The Majestic Messiah

 

The Mystery of the Manger: (Part IV)

THE MAJESTIC MESSIAH

Matthew 2:1-11

Matthew 2:1-11

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 in the east 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 Christ 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 be the shepherd of 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 make a careful search 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 in the east 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 and of incense and of myrrh.

            Today, we have the privilege of celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We all know that He is God's most precious gift to the world. Without Him, there is absolutely no help and hope to all of us.

            However, in addition to being the Savior of the world, we must also see Him as the King of our lives. Throughout the Bible, God wants us to see the connection between these two significant  titles of Jesus Christ. A good text that comes to mind is what we covered last Sunday:

Philippians 2:8-11

8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

9) Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.

            In here, the apostle Paul establishes the fact that because of the sacrifice of Jesus, He has been given the authority to reign over all creation forever. Of course, this teaching simply reinforces the prophecies concerning the Messiah:

Isaiah 9:6-7

6) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7) Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

 

            Now, when you revisit the Christmas story, the Kingship of Jesus is also emphasized in the Gospel of Matthew. You see, when Matthew wrote to the Jews about Jesus being the Messiah. He wanted to purposely prove to them that He is qualified to sit on the throne of David. In fact, right in the first chapter, he traced the ancestry of Jesus from David:

Matthew 1:1

1) A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:

 

            Coming to the second chapter, Matthew recorded also the visit of the wise men or the Magi as an additional proof. Who are the Magi? Many Bible scholars believe that these men who came from Medo-Persia were in the likes of Daniel and his friends in Babylon. They were not kings but advisors to the kings. They interpret dreams or sometimes provided guidance to kings. These men were skilled scientists, mathematicians, historians, and astrologers. They undoubtedly learned much from the Daniel's writings and prophecies about the Jewish expectation of the Messiah. It has been said that in their empire, one of their primary duties is choosing a king. So they were known popularly as kingmakers. This is probably the reason why King Herod became so worried when they came to Jerusalem and inquired, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?"      

            The coming of the Magi to Jerusalem in a way confirmed the Kingship of Jesus. Not that they chose Him, but they recognized Him as King. I believe that this account would also provide us with some practical applications concerning the kingship of Jesus. How did the Magi honor the King Jesus? Here are the three things they did:

 

I           THEY SET OUT TO MEET HIM PERSONALLY:

            Since they were familiar of Old Testament prophecies, they were able to connect the appearance of a special star  to the birth of the Messiah. Most likely Numbers 24:17 became their basis:

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.

 

            Indeed, a star from Jacob appeared. Once the revelation from God was there, the accountability to know and meet Him rest upon them. You see, they could have come up with all possible excuses not to leave their country.

  1. Distance - Verse 1 tells us that they came from the East, probably about 1000 to 1800 miles from Jerusalem. With their means of transportation, it would take them many months to reach Jerusalem.
  2. Duties - They will have to leave their family and governmental duties if they take this trip.
  3. Deprivation - They will definitely deprive themselves of the comforts and conveniences of living close to home.
  4. Dangers - travels during those days pose some dangers from the robbers, ambush of enemies, etc.

But, they all recognized that it is not enough to know He exists. They needed to meet Him personally; they needed to know Him more intimately.

      I believe this is very true even for the people living today. So many people know about Jesus coming to the world. They know about His teachings, His miracles, even His death on the cross. But what is absent is the intimate knowledge that leads people to experience His dynamic power in their lives. Paul expressed to the Philippian believers the importance of such knowledge:

Philippians 3:8-10

8) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

9) and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

10) I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

 

            Just like the wise men who determined to know Jesus more intimately, Paul was willing to set aside everything. We too must be willing to do whatever it takes to experience Christ in a deeper level. Remember, this kind of knowledge can bring us tremendous benefits.

II         THEY SACRIFICED TO WORSHIP HIM:

            Going back to verse 2, the wise men clearly stated the reason for their visit to Jerusalem - "We . . . have come to worship him."

            It was not merely curiosity that brought them to Jerusalem, neither did they go there to simply see if their calculations were correct. Clearly, what inspired them to go was their important mission, which was to worship Him.  Notice how the word Worship is repeated in three verses - 2, 8,11. The repetition suggests that this was the key idea in the passage.

            In the text, the word literally means to pay homage or to give respect to a king. Considering all the sacrifices that we have said earlier that the wise men had to take upon themselves, it is obvious that they recognized Jesus as someone who deserve everything. Since they were familiar of Old Testament prophecies, they knew that He was no ordinary king, He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

            How about you? Do you see Jesus as someone worth sacrificing for? Or do you see Him as a competition. Unfortunately, King Herod regarded Him as such. The truth is - the Lord gave him the same opportunity as the wise men. In God's providential work, the star led them to Jerusalem and then disappeared. Then, it re-appeared again after the wise men have gone to Herod (v.9).  King Herod wanted prominence for himself, instead of surrendering to the pre-eminence of Jesus. Can we be guilty of the same? Oftentimes, we fail to see that self has often been the greatest competition of Jesus. Are we willing to make sacrifices to worship Him?

            My heart have often been blessed because of so many people in our church who are making sacrifices to come and help us in our worship services. I remember when we had the first service at 9 in the morning. Some parents were willing to wake up early, wake up their young children, so they can come on that service and help. Let me assure you that those sacrifices were never in vain because they were done for the Lord. Few days from now, we are going to a farther place of worship. I know this would require some sacrifices on our part. I hope our attitude is - "If It's for the Lord, we won't mind the sacrifice of driving because He is definitely worth it."  I trust and pray that we will continually determine to worship the Lord regardless of the sacrifices involved.       

                       

III        THEY SHARED APPROPRIATE GIFTS TO HIM:            

            Lastly, we also need to see how the worship of the wise men culminated with them presenting appropriate gifts to Jesus.  I say appropriate because in verse 11 the gifts were referred as treasures. The last time I looked at the word treasures, it literally means something prepared therefore they are valuable material possessions.  Bible scholars believe that customarily people of the East never approached the presence of kings or great personages without a present in their hands.

There are a lot of commentators who believe that these gifts tell us something about the person of Jesus - Gold for his kingship, incense for His deity, and myrrh for humanity. That is possible. But for me, the obvious is that these gifts represented their heart of devotion to the majestic messiah whom they were worshipping that day. You see, the Bible is clear about this fact:

Matthew 6:21

21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

            Just think of the people you have given gifts this Christmas. Generally speaking, the people who were closest to your heart receive the most expensive gifts. Do you see the connection of this in our relationship with God? The truth is we cannot appropriately worship God without being willing to give Him what He deserves. From the Old Testament until today God demands His portion when we worship Him. I trust that we have been faithful in doing that.

            In closing, as we continue to celebrate the birth of Jesus, let's be reminded that He is more than a Savior, He is also the King of kings. If we have sought forgiveness from Him, may we be reminded to bow to Him and crown Him as the Lord of our lives.

King of my life I crown Thee now-
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary. -Jennie H