The Two Kings of Christmas

I've been very aware for quite a while that a few of you like to

play a little game on a Sunday.

And that is, what hymn are we going to sing next?

And you've confessed to me that I've ruined it for you because

I've now told you what we're going to sing.

However, let's be honest.

How many of you thought of a perfect song From Matthew, chapter

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

2 and verses 1 to 12?

We 3 Kings of Orient are.

Don't worry, we're not going to be singing it.

You'll be glad to hear, because this is exactly where We

Three Kings comes from.

And it's one of the songs that we sing, or indeed we hear at Christmas,

that speaks to us about the visit of the wise men to Jesus.

Now, it was written by an American Anglican rector and hymn

writer called John Henry Hopkins, Jr. And it was written in

1857.

It wasn't sung until 1863.

And as much as it is a song based on this passage from Matthew's

Gospel that we're looking at this morning, Hopkins also took reference

from Psalm 72.

And there are two verses there that foretold of the kings of foreign

lands coming to worship the messianic king.

And verses 10 and 15 of Psalm 72 say, the kings of Tarshish and

of distant shores will bring tribute to him.

The kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts.

Then verse 15, long may he live.

May gold from Sheba be given him.

May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long.

And as we know with the Psalms, they're mainly written about

the life of David and the covenant kings of Israel, but they're

also Messianic or prophetic.

They point us to the true king of God's people, people who comes

along.

And that's what we look at on Sunday evenings in Second Samuel,

who is the true king of God's people.

And so when you consider Psalm 72 along with Matthew chapter 2 and

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

verses 1 to 12, then you understand why Hopkins presented

three kings bearing the three gifts.

And he went as far as to include the traditional names of

these kings, Melchar, Caspar and Belshazzar.

Now, these names are not Jewish names, but to fulfill the

prophecy of Psalm 72, they are names that come from distant lands.

Now, perhaps We Three Kings is a favorite song of yours that you

enjoy singing at Christmas.

And I don't want to burst any bubbles here this morning, but the

text itself that we read doesn't say that there were kings,

nor does it say There were three of them.

Verses one and two tell us.

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 we have come to worship him.

Now, even in these first verses, we actually learn quite a

lot.

First, the visitors coming from the Easter called Magi.

Now, both the King James Version and the English Standard

Version translate them as wise men.

The Magi were, in effect, counselors.

That is, their wisdom would be sought on particular matters, and

they would advise, so they would give counsel.

They weren't kings.

And while they bore three gifts, their number, which is not

recorded here, was large enough to cause a stir in Jerusalem,

as we see in just a few verses.

So any notion that we have of three kings comes exclusively from

Hopkins Christmas Song.

And that influences much of popular thinking regarding the visit

of these Gentiles.

Now, the second thing we learn is that they are learned men.

They say that they have seen a star in the east, and they acknowledge

that this has meant the birth of a new king.

And for these Gentile counselors of foreign lands or coming

from foreign kings, there's a fine line between their astronomy

and their astrology.

Astronomy is the study of stars and constellations, while astrology

is trying to interpret what the placement of these stars mean.

Now, scripture both prohibits and it mocks astrology.

And it does that in Jeremiah chapters 8 and 19, and in Isaiah

Jeremiah 8 · chapter mention

47.

And still today, 2,000 years later, if you flick open a magazine

or if you flick open a newspaper or even do a search online,

you will find astrologers still trying to tell you what you

should do based on the alignment of stars.

Scripture says that is nonsense.

Scripture mocks it.

But Scripture warns us not to be involved.

It is not simply good fun to read your stars or your horoscope.

These are things not of truth and light.

They're in the dark places.

And by the way, if you really do look at them, they're so general,

they could fit well into anyone's life at any time.

So please be warned by Scripture not to be involved in these

things, because they are dangerous and they only lead us on

a path that draws us further away from the Lord because they are

not from Him.

So scripture prohibits and mocks astrology, and you can find

it there in Jeremiah chapters 8 and 19 and Isaiah 47.

Jeremiah 8 · chapter mention

Yet God reversed expectations, and he spoke to these stargazers

in language that they understood.

And in that language of following this star, he called these

Gentiles to Jesus.

And so, guided by a star, God fulfills prophecy by stating that

the Gentiles would come and would worship the Messiah.

But they do cause quite a stir in the royal palace and in Jerusalem,

because verse three tells us that when King Herod heard this,

he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.

Now, let's think a moment about Herod.

Herod was the puppet king of Rome.

He had no real power, nor did he have any authority.

And he was positioned on the throne as a political tactic by Rome

to keep the Jews happy.

The Jews at last could have a king of their own.

His position was more like a ceremonial mayor who looked good

in office, but could only rule within the confines of Roman rule.

And so, being Rome's puppet and being happy to have the position,

Herod wasn't going to rock the boat and risk losing what he had.

So he certainly wasn't seen as a Jewish nationalist leader as many

were looking for.

So when these wise men arrive, the throne starts to feel a bit shaky

as he's confronted with news of the birth of a new king.

And in this verse, in verse three, the inclusion of the comment

about Jerusalem would indicate that their entrance into the city

was noticed as well as their message known.

So this was not simply three people walking in, because one or

two, or even the three in fine clothes would have been interesting,

but wouldn't have caused a stir, because Jerusalem was a place

where the world travels through.

And so this tells us that there were more, simply three of

them.

There was more than just what we think all based a song.

And as we've seen with other foreign travelers to Jerusalem in

Scripture, long journeys required food, they required water

and possible accommodation to be brought with them.

So these three wise men would have been of a status of that they

had servants with them to service the needs of traveling the

distances they traveled.

So there is most certainly more than three.

And even though Herod is the puppet king of Rome, he has Jewish

religious advisors and he puts them to work to try and understand

what these Gentile visitors are saying.

But what we don't notice is who these advisors are.

We're told that the chief priests and the teachers of the law

are brought together.

This was unheard of because the chief priests and the teachers

of the law, or scribes as they're called elsewhere, were also

Pharisees, two groups who were very different in their approaches

to religious practice.

The chief priests were usually Sadducees, and the teachers of the

law were Pharisees.

And they never got on.

So when they do agree on something, which they do now in this

text, Herod now pays attention, and in their conclusion,

they go to a 700-year-old prophecy from Micah Chapter 5 to

Micah 5 · chapter mention

confirm what these wise men are saying.

And so Matthew records what they report from Micah 5 there in

verse 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 be the shepherd of my people, Israel.

What they do is they confirm that a king was foretold to come

from the home of David in Bethlehem.

Now, with David being known as Israel's greatest king, any mention

of Bethlehem will have certainly sounded alarm bells for

the puppet king, Herod.

Where else would a good nationalist revolt begin?

Well, in the home place of the king that they want to emulate on

the throne.

So Herod, with fear and trembling, gathers now the magi and

tells them what his wise men have discovered.

But Herod is shrewd and he has a plan.

He wants to use these enthusiastic visitors for his own

benefit.

And in verse 8 we're told he sent them to Bethlehem and said,

go and make a careful search for the king or for the for the child.

As soon as you find him, report to me so that I too may go

and worship him.

Now, of course, Herod had absolutely no intention of worshiping

the new king in Bethlehem.

But the magi trust the king and set off with the star once again

leading them.

And as the Jews stay at home, as they continue to look for a messiah,

the Gentiles head to Bethlehem.

And the star eventually came to rest over the place where the

child was.

And to our surprise, they don't find a stable.

Our nativity scenes often show the three wise men coming to a manger,

with some of them showing the shepherds there as well.

Well, time has passed and Joseph and Mary have found more appropriate

accommodation in Bethlehem, following the busyness of the movement

of people remember why they were there for the census at the

time of Christ's birth.

But we also know that the time period is anywhere up to two years

since Jesus was born, because of what later verses record with

Herod's actions to try and kill Jesus.

For now the wise men are overjoyed that they have found the

infant that they have been looking for.

So verse 11 is the climax of their journey and a verse that we're

so familiar with.

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.

Now, we shouldn't leap to conclusions when reading that these

wise men become believers in Jesus, certainly not as we know him

now in his resurrected form.

But bowing down here before him signifies respect and homage

at finding the One that they searched long for.

And in a few months we read these verses again and consider the

gifts and their meanings.

But now it's sufficient enough to say that gift giving was essential

in that culture, especially when approaching a leader whom they

believed Jesus to be.

Frankincense, gold and myrrh were costly, the sort of precious

thing found in one royal court and given to another.

And it is speculation, and it is only speculation that indeed,

selling some of these may have funded how Mary and Joseph journeyed

to Egypt.

Now again, it's speculation rather than fact.

But if there is symbolism in the gifts, it lies in the allusion

to Psalm 72 and its prophecy that the nations would come to a

king greater than Solomon, bringing gifts and falling before

him as all nations serve him.

But there's a problem with this story because cultural norms

required reciprocal gifts.

He didn't simply give a gift and go home empty handed.

Yet that's what happens here to these wise men.

The Magi, as representatives of the nations, go home empty handed.

But Jesus more than repays them in the end, as we know him to

be the one to whom we look to as Savior.

The Gentile nations to the ends of the earth in Christ alone,

in whom we find salvation.

But their time comes to leave, and as they do, God warns them in

verse 12.

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

returned to their country by another route.

Now, once Herod realizes that he has been duped in some way, he

then will seek to kill Jesus by another way.

And that will lead us on to our passage for next week, which

will take us through from verse 13 to verse 23.

Now, I hope I haven't ruined Christmas for you by crushing the

illusions that John Henry Hopkins jr's song has for years presented

to us.

But when we look at the text, we see greater significance of this

account over the words that we sing.

Were there three kings?

Most likely not.

These were men, wise men from the east, who practiced astrology

which the Bible speaks against.

But they are included in the text of Scripture and are the fulfillment

of what was foretold.

Their significance for us today is to assure us that Jesus

didn't simply come to the Jews alone, that they would exclusively

receive his salvation.

Jesus came for us all so that we can come to him through his death

and his resurrection and know forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.

So this passage isn't about three kings, but it is about two

kings.

And these two kings stand in contrast to each other.

The question is that we're confronted with today, which of these

kings do we serve?

And I hope by now you'll have realized that the two kings at the

heart of this account are Herod and Jesus.

King Herod, the puppet king, represents the world.

He represents its very fragile power.

And he represents the world's desire to keep whatever power it

can get.

Herod wasn't concerned about the plight of the Jewish people under

Roman rule.

Nor was he concerned about Jewish nationalism.

To see a free and independent country no longer under the laws

and practices and rules of Rome.

Herod was concerned about keeping the status quo, which he

benefited from.

He wanted to keep his throne and uphold the delicate balance that

existed to ensure there was no change in how things were run.

Was he a true king of the Jews?

No.

He wasn't even a touch on the great covenantal kings of Israel's

history.

There's no sense of his appointment by prophet or priest.

Rather, it was all political to keep the whole thing running to

the way Rome wanted.

It was all show and no substance.

And actually that's not a bad definition of the world around us

today.

For the world is all show and no substance.

Now there is, I know, things in this world that are good, that

we need to survive.

And God shows all humanity common grace each moment so that

we can exist.

But the depth of this world is shallow.

And even though it presents itself as the only answer to our

happiness and our salvation, it can never save us.

And Thursday was a significant day for me because I did think 100

years and you think, what has changed?

A hundred years ago there wasn't even a box on the wall that

we called a telephone.

There was no televisions, there was no convenient modes of

transport.

People didn't travel much beyond a couple of miles of where

they were, what they could walk within a reasonable day.

And I look at us within ours, we can be far on this globe.

See, the world is a pride filled and boastful place because

it thinks it has achieved.

And we benefit from these achievements.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, that the world offers can

save us.

I've tried.

I've tried to see if the world can save me.

I've enjoyed its benefits.

I've wanted the next thing, because that's what everybody else

had.

But it turns out it's nothing because as soon as we have the most

recent bit of technology, it is already out of date.

And you know that because five years after getting a mobile phone,

you're complaining it's not working.

That's why Paul writes what he does in Romans 1, verses 22 to 23.

Romans 1:22–23

He writes it here as a warning to us right at the beginning of his

great theological piece of what salvation is.

And speaking of humanity, he says this.

Although they, I.e.

Humanity, claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the

glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man

and birds and animals and reptiles.

Humanity has sought to position itself as God.

Humanity worships the creation rather than the Creator.

And this is exactly what King Herod represents.

A world that promises us everything and delivers nothing in

the end.

But there is a second king, and that is King Jesus.

Because in contrast to King Herod, we see the true king of God's

people.

He may not have a throne, earth, nor a crown as we would expect,

but he is the true covenant king that we desperately need.

And when you trace the kings of Israel, they all failed in one

way or another.

But Jesus is the one who never fails.

And Scripture speaks so much of what it means to know this king

and to trust King Jesus.

Acts 4, verse 12 says, Salvation is found in no one else.

Acts 4:12

For there is no other name under heaven given to men by which

you we must be saved.

That name is Jesus.

And it's he who tells us in Luke chapter 19, verse 10.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of Man, that name that he was given, a very messianic,

prophetic name.

The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

He wasn't concerned about a throne in a royal palace in Jerusalem.

He's concerned about the heavenly throne where he now rules

and reigns.

And he's concerned about who his kingdom will be, about lost souls

coming on to salvation.

You see, Jesus is no puppet king, nor is he a self serving leader.

He is the one who rules with equity and justice.

He is the one who has done what only the true covenant king

could do.

He gave his life on the cross so that the punishment our sins deserve

would be taken on him rather than on us.

But there is one thing to know about Jesus and it's quite another

to trust in Him.

You see, we're going to be one of two kinds of people here.

Because if I were all to ask you, going out through the door,

who's Jesus?

You'll all give me an answer.

So we all have a knowledge of Jesus.

But there's a second person who goes beyond the knowledge of

Jesus and trusts in Jesus.

You see, we can all have facts and figures about Jesus.

We can all know the stories and we can even say out loud that

we, we know that he came to bear the punishment of our sins.

But simply because we say it doesn't save us.

I can tell you anything and you might believe it, and I can convince

myself and I can convince you.

But when it comes to Jesus, words are not simply enough.

Because any of us can know about Jesus.

It's only when we place our trust in him and his salvation that

we have eternal life.

And this changes our whole life.

To know about Jesus means we still live under the rule of the

world.

It's just head knowledge.

Herod knew of Jesus and he still wanted to kill him.

But trusting in Jesus means we live for him, desiring to do good

works, but not depending on those works as eternal currency to

treat our way into heaven.

Well God, I was good enough.

Because the reality is none of us ever can be trusting in Jesus.

That hard work means we reject the priorities of the world that

mislead and corrupt us and we follow his way ways.

So whose voice are you going to heed?

King Herod or King Jesus?

Maybe you'll be indifferent to Jesus.

Maybe you'll have a knowledge of him and that's enough in your

mind.

It's not enough because you must trust and you must declare him

as king of your life.

Maybe you'll be hostile towards Him.

Maybe you're simply here because it's the good cultural thing

to do.

But coming through that door cannot save you.

And if you're hostile towards Jesus, then you desperately need

to change, otherwise you will be lost forever.

I wonder, will you buy low with whatever gifts you have in hand

and adoringly worship him for who he truly is?

See, I want to encourage each and every one of you, whoever you

are here this morning.

Trusting in King Jesus means that you can trust him with your

fears, you can trust him with your disappointments.

You can trust him with your anger, you can trust him with your

guilt, you can trust him with the burden that you feel in this

life.

And you can trust him to forgive you for your own self righteousness.

The question is, will you trust Him?

Will you trust him to keep you in this world and bring you home

to him in heaven?

That's the very reason why he came.

And Matthew told us that right from the very beginning.

This is the Jesus, the King Jesus we must know.

And the King Herod we must reject, so that as we live for him,

we can truly trust him with everything that comes our way.

That we need not fear, for he indeed will lead us home.

Have you trusted Him?

But more pointedly to us all, Will you trust him with whatever

is going on in your life right now?

Because Christ is enough.

We don't need to see an earthly throne.

We don't need to see an earthly crown.

For the head that once was crowned with thorns is crowned in

glory.

Now that is the throne, the much higher throne, and where that

crown of righteousness sits so that we can be assured of that life

eternal with him.

Trust in King Jesus and reject all of the King Herods of this world

and know Christ only.

So let's pray in his name.

Our Father God, we thank you for this.

Your word, a challenging word, and maybe for some an uncomfortable

word.

Because it confronts us with who we really are.

And it confronts us with a question that we may not want to

answer or like to answer, but yet we must.

So may we see King Jesus for who he truly is.

May a knowledge of him translate and transmit into our hearts

so that we will be his forever.

And we will know that great delight of a higher throne that is

his ruling and reigning forever, where we will be with him,

and we will know salvation complete.

So may we not be ignorant to the truth, and may we trust in him

only, and we ask it in his name alone.

Amen.