The Coming King

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.

We have covered just about everything that Matthew tells us about the renewed life and living like Jesus.

And now we are in this season of Advent what do we do? - we go back to the beginning!

Last week, we talked about the virgin birth.

Baby Messiahs need a mommy and a daddy who are willing to let God do what has never been done before - but was also prophesied almost a thousand years before.

Remember the elements of surprise, redemption and transformation in that story?

When we look at the story of the coming of Jesus the Messiah, we see the same elements of surprise, redemption and transformation that we see all through Matthew’s gospel.

This week is a new story, but with the same elements.

Jesus is introduced as not only the Messiah born as a baby - but is recognized as king.

This is attested t by the visit of some other, foreign dignitaries

.And it is also confirmed by the reaction of King Herod who was apparently threatened by the news.

Like many young heirs, Jesus was raised in exile - hidden away until the right time for Him to be revealed.

Like how certain plants need the right soil and conditions to grow before they can bloom, Jesus was hidden during His early years, cultivated carefully in the loving arms of His family. Imagine Mary and Joseph, nurturing the Son of God while the world had no idea of the miracle being raised in their home! In a way, the quiet, humble upbringing was God’s way of having His heir 'grow up' in exile, just waiting for the right season to burst forth and change the world forever!

And as we celebrate Advent, now thousands of years later - again Jesus has gone away, but with the promise that he will return.

He will come again, not as the baby in the manger, but as the world’s Savior and the rightful Ruler.

Are you ready for the surprise, for redemption and transformation?

Lets see how these same elements play out in Matthew chapter 2.

The surprise visit.

Matthew 2:1–2 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.”

Mary and Joseph knew that their baby boy was not entirely like other children.

His birth was announced by angelic visions and dreams.

They has wrestled through their own calling to be parents to the Messiah.

God had confirmed it through the Prophet Isaiah and that was enough for Joseph and Mary.

They accepted God’s will - even though most people would not understand.

God often does things that surprise us, but when He does He also confirms it - not just through prayer and through His Word - but there will be those, often few in number, but nevertheless some will see what God is doing and bear witness.

In Matthews account, the collaborating witness comes from outside the story.

Even outside of Israel - from the Far East - the place of exile.

They were not necessarily kings and the popular hymn suggests - though they would have been part of a kingly administration.

They were most likely royal advisors - more of a priestly class than a ruling class.

Though they would not have been like Jewish priests - offering sacrifices and conducting community worship.

They they were probably academics = spending their time in dusty libraries pouring over ancient manuscripts.

They were likely scientists - combining elements to discover the secrets of the universe.

And the most prevalent “science” of the day was astrology - it was believed that the stars contained the key to unlock the universe’s greatest secrets.

Those who know about such things today believe that they probably observed a new star being “born” or perhaps a visiting comet coursing through our solar system.

The ancient understanding was that events in the heavens are a reflection of events on earth.

Stars are heavenly beings - the counterparts to the greatest rulers of earth.

A new star indicates a shift in leadership on earth.

the Magi were most likely from the same region and the same tradition as the prophet Daniel.

Perhaps they had been reading and studying his prophetic timeline of seventy sevens or 490 years.

They would have also had access to the prophecy of Balaam:

Numbers 24:17 Tanakh

17 What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Jacob, A scepter comes forth from Israel; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Seth.

The wise men who came to find Jesus where not the sort of people who would have been welcome by average Jews in Israel.

These were not “Lord of the Rings” type wizards - they were more like those from “Harry Potter.”

They were probably scary to young children and to religious Jews.

But you have to remember that some us us were pretty scary too when we first learned about Jesus...

Jesus’ coming disrupts existing conditions.

Matthew 2:3–8 ESV

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.”

So King Herod is a pretty scary guy too - but the scary things we are used to are usually not as frightening as to ones we are not used to.

The Magi said they were looking for the ‘kings of the Jews” but that was Herod’s title.

Actually Herods’ position was more of a figurehead or a puppet ruler.

Kings have armies - Herod has to depend on Rome for that.

The Jews agreed not to resist Roman rule, but they would not accept a Roman ruler directly over them - so Herod was half-Jewish - so “good enough.”

Herod was allowed to rule as long as he could deliver taxes and maintain order.

The historian, Josephus tells us that Herod was mostly preoccupied with preserving his lavish lifestyle and passing it on to his heir.

Which he changed his mind several times about who that would be

and he killed his would be-heir out foo jealousy just shortly before he died.

His kingdom was divided in to four parts - one son receiving the central half and two others receiving the lesser parts to the north and to the southeast.

Imagine what it would have been like when some foreign dignitaries visit Herod’s royal court inquiring of a newborn “king of the Jews.”

No one with any religious credentials would have believed them.

These men were heathen - from Babylon of all places - who are they to interpret Jewish scriptures?

And as for the astrological signs - that would be considered a form of divination - God forbids interpreting omens!

Herod, on the other hand, took them seriously, because they are hitting on his greatest fear - not being able to decide his own successor.

These wise men probably felt like a trap set by his political enemies.

If he agrees with them - He alienates his base because a good Jew will never buy their story.

If he disagrees with them he is is a “science denier” - after all they represented the best and most current practices of that time.

I know that current academics would be skeptical of that depiction

“we certainly know more now than they did then”

But they were right! - Our modern advancements haven’t had such a great track record.

Herod did what clever politicians do - tell people what they wan to hear and try to use them for your own agenda.

Jesus’ coming challenged all the usual ways of thinking, believing and behaving.

All the smart and powerful people looked foolish and stupid.

Kings are supposed to be born in palaces

Foreign dignitaries are entertained in lavish banquet halls.

We expect God to operate according to our most lofty expectations.

We sometimes forget that He is God… He does whatever He wants.

Isaiah 42:9 ESV

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

God told us what He was going to do.

There are over 300 Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament; at least 90 of which are mentioned in the New Testament.

It’s not that God didn’t tell us what He was going to do!

its that we only hear what we are willing to hear.

Jesus came and many missed Him.

Jesus’s coming brings God’s plan into alignment.

Matthew 2:9–11 ESV

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.

God sends the worlds smartest people to a tiny suburb of Jerusalem-

to a humble home with a working class family

the stars literally align to point to the right place.

Today, many would say that they were guided by superstition.

But they found the place - you can’t deny that.

They celebrated what was, up until that time, a secret, known only to a few.

Mary, Joseph and a handful of shepherds.

And when I say they celebrated - Matthew uses word that imply that it was pretty loud and obvious to everyone around.

Its hard not to attract attention when an exotic caravan rolls up in a residential neighborhood.

How are the neighbors not going to notice when they proceed to throw a giant party?

You know how people in small communities like to talk - well this would certainly have them talking!

You might think - why make such a scene?

God is not just showing off - this is for the record books.

History is being made - its important that people notice and record what is happening.

These men are witnesses for all of mankind and for all time.

God knows what He is doing.

And it lines up with what He has done

and with what He is going to do.

Events on earth align like the stars with vast spaces in between.

The wise men present rare and expensive gifts to a newborn baby.

Gold signifying kingship.

Frankincense symbolic of divinity.

And Myrrh which foreshadowed his sacrificial death for mankind.

God’s plan of salvation was prophesied in the gifts that they gave.

Given by Gentiles - predictive of God’s purpose to redeem the whole earth.

Surprising, but consistent with everything God has revealed about His redemptive plan.

The redemptive rescue.

Matthew 2:12 ESV

12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

There is no way that the wise men visiting Bethlehem didn’t cause a scene that would quickly reach Jerusalem.

God accounted for this in His plan.

He warned them to go home a different way.

They could cross the Jordan just above or below the Dead Sea and take the main road on the other side

Or they could head west and follow the coastal highway.

Both ways avoid passing through Jerusalem and potential questioning from Herod’s men.

This also buys Joseph some time to make his escape.

God sends us to places so we can say “I’ve been there”.

Matthew 2:13–15 ESV

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Herod was particularly know for his bad temper - nobody liked him, but everyone was afraid of him.

He didn’t take kindly to any challenges to his authority, even if they came from his one heirs.

He would kill someone on a whim or because of suspicion - which he often did.

With the Magi gone - they are no longer attracting attention, but they are also not providing diplomatic immunity.

God speak to Joseph again in a dream - this time warning him to get out of town.

Joseph starts the journey at night so no one would know which way he went.

Instead of heading north and east toward the homeland of his guests - a likely destination given their favor - he heads west toward Egypt.

While Joseph chose Egypt for his own strategic reasons - God had a strategy too.

The story would call to mind Israel’s history.

Messiah is identifying with the people he came to rescue.

They lived as strangers in Egypt

He lived as a stranger in Egypt.

They fled for their lives.

He also fled for His life.

Remember How God used the words of Isaiah to confirm the virgin birth?

This time He uses the words of Hosea to confirm the flight to Egypt.

Hosea 11:1 ESV

1 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

Have you ever wondered why God allows us to go through the things that we do?

There are some chapters of our lives that don’t seem to have anything to do with God’s redemptive purpose.

Why did God direct Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt?

Yes, to save His life from Herod who wouldn’t have any jurisdiction there.

But there is another reason which Matthew alludes to.

Just so He could say, “I’ve been there.”

Jesus traveled the same path that the children of Israel took - down to Egypt and back again.

You might say, “well he was just a baby!”

So were most of those who entered the promised land.

The elders of the people were small children when they left Egypt.

Jesus Identifies with the people He came to save.

Hebrews 4:15 NLT

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Why is this scripture so comforting? - Be cause we know that whatever we face - He has been there.

Back to the question of why God allows us to go through certain things - sometimes it is just so we can say to someone else “ I know what you are going through - I’ve been there!”

It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is anything wrong with you or that you did anything wrong.

God says he loved Israel as a son - while they were still in Egypt!

And God sent His own Son into exile for a time - yes, to save Him - but also to save us!

And just so we would know that Jesus has been there.

It’s all part of the story that God is writing.

There are parts of the story that are hard to live and hard to tell.

But those to whom we tell our story believe us when they know we have lived it.

It makes the story real and relatable when we tell the hard parts of our story.

Matthew doesn’t hold back - he tells both sides of the story.

We rejoice greatly with the wise men.

We gasp at the narrow escape made my Joseph, Mary and Jesus into the wilderness.

And we shudder to think of what Herod will do when he finds out.

Suffering is part of birth.

Matthew 2:16–18 ESV

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

This is a really, really sad part of Jesus’ birth story.

The wise men must have told Herod that the star appeared in the last year or two.

Just to be sure, Herod eliminates all the potential male children corresponding to that time frame.

Another element of the story aligns with Israel’s story - the massacre of the innocents corresponds to the genocide which Pharaoh ordered at the time which Moses was born.

That tragedy did not stop God from delivering His people and neither will this one.

Just outside of Bethlehem is the tomb of Rachel - the favorite wife of Jacob the patriarch.

You may remember the she died giving birth to Benjamin as Jacob was sojourning in the land while Joseph was down in Egypt.

She died in great pain and suffering while she was giving birth.

If Jacob had not intervened - Benjamin would have been named after her suffering and that is all that would have been remembered.

But that is not how the story goes - Yes, we remember the suffering - but we also remember what came out of it.

Jeremiah referred to Rachel’s story when he is prophesying to the exiles in Babylon.

Rachel died weeping, but she brought forth a son.

Sometimes it seems like our suffering is endless.

Sometimes all we can remember is suffering and all we can foresee is more suffering.

It is in those times that we need to remember that suffering is the backdrop for God’s redemption.

The passage that Matthew quotes from Jeremiah continues like this:

Jeremiah 31:15–17 ESV

15 Thus says the Lord: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” 16 Thus says the Lord: “Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy. 17 There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children shall come back to their own country.

I know you can’t see it through your tears -but there is hope!

God never wastes a trial.

He turns bad things into good things.

He allows suffering for a time, but He also rescues and redeems.

The transformative return.

What if the story ended here...

The magi go back home thinking everything is great.

But Jesus is in Egypt hiding out from Herod.

Herod is in a homicidal rage.

You have to admit, for a while things did not look so good.

But God is still working and Herod the Great is not going to live much longer.

God brings us back around.

Matthew 2:19–21 ESV

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

Herod the Great died in 4 BC - that means that Jesus would have been born 5 -7 years before the calendar says He was.

The current dating system was developed by a sixth-century monk who did not account for the difference between Hebrew and Roman calendars.

The idea was to recognise Jesus’ coming as the turning point in history.

And that it was - give or take a few years.

Jesus is the turning point in the human redemption story.

And Jesus is the turning point in each of our stories as well.

I like what the character of Mary Magdalene says in the TV dramatization of the the gospel called The Chosen.: “I was one way and now I am completely different and was happened in between was Him!”

That’s not only her story - it’s your story and mine.

It’s the story of the world and of humanity.

God brings us back around.

God brought Israel out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery.

He brought His people back from exile after 70 years.

Joseph and Mary were probably only a few moths or a few years in Egypt and God brought them back.

He always does.

Herod’s story did not end well - he died a miserable and painful death suffering from a bowel disease.

He had to threaten and even kill people so that there would be mourning at his death.

As I said before, he killed his principle heir in a fit of rage and jealousy.

And he left Judea in political chaos and turmoil with rival sons each claiming to be his heir.

At the time, it probably felt as if the world were falling apart when in fact, things were just beginning to come together.

Messiah had come.

The anointed King was hidden safely away, just waiting for the right time to be revealed.

The stories of angels and wise men gave way to the more immediate concerns of the day.

When we are in the middle of an intense situation it can be difficult to put into perspective.

Life goes on.

Situations change -hopefully, eventually for the better.

New opportunities arise.

And God is patiently working through it all.

He guides us to the right place.

Matthew 2:22–23 ESV

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Archelaus was a son of Herod who inherited the main regions of Judea and Samaria.

However, because his right to rule was contested his brothers who also appealed to Caesar, they were given regions in the north and south to rule.

Archelaus was especially cruel like his father so Joseph went to the northern region which was under Herod Antipas.

They settled in Nazareth were Luke tells us they had lived before at the time of their betrothal and before the census.

However, the detail that Matthew finds most fascinating is the name Nazareth.

Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

A Nazarene is someone from Nazareth and according to what we read in the New Testament, it was not a compliment.

Similar, but not the same is a Nazarite.

A Nazarite was a person set apart and devoted to God - like Samson.

Jesus was not exactly a Nazarite either -we never read that he took a vow and it appears that he did things which a Nazarite would never do - like drink wine.

Just like the prophecies of Isaiah and Hosea, if you take them too literally or read too much into it - you end up doing mental gymnastics trying to explain it.

It’s simply amusing that Jesus grows up in a place where he is identified both as a “nobody” and at the same time as special individual set apart for God’s purposes.

Oh, and Matthew says he is quoting the prophets, but an exact quotation can not be found.

What is likely is that Matthew is making a play on word between the names Nazareth, Nazarite and the Hebrew word “Netzer” which means branch.

Jeremiah 33:15 ESV

15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

Jesus is all of these things at once.

He identifies with human weakness and suffering.

He’s “been there” - whether its living in Egypt or growing up in Nazareth.

He’s totally set apart - the kind of person that is recognized by foreign dignitaries - but not by the majority of those around Him.

To them He seems like an ordinary guy.

But He’s a Son of David - a living branch of the line of ancient kings.

For most Jews living in His time - that meant nothing and yet it meant everything.

Because the hope of the promise of God’s restoration was still alive.

You just have to be able to see it.

And now we celebrate Advent - thousands of years later.

Jesus has gone away, but with the promise that he will return.

Not as the baby in the manger, but as the world’s Savior and the rightful Ruler.

Are you ready for the surprise, for redemption and transformation?

Questions for reflection:

It is said that “wise men still seek Him.” What if the people seeking Jesus are not your usual church people? Does God still reveal himself in mysterious way and to complete outsiders? Are you open to having spiritual conversations with anyone who asks?

What does it mean to you to know that Jesus has “been there?” What does it mean to know that He identifies with us as people and our stories? Do you think that perhaps, God also gives you a story so that you can say, “I’ve been there?”

What do you do with the really hard parts of the story? When you are going through pain and suffering do you consider that perhaps God is birthing something new? Do you wait in hope and anticipation that God will bring you back around?