writing this

book is

so that we

would clearly

know Jesus.

God isn't

condoning

astrology

but I

think it

does show

us that

God is

willing to

meet people

where they're

at and

draw them

to himself.

I think

that's the

main point

we're meant

to take.

God is

willing to

meet these

Magi

where they're

at and

draw them

to himself.

I think

the lesson

we're meant

to get

the contrast

between Herod

and Jerusalem

and these

foreigners

is at the

level of the

attitude of

their heart.

Something very

different is

going on.

Instead of

fear,

having been

shown the

way to

King Jesus,

isn't this a

lovely phrase,

they rejoiced

exceedingly

with great

joy.

I want

more of

that.

Don't

you?

They

rejoiced

exceedingly

with great

joy.

I want

more of

that.

Instead

of trying

to maintain

control,

when they

enter the

home,

they express

the giving

up of

their control

by falling

at his

feet.

The point

of mentioning

Mary being

there is

not to

suggest that

she deserved

worship as

well.

the verse

clearly says

they fell

down and

worshipped

him.

I think

mentioning

Mary,

I'm not

sure of

this,

but I

think

mentioning

Mary without

Joseph is

maybe Matthew's

way of

suggesting that

these

worshippers

knew of

the scandalous

beginnings of

the virgin

birth and

the birth

prior to

marriage.

They

trusted that

God had

led them to

the true

king,

despite the

rest of

society,

despising

and rejecting

Jesus.

I think

that's what's

going on

here.

Instead of

trying to

protect the

life they

had like

Herod over

his little

kingdom and

all Jerusalem

trying to

protect their

city,

there's another

lovely phrase,

they opened

up their

treasures.

Matthew could

have just

said,

and they

gave gifts,

but he's got

this little

phrase,

they opened

up their

treasures.

They weren't

trying to

protect it,

they opened

it.

This is what

happens when

you're filled

with great

joy at

being brought

to God's

king.

You gladly

give him the

best you

have.

You only

do that if

you've found a

greater treasure.

gold and

frankincense

and myrrh.

We get

gold being

a royal

gift,

frankincense

used for

incense.

Myrrh we

think of

being used

for burial

and maybe

that's what's

going on

here to

allude to

Jesus'

death,

but myrrh

was also a

spice used

for celebration

and joy.

So we find

it in the

book of

Song of

Songs,

for instance.

These are

all gifts

of celebration.

And I'm

wondering what

the purpose

of these

gifts are.

Like I

suppose they

could have

been trying

to get

political

favour from

the king

once he'd

grown up,

but rejoiced

exceedingly

with great

joy just

seems a bit

out of place

for a

diplomatic

visit.

I think

there's

something

deeper

going on.

I think

these

worshippers

gave her

the best

they had

as a

small

expression

of the

value

of the

king.

To be

associated

with the

king

was their

treasure.

And so

they gladly

open up

their other

treasures.

Any Jew

hearing this

would think

of what

happened

with Solomon,

the son of

King David,

when the

Queen of

Sheba from

the east

came.

We read

it in

1 Kings 10.

when she

experienced

the supreme

wisdom of

the son

of David,

seeing the

temple,

seeing how

happy his

people were

under his

rule,

this foreigner

praises God

because the

Lord loved

Israel forever.

He has made

you king that

you may execute

justice and

righteousness.

And then she

gives a

bucket load of

gifts of

gold and

spices.

The gifts

were just a

small way of

expressing the

worth of this

king and the

privilege of

knowing him

and being

associated with

him.

And the

prophet saw a

day when all

the nations

would come and

give their

gifts to this

true son of

David.

So in

Isaiah 60

we hear

nations shall

come to

your light.

Your sons

shall come

from afar.

Your daughters

shall be

carried on

the hip.

Then you

shall see

and be

radiant.

Your heart

shall thrill

and exult.

They shall

bring gold

and frankincense

and shall

bring good

news.

The praises

of the

Lord.

Someone

greater than

Solomon is

here is

what Matthew

wants us

to see.

And while

God is

bringing

foreigners

to his

king into

exceeding

joy,

gladly

falling before

him,

Herod and

all Jerusalem

fear the

loss of

their control

and the

life they

have.

we see

how pathetic

Herod's

attempts are

to control

the situation

with everything

else going

on.

Can

Herod make

a star

in heaven

rise or

fall or

move?

Like his

political

scheming is

just pathetic

compared to

a star.

And then

we've got

this dream.

dream.

The king

of heaven

sends a

message to

these foreigners

in a dream

and they

obey the

real king,

not Herod.

Herod and

Jerusalem's

attempts to

stay in

control is

laughable in

light of who

has just

arrived on

earth.

I wonder

if our

attempts at

staying in

control are

any better.

Hasn't this

year shown us

how little we

are in

control?

What a

blessing to be

shown that.

A hard

lesson,

but a

blessing.

If you

have been

consumed with

worry this

year, then

come to

the one

who's really

in charge.

It's not

that God

hasn't clearly

shown the

world that

Jesus really

is in

charge.

They had

plenty of

testimony

then, and

we have

even more

today, this

morning.

Not only

because things

are clearer in

hindsight,

but Matthew

has helped

us see that

Jesus is

fulfilling all

God's promises

throughout

thousands of

years of

his speaking

into the

world.

He's made

it really

clear, Jesus

is the

son of

David.

Even this

early in the

story, we've

got so much

more to learn

about this

king and

what the

kingdom is

all about,

but even

this early in

the story,

we can be

sure he

is worthy

of our

worship.

So the

question is,

what will

we do

with this

king?

Will you

be afraid

to lose

control of

your life?

Or will

you joyfully

open your

treasures at

his feet?

These are

the only two

options.

Jesus

claims

jurisdiction

over all

nations,

every

person.

he says

in Matthew

11,

all things

have been

handed over

to me

by my

father.

What a

claim.

And again,

after he

gets the

victory on

the cross,

rising to

resurrected

life, some

of his last

words in

Matthew are,

all authority

in heaven and

on earth has

been given

to me.

Abraham

Cooper

famously

said,

there is

not a

square

inch in

the whole

domain of

our human

existence

over which

Christ, who

is sovereign

over all,

does not

cry,

mine.

Mine.

What we do

with our

bodies,

our

church

services,

our drive

to work,

our country,

our homes,

our Netflix,

our Instagram

feed, our

sport, our

evenings, our

mornings, our

eating, our

drinking, our

work, our

relationships, our

parenting, our

health, our

leisure time, our

sleeping, our

bank accounts, our

words, our

desires, mine.

What will you

do with this

king?

Will you be

afraid to lose

control of your

life or will

you joyfully open

up all these

treasures at his

feet?

I think how we're

going to respond is

going to be

dependent on two

things.

Firstly, will

we realise that

we aren't very

good at ruling

our own life?

If we think

we're good at

it, then you're

going to have no

time for Jesus.

So GK

Chesterton famously

responded to a

news column that

asked, what is

wrong with the

world?

And he wrote

into the

newspaper with

the simple

words, I

am, and

signed off.

I am.

Why is this

relationship

struggling?

I am.

I am the

problem.

Matthew has

already told us

that this king's

name is Jesus

because he will

save his people

from their sins.

We're not good

at being in

charge.

I am not good

at being in

charge.

The other

thing we need

to know to

joyfully open

our treasures

at his feet

is, is he a

good king?

is he a good

king?

To really

answer that, we

don't have time

this morning.

We need to listen

to the rest of

Matthew and get

to know Jesus

better.

But for now, I

just want to

quickly go back to

Matthew 11.

After he said,

all things have

been handed over

to me by my

father, here's his

invitation to come

under his authority.

He says, come to

me.

Come to me, all

you who are weary

and burdened, and

I will give you

rest.

Take my yoke upon

you.

In other words,

come under my

rule and learn

from me.

Why?

Why?

For I am gentle

and humble in

heart, and you

will find rest for

your souls.

He uses his

authority to serve

us, which is

incredible.

The problem in

trusting Jesus

isn't that God

hasn't made it

clear.

Matthew has

shown us that

Jesus is the

answer to God's

promises, very

obviously.

The question

is, will we

try and control

our lives?

Will you be

afraid and try

and stay in

control?

Or will you

be drawn by

God to come

and see more

and more of

this Jesus, get

to know him

better, and

rejoice exceedingly

with great joy

as you find rest

for your souls?

That's our

choice.

Will you pray

with me as we

finish?

Let's pray.

Father, I pray

that you would

show Jesus to

each of us in

our hearts.

Please show

us just how

we aren't good

at controlling

our own lives.

Please convict

each one of us

of that afresh.

And please show

us that Jesus

really is in

charge.

And please

show us the

goodness of

Jesus.

We praise you

that even

though you

have all

authority, you

are gentle.

We praise you

that you

offer us

rest.

We don't

deserve it, but

that's what you

offer us.

We thank you

for that.

Father, I pray

that you would

reveal your son

to us more

and more as

we listen to

Matthew.

And I pray

that you would

give each one

of us rest,

that we would

joyfully open

up our life,

giving it to

you.

In Jesus'

name I pray.

Amen.