Three reasons Why Christ Came

Matthew 2:1–12 NIV

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 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.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 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. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘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.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 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.” 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. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Intro - Whats it all got to do with me?

Grew up with the nativity?

Baby Jesus’s Birthday, He is not a man, He is a man and He is a God and he is in heaven.

The factual inaccuracy of the School nativity. The School Nativity - My fist ever sermon.

I grew up with the stories of the Bible?

grew up with the stories of the Bible?

I grew up with the nativity and all the bible stories

I grew up in the knowledge of the Death and resurrection of Jesus

Mathews Gospel

Intro - Baby Jesus’s Birthday, He is not a man, He is a man and He is a God and he is in heaven.

Big Idea

Who were the Magi? Who are they? Why are they even in this story? What is their significance? Whats it got to do with me?

Tonight I want to look at the account of the wise men in Mathews Gospel and ask “What’s does the fact of their inclusion in this nativity story tell us about this baby Jesus and consequently whats that got to do with me?

We are going to look at who the they were.

Why they followed the Star.

The meaning of the gifts that they Brought.

This baby has come for outsiders, people far away from God.

Sermon

1) Who were they Magi? What’s the fact of their inclusion in this story tell us about this baby and whats that got to do with me?

Who were they Magi?

Who are they? Why are they even in this story? What is their significance? Whats it got to do with me?

Who were they Magi?

Whats it got to do with me?

More than wisemen: The term is used in Herodotus (1. 101, 132) of a tribe of the Medes who had a priestly function in the Persian empire; in other classical writers it is synonymous with priest. Complementing this, Daniel (1:20; 2:27; 5:15) applies the word to a class of ‘wise men’ or astrologers who interpret dreams and messages of the gods. In the NT the usage broadens to include all who practise magic arts (cf. ; , ). They were kings, astrologers, dark arts practitioners, unclean outsiders.

More than wisemen: The term is used in Herodotus (1. 101, 132) of a tribe of the Medes who had a priestly function in the Persian empire; in other classical writers it is synonymous with priest. Complementing this, Daniel (1:20; 2:27; 5:15) applies the word to a class of ‘wise men’ or astrologers who interpret dreams and messages of the gods. In the NT the usage broadens to include all who practise magic arts (cf. ; , ). They were kings, astrologers, dark arts practitioners, unclean outsiders.

MAGI. The term is used in Herodotus (1. 101, 132) of a tribe of the Medes who had a priestly function in the Persian empire; in other classical writers it is synonymous with priest. Complementing this, Daniel (1:20; 2:27; 5:15) applies the word to a class of ‘wise men’ or astrologers who interpret dreams and messages of the gods. In the NT the usage broadens to include all who practise magic arts (cf. ; , ).

E. E. Ellis, “Magi,” ed. D. R. W. Wood et al., New Bible Dictionary (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 713.

What’s the fact of their inclusion in this story tell us about this baby and whats that got to do with me?

You are included - The Magi were outsiders, far away from God.

You are invited? -

You a

2) Why did they follow a star?

Julius Ceaser Death in 44BC - A nova (thought to be a new star) appeared in the sky above his funeral pyre. Everyone assumed, of course, that he had gone to join the pantheon of the gods. Thereafter, stars for great men were emphatically in fashion!

Belief that World Dominion would come out of Judea

A nova (thought to be a new star) appeared in the sky above his funeral pyre. Everyone assumed, of course, that he had gone to join the pantheon of the gods. Thereafter, stars for great men were emphatically in fashion!

Tacitus tells us that in the 60s of the first century ‘there was a firm persuasion that at this very time the East was to grow powerful and rulers coming from Judea were to acquire universal empire The same conviction is written up by the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Suetonius

The same conviction is written up by the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Suetonius

There would therefore be nothing surprising if the Magi inferred impending political changes from the star they saw. That was a perfectly natural expectation in the pagan world.

The same conviction is written up by the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Suetonius.11

Tacitus tells us that in the 60s of the first century ‘there was a firm persuasion that at this very time the East was to grow powerful and rulers coming from Judea were to acquire universal empire

The same conviction is written up by the Jewish historian Josephus and the Roman historian Suetonius.11

Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 68.

What did they See?

There have been many suggestions. Some favour Halley’s Comet, which was seen and recorded in 11 bc. But the most probable suggestion is that it was not one new star so much as the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in the area of the sky known as Pisces. This happened three times in the year 7 bc. It was seen on 29 May, 3 October and 4 December in that year. A cuneiform inscription from the observatory of Sippar in Babylonia gives us this fascinating information

Whats it got to do with me?

Despite how far away these dark arts practitioners were from God they realised that Jesus was more than to be merely honoured, but he was to be worshiped as God.

Who do you say this infant Child was?

Will you honour him with Christmas songs or will you determine to give him your worship

These outsiders no doubt recognised that Jesus was a king, but

These outsiders no doubt recognised that Jesus was a king, but

Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 69.

3) What was the significance of their gifts? And what have they to do with me.

What has it to do with

Gifts

Gold - This baby was a king Gold is the gift fit for a king—and the king in baby clothes was there What he came to do.

Gold is the gift fit for a king—and the king in baby clothes was there

Gold is the gift fit for a king—and the king in baby clothes was there What he came to do.

These men are kings, they bow before the king of kings, will you bow before the King this Christmas?

Frankincense - What he came to do.

Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 69.What he came to do.

What he came to do.

Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 69.Frankincense - What he came to do.

Frankincense - This baby was a priest.

Frankincense was in constant use by the priests in the temple, and the ultimate priest, the one who was to make final reconciliation between God and humankind, lay before them. All the presence of God dwells in Jesus Bodily, you want to get close to God, you gotta go through Jesus.

Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies (

Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies ()

Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies ()

Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies ()

Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies ()

Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 69.Pure frankincense as fragrant offering was also placed by the priest with each row of the loaves of the bread of the presence before the Holy of Holies ()

W. W. Müller, “Frankincense,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 854.

Murgh what it cost him

All the presence of God dwells in Jesus Bodily, you want to get close to God, you gotta go through Jesus.

Will you make him your priest this Christmas?

Murgh what it cost him

Murgh - what it cost him - and it was also used in embalming (; ). Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. The man born to be king was the man born to die.

Will you believe in him this Christmas? His death and resurrection on your behalf?

and it was also used in embalming (; ).

Myrrh was used to embalm the dead. The man born to be king was the man born to die. In those three gifts we see who he is, what he came to do, and what it cost him. And, like the wise men, we bow in wonder before a God who could love us that much.

Conclusion -

In those three gifts we see who he is, what he came to do, and what it cost him. And, like the wise men, we bow in wonder before a God who could love us that much.

and as they returned home they were faced with a choice? The same choice that we must all make this evening.

The wise men came with gifts but really this Baby was God’s gift to them, Their King, their Priest, and their substitute to die in their place. In those three gifts we see who he is, what he came to do, and what it cost him. And, like the wise men, we bow in wonder before a God who could love us that much.

In those three gifts we see who he is, what he came to do, and what it cost him. And, like the wise men, we bow in wonder before a God who could love us that much.

Paul J. Achtemeier, Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature, Harper’s Bible Dictionary (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985), 672.

The Magi - Who where they?

Merry Christmas

Remember the greatest gift has already been given, will you receive it?