Wise Men and a Foolish King

Christmas Series

Matthew 2:1-12

For believers, Jesus Christ is the essence of Christmas. Everything else is negotiable. Traditions and trees and gifts are all fine… but the essence of Christmas is Christ Himself. God became a Man and entered our world. The everlasting Creator left His throne in heaven to live in a body like one of us. His entrance was anything but peaceful. Herod was on the throne and Israel was under Roman occupation. God chose one of the darkest hours to introduce His Light into the world. Our text is Matthew 2, verses 1-12 where we meet the wise men and a foolish king. Matthew 2:1-12. In honor of God and His Word, let’s stand for the reading of Scripture.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth a Ruler,

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”



7 Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way. [NASB]

[Prayer] In these verses we find a great variance of response to Jesus’ birth. The wise men were compelled to worship the new King, but Herod wanted to kill Him. But both parties converged on this scene in history. The Light had come into the world and that Light was drawing worshipers, but wicked men loved darkness because their hearts were evil. Notice the contrast between these two subjects in the first three verses…

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.” 3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

I.          True worshipers of Jesus Christ are sovereignly drawn by the Father of Lights while those who insist on self-exaltation are doomed to fear and defeat (1-3).

The worship of the magi and the opposite response of Herod both point to the true identity of King Jesus. Because Jesus was the true King, the wise men sought to worship Him. Because Jesus was the true King, the foolish king sought to slaughter Him. By this time, Herod was getting old and his health wasn’t good. Within a few months, he would be dead. His grip on the nation of Israel was weak and he was little more than a paranoid puppet for Rome. The fact is Herod had no claim to be Israel’s king; he wasn’t even Jewish – he was an Edomite appointed by Rome because he was like putty in their hands. Keep in mind, Israel was just a subjugated little vassal state… and Herod was a ‘kept man’ in every sense. The last thing he needed was another threat to his monarchy. That’s when these magi arrived in Jerusalem.

The interesting thing about the magi is that these men were like international king-makers; they were experts in astronomy who descended from a priestly caste of the Medes; they were a delegation of eastern kingdoms (around Persia) that officially recognized new rulers… and usually participated in their coronation. Since Jesus was already a King, they had nothing to do with His coronation; but their presence was to recognize who Jesus really is for the entire world to see. The magi are a huge sign pointing to Jesus as the long awaited King. Herod knew this about the magi; he knew the symbolism of their arrival… and it ruined his day. Actually, that’s an understatement.

When Herod learned of the magi’s visit, he became paranoid. It would ultimately lead him to genocide among the infants of Israel. What was it that struck such terror in his heart? Was it an opposing army with horses and chariots; was it a palace coup within his own fragile government; or perhaps an eviction notice from Caesar Augustus himself? No… it was a baby… one special baby among all the infants of Israel that jeopardized Herod’s weak, little vassal state. But this was no ordinary baby; Herod’s fear was well-placed. Jesus is the King, but He didn’t come merely to rule Israel; He was and is the King of kings and the Lord of lords… and He holds the title deed to all the earth, for He made it. So this is the cradle that rocked the world! But what was Herod? He was a weakened thug… a terrified bully. He was a jealous, frightened, feeble, old, ‘has-been’ waiting to die.

The magi assumed the reigning monarch of Israel would know about the location of the King of kings, but it was the first he’d heard of it. Even though Herod was the king of Israel, he was never a student of Israel’s prophecy. Far from being a religious man, Herod was a politician… and as we’ve seen in our own day, he used religion only as far as it served him politically. When Herod heard the news about the birth of Christ, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. So he called in the experts. Look at verses 4-8…

4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;

For out of you shall come forth a Ruler,

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”



7 Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him.”

II.        The wicked hear God’s Word and tremble while mock-interest in Bible prophecy conceals a heart of hatred and fear (4-8).

Herod’s inquiry of the chief priests and scribes and the magi was motivated by fear and concealed with deception. Herod only sought the child to kill him. He wanted to find out how old the child would be so he could begin a national search-and-destroy operation. This was not out of character for Herod. Herod had long been a murderous fiend! He had his own wife killed and at least two of his sons. And five days before his death, he ordered his guards to arrest a handful of the most prominent and beloved citizens in Jerusalem. His order was that as soon as he died, they were to execute those citizens to ensure weeping and mourning in the streets of Jerusalem. He knew they wouldn’t weep for him. That’s the kind of weakness and insecurity that dominated his life… the kind that kills noble citizens and women and little babies.

In verse 6, the priests and scribes quoted Micah 5:2 about Bethlehem being the future birth place of the Messiah. Of the four prophecies mentioned by Matthew in this birth narrative, all four deal with locations… these are all places connected with the fulfillment of OT prophecies: Bethlehem, Egypt, Ramah, and then Nazareth. This is significant because Matthew’s purpose here is to demonstrate to his Jewish readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Herod’s mock-interest in Bible prophecy and feigned desire to worship Jesus is symbolic of the way the earthly rulers have typically treated Jesus and His followers. The Bible and Christianity are often used as props by politicians to further their own cause; but true Christianity serves no cause but God’s. In America, Christianity doesn’t need Washington DC… but Washington DC desperately needs Jesus Christ! Politicians then and now desperately need Jesus; Jesus doesn’t need them at all to accomplish his will. His will is accomplished both through them and in spite of them. Even human wrath unconscious serves to execute His will. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Jesus doesn’t rule by referendum. He doesn’t take polls to find out what people think He should do. He is God and there is no other.

The religious rulers knew all the right prophecies, but they made no use of their knowledge. They didn’t even have the curiosity to go to Bethlehem to check it out. The scribes and priests spoke of the Messiah and could quote chapters and verses, but they were totally blind to the actual arrival of the King. The response of the leadership was hatred, fear, and indifference. But notice verses 9-12…

9 And having heard the king, [the magi] went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. 10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.

III.       Those divinely drawn by the Father worship Christ with great joy and lavish gifts (9-12).

These Gentile wise men came to worship Jesus. They didn’t come to worship Mary… or Jesus through Mary. Mary was neither the subject nor the object of their worship. By now, the family was living in a private house and Jesus would have been over a year old. They presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Much has been made of the possible symbolism behind each of these gifts. Undoubtedly there is rich meaning in these gifts. But the key observation is that Jesus Christ is the priceless Treasure to be sought and worshiped and adored at all cost. They gave the best of the best and fell on their faces in His presence.

Verse 10 says “when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Anything that points us to Jesus is a cause for joy! Anything that lights our way and directs our path is a cause for joy and celebration. We have something even better than a star to direct our way; we have the written Word of God. His Word is a light unto our path and wherever we begin, it leads us to the Savior. Let’s not be like the scribes and priests who knew the letter of the Word, but ignored the Savior.

And notice in verse 12 that having worshiped Jesus, the magi went back home by another way. This means they obeyed God’s revelation in a dream. They were not to return to Herod. But instead they went back home another way. And in a greater sense, it’s still that way with us. When we truly see Jesus for who He is, we’re compelled to worship Him; and when we worship Him, we go back home as changed forever. We go home another way. By the grace of God, it’s not the same as before. We can learn a lot from the wise men and a foolish king.

Let’s pray…

(c) Charles Kevin Grant 

Written: November 14, 2006

Preached on Sunday AM, December 24, 2006