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is Messy: Wise Men and Fools :1-12 December 18, 2016

Introduction: Christmas is Messy Christmas has become a time of incredible ______. There is a word for this frenzied activity: bedlam! Bedlam means ______, commotion, pandemonium, and chaos. In the 1400s there was a London monastery, St. Mary of , which served as a hospital. It became a city-run insane asylum. The word bedlam is a corruption of the word Bethlehem. Bethlehem and bedlam are historically and semantically ______.

Who Are the ? (Matthew 2:1-2) The Magi show up, they leave their gifts, and they go home. Many ______have arisen about the Magi. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, claimed to have discovered the bodies of the Magi in Persia and took them to . , while exploring in the 1270s, claims to have been shown the three tombs of the Magi in Persia. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Magi were a priestly caste originating with the Medes. Although they were mainly a ______group, they had some ______power. was an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean and King Darius the Mede. Through Daniel’s faithfulness, people in places of influence heard the ______of the Lord. Since Daniel was a well-known official among the Magi of his day, we should not be surprised if some of the Magi ______Daniel and his God.

Those Who Missed Christmas King Herod (Matthew 2:1-3) Matthew says was born during the reign of Herod (reigned 30-4 B.C.). Herod is known most for rebuilding and expanding the ______. Herod had always been a ______ruler and did anything to protect his throne. When the Magi came to to see the newborn king of the Jews, Herod was ______. He became ______that a rival to his throne had been born.

The Chief Priests and Scribes (Matthew 2:4-5) The chief priests and scribes, being experts in the Law, knew ______the prophesy foretelling the birth of Messiah (Micah 5:2). What did the religious rulers do? They did ______.

Conclusion: What is the true meaning of Christmas? It is ______. The word ______comes from an old English word meaning to ascribe ______or ______. We ______that which we worship. How do we worship the Lord? True worship requires ______.

Christmas is Messy: Wise Men and Fools Matthew 2:1-12 December 18, 2016

Introduction: Christmas is Messy Christmas is messy. That has been our theme over the past few weeks. Christmas should be a time of reflection and gratitude to God for sending His Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem. Instead, Christmas has become a time of incredible busyness. There are many things going on right now. There are parties, concerts, and programs to attend. There is shopping to finish. If you have not finished your shopping, you are fighting for parking spaces, searching for special sales and gifts for loved ones, waiting in line, and then wrapping the presents. Then there is cooking the food and cleaning the house. There is so much to do! There is a word for this frenzied activity: bedlam! Bedlam means confusion, commotion, pandemonium, and chaos. Where did this word, bedlam, come from?

In the 1400s there was a London monastery, St. Mary of Bethlehem, which served as a hospital. It became a city-run insane asylum. For a small admission price, people could go inside the asylum and heckle the inmates. It was one of the most famous tourist attractions in London.

Ironically, the word bedlam is a corruption of the word Bethlehem. St. Mary of Bethlehem was often shortened to Bethlem, and then in modern times pronounced “bedlam.” The word bedlam came to refer to the noise and commotion and confusion that characterized the asylum. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and bedlam are historically and semantically related. Christmas, in many ways, has become bedlam, a time of insane activity filled with noise and confusion. Christmas is messy!

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not trying to be a scrooge. I look forward to Christmas and all the trimmings – the decorations, trees, and lights. I enjoy school concerts, and the work parties. I even like shopping – especially if it is online. I enjoy gift-giving and gift- receiving. Please, don’t misunderstand me. I pray we will take time to settle down and worship Christ, the newborn king.

We continue preparing for Christmas by looking at Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ. Today we are in chapter 2. Matthew introduces us to an unusual group of travelers that have puzzled and fascinated believers for ages, the Magi. Matthew 2:1-2:

Who Are the Magi? (Matthew 2:1-2) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

The Magi appear after Jesus is born. Who are the Magi? It seems most of what we know about the Magi comes from Hallmark cards. We see images of three kings riding on , traveling through sand dune desserts, staring at a bright star in the sky. Luke, the other writer who gives us details about the birth of Jesus, says nothing about the Magi. Matthew doesn’t say that much about them. Matthew doesn’t tell us specifically where they came from. They came from the east. He does not tell us how they knew about the birth of Jesus. The Magi show up, they leave their gifts, and they go home. We never hear about them again.

Many traditions have arisen about the Magi. Tradition says there were three because three gifts were given. Some believe the Magi represent the sons of Noah – Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Therefore, one of the Magi is represented as an Ethiopian, another as an Asian, and the other as European. Names have been given to the Magi – , Balthasar, and . Some organize the hymn, “,” as Caspar, who brought , singing verse two; Balthasar, who brought , singing verse three; and Melchior, who brought , singing verse four.

Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, the man who made Christianity a legal religion in the Roman Empire, claimed to have discovered the bodies of the Magi in Persia and took them to Constantinople. Those remains are on exhibit today at the Shrine of at the Cathedral in , Germany. Marco Polo, while exploring in the 1270s, claims to have been shown the three tombs of the Magi in Persia, just south of the modern city of . Macro Polo said: In Persia is the city of Saba, from which the Three Magi set out and in this city they are buried, in three very large and beautiful monuments, side by side. And above them there is a square building, beautifully kept. From Biblical Magi Wikis, thefullwiki.org

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the Magi were a priestly caste originating with the Medes. The Medes were a people who lived in norther modern Iran. The Magi were the scholars and priests of their day. They arose to prominent places of influence with the Medes, Persians, and the Babylonians. Although they were mainly a religious group, they had some political power. They served as advisors to kings. We remember Daniel was an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean and King Darius the Mede. Daniel belonged to a class of men known as magicians or magi. Through Daniel’s faithfulness, people in places of influence heard the fame of the Lord.

The appearance of the Magi is not random or coincidental. Since Daniel was a well-known official among the Magi of his day, we should not be surprised if some of the Magi remembered Daniel and his God. They may have been familiar with the book of Daniel and the prophesies about future events and the coming of Messiah. Since the Magi were astrologers, they would have kept a close eye on the stars for a sign of special events. God left a witness about the coming of Christ to the whole world – to the Jews and the Gentiles. The Magi have come to welcome the newborn king. The Magi follow the star, come to the place where Jesus is, and worshipped the infant king.

There are two kinds of people in the Christmas story. There are people who found Christ at the time of His birth. There are people who missed Christ at the time of His birth. Matthew mentions several people who should have not missed that first Christmas, but did.

Those Who Missed Christmas King Herod (Matthew 2:1-3) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew says Jesus was born during the reign of Herod (reigned 30-4 B.C.). Herod is called king, but was not a king over his own realm. Herod was appointed governor over by the Romans. However, when the Parthians, a rival to Rome, invaded , Herod fled. He persuaded the Roman Senate to vote him “King of the Jews.” Herod returned to Judea with a Roman army and he expelled the Parthians. Herod expanded his territory to include Judea, , and Galilee.

Herod was not Jewish but was an Edomite. To gain favor with the Jews, Herod engaged in a massive building project. He is known most for rebuilding and expanding the Second Temple. It is often referred to as Herod’s Temple. This was the Temple that existed in Jesus’ day.

Herod had always been a ruthless ruler and did anything to protect his throne. Herod was paranoid. He believed everyone was after his . He executed anyone he believed was a threat. Herod executed his wife’s brother, the high priest, his wife, and even his eldest son, the heir to the throne.

Herod had all the distinguished citizens of Jerusalem imprisoned with orders that they be executed on the day of his death. Herod said, “The people will not weep when I die and I want them weeping, even if they weep over someone else.” From, John MacArthur, God With Us, page 70

When the Magi came to Jerusalem to see the newborn king of the Jews, Herod was troubled. He became paranoid that a rival to his throne had been born. Herod came up with a plan to destroy the newborn king. Herod asks the Magi, after they have found the infant king, to come back and tell him where the Child is so he may worship as well. Herod did not want to worship the Child; he wanted to kill Him. God warned the Magi not to return to Herod (2:12). When Herod realized the Magi were not coming back, he had all the male children of Bethlehem under age two killed. God had warned Joseph; therefore, he took Mary and the baby Jesus and escaped to (2:13). They stayed there until after the death of Herod (2:19-22). Herod, with his paranoia missed that first Christmas.

Perhaps we are most astonished about the next group of people who missed that first Christmas. It was the religious rulers – the chief priests and scribes. They are mentioned in passing in Matthew 2:4-5. Herod called them to him. We read of this in verses 4-5.

The Chief Priests and Scribes (Matthew 2:4-5) 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’”

The chief priests and scribes, being experts in the Law, knew exactly the prophesy foretelling the birth of Messiah. The religious rulers quote Micah 5:2. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Scripture prophesied the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. That prophesy was being fulfilled.

What did the religious rulers do? They did nothing. They didn’t ask the Magi questions. They didn’t guide the Magi to Bethlehem. They didn’t follow the Magi to Bethlehem. They stayed in Jerusalem. This is surprising. The religious rulers were supposedly looking for the Messiah. However, when He came, and they had advanced warning He was born, they did nothing. The religious leaders had better access to the Scriptures that the Magi had. Nevertheless, the religious rulers missed out on that first Christmas.

Conclusion: Every year some people miss Christmas. Although it is a federal holiday and people all over our country and the world are celebrating Christmas, they are missing out on the true meaning of Christmas. In so many ways we are like Herod and the religious leaders. Christmas is right in front of us and we often miss it. We are so busy that by the time Christmas comes and we have missed out on the true meaning of Christmas.

The Magi teach us the true meaning of Christmas. What is the true meaning of Christmas? It is worship – worshipping the newborn king, worshipping Jesus Christ. Matthew is not simply writing a record of just another religious story. He is telling us, “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” God has entered history in the person of Jesus Christ. The world has never been the same. We must focus on the sacrificial love of God. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

What does it mean to worship? The word worship comes from an old English word meaning to ascribe worth or worthiness. To ascribe worth means something is great, cherished, and important. Something of worth brings us great joy. We adore that which we worship.

How do we worship Christ the Lord? True worship requires quiet reflection. In other words, we must take time away from the busyness of the season, and think about the wonder of God becoming man to save sinners. As we reflect on who Jesus is and what He has done, we adore Jesus for leaving the glories of heaven to be born in a sinful world, to life among sinners, to be tempted to sin, to live sinless a life, to die a sinners’ death, and then rise from the dead and ascend to heaven. When we take time to reflect on who Jesus is and what He has done, we worship Him.