Matthew Chapter 2 Verses 7 – 8

• Herod says here, “What time did the star appear?” And to us that sounds like it must have been, maybe even that day! But in the Greek, the word means season or space, it’s simply translated for us into the King’s English, “What time.” And so we can’t conclude anything really from this question other than Herod is hiding.

• He calls them secretly…privately…why? Because weakness always tries to hides. What if the people who had heard the Wise Men tell Herod to his face that he is not the king of the Jews, what if they heard that he called them back to himself and yet did not punish them, arrest them, kill them, chastise them in some way? He just wants to ask them a question and then task them to do something for him…the people would wonder, “Does Herod think he’s not the king too?”

• And so he sends them out secretly saying, “Search carefully for the young Child” And folks grab on to this as a symbol, a proof of timing as well, but I don’t think it tells us anything…The word child could mean infant and it could also mean toddler…but in the context, it doesn’t really tell us that Jesus was either at this time. The key for me is Luke 2:21…at only 8 days old, Jesus is referred to as a “child.” And so again, I can’t make any solid conclusions based on this title given Him in verse 8.
• Here’s what I do know. Herod gives the reason why he wants Jesus found. He says, “Bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” Get this. He’s not lying! His desire is to worship, we are all pre-programmed to worship…The question is not, “Do you worship?” The question is, “What do you worship?” He ain’t lying! Herod’s life is about himself! His heart is lights-off dark with pride and egotism and self-interest and so no matter the excellent Bible studies you receive, because Herod got a good one…no matter the powerful witnesses that come in and out of your life, because Herod had at least a couple here in these wise men…no matter what, your life declares who or what you worship! Herod’s life is marked with death and his object of worship is murder. And if he were here, he’d adamantly deny that I’m sure….

• Doesn’t matter. His worship is evil and his wisdom is demonic. No one reading his story would deny that. If you have surrendered (and man we gotta not do this but “be doing this”) If you have surrendered your heart to truth, to the indwelling power of the risen Savior, then your worship, your life, your countenance, your conversation, your deliberation and diligence looks like wisdom from above. James 3:17 says, “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy!”

• Your steps through your day are first pure…what is the only source of perfect purity on this earth? Jesus Christ…and the Word became flesh. His Word! John 15:3, Jesus said to His disciples, “You are already clean because of My Word that I have given you.” The wisdom, the thought, the action, the habit, the lifestyle, the character…is first pure, is grounded in the Word of God for those that worship God.
• Then peaceable…that doesn’t mean someone who is at peace with unrighteousness! Jesus said in Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword!” Tell me church, when did we let evil get stronger than us!? The peace brought by the one that worships God is the peace of God’s Word…
• Then gentle and willing to yield. Gentle in that one that worships God and is filled with truth can straight up nuclear bomb situations with what they know and yet they restrain and pray for God’s heart for that person or situation…their desire is to be gentle, their desire is to be lowly and to serve and willing to yield but only when opportunity of righteousness presents itself…never willing to yield to unrighteousness or wickedness but rather exposing them in a way that brings glory to God and brings people to the cross. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
• Full of mercy and good fruits! Wisdom from above, the mark of a worshipper of God…a heart full of mercy and a life filled with good fruits! And what is the fruit of the Spirit? Love! And fruit is so amazing…it feeds the hungry…it nourishes the weak in heart…and over time as they become stronger and stronger…they begin to feed others as well…disciple cycles!
• Finally, without partiality…everyone, the desire of the worshipper is that everyone will be saved and grow stronger in the Lord and yet without hypocrisy…relentless integrity and consistency in all of these things…  
• And yet the heart that hears and does not do…the heart filled with self and cares of this world and cares for self…their worship produces death all over the place…relationships, jobs, confusion and envy and mess after mess throughout your day. Why not break free from this route? Why not surrender to Jesus? James 3:14-16 says of Herod and any heart that worships death, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” Herod’s not lying…he wants to go worship…but his worship is death…what’s yours?

Matthew Chapter 2 Verses 9 - 10

• I like the order here…that they departed…and then they saw the star…and then they rejoiced!

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 11

• A fantastic verse which provides a very important clue…the fact that they found Jesus in a house, and not a stable! But more importantly (for me at least) is what they brought to Him. These are odd gifts for sure! You say, “Not the gold!” But when was the last time you went to see a newborn in the maternity ward and picked up a chain on the way!? HA!
• The fact is that these gifts are odd (they’re not wrapped either – guess they are from men! HA!). Odd..BUT they are extremely important because they reveal so much about the recipient! About the One birth that fundamentally pivoted the whole story of mankind!! First, they brought Him gold! Gold is the metal of royalty…it is the metal of the king! Second, frankincense which is what is burned by the priests in the temple representing the prayers of the people! Remember when the angel appeared to Zacharias and he was in the temple…what was he doing? Burning incense!
• And finally, myrrh…which speaks of the foretold death of the Savior in prophecies like Isaiah 53…and so these three gifts, so very important and symbolic, brought to the child King who was also the one singular Priest of the New Covenant and the one singular Prophet spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. And so Jesus…Prophet, Priest and King!
• And yet I see more! Gold speaks of material needs, frankincense speaks of spiritual need and myrrh speaks of psychological needs…as my predominant source of natural fear is death and legacy…all of those things, come together in the Person of Jesus Christ…all of those needs, met perfectly according to HIS will, not mine!
• One final thing…when they had come into the house, they fell down and worshipped who? Mary? No…Jesus…

Matthew Chapter 2 Verses 12 – 15

• I love this! Not only is this another OT prophecy just nailed by Matt but look…Egypt is a type, a metaphor, a parallel for the world and the flesh! For slavery, bondage, poverty of life and subjection to man…Out of Egypt, out of the living for and in and by the flesh, I called My Son! Are you a son of God?   Because not everyone is…Jesus said in John 8:44…, “You belong to your father the devil, and in that you carry out your father’s desires!”

• Here’s how you answer the question to whom do you belong. Do you have that call out of Egypt? Do you hear it? More importantly, have you answered it…?

Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 16

• This guy is sin put on display! Killing his own legacy, his own army, his own people and kingdom! But man, that is what and only wickedness does! Laziness, idol worship, knowing what is right and good and simply choosing to make your life in weakness…all of that is sin put on display as well…we just don’t see it…well, not all of us….

Matthew Chapter 2 Verses 17 – 23

• Final point as we close…Joseph was obedient to God. Where was Mary in all of this? Was she having the same dreams? The Bible doesn’t say so…so what was her role here…to respect her husband. (Ready for me to blow your mind?) God will bless her, even if he is wrong! OH THE HORROR! But check this out…prophecies foretold of Jesus being called out of Egypt, of Him being called a Nazarene, what if Mary had said, “No!?” Well, Joseph would have submitted to her…I’m sure of it…but she didn’t. She trusted him and in that, God’s Word came to pass! A little thought as we close this morning…when did we let evil get stronger than us?
• Born…and adopted, just like Jesus (Mary/Joseph). Are you born of God today? Have you adopted Him as your Lord and Savior? Do you have any right today to receive from God…even entrance into heaven?