Who Is Jesus? Matthew 2

Welcome and Announcements:

(IF VISITORS)

If you are joining us for the first time today, we would like to thank you for joining us. We know you have options, and we are honored that you would choose to be with us today.

New Sunday school class “Grand parenting”

D.S. Search

James 1:5 NIV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Arms of Love

4 p.m. Prayer Group

Introduction to the Psalm:

The Psalms are amazing. Many were songs of worship. However, they also recorded history. Before Israel settled in Canaan, much of their existence was nomadic. That would have made it difficult to carry around lots of records and books. So, events were put to song and then repeated to their children like we would read a story book. However, their accounts were not fairy tales, but accounts of their family history.

The Psalms also recorded prophecy. Today’s Psalm is one of these. It was a prophecy that points to Jesus.

Psalm 72:1–7 NIV

1 Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. 3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. 4 May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor. 5 May he endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. 6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

Psalm 72:10–14 NIV

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Seba present him gifts. 11 May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

Prayer

Worship Set

Prayer

Worship Through the Word:

Who Is Jesus?

Have you ever experienced a moment when you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God was real and interested in your life? I have, actually more than once! However, there is one that stands out. It was not the first, but the most dramatic up to that time. It occurred when I was elementary age and working on our family dairy farm. I was helping my dad milk the cows one night when a salesman came by needing to talk to my dad. I was left alone for a time with the milking. We had an old dilapidated barn. I could push on one wall and the entire building would sway. It probably should have been a condemned building.

The cows were in a divided corral that circled our milk barn. The cows would be on the left-side before they were milked, and they would exit the barn into the right side of the corral. Typically, my dad would go out and usher in two cows to be milked while I stood by the exit door, so the cows did not exit prematurely. Unfortunately, the exit door was not in good shape. It was held closed by a piece of twine tied around the center latch. If a cow approached the door while it was tied shut, they could, with a little pressure, push right through it into the right-side corral. When this happened, it was nearly impossible to get the un-milked cow separated from the milked cows and back into the barn to be milked.

You can see where this story is going. Without dad, I had to go bring in the next two cows to be milked with no one standing guard in front of that door. What made things even worse was the moment I stepped out to get cows, the cow who was the worst offender of such opportunities, ran past me into the milk barn and right to that door. There was another cow between me and her, so I could not get to her. She began to push through that door and was half out the door when I cried out, “God, please help me!” I knew if she got into the other side of the corral, we could be out milking for a good half-hour longer than usual. In the moment I cried out, she suddenly stopped. She literally backed back into the milk barn, turned around and walked right into the stall and began eating the oats left there for her.

In that moment, I had an epiphany about God. He was real and He cared about every aspect of my life, even the unimportant ones. That really was no life-or-death situation, just an inconvenient one. I have never forgotten that day and I have experienced many more epiphany moments in my lifetime.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary gives the following definition for “Epiphany.”

• (1): a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something

• (2): an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking

• (3): an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure

Cartoons often depict this with a lightbulb (slide cartoon) above someone’s head such as the one on PPT. When describing such moments, we often refer to these as “ah-ha!” moments. In the Christian faith, as of January 6, we entered what we call the “Season of Epiphany.” The idea behind it comes from a Greek word meaning, “to cause to appear,” or “to bring to light.”

What is it we are bringing to light? The manifestation of God among us. Jesus was the Light that entered a dark world. He brings illumination of truth to the masses that have been in the dark due to the influence of Satan and sin.

The season of Epiphany is always kicked off with the arrival of the Magi searching for the baby King whose star they have observed rise. These were not astrology fanatics as we might think, who try to chart their lives by the moon and stars, but these were men of science and knowledge. They studied the moon and stars and when they observed something new and phenomenal take place, they knew it was an action of God, the Creator. That was the beginning of an epiphany for them which took them on a journey of discovery.

However, that journey is not for them alone. We are each to take such a journey. God works to reveal Himself to people. When He does, we each must choose whether we will seek God or ignore Him. Since you are here in church, I assume you are seeking Him. So, over the next 7-8 weeks, we will be taking a journey with Jesus as He grew up and began His ministry, and we will see what epiphanic moments we can find in these events. I have chosen a key verse for this series. It is Luke 2:52 which says,

52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

We will be looking at key moments in His life that reveal the truth of this verse and reveal His identity as, God’s Son. God incarnate, literally God who became man, so that He could teach us, save us, and direct us to eternal life.

My text this morning is Matthew 2. For continuity sake, I will read the full chapter.

Matthew 2NIV

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.’” 7Then 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. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Father, please bless this Word which you have provided and which we now receive. Amen!

I. The Baby King, Matthew 2

On Christmas Eve we heard the account of Jesus birth. It is like no other in all history. In fact, the account has been carried down and retold repeatedly through history. No one else’s birth has ever elicited such interest. So, let’s look briefly at the...

A. Beginnings...

Mary was a Jewish teenager from an average family. There was nothing to set her apart. Her family was not even wealthy. They were not priests, scribes, or Pharisees. They were just average, which in that day meant they were poor. Likewise Joseph, although he was from the lineage of King David, the kings of Israel had long passed so it really did not set him apart either. Many could claim the same.

The things taking place in their lives, would have been their own epiphany of God. The idea that God would come to simple people like them, to be the parents to His Son.

So, what sets this family apart? Mary was pregnant, but how do we know that she truly was a virgin? Her encounter with an angel was hearsay, so who is to say her baby was conceived of God?

The first real evidence that there was something different about Mary’s baby came when she went to her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth, instead of receiving Mary with consternation for something wicked, instantly became aware that something was different due to the reaction of the child within her womb. Her own child was a miracle child. She was old and infertile, yet she became pregnant after her husband was visited by an angel saying she would be. This angel had declared that her son would play an important part in history as the messenger who was to come to reveal the Messiah.

This all set the scene for future revelations that Jesus was no ordinary child, which included shepherds in the field.

Before I can go further with this account, we need to take a moment to identify some key players who are a mystery to us. I will call these the...

B. The Who’s Who of Jesus Birth Account.

Let’s begin a game of musical chairs with Herods and we must ask…

1. Herod Who?

One of the confusing details of Jesus’ life account is Herod, this is because, Herod is not a name but a title. There was more than one Herod. Allow me a fast breakdown of just the main ones we encounter in the Bible. This is a list as blogged by Kenneth Berding of the Talbot school of Theology. He writes somewhat like I do, so I kept his descriptions. I will not read all of them, so I have placed these descriptions in your notes, which is why your note page is so long. We will start with…

a. Herod the Great (ruled 37-4 B.C.)

He’s the guy in the Christmas story. Super powerful client king answerable to Rome. Tried to trick the wise men. Killed the babies in Bethlehem (not to mention some of his own sons and wives). Not cuddly at all. Actually, you wouldn’t invite any of these Herods to become your “bosom friend,” but especially not “the Great.”

b. Herod Archelaus (ruled 4 B.C.-A.D. 6)

He was one of Herod the Great’s three sons mentioned in the Bible. He received one-half of his father’s territory, the area surrounding and near Jerusalem (Judea and Samaria). Joseph was unwilling to move Mary and toddler Jesus to Bethlehem after fleeing to Egypt because Bethlehem was in this Herod’s territory and, like his father “the Great,” Herod Archelaus wasn’t known to be very cuddly either. He got replaced by a Roman procurator less than ten years into his reign; that’s why Pontius Pilate is the man in charge at Jesus’ crucifixion rather than one of the “Herods.”

c. Herod Antipas (ruled 4 B.C.-A.D. 39)

Jesus called him “the Fox”(Luke 13:32). Received a quarter of his father’s territory (Galilee and Perea). Divorced his first wife and married Herodias, the wife of his brother (who was yet a different “Herod”). Killed John the Baptist. Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to see this Herod as part of Jesus’ trial since this Herod was visiting Jerusalem at the time Jesus was sentenced to death. Did you know that Pilate and Herod Antipas became friends that day (Luke 23:12)?

d. Herod Philip the Tetrarch (ruled 4 B.C.-A.D. 34)

Got the remaining quarter of his father’s territory (north and east of Galilee—mostly ruled over Syrians and Greeks). Married his niece, Salome, the daughter of Herodias (Herod Antipas’s wife-of-sin).

e. Herod Agrippa I (ruled A.D. 37-44 [41-44 in Judea])

Grandson of Herod the Great and nephew of Herodias, Herod Antipas’s wife. Eventually ended up ruling over even more territory than did his grandfather, Herod the Great. In the book of Acts he is known as the one who put Peter in prison(Acts 12:1-5)…although he couldn’t keep him there (12:6-19)! Also…“He did not give God the glory” when referred to as a god by the people of Tyre and Sidon and was thus struck by an angel and “eaten by worms” (Acts 12:20-23). Yes…I know…TMI…but it’s an easy way to remember which “Herod” he is.

f. Herod Agrippa II (ruled A.D. 50s until long after the end of the Jewish war; died around A.D. 93)

Like his father Herod Agrippa I and great-grandfather Herod the Great he ruled over a large territory. He’s the one who interviewed Paul along with the Roman procurator Porcius Festus when Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea (in Palestine) after Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 25-26). Agrippa exclaimed to Paul (literal translation): “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Or was his statement ironic? Either way, Paul ended up appealing directly to Caesar and so had no more contact after this with the final powerful “Herod.”

Our next cast members are…

2. The Magi (Daniel 2:12-13; Numbers 24:15-19)

The Magi have been gravely misrepresented over the years. They were not kings. What king could leave his kingdom for such a journey risking life and limb while leaving his kingdom to be led by another? No, to understand who these men were, we need to go back to the book of Daniel. Daniel and his friends were trained and educated to be a part of the “Wise men” who were advisors to the King in Babylon. They were men of science, philosophy, religion, and politics. Later, when the Medes came, the wisemen (including Daniel), were adopted into their cast of Magi who were essentially the same thing. These men would have been aware of Daniel as Daniel’s reputation as one of the greats of the Magi, would have made his writings something that would be studied by future Magi. Daniel was educated in the scriptures, and these would have been part of his writings. Many who have studied the subject believe that Numbers 24:15-19, with emphasis on verse 17 where it says, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel,” was a key for the Magi, and what sent them seeking the new baby who had been born. Daniel was one of those faithful remnants that I spoke of last week and his influence allowed the Magi to understand God’s purpose even when the priests of Israel did not.

There is also no mention of three men, only three gifts. Others have assumed three gifts meant three men, but this is not necessarily correct. So, we truly have no idea how many there were.

Next, I want us to understand the term…

3. All Jerusalem (Matthew 2:3)

The verse says Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Herod’s trouble is obvious. Herod wanted to be accepted by the Jews. I suspect there is some pride in this due to family allegiances. You see, Herod the Great was an Edomite. It would feel really good to be in this place of leadership and control over the Jews. It would be like Esau thumbing his nose at Jacob. If you know the account of Jacob and Esau, you will understand this part.

Herod was a violent man. Murder meant nothing to him. Assassination to gain leadership was common and Herod would perceive a baby king to be a future threat. Herod was troubled because of the word that another king was on the scene and, to make matters worse, this king was a Jew. Most assuredly, Israel would accept a Jew over an Edomite.

However, all Jerusalem’s trouble was not regarding the news about a baby born but a response of fear to Herod’s distress. He was not above violent outbursts, and their fear is justified as he does eventually call for the murder of Jewish infants. (Age 2 and under would be our 1 and under).

Now, let’s consider the event and the...

C. Details That Reveal Jesus’ Sovereignty

1. Jesus is declared a king from birth. V 1-2

Matthew 2:1–2 (CSB) 1 After Jesus was born...wise men from the east arrived...saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

If you love fairy tales, you are probably familiar with the story of Sleeping Beauty. A child was born to the King and Queen, and they held a great celebration where people came from all over to gift the child in honor of the King and Queen. I can see a friendly kingdom sending a gift and greeting to a neighboring king after the birth of a child. Most likely, the first-born son who will one day be heir to the throne. It keeps the peace! It if is turned into a huge affair of state, they may even diplomatically attend.

However, Jesus was not born as a royal. He was a peasant and born in a stable. There were no trumpets blown! No messengers sent out from the kingdom to neighboring kingdoms. No, Jesus’ birth announcement was of spiritual origin.

a. God globally declared Jesus King with a creative birth announcement: a Star . V 2

God lifted a star into the night sky declaring His birth. Notice the details that the Magi state, “we saw his star at its rising.” This was no ordinary occurrence. This was a phenomenon of some consequence and as educated men, it recalled to their minds something they had read, and they understood what it meant. That was all they needed to make the decision to seek him out. No one had to tell them this was a “king” for God had already made the declaration long before his birth.

b. The Magi declared Jesus King by worshiping Him despite His humble residence. V 11

Matthew 2:11 (CSB) 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him.

What they saw did not change their mind or their course. They instantly dropped to their knees in awe of this baby whom God declared king.

c. The Magi declared Jesus King by presenting glorious gifts to Him. V 11

Matthew 2:11 (NIV) 11 ...Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

These were royal gifts. They were not presented to just anyone. They were gifts befitting a king. These men could have arrived and looked at his humble attire, mother and father, and residence and decided they had made a mistake. But they didn’t. They were convinced and so without hesitation they presented their gifts.

However, they were not the only ones who revealed Jesus as a king. Herod did as well.

d. Herod declares Jesus a king by perceiving Him as a threat . V 16

Matthew 2:16NIV

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

Can you imagine perceiving an infant as a threat? You would think the conservative thing to do was just to keep your eye on the situation, but most would have looked at the humble state of his affairs and blown off any concern. However, Herod was so threatened, he killed who knows how many infants to provide him peace of mind.

Conclusion

Jesus, before He even spoke a word, was revealed to be no ordinary child. He was declared a king, despite His low-income family. King Jesus, Son of God. He was turning the world upside down before he could do anything more than nurse at his mother’s breast.

I have not even touched on the prophecies that were fulfilled in this one chapter of Matthew alone. I quickly did a fast count in my head, and I think it is something like 10-12.

However, Jesus was never an ordinary king. The first to rejoice over his birth were shepherds. Shepherds in that day were not received much better than those in cattle country in our western history. After the shepherds came men from other nations, which fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 72. Psalm 72 spoke of kings from Sheba and Seba. We have already noted that the Magi were not kings. However, Psalm 72 is symbolic of leaders from far off nations paying homage to a royal son who would bring justice and righteousness. This does describe the Magi. The Magi were leaders, as we saw with Daniel. They represented other nations, Gentile nations, worshiping the God-King.

Jesus is still waiting to be fully received by the people which He had a part in selecting to be His people. He was born a Jew. He is the fulfilled promise to the Jewish nation, and one day soon, those who do not fully know it just yet, will come to know it.

His story has never lessened over the centuries. The account of His life dominates over all historical characters. For Christians, His life dominates our lives. We celebrate His birth. We celebrate His death, which is another odd fact. We celebrate His subsequent resurrection. Our calendar year is not dictated by work calendars, or tax calendars, but by the events of Jesus’ life; advent, anticipation of His birth; Christmas, celebration of His birth; Epiphany, revelations of His divinity; These begin our calendar journey. We call them the “Cycle of Light” or “God with Us.”

Then we go into the “Cycle of Life”, when we consider “God for us.” This consists of the seasons of Lent, Paschal Triduum, and Easter. Then the “Cycle of Love” completes the calendar cycles. We call these, the ordinary days when we consider God work through us.

Who do you say Jesus is? Have you ever given any deep thought about Him and His impact on your life? These next few weeks, we will continue to look at some key moments of His life and His beginning ministry. If you have never thought much about who Jesus is, I hope you will join us and decide for yourself. Who was this baby who was born around 4 B.C. that continues to turn the world upside down. If you look closely at history and even our current events, you will find His identity is always at the center of it all.

Prayer

Worship Set

Benediction