Wise Men Worship

in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet, and you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, and by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.

Now here they're quoting the prophet Micah, who gave this very explicit promise and prophecy. There is a question, there is an answer to this question. Important, when we ask the Bible the right questions, the Bible always answers our questions. Here, these men, knowing something, seeing a star, coming and wanting to inquire where is the king connected to the star, well, Scripture gives an answer. It's Bethlehem. Now, how good God is to communicate with us, right? So the promise to resolve our sin problem starts very broad. A child will be born, and then a child of Abraham, and then a child of Judah, then a child of David, and now, not just like what line, but what city he'll be born in. God is becoming more and more clear, and the promise is becoming more and more precise as to where the child will be born, and well, Bethlehem, this is David's city. You can go back to Ruth 119, where Ruth meets Boaz, who will eventually be the great-grandparents of David. Or 1 Samuel 16, that we read a couple of weeks ago in the service, where David is found anointed to be king as the eighth son in Bethlehem before he goes out and fights Goliath. Verse five, Matthew is telling us the Old Testament has told us, through the scribes' knowledge of Scripture, where Jesus will be born. And the wise men's search, it's confirmed and validated by Scripture. Micah tells us Bethlehem is little. There's an emphasis there. The great king will come from this small city. The promise is that a ruler will arise from Bethlehem and he will shepherd my people. It's important as we think about how God's promises are becoming more and more precise, there's numerous threads that come together. A son, a son of promise, a king, a ruler, a righteous one, a shepherd, all being fulfilled in Christ Jesus. It's a precise city that's fulfilling both the Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants. Now, let's just step back and consider Micah and the importance of what this prophecy is doing because whenever the New Testament quotes the Old, the bigger picture should be understood and it doesn't mean he's not thinking of the whole bigger picture. Micah was written as a warning that Assyria will come and attack Jerusalem and Israel because they have continued to worship other gods and they have been not practicing righteousness among the people of Israel. It's a warning, it's a judgment declaration against God's people for being unfaithful to God and his covenant. But as judgment is given to God's people, there's also a word of hope that God remains faithful to his covenant, even though you're unfaithful. God will bring about a king in Bethlehem. That's part of the hope that this judgment isn't final. That king will shepherd God's people. Hear the words of Micah 2, verses 12 and 13. God speaking,

I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob. I will gather the remnant of Israel. I will set them together like sheep in a fold, like a flock in its pasture, a noisy multitude of men. He who opens the breach goes up before them. They break through and pass the gate going out by it. Their king passes on before them, the Lord at their head.

God is saying, I will be your shepherd. In the midst of danger, in the midst of destruction, in the midst of losing your capital city and even the promised land, I will restore you. I, God says, will be your shepherd, your king, the one who gives you the security you need, the position you need. Well, Micah 5, that's quoted, is telling us that that baby born in Bethlehem is that king who provides that perfect protection Israel needs. Later, you can look at Micah 7, how the book ends. Here, Micah 7, 18 to 20.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? who does not retain his anger forever because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our inequities underfoot. You will cast all our sins in the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.

Verse 20, there's a huge change. Praying to God specifically. You're gonna keep your promises. that he made to Abraham and to David, as we could go back and look at the genealogy. Yes, he has. You will remain steadfast in love. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. See, Micah is telling us more than just where this child will be born. It's telling us who this child is and what he will come to do as the righteous ruler of God's people, who will use all of his authority to cleanse them, purify them, protect them, save them from their own sins. See, it isn't just amazing that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, David's city. It's amazing he's born to be the good shepherd who lays down his life for his people. The believer assures Christ came to fulfill all the promises of the Old Testament, he will return. Will we be found faithful and trusting? As we look to these texts, in Matthew 1 to 4, over and over again, and thus this happened to fulfill what God had said. Of the old and the new, it's promise and fulfillment, and we're still longing for the promise. Christ has come. And let's just think about this for fun for a little bit. A baby does not choose what family they're born into or what city they're born into. Jesus is born of the exact right line in the exact right city. It's amazing when we look at all the different promises Christ came to fulfill, it has to be more than coincidence. From not just his birth, but his life and his death. Jesus is the good shepherd who came to lay down his life for his people. This promise of a shepherd who's going to save Israel from their sins is the same message we saw last week in Jesus' name. Yahweh saves. He has come to save his people from their own sins. The shepherd, the king that the disciples wanted Jesus to be, was more like a Herod king. One with a mighty sword who would overthrow other governments. Too often we want that kind of king who exercises authority like a Herod or Rome. Let's be very clear, Jesus has all authority and all power and uses it to bless his people. All the authority under heaven and earth has been given to Christ and he has used all his authority. for the betterment and the good of his people. This is just what we call Christian leadership. If you believe in Jesus, you believe in good authority. If you believe in Jesus, you should long to know how good his authority is that we can live under his authority and his blessings as he has only said what is good and he has done all that is good and whatever he expects of us is for our good. Praise God we can have this category, good authority. The world doesn't understand this category. Church, Christian, if you have any authority, you should be thinking, how can I use the authority God has given to me as a parent, a teacher, a principal, a manager, whatever your authority is, how can I use this authority to bless others as Christ has blessed with his authority? Well, seven to eight turns back to Herod. He represents bad authority. Spoiler alert, he doesn't wanna worship Jesus. He wants to know when and where the Christ, the newborn king, would be born so he can kill him. He doesn't just represent bad authority, he represents Pharaoh. What a twist. God saved Israel out of Egypt Well, now God is going to save his son by sending him back to Egypt because the guy who's in charge of Israel and Judea is just like Pharaoh, who hates God. It's an incredible picture of what happens. We'll see more of that next week. Here we see they've learned he is in Bethlehem. He is going to not just be the son of David born in Bethlehem, he's the king, he's the shepherd, he's the ruler. The third thing we see from the Magi. They worship him with gifts. This is our last section. They worship him with gifts.

After listening to King, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Again here, twice, behold has picked up the action. We have the setting in verse one. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the days of Herod. Behold, the wise men from the east come, talking about a star and a newborn child. They go and they find that the child was born in Bethlehem. And now when they go to Bethlehem, behold, a star appears again. The star that they had already seen, it appears again. This is kind of the second leg of the most amazing scavenger hunt ever. God is guiding them very directly, very precisely. You're thinking they've left Jerusalem, they're going to the city, they don't know where it is. How are we going to find where the baby is in the city? How big is the city? How many babies were born? You kind of wonder, do they ask, did you see what I see? A star dancing in the sky. I don't think they had kites, so I doubt they sang that song. But it's the second appearance. Again, imagine, they're astronomers. They would know there's a significance to this star. They would know there's something significant about this light. It's showing them the way and their response. It rested over the place where he was. I assume that means the house. Verse 10,

when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Did you hear the repetition and redundancy there? They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Because they see the star again, and that means they know they're in the right direction, going in the right way to find the child they ultimately want to see. This is supposed to draw you in. Storytelling is just like our storytelling. Location's important. Men from the East go to Jerusalem, now they're in Bethlehem. Character's important. Wise men asking the king, where's the newborn king? Well, emotions. Herod was troubled. The wise men, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Joy that they found the child following the star. Verse 11, they go in to the house. They see the child and his mother. Here, faith is blessed with sight. They've been seeing something all along. They saw a star. They came and they saw the capital city. They saw scripture telling them what city to go to, but now they are blessed to see not just the star, but now the child they've been looking for. It's important we understand faith is not blind. We long to see more than what we understand in our faith, Faith isn't some blind leap that doesn't have a basis. Faith is built upon what God has said. Faith is in what God has declared. Faith is a response to what God is doing. If you're not a believer this morning, it's important. Our God speaks. Very important. We understand that most basic element. Our God has spoken. He has declared truths to prophets. He declared himself most fully in Jesus Christ's word, but here we have his words written for us, the authoritative, clear word of God that tells us all we need to hear. Let's just pretend another group of dudes showed up at another city and said, we saw an amazing cloud formation. And because of that cloud formation, and we followed that cloud formation, and we think it drew us here, and now, where is the fountain of youth? All right, if I'm there, I'm going to be tempted to sell them one of those large Stanley cups that can gather all the water of this make-believe fountain of youth. All right? No, there's no such reason to think some cloud formation is going to send you the fountain of youth. There's no such word from God on that. What's important is whatever their experience was, it was confirmed by the Word of God. It was fulfilled. Their experience is confirmed and further interpreted by the word of God. If you're not a Christian, I encourage you to take up God's word, just Matthew. Just the first four chapters of Matthew that rightly is referencing Old Testament promises that are at least 400 years before Jesus. And I want to ask you, this is my challenge, Consider what Jesus has done to fulfill those promises that were at least 400 years prior. And ask yourself, will you let your doubts be challenged? Will you let your doubts be challenged? Will you let your presuppositions be shaped and shifted by God's word and how he has promised incredible things that came about to be fulfilled in the most incredible way? Just take and read Matthew one and four, chapters one through four. Just see who Jesus is and here's the prayer. God, show me Jesus, your son. God, show me Jesus, your son. That's an important prayer because Jesus says he is the only one who can forgive you of your sins. He is God's son who came down to be like us in every way but sin. He is the only one who can forgive you of your sins. First four chapters of Matthew. Keep going if you like, please do. But just ask, how has Christ come to fill all of what God had said? Christian, do we rejoice fully in God's word or do we want these kind of experiences that tend to make us really excited? Praise God, he does address us in every way, in our feelings, in our minds, in our hearts, in our experiences, but the one clear foundational word that is for all people at all times that we all must believe is his word, his scripture. Do we believe it's efficient? Do we let every other feeling and experience be interpreted by God's word? I don't believe we should think we're gonna try to find some new way of experiencing what these Magi have experienced. Verse 11, when they saw the child and his mother, we're not sure where Joseph is. I like to imagine him chasing away the annoying drummer boy. They go to the house, they see the child, they see Mary, his mother. Notice they worshiped him. They fell down to worship. This was their goal all along, verse two. Their goal all along has been to find this new baby. Now, how much do these men from the East understand he's fully God, fully man? How much are they confessing fully, a full understanding that the one who created just added to himself a position and form of a creature? I'm not sure, but they're doing what's right. The people of Israel should be coming and worshiping. What's amazing is God has set up where these foreigners have come to worship. With great joy they see him. The response is that they understand this king is unique and special as a gift of God. And somehow they must connect him to God because they bow down and worship him. Christian, has coming toward and near Jesus become less than exceedingly great joy. I hope we all remember that moment we first became a Christian. There's a kind of joy that just like washes over you. That first salvation joy is great and easy, and too often lost. The Christian joy is one that's supposed to be deeper. A joy even in trials, as Brian read for us earlier from 1 Thessalonians. A joy that grows deeper understanding of who Christ is and all that he's accomplished for us and what he still has for us. We're not just searching for that experience of joy, but we're searching to know him who provides the kind of joy that is everlasting so we can actually understand what it means to have joy, rejoice always in all circumstances. We need to know Him who is our joy. Desire to know Him and to make Him known. As part of this worship, they bring gifts. Gifts are an important expression of love, adoration, respect. These gifts have been interpreted to point to different aspects of Jesus, as we sang earlier in a song.

Gifts of men from distant lands prophesied the story. Gold, a king is born today. Incense, God is with us. Myrrh, his death will make a way.

In common grace, these gifts did tie to something related to Jesus. They really could be gifts for a king period. They all could be pointing just to his kingship. But gold is understood to be more straightforward for the king. The precious material, the valuable material gold as fit for a king. Frankincense, this is oftentimes associated with a temple worship, so God with us, what we saw last week, Emmanuel. Myrrh, this was used in anointing priests, but was most commonly used as a burial ointment. And if that's what's in view, that is a strange scene, to come to a newborn king and give him burial anointment. pointing back, pointing to his death. You come to a great baby shower to rejoice in the new life and the new mom and here this is a miracle baby and they bring something meant for the dead. Well that makes sense for us as we look ahead to the Lord's Supper. Because this baby, born of a virgin, born to be a good shepherd who would lay down his life for us, He was born to die. He was born to pay the penalty for our sin. His purpose is to take away our sins, as Micah declared, to cast our sins into the sea, to cast them as far away from us as possible. And the only way that can happen is that he actually takes them upon himself to pay for them. These wise men are coming to the newborn king to make it clear he will die for his people. If we go to the end of Matthew, Matthew 27, we see Jesus on the cross. He's been beaten, mocked, he's suffering. He has a crown of thorns. And one of the most true declarations of that dark day from the crowd is when Pilate, the governor of Judea, the Roman government of Judea, a foreigner, he has above Jesus' head a plaque nailed up that reads,

this is Jesus, king of the Jews.

Again, what an incredible irony, what an incredible twist that a foreign king, a foreign governor of Rome would declare him the king of the Jews. And it's not clear how much he's mocking him or the Israelites, But it's a true statement. This is Jesus who came to be God's salvation for his people. He is the king of the Jews. And he's the king there on the cross because he is going to use all of his authority to defeat death. Death is defeated in the death of Christ. He is going to use all of his authority to defeat our sin by being crucified on our behalf to pay for our sin. The newborn baby in Bethlehem, he's unlike any other baby for many reasons. He has no earthly father. He has no sin. He's not deserving of death. And, and what we, we might not have picked up yet, but we're going to see this more and more in Matthew. He's not under Adam, the first head of humanity. This baby came to save the human race who was under Adam because we must die for our sin. He has no earthly father, but he came to bring us to his heavenly father. He had no sin, but he came to take away from us the penalty of sin by taking upon himself. He was not deserving of death, but he came with the intent purpose that he would die for us so that we could live forever. He is not under Adam, he becomes the new head of a new human race, a new humanity as Christ our head. What a celebration of new life. As we conclude, does anyone know how Matthew ends? Do you remember? Last week we connected Matthew 1, Emmanuel God with us, with the very last words of Matthew,

I am with you always.

Well, that scene begins with the disciples came and they fell down and they worshiped. Christ came to die for his people so they might worship him. We're longing now for Christ's return. We're longing now for his final return to put an end to all sin, all corruption, all death. The first worship of these great figures in the East brought rejoicing. It bookends with how we, his people, are to continue in worship of him as we seek to fulfill his great commission. Will you pray with me? Father, we thank you for the ways you have brought about such a clear, robust, full history of promises you've made. And we thank you, Lord, how we can see how you narrowed in who the one Christ anointed one, the one son would be, who would be the prophet, priest, and king. We thank you that we can see here that our King, our good shepherd was born to die for us. We thank you that we can trust you as our good and generous God, who uses all your authority for our well-being. We thank you that we can look to your word and be overwhelmed by how sure your promises are that you are coming back again, and we can trust you. May we learn to worship you all the more faithfully, and to rejoice in how good you are to us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.