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Home , Star of Bethlehem

The Star of .1-8; 1 Peter 2.1-8 122020

Introduction 1 This is our service and as such we will take a one week break from our current study in the book of Exodus to look at a familiar Christmas story that is currently in the news. 2 Tomorrow night, you can witness a rare event in the night sky that has not been seen in almost eight centuries.

a Every 20 years the two largest in our solar system, and , somewhat align in the sky to form a planetary . b But this year they will be closer than they have in nearly 400 years, just a tenth of a degree apart and for the first time in 800 years that close alignment will happen at night. c They will virtually look like one big or to the ancient astronomers, one very bright star which came to be known as the Star of Bethlehem which is associated with a part of the Christmas story … the story of the (aka wise men) visiting after his birth. (Matthew 2)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in , during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the has written: 6 “ ‘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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 1

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 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 and of incense and of . 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:1–12

1 Most people think that the Magi’s visit to worship Jesus occurred the night the Jesus was born. Traditionally that is why you see the Magi as a part of the . But actually, the events described in this passage occurred not at Jesus birth but at least a year after He was born. And we know that for several reasons: a First, the star appeared to the Magi when Jesus was born after which they made preparations and traveled upwards of 1500 miles. In the ancient world that journey would take many months if not a year or more … which suggests that Jesus was not a newborn by the time they arrived. b Secondly, the Greek word used to translate child, in reference to Jesus, is not brephos (nursing infant) but rather paidion (child/toddler). c Thirdly, according to :21-27 when Mary completed her time of purification following the birth, as required by Jewish law, she offered a pair of turtledoves instead of the normally offered lamb. This means she could not afford a lamb and therefore had not yet received the gift of gold from the Magi. d Fourthly, and most obviously, because Luke 2:7 says that Jesus was born in a stable but Matthew 2:11 says the Magi came to a house. On coming to the house, they (the Magi) saw the child with his mother Mary …. 2:11a

2 So the Magi were not at the Nativity. I hate to throw a wet blanket over your tradition nor am I suggesting that you throw away three of your nativity figurines. Nor am I saying that believing that the Magi were at the birth of Jesus will threaten your salvation.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 2

3 But it does makes you wonder how much of what we believe is actually an assumption that is not found in scripture, a tradition, a false belief like there were “three wise men” and a drummer boy present at Jesus birth. 4 Now those unscriptural beliefs won’t hurt you. But what if the unscriptural belief was God helps those who help themselves or even worse, all good people go to heaven. Those erroneous assumptions, those unscriptural beliefs have devastating consequences. 5 That is why it is so important that we set ourselves to learning what the actually says. Ironically, that is what the Magi did and it led them to believe in Jesus. So just who were the Magi?

The Magi’s identity 1 The word Magi comes from the Greek word that means “great or powerful ones.” They were men of high position and influence and that’s why so many people assumed that they were “kings”. But they were not… they were actually a society of “king-makers” and there were way more than three and when they traveled it was in large caravans.

2 The magi were “from the east” verse 1 says, most likely of Persian descent and lived in what is modern day Iran. a Academically, they were renowned for their understanding of sciences including astronomy. Spiritually they were monotheistic but they also delved into the pagan practice of . Brilliant monotheistic mystics. b The combination of great knowledge and secret mysticism made them the most powerful group of advisors in the Babylonian and Persian empires. In fact no Persian was able to become king without being trained and approved by them. 3 They were the king-makers. But on this journey, they were not making a king but rather in search of King they could not make, a King born a king, a King they could only worship. They said to Herod, we have come, not to crown a king, but to worship the King.

The Magi’s faith-journey (they came to Jesus in two ways) 1 First through the scripture.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 3

a After Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians about 600 years before Christ they took much of the population captive and brought them back to Babylon. One of Jewish captives was a brilliant young man by the name of Daniel. • God miraculously caused Daniel to be promoted to the role of statesman and he became the advising confidante of two Babylonian kings. • Subsequently, the Babylonians were conquered by the Persians from whom came the Magi. • Once again God caused Daniel to be promoted to the role of stateman and quite likely, chief over the Magi. b So the Magi were most likely influenced by Daniel and his writings, the book of Daniel. • That means they would have known Daniel’s prophecy of “the seventy weeks of years” which is recorded in Daniel 9:24-27. • It predicted that 483 years after a Persian ruler issued an edict to rebuild Jerusalem the would come. This prophecy began to be fulfilled when the Persian King Cyrus sent Jews back to rebuild Jerusalem. • So the Magi had probably been counting down the years since that happened and therefore they would have known the general time period when the Messiah would be born. BTW 483 years from Cyrus’ edict Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. c The Magi would also have had access to the writings of (the Torah), and therefore may have come across the Messianic prophecy of Balaam that said, …a star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. Num 24:17 d So the Magi came to worship Jesus as the ultimate King by revelation from Scripture. But they also came through … 2 A supernatural manifestation … a star. We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:2b a This star was no normal star because it appeared to the Magi which indicates it was not previously seen by these stargazers. Therefore, it was unique.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 4

b We also know this star was not some astronomical phenomenon. It appears, then disappears sometime after they leave the East. Then it reappears and they are overjoyed. And then it guides them to the very house where Jesus was living. The star stopped over the place where the child was. v9 c A star may be able to guide you on a long journey a certain direction like north … but not to an exact location like a house. So, if it wasn’t a star then what was it? d Well, the word translated star is from the Greek word “aster” which also means “radiance” or “brilliance.” e I am strongly inclined to think that the brilliance was a manifestation of the glory of God … • the same brilliance that Moses saw in the burning bush; • the same brilliance that the Bethlemite shepherds saw while tending their sheep the night Jesus was born. • the same brilliance that shown around Jesus at his transfiguration and ascension and … • the same brilliance that appeared as fire on those who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. f That star was the glory of God and not Jupiter and Saturn aligning!

The Magi’s bewilderment 1 So the Magi show up in Jerusalem and all Jerusalem is disturbed about it. [v3] And why? a It might have been because of the Magi’s renown but was probably because King Herod was disturbed … which usually resulted in a lot of bloodshed. b Herod, even though he was not a Jew arranged for himself to be appointed the king of the Jews and therefore a rival King, especially one announced by the renowned Magi, disturbed him greatly. And that is why all of Jerusalem was on pins and needles. 2 So the Magi come to Jerusalem and v2 says that they kept asking (Gr.) “where is the One born King of the Jews?” They expected that such a great event would be on everybody’s mind…. but it wasn’t. a Eventually Herod calls all the Jewish religious leaders and finds out from them that Bethlehem is the birthplace of Messiah [:2]. b And then he calls for the Magi and sends them on to Bethlehem.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 5

3 And you would think that all the religious leaders would have followed along. After all, the long awaited for Messiah was possibly 3-4 miles down the road. But none of them go. All of Jerusalem is so indifferent no one bothers to make the short trip to Bethlehem to seek out the true King. 4 But the Magi were seeking him. Think about it… the people who had the least information, the greatest distance to travel, the greatest cost, the greatest hardships are the ones who are the most zealous about seeking after Jesus. a God informs them that a unique King is born and the first thing they do is to drop everything and find a way to worship Him. A caravan is formed, considerable resources are expended, a long journey is endured all because they were seeking Him. b And why were they seeking him? Because they esteemed him as most valuable. • Whatever you esteem as valuable you seek. • And whatever you esteem as most valuable you seek first. c Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and we perceive that as a command, which it is. But it is also an outcome of esteeming the King and his kingdom as most valuable. 5 You see the great sin in Jerusalem in that day and also in ours is under- esteeming the worth and value of Jesus Christ. It is nothing but unbelief and is the root all spiritual apathy. a When I consider this scene in Jerusalem, the indifference of the masses and the zeal of the few ... I conclude that it is a when anyone seeks after Jesus Christ. Until God intervenes nobody seeks (Rom 3). b Seeking Jesus is not just the natural consequence of the right information; it is a supernatural miracle just like the star of glory that led the Magi to worship Jesus. c It’s a miracle of God’s grace that you and I have any desire for Christ. Any seeking of Jesus is evidence that God is at work in us (Philippians 2:12-13). 6 And this is exactly what was happening to the Magi … God was at work in them and they were responding to his gracious call. a And the magnitude of their response is perhaps meant to be a gentle rebuke for us. b If the Magi, with perhaps only a single verse and a glorious star-like manifestation, sought Jesus at such considerable time and expense and

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 6

with such zeal and determination… where does that leave us who have the gospel of grace, the entire Bible, the indwelling Spirit and a community of faith for encouragement?

The Magi’s wisdom 1 It turns out the Magi were actually very wise men but not for all their book learning, rather for their response to the great worth of Jesus Christ. And this response is not something unique to the Magi, it is the outcome of seeing and believing in Jesus Christ. 2 This is what the Apostle Peter implies in the second chapter of his first letter. a The passage contains the well-known building metaphor of the church. Jesus is the chief cornerstone and all who believe are stones built upon the foundation of Jesus forming a spiritual house through which God is worshipped. b But imbedded in this metaphor is this truth of seeing the value and worth of Christ. It is found in a word that Peter uses several times in his two letters … the word precious and it means most valuable. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” 1 Peter 2:4-8a 3 Two things here: First, Peter says in verse 4 Christ is precious to God the Father and then in verse 7 Christ is precious to us who believe. a What is of greatest value to God becomes of greatest value to us which means that conversion is not just agreeing that certain facts are true. Conversion produces a new nature. b And the evidence of this new nature is that it cherishes Christ as precious or valuable and that value fuels all of our seeking and serving Jesus Christ.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 7

4 Secondly, Peter distinguishes believers from those who do not believe by whether they value or don’t value Christ. Those who believe esteem Christ as precious or most valuable. Those who do not believe, do not a Now when Peter says to you who believe, this stone is precious he is not saying that there are a few really spiritual believers who esteem Christ as precious. No, he is saying that if you are a believer, if you are saved, for you Christ is precious, Christ is most valuable. b If you do not sense His preciousness, you need to examine the foundation of your faith. It may be that the foundation of your belief is actually in Christian tradition, like the three wise men. • Or perhaps you are basing your faith on baptism, confirmation, communion or church attendance. • Maybe you are kind of just going the motions in order to not disappoint someone else’s expectations. 5 Regardless, the question we must all ask is this: Is Christ precious to me? That’s how you know if you are a Christian or not. And if He is … how precious? How much is Jesus worth to you? Where does He come in on my scale of desires? Jesus told a parable in that gives us a baseline. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Matthew 13:44 a Notice that the man does not sell all that he has begrudgingly; he does it joyfully. The reason is because he sees the great value of the treasure. b Jesus is the Ultimate Treasure and therefore is worth more than anything else in all the world. There is no cost is too great to have Him as our Treasure. And that’s just what Paul says in Philippians chapter 3. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Philippians 3:8 NLT 6 The mark of a child of God, is not that we have attained perfection or have worked through all our issues but rather that we long for Christ because he has become so valuable to us. a And the more we know him the more valuable he becomes to us and the more we love him and seek him.

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 8

b And this is one of the things that makes heaven so great …for every believer will finally see Jesus as he is … Most precious, most valuable, most worthy. And because he is … forever we will sing the song of heaven. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! Rev 5:12 c Why? Because to us who believe … He is precious. To his Father he is precious. To his followers he is precious. And Why? Peter answers that question in chapter 1. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ. 1 Peter 1:18–19a d Jesus is most valuable not only because of who he is to us … but also because of what he has done for us.

Invitation:

Song: Lord you are more precious.

Discussion Questions 1 The Magi were led by the Word of God (OT Scriptures) and the Spirit of God (the manifestation of a glory appearing like a star) to become worshippers of Jesus. How did God lead you to become a worshipper of Jesus? 2 How would a person who knows you be able to determine that something is valuable or precious to you? 3 In Philippians 3:8 Paul said he counted everything, even good things, as worthless compared to knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. He implies that good things (God’s gifts) can keep us from the best thing (Christ the ultimate gift). Is there any good thing in your life dampening your pursuit of the greatest thing, Jesus? 4 1 Peter 2:7 says that Jesus is precious to those who believe. Over the last year how has Jesus become more precious to you?

The Star of Bethlehem / Matthew 2.1-8; 1 Peter 2.4-8 9