Attitudes at the Time of Christ’s Birth

Transcript

GRM 550
12/21/1997
Attitudes at the Time of Christ's Birth
Matthew 2:123
Gil Rugh

If you would turn in your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew and the second chapter. I want to simply highlight some of the familiar events relating to the birth of Christ from Matthew chapter 2. The birth of Christ had been professed clearly by the Old Testament prophets in a variety of places. Perhaps the most familiar passage that we think of in connection with the birth of Christ is the virgin birth passage of Isaiah 7:14. "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call His name Emmanuel," which means "God with us." In Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 Isaiah again wrote, "For a child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name will be called wonderful counselor, mighty god, eternal Father, prince of peace, and there will be no end to the increase of His government." There's a passage which brings together the events of the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ. Just like the first coming of Christ was a literal, physical event as a baby was born so His second coming will be a literal event. He will rule literally, personally on this earth and there will be no end to the increase of His government.

As Matthew recorded his account of the life of Christ, he was concerned to demonstrate that Jesus was the king of Israel, the long-prophesied Messiah. He repeatedly shows that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures. Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 and 5 says, "In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son born of woman." It was at the exact time. "When the time was full." It was precisely at the time God had planned to bring about the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies that Jesus Christ came to earth.

Matthew begins his gospel with a record of the genealogy of Christ, a summary of His lineage, because it had to be demonstrated that He was in the line that qualified Him to be the King or Messiah of Israel. Matthew traces the lineage of David from Abraham through David through Solomon down to Joseph. What he is establishing is the legal title of Christ to the throne. He does not get His physical connection to the line of David through Joseph because Joseph was not His physical father, but he is his legal earthly father. Through him he gets the legal title to the throne. He gets His physical connection to David through His mother Mary, but Mary is not in the line required for the coming Messiah in the descendants through the kings.

Now you ought to note something in this genealogy as well that relates to how specific prophesy is. You'll note in verse 11 of Matthew 1, "And to Josiah were born Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon; and after the deportation to Babylon, to Jeconiah was born," and the lineage continues. Jeconiah becomes a rather important figure.


Keep something in Messiah and go back to Jeremiah chapter 22. In Jeremiah chapter 22 the prophet Jeremiah gives prophesy concerning Jeconiah, the Jeconiah in the account in Matthew chapter 1. Now he calls him Coniah. Abbreviated names are not new to our day so you read in Jeremiah 22:24, "'As I live,'" declares the Lord, '"even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah.'" There's no discussion, no confession here. Coniah is Jeconiah. Jeremiah simply uses a more abbreviated form of his name. What I want you to note is what God prophesies concerning this man and his descendants. Verse 30, Jeremiah 22, "' Thus says the LORD, write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.'" Now that's an important prophesy. What God says through Jeremiah concerning Jeconiah and his descendants is that none of his descendants will prosper as kings over God's people. It's like he was childless. He'll have no children, no descendants, to sit on the throne who will effectively rule with the blessing of God.

Now this simple verse that you can read over quickly becomes a major problem because the Messiah who will rule as king over the nation must come through this line. It seems like we have effectively dead ended the Messianic line because God says He will not bless. It’s another way that the details of Scripture are so important. If Jesus Christ is the physical son of Joseph, then He cannot sit with God's blessing as Messiah on the throne of David. But He is not the physical descendant of Jeconiah through Joseph, but he is a legal descendant of Jeconiah and so He has the valid title to the throne but He does not come under the curse of Jeremiah 22:30. Scripture is woven together so beautifully in the sovereignty of God.

Come back to Matthew chapter 1. After giving the genealogies to establish that Jesus is in the line of David and is a valid contender, if you will, for the throne, he says, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ," verse 18, Matthew 1, “was as follows”. The account here of Mary being found pregnant before her and Joseph had come together in formal marriage and consummated the marriage. Joseph is thinking there must be immorality and thought that there would be a divorce necessary and there'd be no scandal. He would do it quietly. At that time an angel appeared to him, and the end of verse 20 Joseph is told, "that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." That fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, verse 23 as Matthew wants to point out that the prophecy might be fulfilled. “The virgin shall conceive”. There is no human explanation for this. There is no human analogy for this. There is no other time in history, past or future when this event will be repeated. Well, how can we believe it? Because God said it and the evidence of the life of Christ supports it.

And we're told in verse 25 Joseph proceeds to Mary, but the marriage is not consummated until after the birth of Christ so that there be no question regarding His actual parentage. Now I take it after the birth of Christ Mary and Joseph would have had a normal relationship including the sexual expression of their love. They had other children. We are not going into this but Matthew chapter 12 verse 46 says that Jesus had brothers. Matthew chapter 13 verses 55 and 56 gives the names of his brothers and said He also had sisters. There's no need to try to help and Scripture out by building some kind of doctrine of uniqueness of Mary and a purity of Mary and so on. She is a very godly woman. We don't want to minimize that but she was a sinner just like us and called by God's grace and would have had children as a normal wife would of following the birth of Christ.


What we want to look at is in to chapter 2 and some of the details surrounding the birth of Christ recorded by Matthew. Luke gives his account and we can fill in more details. Matthew is concerned as he focuses not on the coming of the shepherds to express their worship of this new baby but he brings the magi from the East, men of some importance and position who come and worship Christ with expensive gifts. Because remember Matthew is demonstrating Him to be king, so from the beginning He is recognized and honored as king.

There'll be three groups of people that I want you to keep in mind in Matthew chapter 2 that become significant. Individuals or groups of individuals. Herod the Great will be here and he'll reflect an active hostility toward Christ. The Jewish leaders will be, and they will reflect a passive indifference, an apathy toward Christ. And the Magi will be here, and they will reflect passionate, devotion, if you will, genuine worship of this One.

It's interesting to me here at the very beginning, you really have the breakdown that continues down to today of people who are either hostile toward Christ, indifferent toward Christ or worshippers of Him. That has been true from the beginning of His earthly life. Matthew will have a strong emphasis in chapter 2 as he does through his gospel on the fulfillment of Old Testament Scriptures.

Begin in chapter 2 of Matthew by saying, "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem." We get some of the setting here. The time and the place are recorded. It's after the birth of Christ. How long after we're not told. Could be a year or so later. It's sometime less than two years as we'll see as we move through the chapter. Whether it's six months after, a year, a year and a half after we are not told. We know it's within a twoyear framework. "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea." Bethlehem, little town five miles south of Jerusalem, the capital of the nation. it was the birthplace of David the king in 1 Samuel chapter 16. As we'll see, it was the prophesied birthplace of the coming Messiah. Common knowledge among the Jews.

It's in the days of Herod the king. And this Herod, Herod become a family name. There are other Herod’s in the Scripture, in the New Testament. This is Herod the Great. He reigned for 37 years in Palestine. He was appointed by the Romans king of the Jews in 40 BC and he died in 4 BC. That helps us set a time. In other words, Jesus Christ was born at least four years before Christ on our calendar. And as you're aware, the answer, the difficulty is our calendars are off a little bit. Jesus Christ is born before Herod the Great dies. Herod the Great dies in 4 BC, so Jesus Christ was born in 4 BC or before. The events here of chapter 2 may well have taken place in the same year that Herod died. But we at least have a good idea of the time period that we're dealing with. We'll say more about Herod in a moment, but He was a great and mighty king, a vile and wicked man. But a genius. He built great and beautiful architectural buildings, palaces. He built the temple that was in existence in Jesus' day, a magnificent structure. You can see the ruins of Herod's buildings in Palestine today.


So even though we speak of him a vile and wicked man, recognize humanly speaking he was a man of great abilities. Keep in mind also he's king of the Jews but he was appointed king of the Jews by the Romans. He rules under Roman authority. The Caesar rules the world and the Roman empire has delegated out the sub-rulers who are responsible to see that their territory remains loyal to the Romans, pays its taxes and doesn't cause any trouble. Then within in that framework, a king like Herod could have great liberty in how he conducted his reign.

Well, it's during this time that magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, raising a disturbing question, "Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?" These magi from the east, from the rising sun, from the Orient. Probably from Persia/Babylon area would be the area in view. The astrologers, magician kind of men, wise men, similar perhaps to a position like Daniel had in Babylon hundreds of years before this. Wise wisemen, sometimes they're called the Wise Men. They're called kings. That's probably not the best title but men of importance and substance as Daniel was in the Old Testament in such a position. The gifts that these men bring indicate that they are men of wealth and means.

You also should note, because we have the song, "we three kings of Orient", and certain things get etched in your mind from the youngest. They've got their crowns so you know they're kings and they are riding camels and the star is in the background. It may have been something like that but maybe not. In all probably they would have traveled with quite a large entourage and we're taking a journey of months to come in from the east, the Persia, Babylon area. These are men of means and wealth traveling with treasure. And men of this stature and traveling with these kinds of gifts would probably have had a quite a significant group traveling with them.

Now they are going to come and ask, "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." They identify the One who has been born. He's king of the Jews. We know He's been born. We saw His star in the east and we've come to worship Him. There's so much we're not told. They saw His star in the east. Fine. How did they know that signified the birth of the Messiah of Israel? How did they know that this One who was born to be king was worthy of their worship? Worthy to be honored with expensive gifts? We're not told. They don't come to worship Herod who is the existing king of the Jews who had reigned for 37 years, who built splendid buildings worthy of admiration. But they don't come to worship Herod. So it's not that a king of the Jews has been born but this king of the Jews is special and He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our traveling for months to bow before Him and to honor Him with expensive gifts. How they got all this information we're just not told. They are far removed from the land of Palestine in those days. Later God is going to appear to them in a dream to give them instructions. Perhaps when they were in their land, God appeared to them in a dream and miraculously revealed Himself to them. Perhaps there was a line of truth passed down from the days of Daniel and his friends that had survived down through the centuries that had prepared them. We just don't know. It's a remarkable event. These magi become men of great faith or illustrations of men of great faith in the Scripture. They arrive at Jerusalem and raise the question, "Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? We've come to worship Him."

The impact on Herod and Jerusalem and the Jews is interesting to say the least. "When Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." The word for "trouble" here is interesting. It means agitated, stirred up. It's a word you would use if you walked up to some water and you kicked your foot in it. Or you know, the bath tub. You get the water ready for the kinds and you put your hand in to stir it up. You know, you've run the hot water in to even it out and you put your hand in and you stir it up. This is the word you'd use. You troubled it. You agitated it. There's turmoil, not positive excitement, not a joy to hear that a Messiah's been born, but Herod's troubled but not only Herod, Jerusalem. The Jews are troubled. Herod, because he doesn't want any opposition to his throne. The Jews, because they don't want any trouble. They are rather pleased with the way it is even though they know the Messiah is prophesied to come and will as stated.

Well, what Herod does is he calls a meeting of the Sanhedrin. We are at the end of Herod's reign here. Whether Christ was born in 4 BC, 5 BC or 6 BC years that are set out, we'll use 4 BC. Wherever it is Herod's health declined. He died at 70 years of age in 4 BC. He does so, dying within 5 miles of the Messiah who is the Savior not only of Israel but of all those who would turn to Him.

We are at the end of his reign. He is a dying man and that is rather well known. Herod was not a Jew. He was a descendant of Esau, a descendant from the Edomites so he was despised by the Jews. He held his position by Roman appointment, through Roman contacts. He was a cruel man. Near the end of his reign, he was extremely jealous. It's amazing. You'd think that it would be natural as earthly rulers get older and their health deteriorates they would become aware that they are soon going to pass off the scene they would be ready to transfer power. But we still see it today. It seems it's often at these times that they fight to hold on to it more tightly. They are more concerned to get rid of any possible opponents with their refusal to admit even their mortality.

I say this because it prepares us in our thinking for the kind of man Herod is. This was perfectly in character with the way he conducted himself here. He was troubled. He gathered all the chief priests and Scribes, the Sanhedrin of Israel, the governing body of the nation that dwelt in Jerusalem the capital. He gathered them together. What he wanted to know is where is the Messiah to be born. Now he takes this account from the magi seriously. They say a Messiah has been born. Herod says I want to know from you religious leaders where do the prophets say the Messiah is to be born. No problem. He is to be born of Bethlehem of Judea. "For so it has been written by the prophet." Verse 6, "And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leader of Judah; for out of you shall come forth a ruler, who will shepherd my people." It was well known among the Jews.

In fact, turn back to that prophecy. I want to read another part of it to you. Micah chapter 5 verse 2, "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah." Ephrathah further defines it because there was another Bethlehem in the region of Palestine. "Too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me, One to be a ruler in Israel." The Jews recognize this is a Messianic prophecy. Note the last part of verse 2, "His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity." Now I remind you that the One who was going to be born in Bethlehem is eternal in His existence. He has dwelt in eternity, and He would be born into the human race at Bethlehem. Remarkable. I would have to say the prophets would have had to wonder what does all this mean. A baby going to be born in Bethlehem and He has dwelt in eternity. Remarkable.

Come back to Matthew. Now what is of interest and somewhat amazing to me at this point it seems the Sanhedrin just drop it. So I say they are apathetic about it. You know He's going to be born in Bethlehem. Can we go home now? It seems there's not any more interest than that. You don't find the Sanhedrin traveling to Bethlehem. It's only 5 miles. You can see Bethlehem from Jerusalem. It's not like well that would take us weeks to get there. These magi have traveled months. The Sanhedrin say well the Messiah is going to be born in Bethlehem. All Jerusalem is agitated by the arrival of the magi, and they are wondering where's the Messiah who was born. They can tell you He will be born at Bethlehem. Wrong city here. You got to go five miles south. But no indication any of them are making the trip. Remarkable. Ready to just get on with the way things are.

Herod is more serious about things. He called the magi secretly and he ascertained the exact time they saw the star. Now usually we think of the star and its portrayed as guiding them. You know, they see the star in the east and then they just follow that star. Well, they are going to pick up and follow the star but in verse 2 they said, "We saw His star in the east." You see, what happened is while they are in the east, their home country, this star appears. They see it and by whatever means it is made known to them by God, this signifies the birth of the Messiah of Israel. These men however it happened are believers because otherwise why was the Messiah of Israel important to these non-Jews living in a strange faraway foreign land? They recognize the impact and implications of His birth are so far reaching that they must come and honor Him and worship Him. But the star has not evidently been there. They couldn't take Herod out and say, "Here's the star. We've been following it," because evidently then it disappeared when they arrived in Jerusalem.

Think of the impact on these men. They saw the star, they made the preparation, they made this long journey, months later they arrive in Jerusalem and nobody has any idea that anything special's gone on. The king of the Jews doesn't know anybody's been born of importance. The Jewish leaders can say where He should be born but they don't know anything about anything that's happened. I wish the Scripture filled in more of our curiosity but it doesn't. You know, I wonder what they were thinking. But Herod at least takes thinks seriously. There’s no indication that the magi were discouraged.

He called the magi. He wanted to know the time. Herod's is a very cunning man, ruthless. When his favorite wife came under suspicion he just had her executed. He did the same with inlaws and kids. So he's going to find out. He's preparing the way. I want to know when that star appeared because I want to know how old this baby is. I don't want to have to kill everyone between one month and 13 years. So he identifies the birth was associated with the appearance of the star. Then he sent them to Bethlehem verse 8 and said, "Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I may come and worship Him."

A cunning liar. So I can come and kill Him. Now isn't it amazing? Here is the supernatural event. These men have traveled this long distance said we saw a supernatural star, the star being a manifestation of the shekinah glory of the Old Testament that's constantly associated with the manifestation of the presence of God among His people. So that’s a supernatural event. Their strong conviction caused them to travel this long way to worship Him. The Jewish leaders telling him that He'll be born at Bethlehem. Herod doesn't deny the supernaturalness of all this. He's just laying the preparation to try to kill the One that the Old Testament prophets prophesied about. Is there any rationale to sinful man's behavior? I mean do you really think if Micah the prophet centuries earlier had prophesied that One who dwells in eternity will be born at Bethlehem you're going to be able to kill Him? I don't know how else to say this but unregenerate man is spiritually stupid. He really is. I mean, Herod with all his brilliance in building magnificent buildings is a spiritual fool. You find him and I'll come and worship Him with you.

"Having heard the king they went on their way and lo", now note this, "the star which they had seen in the east, went before them." So now the star picks up. So the account of the wisemen following the star to the place where Christ is following His birth, you know, is biblical. We just have to realize it wasn't there for the complete journey and didn't need to be. Once it appeared and they knew He had been born in Palestine, they didn't need the star. They knew how to get to Palestine. They knew where the capital of Palestine was at Jerusalem. That's where you naturally go to find the one whose been born king.

The star reappears. And it's not a great star out there but a star that is specific and can come and stand over the house where the child is. You can imagine, verse 10, "When they saw the start they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." Understand in the account this is the reappearance of the star. Can you imagine? These men saw this star how many months ago? Maybe a year ago. Then they haven't seen it. Then they come to Jerusalem, and nobody really knows about any kind of such event. They can tell you the Old Testament prophesied that it would happen at Bethlehem, but we don't know anything about it happening. As they're leaving Jerusalem there had to be questions in their minds about all this and then the star reappears. What a confirmation to them. Their understanding and commitment were proper and correct.

"They came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; they fell down and worshipped Him." Again, we usually see the wisemen bowing at the manger but you're aware by this time they had moved into a house. Jesus could be several months old now. We don't know how old. He's under two because later Herod is going to kill all the children under two years of age, and he would allow some margin there to be sure that he didn't miss him. But he's not the baby in the manager at this point at least is what you ought to note.

Their response. Now again, I find the faith of these magi amazing. They've just come through the capital. The king of the Jews didn't know anything about this event. The governing body, the most religious men in Israel, knew nothing about such an event having taken place. They traveled to this little town five miles south of the capital which is a nothing, come in to a house with a rather poor mother and a father, here the human father, legal father, and fall down and worship Him. I don't know. I try to put myself in their place. I walk in this house and say, you think we really got this right? Can it really be that nobody in Jerusalem knew anything about this event? We come down here to this town, to this little house that there's nothing special about, and there's nothing special going on. They don't seem anything shaken. What do they do? They walk in and fall down and worship Him. Then open up these expensive gifts and offer them to Him, as an expression of their acknowledgment that He is worthy of worship and honor. He is a king. Great faith. Great faith. I say great faith without overwhelming "evidence." They had the Word of God in one form or another that had let them know what was going on. They had the star. And they fall down and worship Him, the true and genuine response. It didn't come from the religious people of Jerusalem. It didn't come from the king of the Jews. It comes from these distant foreigners.

Verse 12 says, "They were warned by God in a dream not to go to Herod." And so they return by another way. That may be how God appeared to them when they were in the land and the star appeared. It may have been in a dream that communicated to them the truth of the birth that had taken place.

Verse 13 an angel appears to Joseph now and tells him to take Christ and to go down into Egypt because Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him. Here God says exactly what's going to happen. In fact, He's going to demonstrate it. He told specifically about the details of what would happen, so He tells him to go down into Egypt. "He arose, took the child, His mother and went to Egypt." Isn't it amazing how God graciously provided? Not only did the magi, non-Jews, come and worship this Christ which demonstrates the impact that He would have has the Savior to non-Jews as well as Jews, but He provided for His family, for Christ, for Mary and Jews. Because how are they going to pay their way and finance the trip to Egypt? Very simply. They just received gold, frankincense and myrrh, very valuable items. So the provision has been made and these magi were making a provision. They weren't just worshipping and honoring Him. They were being used of God to make provision.

They remained in Egypt until the death of Herod. And as I mentioned, this could be a relatively short time. Jesus Christ may have been born in the same year that Herod died. So we could be taking weeks. We could be talking months. We don't know. This was to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt did I call my son." You ought to note if you read Hosea 11:1 the context there is talking about Israel the nation being called out of Egypt. In Exodus chapter 4 verse 22. God refers to Israel as His Son. And you remember the plagues on Pharaoh? God through Moses told Pharaoh since you won't let Israel, my Son, leave, I'll kill your firstborn son. So, the firstborn in the families of the Egyptians died.

You would never know reading Hosea 11:1 that God also had a future view in that passage. But the Spirit of God reveals it through Matthew here that that passage was not only referring to an historical event it was also anticipating the time when God's Son in a unique and special way, His only begotten Son, would be called out of Egypt.

It's remarkable the details. God is sovereign and His plans are carried out down to the minutest detail. I mean, why didn't He just have Christ stay in Bethlehem, have Herod die before he can do anything and then they could just go. Why a trip to Egypt? Because Scripture said so. Well, people wouldn't have known that Scripture, but God's intention in the fulfillment of that Scripture had to be carried out whether men understood it or not. We can't understand it until after the fact. But God's purposes had to be carried out.

When Herod saw that he'd been tricked, verse 16, he sent his soldiers, and he kills all the male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding regions from two years old and under. That's how we know Christ had been born within a twoyear period here. So how old He is? He is somewhere under two years of age. Beyond that we don't know. You can allow that Herod would want to be sure . . . If the wisemen told him they saw the star a year ago, he could have doubled it to make sure. We don't know. They don't say how long ago they saw the star. It's not recorded. So that's the timeline at least here.

Now some who have a problem believing the Scripture said, well, you know, there's no historical verification of this event. Don't you think if Herod had killed all these babies there'd be some record of it in history? Not really. I mean, put this in perspective. We sometimes think of hundreds of babies being killed . . . Some pictures have depicted it as such. You know, it's like a slaughter and there's babies everywhere. The guesses range from five babies to 30 or 40 babies projecting on the size that Bethlehem would have been at this time. You might be talking about 20 male babies under two years of age. 30 . . . I'm not minimizing the tragedy of that. I'm saying put in the context of history and a man like Herod, there's no real significance in this. It's not close family where it might be recorded by historians who have an interest in what's going on in the king's family and the kingly line. This is Bethlehem. A little stop on the way. Herod killed a lot more people than this at one time. This is just "no big deal" in the context of history.

Now let's not minimize the tragedy of this. It is of biblical importance and significance because you read this fulfills another Old Testament prophecy from Jeremiah chapter 31. "A voice was heard in Rama, weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeping for her children and she refused to be comforted because they were no more." Now again if you read that in its context, there Jeremiah was talking about the suffering that the Jews would experience in the context of the Babylonian captivity. Rachel was Jacob's wife. Jacob was the father of the nation. He was the one called Israel. Rachel, the mother of the nations. So these descendants she's weeping over them as her children. Here God had more to say about that. I wasn't just talking about the suffering of the Babylonian captivity. God was anticipating the time in the connection with the birth of His Son. There would be mourning at the loss of these precious children at the hands of Herod. Again, God's sovereign even in using the awful sinfulness of man to accomplish His purposes.

I have underlined in my Bible the beginning of verse 19, "But when Herod was dead." It says it all, doesn't it? A man who opposed God, who tried to kill the Son of God, but when Herod was dead. It's appointed unto man once to die and after this comes judgment. Herod was dead. The angel of the Lord appeared and tells Joseph to take the child and His mother back into the land of Israel. Those who sought the child's life are dead. They come into Israel but he hears Archelaus is reigning. Upon the death of Herod, his kingdom was divided into a tetrarchy, four parts, among his sons. Archelaus reigned in Judea where Jerusalem is. He was a vile, true son of his father. In fact, he was so bad, they deposed Archelaus. And incidentally it becomes of interest to us because they replaced Archelaus with one of their own rulers, a Roman governor, and one of those later Roman governors will be Pontius Pilate. And that's how we get out of the family of Herod and have a Roman governor governing a portion. Descendants of Herod governing the other three territories because this son was so vile and inept the Romans couldn't tolerate it. They just step in and appoint a non-Herod. Later on, it wasn't Pontius Pilate initially, but he will be a later Roman governor who becomes significant with the death of Christ.

So he goes to Nazareth as the chapter concludes and they settle in Nazareth. Some call it, what a stroke of Calvinistic luck. It fulfills Old Testament prophecies. Now you note here, it doesn't say the prophets said He shall be called a Nazarene because there's no prophet who says He will be called a Nazarene. But Old Testament Scriptures do indicate that He will be a man despised and rejectedPsalm 22:68; Isaiah 53. He is despised and rejected. There's no attractiveness about Him that we should be drawn to Him. And in New Testament times what did they say, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth. I think that's the idea here. He'll be called a Nazarene in the context He'll be one who's despised and rejected. Again, God's plan being accomplished.

Simple the story we are so familiar with, the coming of the magi and the events surrounding of the coming of the magi. But we note the same attitude is being reflected today. Herod's active hostility toward Christ as some are today. All you have to do to get them stirred up is talk to them about Jesus Christ. It's a threat to their pride. They don't want to hear it. Some of you have had family who've told you they don't want you talking about Him anymore when you get together. There's an active hostility that comes out. It's not there until they are confronted with Christ. You know, they don't necessarily blurt out they're hostile toward Christ. The hostility comes out what? When someone comes and tells them about Christ. Then the hostility manifests itself. Still present today. It amazes me how people can be so hostile toward the message of the Son of God who demonstrated such love that He came and was born at Bethlehem so He might go to the cross and be crucified to pay the penalty for their sin so that He could give them at no charge to them the free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life and the glory of heaven. And you explain that to them and they become hostile and angry.

But that ought not to surprise us. Herod is within 5 miles of the birth of the Son of God and all he can think of is I've got to get rid of Him. You have the Jews who knew about the birth of Christ, well familiar with Old Testament, could tell you, oh yes, He'll be born at Bethlehem, but they are just apathetic about it. You know, it's sort of like some of you bring family and friends to concerts and you know, they hear the message that's proclaimed and you can't wait to get out and ask them what they thought. They get out and you say, well, what did you think? Oh, it was nice. Do you want to go get something to eat? They are just indifferent, apathetic. It's like it was a nice concert; now where are we going? That’s like these Jews. He's going to be born at Bethlehem. Don't you think you ought to give that more consideration? Here are people telling you He has been born at Bethlehem. There’s no indication the Jews had any interest. Only a 5 mile walk yet these magi traveled around the country. The Jews are apathetic.

But praise God there are the magi. They are the ones who traveled the farthest. You have to say, you’d think the magi being Persians or Babylonians would be the last people turning up in Jerusalem looking for the opportunity to worship the newborn Messiah. Foreigners, strangers. Praise God for His grace. They are ones who worship Him.

The only kind of responses there are. They are the kind of response that are here. There are people who are like magi, who have come to know and love Him and worship Him because they believe in Him as their Lord and as their Savior. There are people who may come regularly. They are the hardest people to reach. They are just indifferent. It seems no matter how many times they hear the message, nothing happens, nothing happens. And you may be here hostile, seething on the inside. I'm here but I don't want to be here. I'm hearing it but I don't want to hear it. Three kinds of responses to Christ.

Amazing. He is the Savior. Nothing can change that. Herod died. It couldn't change that. There's only one Savior. Praise God He's the same Savior and He's offered to us. Will I bow and worship Him? That's humbling to admit that I am a sinner, that I am under condemnation, that this Savior had to come and die for me. No, the Jews thought they had their religion. They were better than most. Lost and without hope.

That's the message of the birth of Christ. There is no salvation in anyone or anyplace else. He is God's gracious provision that we might receive as a free gift by believing in Him and by His death and His resurrection we might experience cleansing and forgiveness.

Realize that out of these three groups we talked about, when we get to Glory we're going to be able to sit down with the magi and fill in details. Tell me what it was like when you first saw that star? What were you thinking when you walked that long way? What did you think when you got to Jerusalem and nobody knew what you were talking about? What did you think when you got to that little house down in Bethlehem and it wasn't a palace and there weren't people lined up waiting their turn to worship and give gifts? We do know we won't have to ask. They worshipped Him. They believed He was the Messiah, the Savior and they worshipped Him.

I trust if you haven't you will become a worshipper today. Let's pray together.

Lord, indeed, He is a wonderful Savior. Indeed Lord, Your grace that has worked in our lives and brought us to this Savior is just as marvelous and amazing as the grace that brought the magi to Bethlehem. Lord, You reached down and took hold of our lives when we were lost and without hope and Lord, there was no reason to think that we would ever be changed or be different. But you are the God who is sovereign, and Your purposes are accomplished. Lord, we give You praise for the privilege we have to worship this Savior today, to know that that One born at Bethlehem is the King of the Jews, to know and understand that that One born at Bethlehem is the Savior of the world. Thank you for the free gift of life in Him. Lord, I pray for those who are gathered here today. I pray for those who have heard the Word as it's gone forth in song and message in these days. Lord, I pray for those who are hostile toward Christ. Lord, in Your grace I pray that You break down that hostility. Pray for those who are apathetic, indifferent. Lord, even we in this congregation could be like the Jews. We know Scripture. We can quote Scripture. We can give answers from Scripture, but we do not know the Savior of the Scripture. Lord, I pray that You will open those blinded eyes as well. Lord, may we rejoice to know that we have a Savior. May we have that same kind of commitment and conviction and passion as demonstrated by these magi who were faithful in their journey, who were faithful as they came to worship, who were faithful in the giving of their treasures. Lord, may we be a faithful people as well who demonstrate our love and our worship and our action. We pray in His name, amen.