The Tale of Two Kings Part 1 -- Wise Men still seek Him!

The Timing of Jesus Birth — (Vs. 1a)

The Place of His Birth — Bethlehem of Judaea

Bethlehem was at this time a small town five or six miles south of Jerusalem, in the fertile hill country of Judea (Judah). It was cradled between two ridges and located along the main ancient highway from Jerusalem to Egypt. In the Old Testament it was referred to as Bethlehem Ephrathah.

It was in Bethlehem that Jacob buried Rachel. It was also here that Ruth met and married Boaz and that their illustrious grandson, David, grew up and tended sheep. By the time of Jesus' birth, it had long been called the city of David.

The thing I find most interesting about the Birthplace of Christ is the fact that it’s very name means “House of Bread”.

Is it any wonder that the “Bread of Life” was born in the “House of Bread”?

Now, if I didn’t know any better I’d believe someone had that planned out…as Bro. Seber says on his Facebook posts…wink wink!

Not only was the Bread of Life born in the House of Bread but the prophesied Messiah promised to King David was born in the city of David!

Listen, the more you study the word of God the more you will find that the very fibers of it’s being were woven before the sands of time were even thought of!

Long before this world’s creation, the creator and sustainer of life had this whole thing figured out like a master chess player who knows every move he’s going to make before he even sits down at the table to play!

Nothing catches God off guard because He knew how it all would end before it ever began!

Now, that we see the Place of Christ’s birth, next, let’s look at the Potentate during this time period.

The Potentate — Herod the king

I want to spend a few minutes here and introduce you to one of the most wicked men in all of history because next week, we’re going to see his evil character come to life.

This man I speak of is king Herod.

Herod the Great as he was referred to was born around 73 BC. He ruled Judea, Samaria, Perea, and Galilee from 37 BC until the time of his death in 4 BC.

He was an Idumean (or Edomite) by birth and was appointed by Rome in 40 BC to rule Judea because of his alliance with Rome.

He gained control of Galilee and then Jerusalem from Antigones, a Hasmonean allied with the Parthians, in 37 BC.

He ruled the Jewish people until his death in 4 BC, at which time his reign was divided among three of his sons, Archelaus (who was over Idumea, Judea, and Samaria, Philip (over the northeastern sector of his father’s territories), and Herod Antipas (over Galilee and Perea). — Teaching the Text Commentary

Warren Wiersbe — He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.

It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title "King of the Jews." But there was another reason.

Herod was not a full-blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began even before the boys were born (Gen. 25:19-34). It is the spiritual versus the carnal, the godly versus the worldly.

Chuck Swindoll — “Herod had no legitimate right to the title “King of the Jews.” Far from having a place in the bloodline of the Davidic dynasty, Herod’s ancestors were Idumean converts to Judaism.

His father, Antipater, was a wealthy and politically connected Idumean who had been appointed by Rome to a high position in Judea. The Idumeans were descendants of Esau, who had forfeited his birthright to his brother, Jacob, also called “Israel” (Gen. 25:33–34; 32:28).

Thus, ironically, in becoming “King of the Jews,” Herod seemed to reverse the ancient fortunes of Jacob and Esau, giving the natural firstborn the upper hand.

Political support from Rome and a strategic marriage to a Jewish royal gave Herod the crown around 40 BC, and he kept it through bloody intrigue for more than thirty years.

So desperate was Herod to maintain his questionable hold on the title “King of the Jews” that he was known to execute even his own family members. Herod’s ruthless madness was legendary.

Fearing his potential threat, he had the high priest Aristobulus, who was his wife Mariamne’s brother, drowned.…He then had Mariamne herself killed, and then her mother and two of his own sons. Five days before his death … he had a third son executed."

A fifth-century historian, Macrobius, wrote, “When [Caesar Augustus] heard that Herod king of the Jews had ordered boys in Syria under the age of two years to be put to death and that the king’s son was among those killed, he said, ‘I’d rather be Herod’s pig than his son!’ ”

The man was a lunatic to say the least and his rule and rage was fueled by his lust for power!

It has been said that he knew no one would care when he died so he commanded that a group of Jews were rounded up and imprisoned and upon his death they were to be murdered so that there would be a great mourning and it could at least be said that people wept upon his death!

The man was deranged and evil beyond compare!

Lying, deceit and murder were his greatest of fortes!

Who does that remind you of?

Jesus told the Pharisees in...

John 8:44 — Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

So we see the Timing of Jesus Birth now let’s look at the Transient Visitors at Jesus Birth.

Transient by the way means short lived or momentary for those who may be wondering.

The Transient Visitors — (Vs. 1b)

Wise Men — Greek word “Magi or Magos” — It’s where we get our English word magician from although these men didn’t make buses and airplanes disappear nor did they cut people in half and put them back together.

No, these Magi were much different than the magicians we see today and not only that, but there is so much distortion in in the traditions of today about who these men are that I’d dare say the majority of you will be surprised with what I’m about to share with you.

The Bible tells us simply that, “there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem” doesn’t it?

Do you see the number three there anywhere?

You see, the tradition of today tells us that there were three wise men and I’m sure that tradition has come to be because of the number of gifts that were presented to our Lord but the reality is, Matthew never tells us how many there were and as we learn more about these men here, you will begin to see that there’s a good possibility that there were many more or even an entourage with these wise men.

Now, not only do we not see anywhere that there are three of them but we also do not see anywhere where they are called kings.

It does not say there came three kings from the east to Jerusalem does it?

No.

We three kings of Orient are has become the tradition. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful song and even I love to sing it and the meaning behind it is wonderful but it’s simply a distortion of what the Bible actually tells us.

So who were these wise men then?

When you look up who the Magi actually were, considering they came from the east, most scholars believe they were a priestly cast from the areas of Medo, Persia or Babylon who were students of astrology.

John G Butler said of this of these Magi...Their counsel was often sought by ancient rulers of the eastern world. Daniel was made head of such an order (Daniel 2:48) because of his interpreting of a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar. Being from the "east" indicated they were from the Arabian or Persian areas.

Now to build on this thought, I believe what Dr. Rod Mattoon says about these men is as probably close to who they really were than any other explanation I’ve read.

Dr. Rod Mattoon — The fact that these men came from the East has led many scholars to conclude that these men were part of a priestly-political class in Persia known as the Parthians. That is a guess, and a good one. The Parthians were powerful because their influence determined who would be king. This is why they were called "king-makers."

They were very skilled in astronomy. Their skills in math, science, and agriculture gave them great influence in advising kings in the Medo-Persian and Babylonian empire. Thus, they were named "wise men."

When we study the book of Daniel, we find that these wise men held some of the highest positions in the Babylonian empire.

He goes on to say...

I believe Daniel taught these wise men a great deal about Jehovah, the true God of the universe. I believe he also taught them important prophecies of the Scriptures which are revealed in the book of Daniel. In Daniel 9:24-27, there is a prophecy that gives a time period about the Messiah.

After the Jews were set free in Babylon, many of them remained behind and intermarried with the Babylonians. Because of this, the influence of a coming Jewish messiah remained strong in the region of the wise men for hundreds of years. This influence continued all the way up to the time of the birth of Jesus Christ and is a reason why these wise men showed up in Jerusalem.

These magi appear to be among the many Gentiles that had a true fear and reverence for the Lord in the time of Christ.

These wise men were seeking to honor a king unlike any other king that would set upon a throne. In essence, they were coming to honor the King of all kings and Lord of lords… Jesus Christ.

Now, the reason I believe this is the most plausible answer for who these wise men were is the fact that they came seeking the King of the Jews as we will see here in this next verse.

If they were simply gentiles worshiping the false gods of their own nations, then why would they be seeking for the King of the Jews?

This is what leads me to believe Mr. Mattoon’s explanation is the most realistic of all the ones I read.

But why Jerusalem? Why didn’t they go directly to Bethlehem?

Well the Bible tells us this in the next verse where we will see The Topic of Their Visit.

The Topic of Their Visit — (Vs. 2)

They were searching for the King of the Jews!

When the Bible says here they came from the east to Jerusalem “saying” that word translated in the Greek is a present active participle in the which denoted continuous or repeated action.

They din’t come into town and ask one time, no they were asking everyone!

“Where is he that is born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him!”

I’m sure the locals were like, “who are these men and what are they talking about? Don’t they know that Herod is the king and he ain’t no baby!”

They were probably thinking to themselves, “these guys better hush! Don’t they know who Herod is and how ruthless he is! If they ain’t careful, they’ll be the next on his hit list!”

Now, before we move on to what Herod probably thought, I want you to notice one minor little detail here that is easily overlooked…these wise men, Gentiles of all people, were the first to call the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews!

It wasn’t the Jews but the Gentiles who reverenced Him first and we will see the story play into that a little more as we move on through.

Now to Herod for just a second.

I can only imagine he’s sitting in his palace, having a grand ole time and all of a sudden one of his servants come running in and saying, “your majesty, there is a caravan of men traveling the streets looking for a baby who they say has been born King of the Jews!”

Can you imagine the thoughts that began to run through his mind upon the hearing of this new born King that was to take his spot?

I’m sure the moment he heard these words it sent a chill up his spine and kindled a fire in his soul and immediately he tells his servant to bring them to him!

Look on down in Verses 3-6 at The Troubling of the People!

The Troubling of the People — (Vs. 3-6)

The Bible says upon hearing this, that Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.

The word “troubled” used here is the word (tarassō) and it means to stir up, to cause deep distress, to disturb or throw into confusion!

These Wise Men had caused a commotion in the streets of Jerusalem to say the least!

They’ve got everyone in town talking about this newborn King of the Jews and they’ve got Herod’s mind going a mile a minute!

Now, there’s three things here I want you to see here about the troubling of the people.

The Interrogation of the Chief Priests & Scribes — (Vs. 4)

Herod had no clue because he wasn’t a Jew but he was so scared of potentially losing his position and power that he calls an immediate adjournment of the scribes and priests and notice what the Bible says here…he demanded of them where the Christ should be born!

The Insight of Prophecy — (Vs. 5-6)

The scribes and the chief priests new the prophecy and straightway tell him that the Christ child is to be born in Bethlehem of Judaea and then they share the prophecy of Micah 5:2 — But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, Though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

I love what one writer said about this moment…He said...

These men gave him the answer that is found in God's Word. If you are seeking the Lord, that is where you will find a lot of answers about Him. — Dr. Rod Mattoon

Now, the thing that I found most interesting about this passage is the word “rule” used here. It is the Greek word translated (Shepherd).

“For out of thee shall come a governor who shall shepherd my people Israel.”

Bethlehem had already produced one shepherd boy who would rule it’s people which was king David but now there would be another shepherd, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting and He will shepherd the flock of Israel!

Not only did the Lord Jesus Christ shepherd the flock of Israel but He also gave His life for His sheep!

He is our great shepherd!

So, we see The Interrogation of the Chief Priests & Scribes and then we see The Insight of Prophecy and now, in Verse 7 we’re going to see...

The Inquiring of the Wise Men — (Vs. 7)

So after finding out that the prophesied Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, notice what he does.

The Bible says he pulls the Wise Men aside privately and begins to ask when the star that was the sign the Messiah had come began to appear.

And notice it says he inquired of them diligently!

He asked over and over and over to make sure they were sure when it showed up and we will see why he was so diligent in his inquiry next week.

Now look at The Trickery of Herod in Verse 8.

The Trickery of Herod — (Vs. 8)

Now, there are a couple things I want to point out here.

The Deceit of His Request

Herod told the Wise Men that when they found the newborn king to bring word again to him because he wanted to come worship him as well but the reality is, the only reason he wanted to know where the Christ child was is so that he could murder him and therefore eliminate the threat to his throne.

The Denial of the Jews

Notice, the only people to continue searching for the newborn King of the Jews was the Wise Men!

Listen, the chief priests and scribes, the religious Jewish leaders of the time were just now told that their prophesied king was born and was near and they didn’t even go looking for Him!

He came for them, the Jews, His own people, and they didn’t even care enough about Him to travel 6 miles down the road to see if the prophecy had come true!

They were going to rely on a group of Gentiles from 900 miles away to go and see if the one they had been waiting on forever had actually come!

Listen to me this morning friend, Wise Men still seek Him!

Are you seeking Him today? Are you seeking a deeper relationship with Him? Do you seek to know more about Him? Do you seek to grow in His Word?

If not, the question I would ask you is why?

What’s keeping you from growing closer to God today?

So, we see the Trickery of Herod. Now, I want you to see The Tracking of the Star in Verse 9.

The Tracking of the Star — (Vs. 9)

Now, many people have tried to understand this star and to be honest, there’s not a dogmatic answer out there as to where this star came from or where it went nor any rhyme or reason as to it’s appearing or disappearing.

All we know for sure is what the Bible tells us and that is the fact that the star appeared in the east to signify that the King of the Jews had been born.

Then, it’s as if the star disappeared until this Verse here where it reappears to guide them to the very house where the Christ child resided.

Now, one last thing before we continue on. When you see the manger scene at Christmas what do you see?

We have the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger, with three kings presenting Him gifts and angels in the sky shouting glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will toward men!

Sound about right?

Well the reality is, all of these events happened but at different times and in different manners.

As we’ve already seen, there’s a possibility there were multiple Wise Men and probably even an entourage of people with them and nowhere does it say that they were kings as we’ve also already seen.

The other thing I want to point out here is the fact that it says the star went before them until it came and stood over where the “young child” was.

The wise men did not visit Jesus as a baby but more than likely Jesus was a toddler and was 1-2 years old.

In the Book of Luke Chapter 2:12, the angel tells the shepherds that Christ the Lord would be a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

The word babe used here is the Greek word (brephos) and it means baby or infant but the word used here in Matthew for young child is the Greek word (paidion) which means small child.

Unlike our normal rendition today of Him being a babe when they came to present gifts, Jesus at the earliest was months old but more than likely he was 1-2 years old upon their visit.

So, we see The Tracking of the Star. Now, let’s move on to The Triumphing of the Wise Men in Verse 10.

The Triumphing of the Wise Men — (Vs. 10)

***EXCEEDING GREAT JOY!***

These men were excited because the star was back to guide them but more importantly they were excited to meet with Jesus!

Let me ask you something, do you get excited to meet with Jesus!

Do you get excited about the thought of being in His presence?

If not, then friend you got a problem!

They rejoiced with exceeding great joy at the thought of meeting Jesus and we ought to as well!

Now, let’s finish this out by looking at Verses 11-12. In Verse 11 we see The Tribute of the Wise Men and The Treasures of the Wise Men and then in Verse 12 we will look at The Trip Home.

The Tribute of the Wise Men — (Vs. 11a)

The Bible says here that when they entered the house they saw the young child and they fell down and worshipped Him.

First you need to see who they worshipped. They didn’t fall down and worship Mary did they?

No, they worshipped Jesus.

Listen, Mary undoubtedly played a very important role in our Lord’s life but it is her Son that is to be worshipped not her.

Some religions pray to Mary and worship Mary but that was never what God intended and I’d dare say that if Mary were here she’d tell these folks that they have it all wrong!

That’s it’s not her that deserves the glory but Him for He was also her savior!

Secondly, I want you to see how they worshipped Him.

They fell down and worshipped Him!

I believe they fell down prostrate, face on the floor, and worshipped the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

The significance of that is the fact that the Bible says that one day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father!

Friend you can be WISE like the Wise Men and bow on this side or you can be FOOLISH and be made to bow on the other. Either way, you WILL bow!

Now look at The Treasures of the Wise Men.

The Treasures of the Wise Men — (Vs. 11b)

After worshiping Him, they presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Why these gifts though?

What was meant by offering these gifts specifically?

The Bible does not specify the why behind these gifts but I can guarantee you there was a specific reason behind them and also a reason that they were written down in history for all the ages to remember.

John Phillips tells a very moving story about the gifts the Wise Men presented written by a man named F.W. Boreham in a book called “The Lost Chronicles of Suffi-Abbas”.

One of the three wise men felt sure that what the world needed was a King, one who could rule the nations with authority and power, put down unrighteousness, and bring prosperity and peace to mankind. So, certain that the star would lead them to a King, he brought a royal present, a gift of gold, the peculiar treasure of kings.

The second wise man, knowing that the world's ideas of God were warped, thought that God needed to come down here in human form and show the world what He was really like. So, wanting God to be manifest in the flesh, he brought frankincense, a gift for deity since incense was used for worship.

The third hoped that the star would lead them to a Savior. This wise man knew that the world was a sinful place, sadly in need of One who would take on Himself the weight and guilt of the sins of mankind and atone for them. So, convinced that such a great Savior must also be a great sufferer, he brought myrrh, a gift for One destined to die since the spice was used to embalm the bodies of the dead.

"They came to Bethlehem," wrote Boreham. "And when they saw that the star had but led them to a baby in a woman's arms, all three were at first overwhelmed with dismay." Then they heard Mary sing the song recorded by Luke: "My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour..." (1:46-47, italics added).

"The Lord!" cried the first wise man. "Then I have found my King!" And he presented his gift of gold.

"In God!" exclaimed the second wise man. "Then I have found my God!" And he presented his gift of frankincense.

"My Savior!" chorused the third wise man. "Then I have found my Savior!" And he presented his gift of myrrh.

My God, My Savior, My King!

Let me ask you something this morning friend...

Is He your God?

Is He your Savior?

Is He your King?

If not, He can be!

You just simply need to believe and so it shall be!

John 3:16 — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Ephesians 2:8-9 — 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Romans 10:9–10

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Make Him your Lord; Make Him your God; Make Him your Savior today!

Now one last thing for those who are saved. As I was studying this the thought came to my mind…these men, these Wise Men, probably brought Jesus the absolute best gift they could get their hands on and the thought that came to mind was this...

What gifts have you brought to the Lord?

I want you to think about everything He has done for you and given you and then think of what you have done for and given Him.

Some of us have probably never used the gifts He has given us to give back to Him this morning.

What are you giving Him?

And listen, this isn’t a play on money for God doesn’t need your money.

He wants you and wants you to use the talents He has given you for His honor and His glory.

Are you doing that this morning?

If not, during this invitation I want you to come and ask God how you can put to good use the gifts He has given you for the glorification and furtherance of His Kingdom!

The Trip Home — (Vs. 12)

And lastly as we come to a close, I want you to see The Trip Home in Verse 12.

After visiting with His Son, God visited these Wise Men in a dream and told them to take a different route home.

Now listen, in order to have a dream to have to sleep right?

We know these Wise Men stayed at least one night here in Bethlehem but who knows, they may have stayed a couple nights before returning to their home country.

The fact that God visited with them in a dream though is amazing seeing as they were Gentiles.

It reminds us that it doesn't matter where you’re from or what your background or story is, God wants a relationship with you!

And lastly, these Wise Men listened to God’s direction and departed to go home another way.

They obeyed God’s leading and the question I leave for you today is this...

Won’t you do the same?

If you’re lost and God is leading you to salvation, won’t you trust in His Son and be glorious saved today?

And if you’re saved but God is leading you into a deeper, more profound relationship with Him, won’t you stop allowing other things to get in the way and obey His leading this morning?

Whatever the need may be, wherever He leads, won’t you simply follow?