Three Men and a Baby

Matt. 2:1-12-THREE MEN AND A BABY

SBS:

Intro: People react to meeting a minister in different ways. Some are on their best behavior and some are on their worst. It is the same with the God Man Jesus Christ. In today’s passage we see people from two different towns, five miles apart, but Matthew shows us the range of reactions to the birth of Jesus at these two towns. He arranges these reactions chiastically with the top reaction to be compared with the bottom one.

There were not necc. 3 wise men. Since I know that there were at least 2 and Herod, I named the sermon 3 men and a baby. The song we three kings of orient are is OK except for the fact that we don’t know if there were three of them, they weren’t kings, and we are not sure exactly where they came from. Other than that it seems like a pretty good song. Kind of like “other than that how did you like the play Mrs. Lincoln?”

EVERY PERSON HERE SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES WHAT THEIR REACTION IS TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Standard Outline (headings and body text)Reactions of Anger as opposed to Appreciation. v. 3a and v. 11b-gave him gifts

Anger because of a loss of power. Herod was afraid that he was going to lose control. The wise men stop to ask for directions after coming all that way. That is what causes them trouble. That is why wise men should not stop and ask for directions.

Word troubled Figuratively used of the mind, to stir up, trouble, disturb with various emotions such as fear, put in trepidation. In the pass., to be in trepidation

Same word is used of Jesus in John 11 when Mary and Martha are upset because of Lazarus death

Appreciation because of a sense of awe at this child. The wise men knew they were in the presence of greatness and they gave him the best that they had. How far we should press the meaning of these gifts is difficult. But they were gifts for a king {Teacher of First graders asked her class what the wise men had brought, she was told “Gold, Frankenstein, and Smurfs.” Only by realizing how great Christ is and how small we are can we really understand Matthew’s message.

REACTIONS OF WORRY as opposed to WORSHIP 3b. vs. 11a

Worry because of what Herod might do. Some come to church with anxiety. Herod was a whack-job. That is the theological term. The original Greek is Wacko, wackes, wacke, wackomen, wackete, wackousi. Never know what I might do

Worship of who he really was and what he was to become. They fell down and worshiped. To fall down and worship you must realize two things:

How small you are

How great Christ is

REACTIONS OF INDIFERENCE as opposed to ENJOYMENT. VV. 4-6 V. 10

Indiference comes because they failed to take the word of God seriously.

Bethlehem was a small city that little was expected of.

God uses the little to confound the mighty

Joy of the Wise men comes when they realize that they are almost to the place of the king. The star is leading them to the place.Show up after following a star. Every year at Christmas the tabloid papers claim to discover what the star was. These are the same papers that tell us “legless man becomes rodeo star; Siamese twins move to England so the other one can drive

These two towns only five or six miles apart were worlds apart in their reactions. Remember in the Chronicles of Narnia the difference between the world on the one side of the wardrobe and the other side? Lucy goes through and it is cold, snowing, there is a great fear in the land because of a wicked Queen of whom everyone is afraid of. Then comes rumours that Aslan is on the move again.

In Jeruselam, it was a fearful time, the king was wicked and mean, but born in that baby was the messiah. The wise men realized that God was on the move again. He is still on the move, how will you react to him today?