Welcoming a King: Worship, Opposition, and Providence

We’re looking at Matthew chapter two today. When we started this series a few weeks ago, I told you that we would be looking at the whole book of Matthew. The first week we too a flyover, 20,000 foot view of the whole book. Last week we zoomed in quite a bit to the circumstances just surrounding the birth. This week, we are going to zoom out a little bit again and look at the whole of chapter 2. The material in this chapter covers perhaps a year or two, but at the same time, prophetically, it spans about 700 years. More on that later!

Let’s read the chapter and then we’ll jump in.

A question, by way of introduction this morning: what is the most historically significant thing that you can recall in your lifetime? Now, you’re probably thinking about that and maybe something instantly pops into your mind. I’d love to hear about it later.

When we think about things that are historically significant, we can think in a number of categories. For instance, in my lifetime, the most significant national or international historic event is no doubt 9/11 2001. Even though I was a child, I remember it like it was yesterday. Maybe a good way to frame events of historic significance, is that in the moment it feels like the world has paused, slowed down, or intensified focus on the here and now.

In another category, however, I can remember things that are more personally significant even than that great tragedy. I think of the death of particular family members, and I know that while the events around 9/11 and the ensuing years of fallout are more significant in terms of scope, I know that the death of my sister, or grandmother, or even my wedding and the birth of my children, are much more significant to me. That is, I personally frame my memories, thoughts, and even some decisions around those things much much more than I would, say, something like 9/11.

9/11 and my wedding are both historic events. Historic in two categories, perhaps, but both historic in that they happened at a point in time. Yet the personal significance always outweighs the broader significance. A man I knew always said, nothing is truly real until it is personal.

In Matthew chapter 2, we are dealing with a number of historic events, but they really all center on and fall out because of one big historic event, and that is the historic event we looked at last week. The birth of Jesus Christ. Matthew frames Jesus’ birth, in this chapter, in its historic significance in several ways. He puts forth the advent, the birth, of Jesus that was historically significant in his day - something that effected the thoughts, actions, and decisions of others. It effected the decision of a number of Eastern Magi to make the journey to Israel to worship this new king. It effected the thoughts and decisions of Herod who was furiously intent on protecting his throne from this supposed heir. It effected the thoughts of the Jewish leaders as they interacted with prophecies about the birth of the Messiah. It effected the thoughts, actions, and decisions of Joseph as he reacted to the turmoil and led his family on two lengthy journeys. It effected the thoughts and actions of families in Bethlehem as their infant boys were slaughtered at the hand of a wicked ruler.

Even in his infancy, Matthew is pointing out the historic significance of the birth of Jesus. Yet, for many, the birth of Jesus is historically significant only in the same way that any other event of ancient history is significant.

What is remarkable about the birth of Jesus, the historic fact of his advent and his life, is that it is significant and real historically, but it also has intense personal implications. The Gospel Records are not meant to be mere records of history that we ponder, consider, and even take as a pattern. No, Jesus coming has purpose and meaning personally. Consider his words in John 10.

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

What we see, then, in these historic events that Matthew records for us is three primary things. There is Worship, Opposition, and Providence - all surrounding, pointing to, leading to, or because of the birth of Jesus. Worship, Opposition, and Providence. I will be so bold to say that this framework applies universally to all human beings.

Here is the big idea to keep in mind as we view the passage together.

God has worked providentially in human history to exalt Himself through Jesus Christ. Do we worship or oppose Him?

Now, we already looked in great detail at the first 12 verses during the advent season. So if you feel like I’m glossing over details or jumping past your favorite Bible story, feel free to go back and listen to the recording of that message from December. But I want to take a slightly different approach this morning, in that we will highlight these three categories in this narrative. Worship, Opposition, Providence.

1. Worship

Worship, here, takes place in the form of the visit of the magi. Now, you can debate about why they came to worship Jesus, or exactly what they intended to convey by their worship to Jesus. Perhaps they only intended to convey a deep level of respect for a human dignitary, although I am of the persuasion that they were deeply and spiritually impacted when they came and saw the child, and they fell down - literally dropped - and worshipped him. In their limited understanding and without the aid of the rest of scripture that we have, I think their hearts were changed - transformed by birth of Christ.

But what comes into your mind when you think of worship? It has become, at least in our modern experience, it has become commonplace to equate worship with the songs we sing at church. We call the Sunday Morning time a “worship service.” But what is worship?

Worship in scripture, in both the Old and New testaments means to prostrate oneself, to bow down, to bend low, to make obeisance. It is a picture - a picture of placing yourself under another, a picture of lowering your significance in light of the clearly higher significance of another.

The idea comes into our English language in the word “worship,” which retains the sense of worthiness. Here are some examples

Psalm 95:6 ESV

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Romans 12:1 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Another, that we will see next week.

Matthew 3:11 ESV

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

You see in those examples the idea of lowering yourself, of offering yourself as a gift or in service, and then in the case of John the Baptist, he doesn’t use the word worship, but he expresses that unworthiness, or that lower disposition.

This is exactly what the Magi displayed in their coming to see the new born King, in their falling down, offering gifts, and paying homage. But what I also want to see is the disposition or mindset that surrounded their explicit act of worship. That is, what was their attitude around the whole thing?

They were seeking and looking for him.

Worship does not happen apart from the constant seeking after, the pursuit of God. Now, when this is part of someones life, it is evidence of the miraculous work of God through the Holy Spirit. No one seeks God naturally, but through the work of the Spirit we come to realize that we need the Lord, that He is infinitely greater and worthy of our attention.

They were rejoicing in Him.

They had been following the star, they came to Jerusalem and made no small scene about finding him, when the star appeared again, they rejoiced greatly. When they met the object of their seeking, they were joyful and also overcome with reverence. Like Jesus parable of the pearl of great price - when we find the one whom our soul longs for, we are exceedingly joyful!

They made offerings of great value.

They brought costly gifts. And monetary gifts can be a large part of our worship, but I’m not speaking here only of the Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. I’m also speaking of the great lengths they took to make the journey. The provisions, the planning, the entourage, their persistence, the amount of sheer time and effort is all astounding, but it was worth it. And there is that sense, again, of worth.

If I can make one point of application here, it is to say that Jesus is worthy of our attention, our effort, our joy and gladness, our reverence, our time, our service. That is why Paul speaks of us offering ourselves to Him as an act of worship - it is to say, he is worthy.

Worship is not merely in song, otherwise it can easily be lip-service. Worship is not merely in our monetary offerings, for some it is an easy thing to give great amounts. Worship is the bowing down of our lives in every aspect, a recognition that he is worthy and we are not. It involves head and heart, mouth and movement, service and sacrifice, joy and reverence.

The historic fact of Jesus’ life is so more significant than any other ancient dignitary - for only Jesus was born savior and king, Lord of all. Only Jesus can change the heart, the life, and the eternal destiny by his saving power. Only He is worthy of such worship and adoration.

John 4:24 ESV

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

2. Opposition

When you read this passage, it is clear where the opposition lies. Obviously, Herod was intensely opposed to any challenge to his throne. I think I mentioned in the sermon around Christmas time, that Caesar Augustus said “I’d rather be Herod’s pig than his son.” He was well-known for his violent and deadly reactions to any suspicion of rebellion or an attempt to usurp. So this one born “king of the Jews” was a real threat.

But opposition does not always take the form of violent and murderous reactions. We can easily label Herod as an enemy of Jesus, an enemy of the truth, and in our way of human comparison we can take comfort in such labeling, because “I would never be so murderous or violent just to get my way.” But what is an enemy of God?

There is, of course, Satan. That accuser of the saints, who is labeled as the adversary both of God and God’s children. He is clearly an enemy, an attempted usurper of God’s throne, intent on stopping and thwarting God’s redemptive work. That is the “behind the scenes” battle, the background enemy that we don’t see with our eyes, yet we certainly feel his blows and attacks against God’s kingdom.

Yet, we are still happy to label the Devil as God’s enemy - that’s a no-brainer. But being an enemy of God is not always so stark and repugnant.

Eminty, or the outworking of enemies, was predicted against God’s redemptive plan from the beginning.

Genesis 3:15 ESV

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

In a similar way that we saw the surrounding attributes of worship in the Magi, what do we see as the surrounding elements of Herod as an enemy or one in opposition to Jesus?

A troubled view of the savior

Herod’s view of Jesus was a view that caused consternation, not joy and reverence. He saw Jesus as a threat to his earthly kingdom. He saw Jesus as a threat to his goals and aspirations. He, though only a half-Jew as an Idumean, was surrounded by Israelites - many of which were still looking for their Messiah, their deliverer-king. Yet, Herod’s view was only personal and selfish. He saw Jesus as the enemy rather than the rescuer.

Intentional Evil

Now, not every display of opposition to the Lord involves intentional, heinous evil. But in this case and many others, it does. Herod’s violent rampage to take out all the boys 2 years and younger in the region of Bethlehem is an extreme case of such, but it is a real and daunting example. History is filled with the violent opposition of truth in many ways, but a violent outbreak is nothing more than the outworking of a seething heart of opposition. That can and does exist even in the most quiet and timid of God’s enemies.

Indifference

Think of the Leaders that Herod assembled and inquired from. They knew the prophecies, they knew the scripture. They saw this band of Eastern men coming looking for the “one who had been born king of the Jews.” They pointed them to Bethlehem, only 5 miles away. Yet, we have no record that they took interest or made the journey themselves to see such a marvellous miracle. They were indifferent.

False Interest in Worship

One of the most striking aspects of Herod’s opposition was the deceit used in order to gain information. He told the Magi - “I want to go worship Him also!” Of course, he only wanted to information to do harm. But false interest in worship can take other forms.

For years in our nation it was the socially acceptable thing to be a church-member, to attend church on Sunday, to name the name of Christ as a cultural appropriation. This still takes place in pockets in our nation. I have been guilty of this. Have you ever attended church or participated in worship because you wanted to please family or friends? I’m certain that I have. I can’t tell you the number of testimonies I have heard of people who participated in the Christian religion for social or family benefit, all the while never having been regenerated - never having a real heart softened and changed by the truth of Christ.

An integral part of the miraculous work of the Gospel is the reconciliation of God’s enemies to become friends and citizens of His Kingdom.

Romans 5:9–11 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Are you an enemy of Christ? That sounds harsh, but its really not an accusatory question. We are all natural-born enemies of the Lord. Not one of us has been born into God’s kingdom by our physical birth - we are reconciled and brought near by the blood of Jesus, and made his friends not by nature, but by new-birth.

3. Providence

Worship, Opposition, and providence. Where does providence come in to all of this? Well, as we said, God has worked providentially through history to exalt himself through Jesus Christ.

John 12:32–33 ESV

And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

The most remarkable example of God’s providential working in History is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Literal, historical events that were meant to transform human beings, human history, human nature. Jesus Christ is drawing people, his enemies, to himself, to be reconciled by his work. But God’s providence is far-reaching, and touches ever aspect of history. We see that here especially as it relates to Jesus.

I mentioned that these events took place over a year or two, but prophetically they span around 700 years.

Matthew 2 is packed with fulfillment quotations. It is clear how God was providentially working through the prophets of the Old Testament to predict and warn of the coming of Jesus, but he is was also providentially working in the direct circumstances in our passage as well.

God providentially worked in the lives of the Magi to give them the interest and insight to be interested in Christ, even from afar.

We don’t know exactly how or why these men were interested. Some speculate it goes all the way back to the time of Daniel in Babylon. Some speculate these were simply learned men who took interest in the Balaam’s prophecy of the Star of Jacob. Some speculate there was a miraculous revelation to them so that they would follow this new star. However the case, it was providential that they who were far off would come near.

Ephesians 2:13 ESV

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

God providentially worked in the appearance of this notorious star.

Was it a supernova? Was it a shooting star? Was it a convergence of planets? Perhaps - regardless, God worked in creation to make it thus. And he providentially works in the lives of his enemies to create faith where there was disdain or indifference.

God providentially worked through human leadership and care.

Last week, we saw that Joseph was not called to be the physical father of Jesus, but he was called to be the husband of Mary and an adoptive father of Jesus. In that role, he was responsible for their care and safety. A young woman, especially with a child, needed a husband. God knew that, and he gave Mary one. He knew that Herod’s wickedness would cause him to kill all these little boys in Bethlehem, and he knew that this young family would need an escape.

Miracles don’t always take the form of instant deliverance. Sometimes miracles take the form of God imparting wisdom to his people, and giving them the strength to follow through with their calling. God told Joseph to take his family to Egypt, and worked providentially through Joseph’s obedience to do so. Yes, God could make the rocks cry out - but he chooses to use us for his work in stead!

God worked providentially through Prophecy

There are four prophetic quotes in this chapter! All of which are fulfilled through the tumultuous narrative that we have. When we think of prophecy and fulfillment, we often think of this picturesque situation where a promise is kept with shining significance and radiance, but here we see that God’s plan often includes even great tragedy in his providence!

In verse 6, Matthew tells us of the Chief Priest’s and Scribes quoting from Micah 5:2 about the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem. This was a direct prophecy fulfilled as a marker of the royal line of Jesus, as he was born in the city of David.

In verse 15, we are told of the young family’s departure from Egypt to go back to Israel after Herod’s death, which Matthew tells us is to fulfil Hosea 11:1. This is a prophecy of types, or picture. Because Hosea was speaking in his mind of Israel coming out of Egypt, yet Matthew tells us that it was pointing to the True Israel, the True Son of God, the True Chosen one, Jesus Christ. Jesus, in this sense, fulfilled this geographic prophecy, but we also know He fulfilled the law, obedience, and sacrifice perfectly - something that national Israel couldn’t, and never did do.

In verse 18, Matthew quotes from Jeremiah. The allusion to Rachel in Jeremiah points to the fact that Rachel was the mother of both nations of Israel and Judah. She was the beloved wife of Jacob, the father of the 12. She was the mother of Benjamin, which became a tribe of Judah, and Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manassah - two half-tribes of Israel. Rachel was not alive in Jeremiah’s day, but she is spoken of, as a picture, in that when both Israel and Judah had been carried away, these, her children, were cause for weeping.

Ramah was the location where the exiles were gathered to be taken to Babylon in 586 B.C. So why the connection to the death of the young boys in Bethlehem? I believe it is because Rachel’s Grave is in that same region. It is very close to what was known in that day also as Ramah - so Matthew was tying in the Grave of Rachel, a mother of Israel, weeping for the death of these children at the hand of Herod, just as there was weeping for the captivity of Israel and Judah.

Remarkable, though, is that God’s promise to deliver his people is pictured here in that he delivered Jesus, his Son, out of this tragedy. And because the Deliverer was rescued from this in the providence of God, he lived to be our rescuer - the savior of his people.

The final prophecy that Matthew mentions, in verse 23, is different even than the rest. Here Matthew does not quote a single Old Testament scripture, but rather cites the general sense of the Old Testament Prophets as a whole.

What does it mean that Jesus would be a Nazarene? Really, what does it mean that anyone would be a Nazarene? Nazareth is not even mentioned in the Old Testament, and it was small and insignificant in the time of Christ also.

The disciple Nathanael, when he heard where Jesus’ home was, said, “can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Because Matthew cites “prophets” here plurally, with no specific passage mentioned, he seems to be citing the theme of the Old Testament that the Messiah would be despised, of no reputation, and somewhat infamous.

Jesus is prophesied as one who would be humble and not taken seriously by his people.

He is prophesied as one who would need delivering from great trouble.

He is prophesied as one who would be rejected and not esteemed - not even considered.

He would be a sufferer, lowly, bruised, afflicted, killed.

When someone thought of Nazareth in that day, they would think, “what does that have to do with anything?” In the same way, Jesus’ people did not receive him. They rejected him as an outcast, a blasphemer.

John 1:11–12 ESV

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

This is our Jesus. The historical Jesus, yes, but the personal Jesus.

The story of Jesus Christ is the story of Worship, Opposition, and Providence. The coming of Jesus is Monumental both Historically and Personally. The right to become children of God? That’s a remarkable offer! This is no dead historic King, this is the living King! The promised King! The king who, though opposed by the Devil, his demons, and all the sons of man, still came to live and die, to rise again giving life to all who will call upon his name! And you, though a natural-born enemy and opposer of this King, can be reconciled, given new life, and brought into His Kingdom both now and forever.

God has worked providentially in human history to exalt Himself through Jesus Christ. Do we worship or oppose Him?

Do you worship or oppose Him? Are you delighted in Him because your heart and life has been changed by the Gospel, or are you indifferent? If you see Jesus and you can take him or leave him, then my friend, you are not his friend by his enemy. But he can change your heart of stone, he can give you a new heart of flesh to love, adore, worship, and seek him all your days.