True Wise Men

Kim Alexander

The Gospel of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

Matthew 2:1–12

Wise men come to Bethlehem

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We take a look at what it means to be a True Wise Man.

Notes

Transcript

Introduction: 1 Corinthians 1:20 asks the question,

Where is the wise?

Consider that question as we look at the following pictures (Show pictures). Where is the wisdom in those pictures? Men, have you ever done anything like what we have looked at here? I’m guilty!

What is wisdom? In the Book of Proverbs, we read,

Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7)

I remember hearing the late Dr. Jerry Falwell say, “Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective and living it out.”

Well, as we come to the Word of God, we see wisdom put into action. We see some wise men who set out in search of the Messiah. This is where wisdom begins – in the search. And for these wise men, wisdom will be fully realized when they set their eyes on Jesus Christ. The same is true for every one of us. Real wisdom is finding your Messiah. Finding Jesus Christ. Have you found Him?

In John 1:41-42, we read,

41 He (Andrew) first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).

Can you see how wisdom worked in those verses, and between those brothers? Wisdom is searching for and finding Jesus Christ. We see this in our text today. Let’s dive in and look at the wise men's search for the Messiah.

1. The Coming of the Wise Men (Setting the Stage) – Matthew 2:1

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,

Consider all the information we have here just in verse 1:

· Who was born?- Jesus was born. The Savior had been born.

· Where was Jesus born?– Bethlehem of Judea, also called Ephrath. Bethlehem was located 5 miles south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem means, house of bread. I find it interesting that Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:48ff) was born in the house of bread. It was also the ancestral birthplace of King David.

· Who was the King?– Herod (the Great). I’ll share more about him later. He is the villain in our text.

· What event took place?- Wise men came from the East. Wise men were magi, who were probably students of the stars (astrologers). It has been suggested that they may have been from Babylon, Persia, or Egypt. They may have traveled some 900 miles.

· Where do they come to?– Jerusalem. This was the capital city. This was a good reference point for them. If a Messiah had been born surely the capital city would be a place where you could find some reliable news.

2. The Question of the Wise Men – Matthew 2:2

2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Look at the question they asked,

Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

Can you see that this would have been a troubling question for Herod the king? In his eyes, there could only be one king of the Jews – him!

What did the wise men follow? – A star. And it wasn’t just any star. Notice that it is called, “His star”. Are you aware that this star is also the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy? We read in Numbers 24:17,

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

The wise men said that they had been following this star and that it brought them here. This star was a directional beacon for these wise men.

Why did they follow this star?

To worship Him.

Again, I remind us that true wisdom is seeking and finding Jesus Christ and worshipping Him.

3. The Trouble the Wise Men brought – Matthew 2:3

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Who was troubled by this news?Herod was troubled. The Greek word means, “in turmoil, terrified.” Herod was so protective of his role as a king that if anyone threatened that role he had them killed.

Who else was troubled? All Jerusalem with him. The people in Jerusalem knew Herod was a madman. When Herod was unhappy, usually his subjects became the brunt of his unhappiness.

Information about Herod

Herod wasn’t a real king. He was appointed ruler by the Roman senate in 40 B.C. He gave himself the title of King. Herod was extremely cruel and killed many people. Herod was married 9 times for the purpose of fulfilling his lusts and political aspirations. He had many of his wives and two of his brothers killed, suspecting them of treason. Herod wasn’t a Jew, he was an Idumean, a descendant of Esau. So, here we have the old struggle between Esau and Jacob.

4. The Wise Men were Fact Checked – Matthew 2:4

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

Whom did Herod gather around him?

· The Chief priests– not just priests, but the head guys of Jewish worship.

· And Scribes– these religious leaders were the ones who understood Jewish Scripture – the Law and the Prophets.

What was Herod seeking? Where the Christ was to be born.

Herod understood that if anyone should know about the coming of Christ (Messiah) that it should be the religious leaders.

5. The Wise Men were not Cancelled – Matthew 2:5-6

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Where was Christ born? Bethlehem, in the land of Judea.

How did they discover this? Through the Prophet

What Prophet? Micah. We read in Micah 5:2,

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting.”

· Micah 5:2 - Ruler – some translations use the governor.

· Matthew 2:6 - Shepherd – lead, feed, and protect.

These religious leaders KNEW the Scripture, and they understood where the Messiah was going to be born, but they did nothing with that knowledge. That is not wisdom! Wisdom is putting knowledge into practice.

I have read that the religious people that Herod summoned were only five miles from the Son of God and yet they refused to go and see Him. And yet, the Gentile wise men came from afar! That’s wisdom!

6. The Wise Men were called by Herod (A Secret Meeting) – Matthew 2:7-8

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

Who called a meeting? King Herod. Note that it was a secret meeting. Always be aware of secret meetings. If a meeting must be secret, there is probably a discussion taking place that isn’t good.

Whom did he call? The wise men. These students of the stars.

What did he ask? What time did the star appear? Herod has a reason for this question, and it will become apparent later in this second chapter of Matthew.

Where did he send them? Bethlehem.

What did he request? Go and search for the young child, and when you find him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.

Question: Did Herod want to come and worship the young child, Jesus? Answer: No. Herod wanted to do away with his perceived threat.

7. The Wise Men were Led by the Star again – Matthew 2:9-10

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

What are the three steps of the wise men here in this verse?

· The wise men left – they left Herod.

· The wise men followed – they followed the star.

· The wise men were led – they were taken to where the young Child was.

What we have here is a supernatural leading of the wise men to the Christ child. By the way, it is a supernatural leading every time a person finds Christ!

You have got to love verse 10,

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

These Gentiles were more astute to God’s leading than the religious leaders of that day. They desired to find the Messiah. Do we have this same desire today?

8. The Wise Men See, Worship, and Bless the young Child – Matthew 2:11

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Where did they arrive?At a house (not a stable). Some think that months may have passed since Jesus’ birth. They moved from a stable and into a house.

What did they see? They saw the Child with Mary His mother.

What did they do? They fell to their knees and worshipped Him.

What did they present– They gave him gifts.

What were the gifts? We have three gifts here:

1. Gold– fit for a King. Provided needed resources.

2. Frankincense– fit for the Son of God (deity).

3. Myrrh– fit for a suffering Savior (his humanity).

9. The Wise Men receive a Divine Warning – Matthew 2:12

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

What did the wise men receive? A divine warning. These guys got a word from the Lord. Note: They listened!

How were they warned? In a dream. Dreams were a common way in which God commuted His will for people.

What were they told? That they should not return to Herod. There was a good reason for them not to go back to Herod. Herod probably would have had the wise men murdered. Or, he would have sought to silence those who were eyewitnesses of the Christ child.

What did the wise men do? They departed for their own country another way. They depart stage left!

Conclusion: Do you know what we have looked at here in our text? We have looked at True Wise Men:

· True Wise Men seek the Messiah, and they find Him. Have you found Jesus Christ? Jeremiah 29:13 says,

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

· True Wise Men not only seek and find Him, but they kneel and worship Him. Are you worshipping the Messiah? We worship what we deem worthy! Jesus is worthy of our worship! Scripture says,

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. (Psalm 95:6)

· True Wise Men not only seek and find Him, and kneel and worship Him, but they also come and give to Him. They traveled the distance, and they presented their gifts to the Messiah. We must do no less. What did the Wise Men really give? They gave more than gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They gave themselves, their time, their safety, their family, their reputation, and their treasury. Bottom line – they gave all to find the Messiah.