Christmas Changes the Rest of Our Story

Service Notes:

Christmas Festival Tonight

Candlelight Service Wed at 6 pm

Text: Matthew 2:1–12

Premise

Christmas isn’t just a story you learn. It’s a story meant to rewrite yours.

How we respond to the story of Jesus is the most important part of our story.

Introduction

We know the Christmas story.

We hear it every year.

We sing it.

We decorate it.

We tell it to our children.

How many of you ever played a role in a Christmas play?

Some of us were shepherds.

Some angels.

Some of us stood in the back holding a star, hoping we didn’t mess it up.

We know what isn’t..

Jesus did not come into the world to support a commercial holiday.

He also did not come so we would simply memorize facts about the nativity.

Christmas is not about how familiar the story sounds. It is about how we respond to the King.

Scripture tells us the Christmas story was written so that we would believe.

John 20:31 (KJV)

31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

The story of Jesus is not just something to remember. It is an invitation to respond.

That leads us to an important question:

What role will this story play in your life from this day forward?

When Jesus enters the story, people do not stay the same.

Same Jesus. Different response.

I. Jesus invites people into the story even before they understand everything.

Matthew 2:1–2 (KJV)

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

A. God is already at work before people begin searching

God places the sign in the heavens before Jerusalem reacts.

God draws seekers from far away while many nearby remain unmoved.

God often works in hearts long before people recognize it.

Truth: No one would seek Jesus unless God had revealed Him to us.

Our God first loved us.

Jesus was sent to us.

We can respond to what has been revealed.

B. God leads people forward with the truth they already have

The wise men do not have full understanding, but they do have direction.

The Magi come from the East, a region shaped for centuries by Jewish exile and Scripture.

During the Babylonian captivity, Jewish prophets lived and taught in the very lands the Magi came from.

Daniel, who was placed over the wise men of Babylon, openly spoke of God’s kingdom and a coming ruler.

The star guides them without explaining everything.

God gives more clarity as they respond in obedience.

The Magi did not invent their search for Jesus.

They responded to revelation God had already placed in the world.

Truth: God does not wait for perfect understanding before calling for response.

C. Wanting to know Jesus shows God is already at work in the heart

The wise men are not searching for ideas, but for a King.

Their question reveals expectations shaped by promises.

God honors genuine seeking by leading them closer to Christ.

Truth: Seeking does not save, but it often shows God is already stirring the heart.

Transitional Statement:

God is drawing people toward Jesus. But not everyone responds the same way.

The same Christ who draws some unsettles others.

II. Jesus is troubling to those who want unhindered control of their story.

A. A true King threatens false authority in our lives.

We’d say today that Herod had main character energy.

Matthew 2:3 “3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Herod is troubled because Jesus threatens his control.

Earthly power resists any authority greater than itself.

Jesus does not come to assist our rule, but to reign.

Truth: Jesus is never just a harmless or helpful addition to our lives.

B. Scripture knowledge can exist without obedience

Matthew 2:4–6 (KJV)

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

The religious leaders know the prophecy accurately.

The religious leaders know the prophecy exactly.

They can quote Scripture on demand.

They explain the truth clearly.

They do not move toward Christ.

Truth: Knowing the truth about Jesus is not the same as trusting Jesus.

C. Being near the truth does not mean responding to it

Jerusalem is only a short distance away. (5-6 miles)

Close enough to respond

Close enough to investigate

Close enough to worship

It’s a powerful picture of how proximity to truth is not the same as response to truth.

Familiarity often removes urgency.

Nearness to truth can hide distance from Christ

Access to Scripture

Exposure to teaching

Familiarity with Christian language

Proximity to Jesus things

Jerusalem should have been the place of clarity.

The Scriptures were there.

The priests were there.

The temple was there.

Instead we find.

Fear from Herod

Knowledge without action from the leaders

Disturbance without worship from the city

Jerusalem becomes a contrast point in the story.

Jerusalem had the information. Bethlehem had the Savior.

Come to Bethlehem.

Truth: Distance from Jesus is measured in surrender, not miles nor knowledge of facts.

Being near the truth can make us feel safe enough to never respond to it.

This is the danger of Christmas sweaters, lights trees, gifts.

Transitional Statement:

At this point, we might want to believe there is a neutral place to stand.

But Matthew gives us no such category.

III. This story shows what people do with Jesus

Story of a girl playing Mary and walks off after her part. “What are we supposed to do with Jesus now?”

And here’s the thing.

That’s not just a Christmas play question. That’s the real question of Christmas.

Matthew 2:3 (KJV)

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

A. Everyone responds to the news of Jesus

Herod responds with fear and hostility.

Jerusalem is disturbed, not indifferent.

Truth: The gospel never leaves people unchanged.

B. Putting off a decision is still a decision

Loud opposition and silent delay come from the same heart.

Delay protects comfort while avoiding surrender.

Indifference often masks fear of losing control.

Truth: To delay response is still a decision.

C. Jesus reveals what truly rules the heart

Herod’s issue is authority, not evidence.

The leaders’ issue is comfort, not clarity.

The wise men respond with humility and joy.

Truth: People reject Jesus not because He lacks proof, but because He demands the throne.

Transitional Statement:

We have seen hearts that resist the King. Now we see hearts that bow before Him.

The question is no longer whether we respond. It is how we respond.

Or more simply going back to the story of the play..

Christmas isn’t about where Jesus fits in the play.

It’s about how you answer “What are we supposed to do with Jesus now?”

IV. Worship of Jesus will be the greatest part of your story.

Matthew 2:9–11 (KJV)

9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

A. Worship of Jesus requires humilty

The wise men worship in a house, not a palace.

They bow before a child, not a throne.

Worship begins when control is laid down.

Truth: Worship of Jesus begins where worship of self ends.

B. Worship comes seeing Jesus clearly

Gold acknowledges Jesus as King.

Frankincense honors His deity.

Myrrh points ahead to His suffering.

Truth: Worship is simply the proper response to who Jesus is.

C. Worship of Jesus changes the direction of our lives

Matthew 2:12 “12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”

God warns the wise men because obedience matters.

They listen because worship produces trust.

They go home another way because encountering Jesus changes direction.

Transitional Statement:

The wise men show us what true worship looks like.

They bow low. They give freely. They leave changed.

But here’s the question we still need to answer.

Why is Jesus worthy of that kind of worship?

What is it about this child that demands surrender, joy, and obedience?

Matthew has shown us how they worshipped.

Now we need to be clear about who Jesus is and what He came to do.

Why Jesus Is Worthy of Worship

1. Jesus is worthy of worship because of who He is

He is not only a child born in Bethlehem.

He is the promised King.

He is God come near.

Truth: Worship begins with recognizing who Jesus truly is.

2. Jesus is worthy of worship because of what He came to do

This child did not stay in the house in Bethlehem.

He grew up and lived the life we could not live.

He went to the cross to carry our sin and guilt.

He died in our place, taking the judgment we deserved.

He rose again to offer forgiveness and new life.

Truth: Jesus is worthy of worship because He gave His life to save ours.

3. Salvation is received through grace, not earned through effort

Salvation does not come through knowledge, religion, or good works.

Salvation comes through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone.

We do not worship to earn God’s favor.

We worship because the King who has come to rescue us from our sin has come!

Closing Application

The wise men came seeking a King. They left obeying one. They went home another way.

Christmas isn’t just a story you learn. It’s a story meant to rewrite yours.