Christmas: The Outsiders (Matthew 2:1-12)

Today we are continuing in our series called Christmas.

And this mornings message is titled,

“The Outsiders”

I think all of us,

at one time or another,

have felt like outsiders.

(School, work, family, Church)

Example Calvary Chapel...

There is always going to be moments in our lives,

that we feel like we are on the outside looking in.

This morning,

I want to focus on a group that Matthew writes about in the Christmas story,

that were certainly on the outside looking in,

at least in the sense within the Hebrew people.

And though they were on the outside looking in,

Jesus’s birth,

was the powerful event that brought these outsiders,

into a position of no longer being excluded,

but rather being individuals now accepted into the family.

Matthew 2:1–12 (ESV)

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the 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. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Highlight 3 points from this passage…

1. The birth of Jesus broke down the walls of separation.

Mission of God through the Jews… BE LIGHT…

live intentionally and purposely out God’s mission.

(missed it… keep people out instead of dray people in)

Genesis 12:1–3 (ESV)

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

John Durham articulates this point,

that God charged Israel to be “a display-people,

a showcase to the world of how being in covenant with Yahweh changes a people.”

As I said earlier,

Israel got it wrong,

when they begin to believe that God made a covenant with them,

in order to build walls to shut out those who did not yet know God.

These wise men in our story,

were precisely those,

who Israel believe needed to be shut out from knowing God.

Most scholars agree,

that these wise men or Magi as some translations call them,

belonged to a priestly cast of Eastern astrologers,

who hailed from Persia or Babylon. (Keener 99)

Therefore,

these are the kind of people,

that faithful Jews build walls to keep out from knowing God.

(They practiced what God had forbidden)

These are the outsiders,

that did not have a path to know God,

because man did his best to shut them out.

But Jesus’ birth,

broke down those walls of separation.

I find that we today can fall into the same trap that Israel did.

We use our church’s as means to shut people out.

We build walls of separation,

in order that we can have a false sense of safety.

How many know that God did not call us,

to keep our message tucked away in these walls,

in order to have an exclusive message for just us?

God called us to bring the message to the world,

not for us to use our beliefs,

to shut the world out.

We have a living hope found in Jesus,

and for us to hide this hope is a failure to the call,

that God has placed on our lives.

Jesus came to break down barriers,

in order that we can share the hope with the lost. Amen!

Jesus did not just stop by breaking down walls.... beyond that…

2. The birth of Jesus created a bridge for salvation.

Breaking down walls is one thing,

but sometimes just because there is no walls,

does not mean people have access to get inside.

Jesus is that bridge that gives access for people to come inside.

Because when there was no way,

Jesus birth made a way.

Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

19 Behold, I am doing a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

How many know that Jesus makes a way were there seems to be no way?

Matthew 19:26 (ESV)

26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

It was impossible for these wise men to be brought into the family of God on their own accord...

(how smart, how wise, how educated, what they knew about this star…)

[All these things could not bring them from the outside to being on the inside]

But God… made a way…

There was no path for the wise men from the east,

but God made a path for them.

That is what God does.... right?

he makes a path to healing,

makes a road for forgiveness,

opens a door for restoration...

When God steps into our situation,

he always makes a way...

There is an important principle in the Bible...

(Found in…)

Jesus said...

Matthew 7:7 (ESV)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

There is always a way,

but the problem is people will not seek the way…

Jesus said…

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The way is available through Jesus,

the problem is not many are seeking the way that is found only though Jesus.

God always reveals himself to those who seek him.

And these wise men,

were truly seeking the way,

and God revealed it to them.

Romans 1 talks about man being without excuse from knowing God,

God revealing himself through creation.

God is always revealing himself,

even to those that man may have tried to shut out.

These wise men are pagans,

they do not know God.

Most Jewish teachers and scribes at this time,

would certainly be shutting pagans like these wise men out.

But God in his severity,

reveals himself to these pagans who were searching,

God reveals himself in a way that they would understand.

They were seeking the stars for guidance,

and God revealed himself to these outsiders,

because if you truly seek,

you will find.

People who faithfully seek the truth,

will find truth…

(Open to the truth, not trying to justify their own truth)

[Big difference…]

A question that is often times arises around this story is,

how did the wise men know to look for a Jewish messiah?

And how did they know the star was the sign of the Jewish Messiah?

For that answer,

I believe we have to go back around 500 years,

to a young Jewish man that was exiled in the east.

His name was Daniel.

And you know how I communicated earlier,

that Israel generally missed the point of living out God’s mission as a covenant people?

Well, Daniel was one of the exceptions to that,

because Daniel lived out God’s mission well.

And even in exile,

Daniel lived out God’s mission of demonstrating the power of living in covenant with God.

And while Daniel was exiled in the east,

he prophesied about this coming Messiah.

Daniel 7:13–14 (ESV)

13 “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

14 And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

These wise men from the east,

who are very educated men,

would have certainly known about Daniel,

as he was a prominent figure in Babylon’s history.

I am sure that when Daniel was in a land full of outsiders,

probably told about another outsider who prophesied about a star being a sign from God.

Balaam was this outsiders name,

who was actually a very wicked man,

but yet God still used him to foretell of the coming messiah.

Numbers 24:17 (ESV)

17 I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near:

a star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

it shall crush the forehead of Moab

and break down all the sons of Sheth.

Therefore, I believe,

that Daniel being exiled to Babylon,

was crucial for the wise men to know about the star being a sign,

of the coming messiah that Daniel spoke about.

And this is why the wise men,

were so informed about about the coming Messiah,

and were willing to make such a great journey to see him.

Matthew 2:3 (ESV)

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

A journey of this magnitude would involve many resources.

and it appears that this was likely a large group in order to attract the cities attention. (All Jerusalem was troubled)

(probably not just 3 wise men… 3 gifts does not equate to 3 wise men)

[Also, these wise men showed up to see Jesus in a house not in a stable)

Matthew 2:11a (ESV)

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,

I know what you are thinking… Funny

Sam you first said probably more than 3 wise men,

Jesus in a house not a stable,

next your going to attack what I believe about Sant Clause...

But thinking about everything that surrounds these wise men coming to see the Messiah.

I am reminded how God is so faithful to work in everything.

I am a firm believer,

that nothing is by chance,

but rather God has his hand in every situation. Amen!

This is what I have come to know,

and that is God works in everything.

(Not in some things, but everything)

I use this scripture often....

Romans 8:28 ESV

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

I think about Daniel who was a child,

taken to be exiled to the east.... land of Babylon…

And through that terrible situation that I am sure the enemy ment for evil,

God turned it for good. (God works all things together for good)

Daniel faithfully lives on mission,

demonstrating the beauty of living in covenant with the one true God.

And while in exile in the east,

Daniel prophecies that this king of Jews,

would come for all people,

all nations,

and all languages.

God used Daniel’s time in exile,

to make a way for these wise men to come and meet the messiah,

Jesus Christ the Lord.

Jesus’ birth was the bridge,

to make a way for these wise men,

to have salvation and be apart of God’s covenant people.

1. The birth of Jesus broke down the walls of separation..

2. The birth of Jesus created a bridge for salvation....

3. The birth of Jesus calls for a response to Him...

The wise men responded to Jesus’ birth,

by falling down to worship the savior of the world.

Matthew 2:11 (ESV)

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Jesus came so that those on the outside,

could be welcomed in.

And after the wise men are welcomed in,

they have the proper response to this gift,

they fell down and worshiped the One,

who made a way were there seemed to be no way.

Even though the wise men had a pagan background,

Matthew’s written account of these men,

give us the example of how we should respond to the Savior of the world.

Because when they come to see Jesus.

They came not to try to get something out of Jesus,

but rather came to simply worship the Messiah,

because of who he is.

Growing up in the church and being in ministry over the last decade,

I find the posture that far too often taken,

is a poster of trying to get something out of Jesus,

versus giving something to Jesus.

We come to Jesus in order that he can get something…

(Marriage, kids, career, what benefit can I receive)

The wise men set the example for us to follow...

These outsiders got it right...

When the wise men came to Jesus,

they came with a posture of worship,

and gave the new born king,

gold and frankincense and myrrh.

They came to give something,

not get something....

These gifts that were given,

prove to be crucial for the family.

Because when Joseph recieved word to escape from Herod to Egypt,

these expensive gifts would have been needed to not only fund the trip,

but to supply for the living expenses while in Egypt.

God always has a way of providing...

(Outsiders)

When God calls for you to do something,

he is going to fund what he calls.

God called Joseph to escape,

and provided means for his escape through the wise men’s gifts.

It was those who the Jewish people would have perceived to be outsiders,

that God used to provide for the king of the Jews.

The wise men,

where vital part of the Christmas story,

but I want to close with a reminder,

of another outsider that was vital to the Christmas story......

Matthew 1:5 (ESV)

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

Rehab the prostitute… welcomed the spies… Jesus’ family line…

1. The birth of Jesus broke down the walls of separation..

2. The birth of Jesus created a bridge for salvation....

3. The birth of Jesus calls for a response to Him...

(How have you responded to Jesus?) [outsider?]