The Shepherding King

ADD

December 8th 2024

Series: Christmas Past, Present, and Future

Sermon Title: Jesus, The Shepherding King

Topic: Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in New Testament texts and applied to Now Testament living

Key Passages: Matthew 2: 1-12

Sermon Blurb: There is so much to learn from the Christmas story. In this message, we will see what can be learned from the interactions of the 3 wise men.

Sermon

Hello Family Church!!!

Family Moment

Welcome to Family Church… whether you are here in person or watching online…

We are so glad you are with us today.

This year we’re calling our Christmas series…

“Christmas: Past, Present, and Future”

This month, we will look at the birth story of Jesus…or the REAL Christmas Story… as told by two people in the Bible.

Matthew and Luke.

We will focus on some specific Old Testament prophecies referenced and fulfilled in those books of the Bible.

And, as we ALWAYS do at Family Church, we will apply some truth nuggets to our lives today!

PAUSE

Last week, we read Matthew 1… and discovered how Jesus was the Promised King.

We read a prophecy written by a guy named Isiah, who lived OVER 700 years before Jesus came to earth…

Isaiah wrote down some VERY SPECIFIC things that would mark the coming of a Savior and King.

He told us that God would literally come in the form of flesh and bone and dwell with His people.

And Jesus did!

He told us that Jesus would be born of a virgin.

And Jesus was!

He told us they would call him Immanuel, which means God with us…

And Jesus was!

PAUSE

And church, here is the good news for us today.

God wants to be with us!

Jesus proved that God’s deepest desire is to be in a relationship with every one of us!!

PAUSE

Today, we are going to see another Old Testament prophecy that is quoted in the Christmas Story.

Grab your Bible… open to the Book of

Matthew 2

New Person Bible Connection:

If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!

PAUSE

Let’s jump right in, verse 1…

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 when it rose 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 Messiah 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 shepherd 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 search carefully 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 when it rose 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, frankincense and myrrh.

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Stop there…

I want to walk through this passage and unpack what it meant for people both then and now!

PAUSE

Look at verse 1… It says, “after” Jesus was born.

We don’t know precisely how long after Jesus’ birth this happened…

We don’t know how much time transpired since his birth and everyone’s favorite manger scene…

But we do get some clues in the text itself.

Look at verses 8 & 9…

Does it say go see the baby?

Does it say go find the infant?

No….… It says, “the child.”

Notice that it does not say “the baby” or “the newborn.”

It says, the child.

I hate to upset some of you today… but the 3 Wise Men, whom we love to include in our Nativity sets…….

Well, they weren’t there!

Not only were the wise men not at the manger scene… but we don’t even know how many there were!

We assume 3 because there were 3 gifts presented… but the Bible doesn’t say that!

PAUSE

We know Jesus was NOT an infant or newborn when they arrived.

But we know he was under 2 because Matthew 2:16 tells us that!

PAUSE

Also… notice that verse 1 tells us a specific historical detail.

It says that King Herod was in power during this time.

And this is a bold detail for the author to include.

King Herod was a well-known Roman ruler.

All historians agree he existed and ruled this region during that time.

Understand that saying that meant anyone reading this letter could trace this claim to see if it was valid.

But… it was TRUTH, so he was not afraid to include it.

These specific details also help to build the case for other Bible claims… and their credibility.

It’s almost as if Matthew is daring his readers to fact-check me.

He’s like, here are some details you can investigate if you doubt me.

PAUSE

Jesus really did come to earth…

He was born to a virgin…

Wise Men from the East did visit King Herod to inquire about Jesus.

PAUSE

That is something I LOVE about the Bible.

The Bible is accurate, credible, and entirely reliable.

When you truly research the claims of Scripture… with an open mind and reliable resources…

You will find it to be entirely truthful and perfectly cohesive.

In fact, you cannot find another ancient text ANYWHERE in the world more accurate than the Bible!

Everyone who tries to discredit the Bible’s validity or veracity… either fails OR chooses to deny it willfully.

Sadly, even the brightest thinkers will often come face to face with facts but still deny the truth for their own lives.

PAUSE

So, Herod gets a visit from Wise Men, the Magi…

Verse 2 tells us that they were seeking an audience with the king.

And Herod is probably thinking, “Well, you came to the right place, fellas…. Here I am!”

But they quickly clarify that they have come to seek an audience with a new king… the king of the Jews.

PAUSE

Now, pause here.

Imagine you are King Herod for a moment.

In those times, just like today, if you held a powerful position, you were NOT going to willfully give your power away.

Put yourself in his shoes….

A group of wealthy people…

Who were likely powerful in their countries…

Show up in your town…

They stop by your palace…

And they ask for directions to a NEW king…

NO king would appreciate that!!!!

Verse 3 tells us that Herod was “disturbed”.

He was bothered to the point that he instantly began devising a plan.

A vicious plan to rid himself of any possible threat to his throne and his power…

And like I said earlier….the plan was in verse 16 to KILL every male child under the age of 2.

So Herod could make sure he wiped out ANY chance of another king!

PAUSE

And to make matters even worse…

…to further sting Herod’s ego,

…to further create fear of losing his power…

…the Magi double down.

They not only tell Herod they are seeking a ‘new king,’ but that they have come to WORSHIP this new king!

OUCH!

I mean, either these Magi did not have a filter… OR God used them to expose the evil in Herod’s heart.

Either way, ouch!

PAUSE

So, they came to seek and to worship Jesus.

They came to search for this new King.

But notice another small detail here……

Herod wasn’t the only one who was disturbed… look back at verse 3… Let’s put that on the screens again….

3 When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Did you note that when we read it earlier?

Not only was the Roman king threatened by this news…

But who else was bothered?

Who else took offense?

Who else was disturbed by this news?

It says, “All of Jerusalem”.

And this referred to the religious sentiments of the leaders in God’s House.

In other words, this was the tone and culture of the leadership within the Jewish Religion.

The religious leaders were also disturbed.

Or let me put it differently…. The church leaders were BOTHERED by the idea of the Messiah coming….

Their first reaction to the news about Jesus’ arrival was NOT favorable.

It wasn’t even curiosity.

Their first reaction was disturbed and resistant.

…and that is a telling sign of whether a person has a pure heart for God or a personal agenda.

PAUSE

Often, we think that it is “those non-Christian people” who are offending God…

All those “worldly sinners” who are not allowing Jesus to rule their lives…

The reality is that sometimes even church people reject Jesus.

Even decent, religious, knowledgeable, faithful, pious church people can be bothered when Jesus shows up.

We must be aware that our hearts are prideful… and we can resist the new thing Jesus wants to do in our lives as well.

PAUSE

So, Herod AND the religious leaders in Jerusalem LOVED their power and position.

They lorded it over people in a hierarchical system.

They did NOT want anything to change.

They abused their power.

They were proud of their positions within the system.

They didn’t want things to change because that might mean they lose their positions, wealth, freedoms, and so on…

That’s why this news of a new king triggered them.

It caused angst and fear to rise.

It created a spirit of resistance.

It caused them to tense up on the inside.

And they begin to scheme up a way to preserve their power.

PAUSE

Verse 4 tells us they gathered with the worldly ruler to tried to figure out where this potential king would be born.

And do NOT miss it….

They open the ancient scrolls…

They opened the Old Testament prophecies…

And they flipped right to the Book of Micah and find these words…

The religious leaders KNEW what to look for.

The religious leaders KNEW who to look for.

And the religious leaders in Jesus’ time CHOOSE NOT to look for Jesus…

Let me show you clearly… Put verse 5 back on the screens….

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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

If you’re taking notes, I want you to write this down:

Christmas Past: Jesus was predicted to come from humble beginnings and promised to be a Shepherding King.

Repeat

God told them in advance their Coming King would be like a Shepherd…

In that culture, they would have understood this to be a “good thing.”

But here’s the thing that baffles me…

They KNEW all this….

And choose not to care.

Not to apply what they knew…

These religious leaders…

…they knew all the prophecies,

…they were well-versed in the details of their Scriptures,

…they could spout off each of God’s promises,

…many of them could quote the Bible word for word!

AND STILL… they choose NOT to apply what they knew to their lives….

PAUSE

They had all the knowledge but the wrong heart.

They chose the ways of the world over God’s ways.

They chose the wealth of the world over God.

They were simply religious people who thought highly of themselves and were very proud of their knowledge and status.

And this didn’t happen overnight, but over time…

PAUSE

Here again, we need to pause and reflect… because you and I can have that same attitude and heart if we are not careful.

We can know about Jesus, but not really know Jesus.

We can know what is right or wrong, but not actually do it.

We can do the right things, but with the wrong heart or intention.

We can say we love God, but if God does something or asks us for something we don’t want… well, we resist.

It is SOOO easy to be lured by the hallow promises of the Devil.

Look at our country and how many people are embracing socialist ideas…

If anyone study’s world history, they would find that in 100% of the world, it has NEVER worked!!!

But everyone thinks…

We are the ones who will get it right this time!

PAUSE

We can choose to be like the religious leaders and know about God and not apply it to our lives…

OR

OR

We can be like the Wise Men…who applied it to their lives.

We can choose to allow God to guide us TO Jesus, just like the Magi did.

We can choose to SEEK and worship Jesus, just like the Magi did.

We can choose to OFFER Jesus our BEST gifts, just like the Magi did.

PAUSE

Look back at how they responded to Jesus in verse 9

9 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.

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, frankincense and myrrh.

Did you see it?

Rather than following Herod’s selfish advice or being pressured by corrupt religious leaders…

These Magi pursued a different path, a better path.

It says in verse 9, “They went on THEIR way”.

PAUSE

As Christians, we must follow a different path at times.

A road less traveled.

A path that goes against the culture.

Often, the world is going against God, and we have to discern the right way.

God gave the Magi a “star” to follow.

God gave us a Star as well…

His Name is Jesus!

PAUSE

Now, the Magi found Jesus.

And what happened when they found Jesus?

Verse 10 tells us they were overjoyed!

Here’s the point: write this down,

Christmas Present: Jesus offers great joy to sincere seekers.

Repeat

When you read the Bible, you will note something…

Every person who sought Jesus with a sincere heart, experienced something on the inside.

Something that money can’t buy,

…power can’t provide,

…position can’t offer,

…and circumstances can’t create…

Jesus offered them…

And offers us…

Joy.

PAUSE

Maybe you’ve heard this before, but happiness and joy are NOT the same.

Happiness is circumstantial, joy is not.

The joy of Jesus is like nothing else.

It is profound…

It is personal…

And it is permanent.

PAUSE

The Magi experienced that overwhelming joy when they arrived…

Just the presence of Jesus gifted them with joy.

Then, it says that they offered Jesus a gift.

They brought Jesus the BEST of what they owned.

They freely gave.

What did they offer?

Help me out church, what were the 3 gifts?

They offered GOLD, FRANKINSENCE, and MYRRH.

PAUSE

Why these gifts?

Well, for starters, they were very nice gifts.

I know most of us read that list and think, “I’ll take the gold… you can keep the other stuff.”

But the reality is that all three of these items were valuable… and for different reasons.

Look in your notes, and you can see what I mean…

Gold was a symbol of royalty (King)

In ancient times, gold was the most precious metal on planet earth.

Gold is still a valuable resource.

Pharaohs, Kings, Queens, rulers, and nobility… would cherish gold because it gave them status and worth.

Even God, who created gold, values it enough to utilize this precious metal in building the Temple He had made for Himself in the Bible.

I mean, how many of you ladies would be okay if your man bought you some gold this Christmas???

PAUSE

What about the frankincense?

Frankincense was a symbol of divinity (God)

Frankincense is a tree resin.

It is used to produce oil, which is very valuable when made into perfume or aroma.

And it has incredible healing properties.

Frankincense was also a symbol of holiness and righteousness.

It was burned in the Temple all the time, so it would have been a familiar aroma to any of God’s people.

PAUSE

And then, there was Myrrh.

Myrrh was a symbol of humanity (Man)

The myrrh was a symbol of Jesus’ humanity.

Myrrh was a spice used when embalming a corpse.

Myrrh represents suffering, death, loss…

And this indicated how Jesus would lay His life down for us.

It symbolized Jesus’ humanity and the physical death He would endure for our sins.

PAUSE

So, these gifts were NOT randomly selected on their voyage.

The Magi didn’t rush to the local tourist stores to find a last-minute gift.

These offerings were specific… and they were prophetic.

LONG PAUSE

But let’s notice one more thing in the text as we close today.

We know they were filled with joy.

We know they offered Jesus-specific gifts.

But notice as well that they bowed down to WORSHIP Jesus.

Read verse 11 again,

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, frankincense and myrrh.

Here’s what I want you to see…

They didn’t begin with a gift exchange.

Jesus gave them joy, and in return, they gave Jesus gifts.

No.

They did NOT give Jesus gifts because they felt obligated.

Notice that the FIRST thing they did when they approached Jesus was worship.

They bowed down and worshipped Jesus.

PAUSE

This is SO important to capture.

If you don’t hear anything else, listen to this.

God is NOT after your gift.

God is after your heart!

God is not trying to GET SOMETHING from you.

He doesn’t need anything.

What God wants, what Jesus wants, is your devotion…

Your heart…

Your free worship.

Write this down:

Christmas Future: Jesus wants our heart and worship, not our gifts and efforts.

Repeat

And that’s the beauty of following Jesus.

He isn’t a glory-junkie who gets off on people doing whatever He commands.

He isn’t a task master who finds fulfillment when people labor themselves to death over pleasing Him.

What did the text show us?

What did the prophecy that we looked at say about Jesus?

Look back at it

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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

It says Jesus will be a humble shepherd.

When Jesus has your heart, He will lead, guide, protect, and provide for you.

PAUSE

Don’t worry about WHAT you can offer Him.

It isn’t about doing things to make God happy.

What makes Jesus happy is when He truly has our heart and devotion.

That is the best gift you could offer in exchange for ALL that Jesus offers you.

PAUSE

Life Application: Jesus gives joy to anyone who sincerely seeks Him. Evaluate if you are a sincere seeker of Jesus. Does Jesus have ALL your heart and devotion today? I Will ________________.