Matthew 2:1-12
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw 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 exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
The Old Testament prepared Israel to expect the coming of a king who would reign forever. Nathan prophesied that from David's lineage, a king would reign (2 Samuel 7:16). Throughout Scripture, the prophesies concerning the coming ruler were proclaimed. Over and over again, the hopeful message was told. And Israel waited. The Jews looked forward. And what we find in the Christmas story are wise men that came from the east looking for and longing to see the long-expected king.
They sincerely inquired about the newborn king. The reason this passage of Scripture is integral to the Christmas narrative is because their encounter with Christ and what it means to truly seek Him bears witness to all of us the importance of seeking Christ for ourselves.
The greatest gift ever given was not presented in the form of earthly treasure but when Heaven's great gift came wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.
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. (John 3:16)
The prophet Jeremiah speaks a "Thus Saith the LORD" that has a wonderful promise attached to it, a promise that the wise men discovered to be true.
Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
What are you looking for this Christ? What is it that you are truly longing for in your heart? There is only One who can bring true and lasting joy, peace, and satisfaction. His name is JESUS!
Consider how the wise men searched diligently for the expected King.
I. Research Concerning the King
They did their research. If we go back to the Old Testament prophecies, we will discover Micah's prophecy and how the birthplace (the location) of the Messiah was foretold (Micah 5:2). And that is the prophecy retold here in Matthew's gospel account. Michah's prophecy finds fulfillment in Matthew's record of the birth of Christ.
Pause for a moment and think about something very important concerning the wise men and their search. Many attempt to fixate on who they were and from where they came in search of Jesus. Their identity is not as important as their inquiry. Their inquiry is the key to the passage. Their inquiry led them to discovery.
"Their identity is not as important as their inquiry."
It doesn't matter if there were three wise men or an entire caravan. We really don't know. We really cannot know. And if Scripture wanted us to know, it would have spelled it out. But don't miss the plain thing. They had done their research concerning THE KING! They were looking for the Messiah!
Matthew 2:2
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
That's Christmas! The Son of God came and dwelt among the sons of men. And "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12).
"Where is He? Tell me where HE is! I want to meet Him! I want to KNOW Him! I want to bow down and worship Him! O, come let us ADORE HIM!"
The wise men had come to the conviction that a significant King had been born and that the King was directly related to the Jewish people, and this King had been born in a place that the Scripture long ago foretold. So, don't miss their great question. "Where is He?"
In their research, their theology was intermingled with their science. True and honest science does not contradict the Word of God. And the Word of God lines up accurately with science. While the Bible is not a scientific textbook, it is scientifically accurate and reliable. For some reason, and in whatever way God deemed necessary, the wise men were able to follow a star that was directing them to where Christ was born (see Micah 5:2; Daniel 7:18; Numbers 24:15-19).
Faith is informed. "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). Don't think for a moment that the key to discovery is in the disengagement of your thinking faculties. To believe in Christ is not to lay aside your ability to think. To believe what the Bible says concerning Christ Jesus is actually the most logical choice.
Faith is rational. Thoughtful. Paul was persuaded of what he believed (2 Timothy 1:12), not because of a blind passion for what he believed, but because he had discovered it was indeed truth!
The research can be done by anyone willing to look into the facts.
II. Reaction Concerning the Coming King
Remember what was said of the shepherds in Luke 2:15:
"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."
For the shepherds, it was a relatively short distance to travel. But not so for the wise men. It is suggested that they possibly traveled well over 800 miles. What a great distance! But what a worthwhile journey! They traveled on the promise of Jeremiah 29:13. God does not pander to intellectual arrogance that mumbles in unbelief; but God does cater to intellectual integrity. Again, the wise men were inquiring honestly, diligently, sincerely.
But what was the reaction they discovered when they arrived in Jerusalem?
Were the masses looking into the Scriptures as they had been doing, considering the prophecy and coming to the same conclusion that they had arrived at, to come and see the King? Unfortunately, they did not find such excitement and joy.
When Christmas time comes around year after year, some get excited all over again for the joys that this season brings. The lights, music, food, and fellowship with family and friends. The environment is usually one of hope and joy. Churches use this time as a way to proclaim why Jesus came! But there is a world of people out there that do not share in the excitement during Christmas. For the most part, they are not interested in the same celebratory spirit that the Christian and Bible believer displays. Why? Likely, their interests are in something else.
III. Recognizing Christ the King
Matthew 2:3-8
3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judæa: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
The wise men arrived in Jerusalem and needed a little help getting back on track. When they arrived before Herod and his "wise men," they discovered a religious people who were able to give the answer but didn't actually seem too concerned about the arrival of the Promised King.
What was the problem here? Well, it is the same problem with many "religious" individuals in our world today. If you do not personally know Jesus, then you are unable to introduce somebody to Him. You can know some "things" about Jesus, but if you do not know Him in the free pardon of sin, you will not be too concerned about anything He says in His Word. The scribes in Herod's court knew where to look in the Old Testament Scriptures but they missed who it was the prophecies were talking about.
But what the wise men discovered is what we discover. They learned that they needed the Scriptures to point them in the right direction. Somewhere in their journeys they got a little off course. They had followed the star and arrived in Jerusalem. They needed to pinpoint the exact location of Christ - and the Scriptures were available to do just that.
Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Have you gone wrong somewhere in your life? Have you taken a wrong road or swerved just a little bit in your journey? Perhaps you've taken your eyes off of Jesus... pause for a moment today and ask God the Holy Spirit to take the Word of God and align your walk with Him.
The Scriptures will assist you in your walk like nothing else will.
One important note surrounding the story of the wise men looking for the promised Messiah: Matthew 2:9-11 reveals a truth of major importance.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw 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 exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Note: When they saw the star, they rejoiced. When they saw the young child, they fell down, and worshipped Him.
WHEN THEY SAW THE STAR, THEY REJOICED. WHEN THEY SAW THE SAVIOR, THEY WORSHIPPED!
The star assisted them in their search. They inquired. The star directed. The light God provided guided. The Scriptures illuminated them and pointed them straight to the Messiah. And when they found Him - they worshipped Him!
They recognized Christ as the Messiah, the Savior, the promised King!
IV. Receiving Christ the King
John 1:11-12
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
2 Corinthians 4:3-7
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Herod was threatened by the arrival of this King.
The masses were troubled by the arrival of this King (Matthew 2:3).
The apathetic leaders in Herod's court and the religious leaders in Jesus' time were only captivated by the trivial - they missed the truth (John 5:39).
But the wise men - these traveling worshippers - they were asking, seeking, knocking - "Where is He?" And they claimed the promise of Jeremiah 29:13. Jesus became their treasure!
2 Corinthians 8:9
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
For the wise men, it wasn't about the treasures they brought to this newborn King. It was the treasure that this newborn King became to them!
O come, let us adore Him!
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