THE CAST OF CHRISTMAS: The Wisemen 12-28-25
INTRODUCTION
Matthew 2:1-23 NIV
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.”
Matthew 2:1-23 NIV
What have you done with the Christmas story? How do you respond?
I. WISEMEN WORSHIP THE SON
Matthew 2:1-2 NIV
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.””
Matthew 2:1-2 NIV
"In modern research on Herod, the most discussed issue concerns the impact of his reign on his Jewish subjects. Opinions vary. Some scholars paint a picture of a cruel tyrant, even a maniac suffering from a personality disorder, who introduced the ancient version of a Gestapo state with an extended spy network and imprisonment, torture, and execution of anyone falling under the slightest suspicion. His own family was far from exempt, and the list of Herod’s executions of family members included three of his sons, his Hasmonean wife Mariamne, and his wife’s mother and grandfather. In light of this, Solomon Zeitlin said with reference to Herod’s ancestry and his death from a painful disease: “He attained his kingdom as a fox, ruled as a tiger and died as a dog.”
Others claim that his cruelty should be evaluated against the standards of ancient rulers and not modern sentiments. Even Josephus admits that during a famine Herod relieved the nation by distributing food from his royal supplies, just as he cut taxes twice, gave the Jewish nation a beautiful temple, and generally created a period of peace and growing prosperity.
It has been suggested by Geza Vermes and others that the conflicting nature of Herod’s reign is best explained as an outcome of an impossible vision of raising the Jewish nation to new heights by incorporating it solidly within the new Roman world order. This would explain why Herod, on the one hand, tried to be “a Jew to the Jews” by complying with Jewish customs. For example, he produced mostly aniconic art and coins (as suggested by archaeological excavations of his palaces); he married into the old, royal Hasmonean family; and he rebuilt the temple in Jerusalem. On the other hand, he tried to be “a Roman to the Romans” by putting pressure on the Jewish nation to accept Roman customs such as Greek sporting games and temples dedicated to the emperor.
If Herod’s intent was to incorporate the Jewish state into the Roman world order, his dream collapsed. As Vermes stated, the discontentment with Herod planted seeds that eventually grew into the great rebellion against Rome some 70 years after his death. In this light, Herod was not only one of the most famous “kings of the Jews,” but also one of the most fatal."
Morten Hørning Jensen, Herod the Great, December 15, 2023.
A. Heard the story
B. Bowed down
C. Worshipped him
D. Sacrificially gave
What happens after worship?
II. WISEMEN FOLLOW GOD'S LEAD
Matthew 2:9-12 NIV
“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”
Matthew 2:9-12 NIV
A. Listened
B. Responded
"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."
Agnes M. Pharo
What is God leading you toward?
III. WISEMEN STILL SEEK HIM
“To get ready for Christmas, God undressed. God stripped off his finery and appeared – how embarrassing – naked on the day he was born . . .
God could not be God-with-us if he wasn’t flesh . . .
As evangelicals we have focused on the saving death of Christ but thrown out the Incarnation in our Christmas wrappings.
As we cover God with Christmas, we hide what is most distinctive about Christianity. And this is the tragedy: What many don’t know about Christianity is that God has chosen to identify with their pain, their humanness, their flesh.
This is what we’ve lost as we’ve exchanged the Feast of the Incarnation for Christmas."
Mary Ellen Ashcroft, “Gift Wrapping God,” Christianity Today, 12-8-97, p. 32-33.
A. Worship
B. Follow God's lead
The shepherds
Luke 2:8-20 NIV
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
Luke 2:8-20 NIV
CONCLUSION
To quote Charles Spurgeon:
"It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness...Beloved, the greatest joy is to those who know Christ as a Saviour...The further you submit yourself to Christ the Lord, the more completely you know Him, the fuller will your happiness become. Surface joy is to those who live where the Saviour is preached; but the great deeps, the great fathomless deeps of solemn joy which glisten and sparkle with delight, are for such as know the Saviour, obey the Anointed One, and have communion with the Lord Himself...you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit you take the Lord your Master to be your All in all, and make Him the fountain of your intensest delight."
Todd Leupold, "Joy To The World", 12/21/2008.
The Christ child is our Easter sacrifice, but like the Christmas story the question is not whether you believe it, but what will you do after you believe it?
The greatest gift you can give the Christ child is your life!
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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