Matthew 2:1–12: The Magi Worship Jesus - Advent 2021

Introduction

Opening Illustration: Cain & Abel

Recently I was teaching at our Academy on the topic of worship, particularly the OT sacrtificial system. And I asked a question. How would you define “worship?” Perhaps you might say something like this, “Worship is fully trusting in God.” Or, “Worship is bringing our hearts before God in praise.” These are not necessarily wrong. But, if you were to transfer back to the Old Testament days and ask a faithful Jewish man during the days of Moses, “What is Worship?” They might respond this way, “Worship is when we bring a personal gift to God as a sacrifice to demonstrate our thanks and love of him.”

That’s a little different right? What does bringing a gift have to do with it? The bringing of a gift to God goes all the way back to the first man-made sacrifices that we see in the Bible. We see that in the story of Cain and Abel. You recall the story in Genesis 4

Genesis 4:3-5 “3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”

If you know the story of Cain and Abel, you know that what happens next reveals the true problem with Cain and his sacrifice. Cain’s heart was desperately sick and wicked. He made the sacrifice, but his heart wasn’t in it, and God saw straight through it and condemned for his false worship. Cain was more interested in building his own kingdom and begrudgingly paying tribute to God, than he was in buildings God’s Kingdom. Cain’s sacrifice was a begrudging act of legalism, while Abel’s was a joyful act of adoration.

Personal

What gift are you giving to God in your life right now? Perhaps that sounds a bit shallow of a question, but I actually intend for you to think about it a bit. If our lives to are to be lives of worship, and worship is both an alignment of our hearts and our gifts. Then really the question I’m asking is, ‘How are you worshiping the Lord?” So I ask again, what gifts or sacrifices are you making to the Lord right now?

Contextual

Today’s passage is a classic Christmas text. But I think in it we have a few surprising lessons. The text is that of the wise men who visit Jesus bringing gifts. This story of the wisemen coming from the East is a precious part of the Incarnation Narrative. In it we see a number themes at play. Themes that will wind their way through the entire narrative of the New Testament. Here in this passage we see the child Jesus in his innocence, a new legitimate King being born in Israel. And we see that child contrasted against the illegitimate King, King Herod the Wicked, who ruthlessly terrorized the people under his jurisdiction. And in the midst of this contrast between two different Kings, we see the nations coming to worship Jesus, bringing gifts. Full worship always involves both a posture of the heart and a sacrificial gift.

Move 1: Tell the Story

The story takes place shortly after the birth of Christ, likely between six months and a year after his birth. We read the following in the first eight verses:

Matthew 2:1-8 “1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.””

Bethlehem

Immediately we are brought to Bethlehem of Judea. This small, we might say backwoods town in Israel, had played a fairly significant role in Israel’s history. If you recall the story of Ruth in the Old Testament, Ruth had married into a family from Bethlehem. Ruth’s Great Grandchild would be the most famous King in the Old Testament, King David. Who would also come from Bethlehem. However at the time that Jesus was born, Bethlehem was thought of as a nowhere, an unimportant speck on a map.

The Days of King Herod

In verse 1 we’re told that it was the Days of King Herod. Now we’ll need a bit of context to understand how ruthless and tyrannical this King Herod was. Herod was born in 73BC and the time of Christ’s birth at the very end of his life, and therefore the end of his reign. He had been placed in power and named King of Judea by the Roman senate in 40BC, which means he had been ruling for about 40 years at this point. This is the famous King Herod that in 20BC had begun the work on the temple in Jerusalem, bringing it to its full magnificence that we read about in Jesus’s ministry years. Towards the end of his life (the story we’re in now), history records that he became incredibly cruel. He grew jealous and was prone to paranoia. He murdered his wife, and two of his sons. Before he died he had 70 leaders from the Jewish community killed so that the day of his death would be a day of mourning and not rejoicing.

He Ordered the Children to Be Killed

Further, and we will not get to this part of Matthew chapter 2 today, but after the events we ready about today, Herod upon learning that the child of promise, the King of the Jews had been born in Bethlehem had all the male babies two years and younger killed in Bethlehem. It is worth considering that these children were indeed the very first martyrs for Christ. I don’t think we can quite fathom the wickedness of this man.

Wise Men From the East

To that man comes three Magi from the East. Now we don’t exactly where they came from, and these are certainly very mysterious. The term “Wise men” in our translation is an interpretive decision of the Greek word Magi. It is more than likely that these three wise men came from Babylon in the East or Persia. One of the reasons that is a favorite origin for these men is that there was a sizeable Jewish population in Babylon at that time, which would explain why these men would have access to information about the supposed “King of the Jews.” They were clearly well funded and likely played important political and/or religious roles in whatever nation they had come from.

Why Include the Magi in This Story?

As readers of this story the Wise Men from the East are a bizarre addition to the narrative of Christ. These are pagan religious leaders who had access to Old Testament scrolls and were drawn by God through a star in the sky to Israel. What are they doing in this story? Well I think there are two key ideas associated with these men.

#1 The Magi Fulfilled Prophecy.

The first is that these men are the literal fulfillment of OT prophecy

Isaiah 60:6 “6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.”

It is very possible that these religious/political leaders from whatever Pagan nation they came from had been prophesied about hundreds of years prior.

#2 Christ is Healing for the Nations

But there is a second purpose, and that purpose has to do with identity of this child that was born. The Lord is bringing religious/political leaders from the nations to come bow down at the feet of this child. What we see here is the beginnings of the mystery of the Gospel. That Jesus Christ would give his life as a ransom for many. That the Jewish messiah, Jesus born a child in Bethlehem, would not only be the savior for the Jews, but He would be the healing for the nations. Why are these three wise men from Babylon showing up at the birth narrative of our King. It’s because our King came for the nations, and we must never forget that. The mission of God has always been about the nations. And right now as we stand in this room, God is continuing to win for himself a people from every tongue, tribe, nation, and language under the sun, including you. These Magi represent every non-Jewish person who would ever put their faith in Christ, which includes most of the people in this room.

Herod and Jerusalem Were Troubled (V. 3)

Look with me at verse 3. These wise men arrive from the East and they tell Herod about their mission. And we’re told Herod was “deeply troubled.” Remember this a man that is power hungry and in his old age is veering into sever paranoia. The word “deeply troubled” does not quite capture the severity of the term that is used here. The term speaks of a deep movement of the heart that overwhelms you. This is the same term that is used of Jesus after Lazarus dies and he goes and visits Lazarus family, we are told

John 11:33 “33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”

It is immediately after that verse where Jesus breaks down and weeps. Herod is deeply troubled in his inner being, at the threat to his throne and authority. This child Jesus represents a rival, that must be removed.

Herod Gathers the Religious Leaders

What does Herod do? Well he does what he always does when he feels threatened. He sets out to destroy his rival. He gathers the religious leaders of Jerusalem and says, “Tell me where is the Christ to be born?” Those leaders respond to him in verse 6 by quoting a prophecy in the OT that predicted where the Christ would be born. The verse in Matthew splices together a few verses from Micah chapter 5. Let me show you the full passage from Micah.

Micah 5:2-5 “2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And he shall be their peace.

What a powerful Advent verse that is.

Location: It pinpointed the birthtown of the messiah as the same town as where King David was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah.

Ancient of Days (Identity): Matthew actually leaves off the true ending that verse back in Micah which goes on to say, “one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” The prophet Micah had looked forward and knew that when the Messiah came it would be God in the flesh. It’s really a remarkable verse. Micah is saying that the one born will have existed in eternity past. Emmanuel “God with us.”

Ruler & Shepherd (Role): We’re told this child would grow to be both a Ruler and a Shepherd. As a ruler, Jesus would be the King of Kings, though not of geo-political kingdom of this Earth, but of a Spiritual Kingdom that transcends every other Kingdom. He’s a King. But he’s also a shepherd. Jesus himself said during his ministry.

John 10:11 “11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

As a shepherd he knows his sheep. He loves his sheep. He cares for His sheep.

He Shall Be Great to Ends of the Earth & He Will Be Their Peace: “He will be their peace.” Not that he will create peace, or make peace, but He himself will be our peace. When Christ died on the cross in your place He Himself became our peace with God by removing our sins and imputing his righteousness unto us.

Ephesians 2:14 “14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility”

Herod Sends Them Out to Find Jesus

After this response from the religious leaders, Herod sends the wise men on their way with the instructions not only to find the boy, but when they had to come back to him and tell them where he is. He lies to the wisemen telling them he wants to worship, but in fact he wants to kill him and remove the threat to his own kingdom.

Move 2: The Wise Men Visit Jesus

After this encounter with Herod, the wise men are sent off, and then we read this encounter they have with the child Jesus.

Matthew 2:9-12 “9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

The same star that had led them from the East all the way to Jerusalem now leads them to the little town of Bethlehem. At this point in Bethlehem certainly rumor had spread as the sheperds who had already visit the baby Jesus would have shared their experiences.

They Rejoiced Exceedingly with Great Joy

We’re told in verse 10 the condition of their heart. “They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” There is a palpable distinction being drawn between these leaders from the East and Herod. Herod was filled with paranaoia and rage at the birth of this child. These wise men were full of great joy at the birth of this child. Their heart is worshipful before they even lay eyes on the child.

The Heart & the Gifts Come Into Alignment

Then when they discover the house where Mary and the child were, they present their gifts: Gold, Frankinscense, Myrrh. Over the years much speculation has been made about these gifts. Some have said that the the myrrh was a foreshadowing of Christ’s death because myrrh was often used a burial spice. I think that is looking too far into the text. What we have here is an extraordinary gift of incredible value. What we have here is both the heart and the gift coming into alignment. The heart we have seen, they’re rejoicing in great gladness. And now the gifts. They give sacrificially of what they have, and they don’t just give sacrificially but they give abundantly and joyfully, laying their gifts at the feet of the King. This is worship. This what it means to be overwhelmed by the reality of God in the flesh.

The Story Closes

When this beautiful act of worship is complete, they are warned in a dream by God not to return to Herod. And so, listening to God, they depart back to their own country, certainly to lay seeds of evangelism in their own nations. I wonder on their way back how many towns they stopped in telling their story of the child they had met?

Move 3: Preaching to the Heart

I want to bring us back to this idea of worship, and that worship involves both the heart and the gift. True worship, the kind of worship that shapes a person, that forms godliness in a person, that sets you up for the life you were created to live involves the coming together of both the heart and the gift. These Magi exemplify full worship. And I want to evaluate and expose both of the ways that we often fail in bringing true worship to God. On the one hand we have Giftless Worship, and on the other hand we have Heartless Worship. Both are inconsistent and both

Error 1: Giftless Worship (Emotional Experience)

Giftless Worship is what I would call Sentimental or Emotional Worship. It is possible to come into a room like this and have an incredibly overwhelming sense of the presence of God. It’s possible to be in situations where even over a long period you’re tasting of the goodness of who God is. To be around worship can often be to have an emotional experience. But if that emotional experience does not change something about you, it wasn’t worship. If it doesn’t cause to take stock of your life and ask the hard questions of where sin is in your life, and where your life is out of order with God’s design, it may have been an incredibly moving worshipful experience, but it wasn’t worship.

True worship must affect your will, and your life. Romans 12:1 says this emphatically:

Romans 12:1 “1 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.”

The author of Romans identifies acceptable worship as a life of sacrifiical living. If that your faith costs you nothing, your faith could be amounting to nothing more than emotionalism. If there is no sacrificial lifestyle. No sacrifices of your finances to further the Kingdom of God, no sacrifices of your time to invest in people and issues that are near and dear to God’s heart, there’s a problem. Giftless worship is not full worship.

Error 2: Heartless Worship

Heartless Worship on the other hand is what I like to call Religiosity. Religiosity is when we go through all the motions of sacrificial living (at least outwardly it appears this way). We attend Church on Sundays. We give financially to our Church to other Christian ministries. We serve the homeless outreach. There is an outward display of a movement in life, of godly behavior. But underneath, you’re much like Cain, who brough the gift, but his heart indeed was far from Christ.

Herod is an Example of Heartless Worship

Herod is a great example of heartless worship. Herod considered himself Jewish. This man literally rebuilt the temple in a multi-decade building project that costs unheard of amounts of money. This was a man that surrounded himself with religious leaders. Archaeology has uncovered that in three of his castles he had Jewish purification vessels called ‘mikvaot’ that were used for religious ceremonial cleansing. But all of his spending, and all of his networking, was just religiosity. His heart was clearly far from God.

Modern Examples of Heartless Worship

Church, I am so afraid that we allow far too much heartless worship into our faith, to the point that at times I am concerned. If you’re coming to Church, and hearing the beautiful news of the Gospel week in and week out and there is very little heart involved in your presence, there is a problem. If you’re sitting with the gathering of the saints week in and week out and singing old hymns that remind us that we were lost and now found, we were dead and made alive, and if you can sing those songs week in and week out with barely a string on your heart plucked, I’m concerned. If you can take the elements of the Lord’s Supper, and behold the sign of body and blood of Christ, and not wonder in awe at the King and repent at the wickedness of your thoughts and intentions throughout the week and marvel at his continued sustaining grace in your life, what are you doing? If a person is content to pray with their mouths and their throats but not with the affections of their soul, they are simply heartless worshipers keeping busy with Church events.

True Worship is the Heart and the Gift

True worship involves a heart that has been captured by Christ and rejoices with joy, and then a life lived as a living sacrifice. We must remember that the greatest gift given was not the gold, nor the frankinsense, nor the myrrh. The greatest was that child, Jesus, the child born to die. Christ is a gift of immeasurable and eternal worth. His life was life was the true life lived perfectly in worship, and his death was the true sacrifice made for the reconciliation of the saints. If you’re in this room and you want to know what God wants of you today. He wants you to behold Jesus with adoration and wonder. God with us. He wants you to determine in your soul that Jesus alone gets to sit on the throne of your life. He wants you to submit unto him all things. For he alone is worthy of our worship.

Worship Through Trial

I want to pause here and acknowledge the reality of what this means. This week, this Church has experienced a tragedy. I don’t say that lightly. The reality of what took place is just horrific. And the question I have for us today, is what does this text about the Wise Men from the East, and their heart of worship have to do with us today, on this day, in the midst of such heartache? My answer in short is… everything. I think these wise men have everything to teach us about how we approach trials in this fallen world.

In prayer, I have found it difficult to know what exactly to pray for other than to pray for the Lam family specifically that they would be strenghtened especially in this season. I found myself regularly coming back to words Kensen has shared in the past.

What I want to suggest is that full worship, of both heart and gift, is needed especially in season of trial. Full worship in the midst of a storm may feel like the exact wrong thing to do. But in fact, if we can back up for a moment, it is the only thing that can possibly truly minister to a broken and wounded soul, in a broken and wounded world.

Worship Restores Perspective

Worship permits you to see the trials of this life in their proper size. It is like the old Hymn that says Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face, and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his mercy and grace. Full worship may be one of the only tools we have to help us regain perspective. It doesn’t make the trial less, it just makes God more.

Communal Worship Reminds the Soul They are Not Alone

Secondly, communal worship, reminds the soul they are not alone. In trials it can easily feel like you are alone. The pain is all yours to carry. But in communal worship, when our voices are lifted up to God in unison, and our hearts are aligned as a community before God, the soul is reminded that we belong to a spiritual family, and that strengthens our resolve. Sometimes we need others to worship for us, when we feel we lack the will or the strength.

Closing

What Gift Are Your Bringing?

And so I want to close today’s sermon where we started by asking a question. What does your worship of Christ look like? Has your worship been lacking a heart. Don’t let today pass without beholding Christ in all of His glory. Has your worship been lacking the gift of a life of sacrifice? Don’t leave today without a determination in your heart to give extravagently towards our King. Full worship always involves both a posture of the heart and a sacrificial gift.