They think they so smarty... they think their brain so big.

I moved to Tennessee in 2006.  I didn’t move to get away from anyone, the church I served as pastor loved me and they invite me back pretty regularly, and I certainly didn’t move to try to find a pastorate where no one knew me—I’ve made no attempts to contact any church about an open position.  When I’ve talked to a church it’s been because they called me.  I work a full time job as an auditor so I'm not remotely interested in a full time pastorate.  I’m perfectly happy to just take opportunities to share the gospel and the truth of God’s word where I find them.  Some people, though, crave prestige.  It’s usually because they feel so small inside they have to do something to make themselves feel like they matter.  They love the position of being “The Teacher” because it makes them feel important.  As an aside, when someone says “I never wanted to be a teacher.  It’s not something I look forward to doing but I do it when I asked” you can be 100% sure that they most certainly do enjoy it and are on the lookout for anyone they perceive as a threat to their position.  The religious leaders in Jerusalem are a perfect example of this kind of mentality.  As we read in Matthew 2:4-6, we see they are abounding in knowledge but it hasn’t made any difference because their eyes are blind to the truth of God’s word. 

We read in verse 4 of the text that Herod gathered all the chief priest and scribes of the people together and he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. This was a fairly startling move for this man and it reveals something of his motivations. We know that the news that One had been born King of the Jews troubled him. We also know that he was not Jewish and from things we can read in history he was not a person of faith. We know, therefore, that the reason for his inquiry was not godly nor were his motives pure. In fact, being a Roman official and an outsider to Jewish life, he actually condescended himself in asking this information from the chief priests and scribes. Josephus records that when Herod was named the Roman provincial governor of Jerusalem, he killed many of the scribes that were in Jerusalem. He, like most Romans, felt these people in Jerusalem were beneath him. Therefore, it must have humbled him to have had to ask these people for this information. He appears willing to humble himself somewhat if it means that he can thwart the Messiah’s rise to power. 

He certainly looked for the information in the right place. We observe that he inquired of the chief priests. There was only one chief priest ordained at a time so, in reality, this could have included not only the current chief priest but also so of his predecessors. The priesthood had become something of a political office and sometimes they were disposed of at the whim of the local governor. These men were responsible for the service and maintenance of the temple. As such, they were important figures in Jewish life and could actually only come from one family. The scribes were the lawyers. They were professionals who devoted their time to the study of the law. In short, Herod called together the religious and judicial leaders of the nation in his haste to find out where his rival was born. 

The fact that he was able to find any of these men should come as a surprise to us. They had just heard the news that the star announcing the birth of the Messiah had been seen by the magi. They knew the scriptures. If anyone in the city of Jerusalem should have been running to greet the Lord, it should have been these men. Instead, we find them having been assembled by this godless, evil man to assist him in his attempt to find the Messiah. They were able to do this with no trouble at all. Quite simply, scripture records that they said to him “In Bethlehem of Judea” and they noted that it was written by the prophet. They quoted the substance of the prophecy. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. They also recognized the source of the prophecy was the revelation of God through His prophet. These guys could have made 100 on a Bible pop quiz. If they were on Jeopardy and the category was “Old Testament” and they hit the daily double, they could confidently say “I’ll bet all of it, Alex.” They knew, in a head knowledge kind of way, everything that a person needed to know to understand the significance of the birth of Christ. Instead of seeking Him our, they were indifferent. They were content to be called as consultants to this Gentile king who they hated rather than welcome their one, true King. 

They even go so far as to quote from the Old Testament to substantiate their claim. In my day job, I’m an auditor. That is an accountant that has specialized in the task of telling other people how to do their jobs. Basically, when an auditee presents me with information, I never take their word for it. I always look for corroborating evidence. In a sense, that is what these men do here. They quote from Micah 5:2. We see in their quotation that is recorded in Matthew 2:6 that they knew the humble beginnings of the Messiah (You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah.) They also know from Scripture the character of the Messiah. They quote that the Messiah shall be a Ruler. The word ruler translates the Greek word hegeomai which means leader and has the sense of royalty. However, even though He would be the Messiah and would rule with a rod of iron, as noted in Revelation 19:15, He would be tender and compassionate with his subjects. These men further quoted that this Ruler would shepherd My people, Israel. We know that in the book of John, Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in chapter 10 and David proudly proclaimed that the Lord was his Shepherd in the 23rd Psalm. There is no more selfless, tireless kind of caretaker than a shepherd and that is exactly the kind of Messiah that was revealed in this prophecy. 

These men knew all these things. They knew where He was to be born and, after the visit of the magi, they knew when He was born. Instead of going to look for Him, they remained in their lofty positions of power and influence in Jerusalem. Friends, let us pay careful attention to this. A person can know a lot about Jesus and the Bible and be lost as a goose. I would dare say there may well be some very well educated theologians that go straight into Hell and not all of them may be liberals. It isn’t head knowledge that saves a man or a woman but a real relationship with Jesus Christ. These men, by their indifference to the Messiah, prove their lack of a true faith in God. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:19-23. Responses to Christ-A father’s faithful obedience

Before I began studying through the book of Matthew, I knew who Joseph was. I don’t think I realized what a godly man scripture reveals him to be. In this passage, God reveals through Matthew once again what an obedient man Joseph was. Also, we see Matthew reveals more about the character of the Messiah as revealed from the Old Testament to continue to drive home the message to his audience that Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Jewish people.

Scripture records in verse 19 that sometime after the massacre that occurred in the passage we studied last week that Herod was dead. This evil man who had caused so much pain and suffering and even tried to murder our Lord and Savior met his death in an excruciatingly painful manner. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Herod had “a burning fever [which] seized him, with an intolerable itching all over his body, and continual pains of the colic; his feet swelled with a dropsy; he had an inflammation in the lower part of his belly.” Scripture does not record that this was God’s judgment. We can take note, however, that a person can never know how long they have left on this earth. Because of that, we should not presume on God’s mercy to allow us time to repent. We should come to faith in Christ or suffer a punishment that will make Herod’s suffering seem like a vacation.

We further observe that Joseph received another visitation by an angel of the Lord while he was dreaming. God had told Joseph in verse 13 to stay in Egypt until He sent word for Joseph to go elsewhere. Joseph is found here in verse 19 doing what we have seen him do time and time again in this book-he is being obedient. The angel, in verse 20, brings instruction from God for Joseph to return with Jesus and His mother to Israel because those who sought the young Child’s life were dead. The danger had passed. We see that, as He always does, God worked this situation out to bring His will to pass. Joseph and Mary didn’t know what the future held or how long they would have to stay in Egypt. Even though they may have felt that they were just “marking time”, God was working in the situation. Isn’t it wonderful to serve a God who takes care of all the details perfectly and works behind the scenes even when we can’t see it? Again, when Joseph receives instructions from God about what to do and where to go, he obeys immediately. Matthew records that Joseph took Jesus and Mary and departed for Israel. I love the simplicity of Joseph’s faith. When God calls, Joseph responds.

However, God gave people the ability to reason and He expects us to use that ability. There is a difference between trusting God and tempting God. If I were to walk through a dangerous neighborhood after dark just to see if God would protect me, that would be foolish. If I spend mu paycheck on pizza and video games just to see if God will truly provide for me, I am making an unwise decision in doing so. Joseph learned, while traveling back to Israel, that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod. Now, Herod was a fruit-loop. His son, Archelaus, was just as nutty as his father and just as dangerous. Joseph became afraid when he heard this news. Matthew then notes that Joseph was warned by God in a dream and told what to do. We don’t know if the dream was the result of Joseph seeking God’s guidance or not. However, God provided the direction and Joseph was obedient to follow it. He took the Child and Mary and went to dwell in Nazareth. Even this choice, however, was directed by the providence of Almighty God. Matthew records that this home in Nazareth would fulfill prophecy that “He shall be called a Nazarene”. However, the Old Testament does not record this specific prophecy. Some Bible scholars debate exactly what this prophecy that Matthew records means and, to be honest, I’m not sure that we have a satisfactory “right” answer. Let’s look at a few things in scripture and see if we can at least get a good idea of what Matthew was getting at in this passage.

First of all, Nazareth was a small village in Galilee and it didn’t have the best reputation. I imagine people from Nazareth might have been regarded much the same was as “rednecks” are today. For whatever reason, people looked down on them. In fact, scripture records in John 1:46, Nathanael said of Jesus “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” The book of Isaiah 53 says that the Messiah would be despised and would not be attractive to people. It was prophesied in this scripture that the Jewish people would reject Him. In fact, the Bible says He would grow up as a “root out of dry ground”. Further, Isaiah records in 11:1 of His prophecy that the Messiah would spring up as a “Branch” that would grown from Jesse’s roots. The Hebrew word for branch is netser and this word is one of the roots of Nazarene. In short, Matthew here quotes the prophets (plural) because the Messiah was revealed in the Old Testament as someone who would suffer rejection. He recognized, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, that even from a young age, Jesus was one who was rejected. By living in Nazareth, Jesus began His life in a humble manner. Truly, He was a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc Used by permission All rights reserved

Matthew 2:16-18. Responses to Christ-Murder

I have heard that people who are convicted of abusing children are often treated badly by other prisoners when they are incarcerated. I think it is interesting that even people that would represent to most of us the worst of society are outraged by the idea of someone abusing children. Certainly it is wrong for them to basically take revenge on these people. However, I suspect most people understand how those prisoners feel. Normal people find the abuse of children repugnant and the murder of a child is one of the most horrible acts a person can commit. In these verses, we read about one of the most horrible crimes recorded in the Bible and we see how even in this wicked act that God was at work.

Verse 16 records that Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, became exceedingly angry. The word translated deceived is the Greek word empaizo which is used only in the gospels and is usually translated as mocked. The word can also mean deceived as is translated here. I suppose it carries with it the idea of making light of something or making a fool out of someone. In any case, Herod felt he had been disrespected because the wise men did not return as he expected. We know of his evil plan from what we have read and studied so far in this chapter. He had his target in his sights. He knew where and when the Messiah was to be born. However, he wanted to make sure beyond the shadow of a doubt that he exterminated his target so he sent the wise men to find exactly where the Christ child was. He was angry because without that information, he might not have a chance to murder the One he saw as a rival to the throne.

When he saw that his plan was in danger of being thwarted, he came up with a Plan B. He murdered innocent children in an attempt to make sure that he killed his target. He didn’t have to take a vote or wait on confirmation from his superiors. He was a power mad despot in total control of this region and had the power of life and death over the population. He sent his soldiers out with specific instructions. They were to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and all its districts, from two years old and under. He knew the Child was born in Bethlehem, but expanded his “target” with a larger bull’s-eye even though he knew most of the victims were innocent. He also knew precisely when the star had appeared to signal His birth but expanded his “target” yet again to include babies who had never done him harm and were born well after the star's appearance. Scripture does not record how many children died. However, even 1 death would have been a tragedy. The grief this jealous tyrant caused with this merciless slaughter is unimaginable.

However, Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. God was working His eternal purposes out even in the midst of this tragedy. Scripture records that the prophet Jeremiah recorded a prophecy that spoke of Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they were no more. Rachel was the wife of Jacob and was pictured by Jeremiah as weeping when the tribe of Judah was led captive by the Babylonians. Matthew reveals under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that Jeremiah was also prophesying this terrible tragedy. Therefore, while we know that God does not cause sin or evil, the sin and evil in the world occur within the scope of His sovereign will.

Someone might ask the question “How can God allow evil like this to happen?” I, for one, would agree that such evil is beyond comprehension. However, we know that God is just, fair, loving, kind, compassionate, and always works for our good as Christians. He settled the question of whether He loves us or not once and for all on Calvary’s cross when He sent His own Son to be crucified for our sin. Does this mean the parents who lost their children on that terrible day that was prophesied by Jeremiah had no reason to grieve? Certainly not. However, it does mean that in the midst of tragedy that we can trust Him. When you and I face the sorrows and pain that this life can bring, we can know that our God is in control. Circumstances don’t have to shake our faith in God. We know that He loves us. Because of that, we can trust Him, no matter what.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:12-15. Responses to Christ-Obedience to providential guidance

If you’re here for the first time, I’d like to welcome you. If you’ve been here to this blog before, I’d like to welcome you back. I encourage you before you read my commentary on the above verses that you read them in your Bible because I won’t actually include all the verses in my exposition. Also, I welcome any and all comments (even if you happen to disagree with me). I have turned comment moderation on, but that is more to prevent someone who is a few bricks shy of a load from posting something inappropriate here on this blog. So, without further adieu, here we go.

God inspired Matthew to write the scripture that we are studying in order to reveal His providential care of the Messiah. Because God, throughout the Bible, demonstrates His absolute control over all circumstances and His ability to work “all things for the good of those who love Him” we can trust Him and obey Him just as we see the wise men and Joseph do in these verses.

Matthew records that, after they had worshipped Christ, they set out to return home. However, instead of returning to Herod with news of the location of Christ as he had requested, scripture records that they were divinely warned in a dream and, therefore, went by another route. Herod thought he was in control of this situation. He had successfully determined where the Messiah was born with the help of the Jewish leaders and had nailed down when He was born thanks to these wise men. However, despite all his careful planning and his hypocritical cover story of wanting to worship Christ, God providentially directed these wise men for His purposes.

The wise men were not the only ones who received divine direction in the form of a dream, however. While he slept, Joseph was also visited with a heavenly directive. He was told to “Arise! Take the young Child and His mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word, for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” We should note the urgency in the directive. Joseph is told to wake up. This was the spiritual equivalent of a fire alarm. They were in very real danger from an evil man with murderous intentions. We should observe also the significance of where they were told to go. God sent them to Egypt. I think it would be unwise to read too much into the mention of Egypt in scripture but suffice it to say this is an unusual place for a Jew to be commanded to go. In fact, unless I’m totally misremembering, this is the first time a Jew was told to go to Egypt since the Exodus. We’ll see the prophetic significance in a few verses. Suffice it to say, Joseph was probably not expecting to be sent to that country. Finally, we should see that people who plot and plan in secret do so in vain. Herod had told no one about his intentions to murder Christ. Of course, God knew the intents of his heart because He is omniscient. This should be especially comforting to remind ourselves of when we’re going through trials. The same God that was watching out for Joseph is watching out for us. Of course, He doesn’t speak through dreams like He did in this verse anymore, but He still watches over His elect. We can rest knowing that whatever happens in our lives, we serve a God that is big enough to take care of it.

Just as the wise men were obedient to the divine warning they received, Joseph also obeyed the voice of the Lord. We see that he didn’t wait to pack and take care of any business he had or find someone to check their mail while they were gone. Just as he did in chapter 1, when God told him to do something, he obeyed immediately (I think there’s a lesson in that, don’t you?). In fact, he arose and took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt. The trip was a hasty one and I suspect he woke up in the middle of the night after having this dream. He was faithful to obey not only immediately but also completely. He went when God told him, where God told him (Egypt), and he stayed as long as God told him to stay.

We can see in verse 15 that the country God sent Joseph to take refuge in also had prophetic significance. Matthew records that Christ living in Egypt and coming back into the land of Israel was prophesied in the book of Hosea 11:1. However, the verse in question actually doesn’t even mention the Messiah but in fact is about Israel. Therefore, the Exodus of Israel from Egypt is represented here as a type. Basically, a type in the Bible is where one thing prefigures another. In this instance, the Jews are seen as a type of Christ since they, like Christ, were called out of Egypt. Therefore, this is a different kind of prophetic fulfillment that when an actual event is prophesied. However, Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, reveals that Christ’s sojourn in Egypt actually served not only to protect Him from this evil Gentile king, but also fulfilled prophecy.

We again observe Joseph’s faith demonstrated by his obedience to the Word of God. When God revealed His will for Joseph, Joseph did as he was told. True saving faith is always characterized by obedience. While those of us who are saved may not always obey and we may not all reach the same level of obedience at the same time, if we are saved it will show by our commitment to obedience just as Joseph and the wise men showed their true saving faith by obeying God. As the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 “You shall know them by their fruits.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:9-11. Responses to Christ-Joy

There is nothing in the universe that will satisfy the human heart like Jesus. People try to find the ultimate pleasure in success, money, physical relationships, power, possessions, and many other things. However, the only way to truly enjoy life to the fullest and find true, lasting satisfaction is in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Only when we humble ourselves and worship Him as our God will we ever truly feel lasting joy. In our scripture passage today, the wise men from the east find just that kind of joy when they find and worship the Lord Jesus.

As we read the scripture, we find that after they conversed with Herod the Great as to how long the star had been appearing, they left immediately. Verse 9 records that when they had heard the king, they departed. These guys were on a mission. They were focused and persistent. They had made a long, probably dangerous, journey and they were very close to their goal. As we read earlier in this chapter, these men had come on this journey to worship God. As impressive as Herod’s court likely was to these foreign dignitaries, it was not enough to delay them from their ultimate goal,

We also note in that verse that these men searched persistently. The verse records that the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young Child was. These wise men had followed this star all the way from the east and knew it to be a supernatural sign from God that pointed to the birthplace of the Messiah. They persistently followed this sign. This sign was available to all the citizens of Jerusalem and certainly to the religious leaders. However, these Jews were not the ones to go and greet the Messiah. Instead, these Gentile astrologers were the ones followed this star to the King of kings.

Because they had found the One they were looking for, they were overcome with happiness and rejoiced with exceedingly great joy as Matthew records in verse 10. They weren’t just happy to have found Him. They had joy on top of joy. They were ecstatic. We can imagine these men having spent their whole life pursuing meaningless, empty truth. At some point, they must have been able to read and learn the Hebrew Scriptures because they knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah. At some point, they felt a desire to search for the Truth and find the God who would come as Messiah. While we do not have recorded the particulars of how or why they began their search, they must have gone in response to the Word of God. They found the fulfillment of the prophecies they had read and were overjoyed.

Their joy is ultimately expressed in their worship. Worship should be a natural expression of our love for God. These men, upon seeing God in human flesh, fell down and worshipped Him. We see in verse 11 as much as anywhere the true motivation behind the journey of these men. Yes, we had heard them say they were here to worship, but here we see them express their feelings by their actions. I know in churches sometimes people will stand with the congregation during the hymns and not sing. Perhaps they feel that singing is reserved for those who have beautiful voices. I submit to you that after what God has done for us by choosing us and sending His Son to be a sacrifice for our sins, we should sing no matter how we sound. We should worship through our giving, through our service, and through out attention as His Word is preached to us. Praise God for the example of these Gentile men who fell prostrate before our Lord and worshipped Him as God Almighty. We also observe that they gave Him gifts that recognized His Kingship, His Priesthood, and His role as sacrifice by giving him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We should reflect on their sacrificial giving and recognize that worship is only truly worship when it is performed out of love from a heart that is thankful. When we remember the grace of God and how He drew us to Himself, our hearts should rejoice as these men’s hearts did and that joy should overflow into love and praise for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Mathew 2:7-8. Responses to Christ-An evil plot

In Genesis Chapter 3, we read about the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. When God pronounced His curse on the serpent, He said that the Seed of the woman would crush his (Satan’s) head while Satan would bruise the Seed’s heel. This conflict between Satan and God is carried on throughout Scripture. Time and time again, we find Satan attempting to thwart the plan of God to bring salvation to the world. Time and time again, we find Satan used the same means in his attempt to do so. Through various means, he tried to kill the Jewish people since the promised Messiah would be Jewish. We see in the book of Exodus, the wicked Pharaoh was motivated to kill all the Jewish males in an attempt to exterminate the Jewish race. In the book of Esther, we see Haman try to have the Jewish race killed by the King of the Medeo-Persian Empire. Although we know Satan has no way to be able to defeat the plans of God, we see examples in scripture of him trying to do just that. In Matthew chapter 2, we see this all too familiar strategy attempted again by this wicked Roman ruler.

We can see how carefully Herod the Great laid his evil plan out. We see in verse 7 of chapter 2 that he secretly called the wise men. Most of the time, if someone is trying to do something secretly, it’s usually not something good. Oh, sure, someone could be trying to set up a surprise party or hide a Christmas gift for someone special. However, most of the time, if someone wants something hidden it is because it is something they are ashamed for people to see. We know the end of this story and what Herod wanted to do to our Lord Jesus. Even if we didn’t already know that, however, the facts we know in history and what we have read so far in chapter 2 would cause us to be suspicious at his secret consultation with these wise men. We also observe the manner in which he questioned them about the star. The verse records that he determined from them what time the star appeared. In the Greek, the way determined is used indicates that he thoroughly questioned them to find out precisely how long the star had been appearing in the sky. This same word is translated carefully in the next verse. Herod wanted to make sure he knew not only where his target was but how long he had been alive. We see him methodically planning and plotting with a sinister precision that would even impress Lex Luthor.

In fact, his method of planning his crime is not the only way he resembles a comic book villain. He even employs henchmen. I imagine once he found out where the Child was born, he thought it would be too obvious or cause too much of a scene if he went there himself. Perhaps he was afraid the people would revolt against him in favor of this new King. Whatever his motivations, he did not travel to Jerusalem himself. Instead, verse 8 records that Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem with instructions to search carefully for the young Child and when they found Him he wanted them to bring back word to him. Again, he wanted no stone left unturned. His instructions were for them to make a thorough, accurate, exhaustive search to find exactly where this new King was living. This agent of Satan did not want to miss his intended target. In the ultimate act of hypocrisy, he tells them that he, too, wants to worship the Christ. We should remember that not every person who claims to be a Christian is truly a Christian. People use the name of Christ and the church sometimes to try to hide their less than pure motives. The epistles are replete with examples of false teachers who try to use their ministry for their own greedy purposes. I know that sort of thing still happens today. What we see in Herod, then, is just another example of a lost person trying to use religion as a cloak for his own sinful desires.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:4-6. Responses to Christ-Indifference

We observed last week how the birth of our Lord Jesus caused uneasiness in the heart of Herod the Great and the people in Jerusalem. The advent of the Prince of Peace caused them to panic for different reasons. Herod was afraid of a political rival and the people were afraid of Herod. However, one would expect the religious leaders, who were fervently anticipating the arrival of the Messiah, to have a proper response. Surely, they would praise God for finally sending the “Consolation of Israel” and fall down to worship Christ. We will see, as we study God’s word that, sadly, this is not the case.

We read in verse 4 of the text that Herod gathered all the chief priest and scribes of the people together and he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. This was a fairly startling move for this man and it reveals something of his motivations. We know that the news that One had been born King of the Jews troubled him. We also know that he was not Jewish and from things we can read in history he was not a person of faith. We know, therefore, that the reason for his inquiry was not godly nor were his motives pure. In fact, being a Roman official and an outsider to Jewish life, he actually condescended himself in asking this information from the chief priests and scribes. Josephus records that when Herod was named the Roman provincial governor of Jerusalem, he killed many of the scribes that were in Jerusalem. He, like most Romans, felt these people in Jerusalem were beneath him. Therefore, it must have humbled him to have had to ask these people for this information. He appears willing to humble himself somewhat if it means that he can thwart the Messiah’s rise to power.

He certainly looked for the information in the right place. We observe that he inquired of the chief priests. There was only one chief priest ordained at a time so, in reality, this could have included not only the current chief priest but also so of his predecessors. The priesthood had become something of a political office and sometimes they were disposed of at the whim of the local governor. These men were responsible for the service and maintenance of the temple. As such, they were important figures in Jewish life and could actually only come from one family. The scribes were the lawyers. They were professionals who devoted their time to the study of the law. In short, Herod called together the religious and judicial leaders of the nation in his haste to find out where his rival was born.

The fact that he was able to find any of these men should come as a surprise to us. They had just heard the news that the star announcing the birth of the Messiah had been seen by the magi. They knew the scriptures. If anyone in the city of Jerusalem should have been running to greet the Lord, it should have been these men. Instead, we find them having been assembled by this godless, evil man to assist him in his attempt to find the Messiah. They were able to do this with no trouble at all. Quite simply, scripture records that they said to him “In Bethlehem of Judea” and they noted that it was written by the prophet. They quoted the substance of the prophecy. Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. They also recognized the source of the prophecy was the revelation of God through His prophet. These guys could have made 100 on a Bible pop quiz. If they were on Jeopardy and the category was “Old Testament” and they hit the daily double, they could confidently say “I’ll bet all of it, Alex.” They knew, in a head knowledge kind of way, everything that a person needed to know to understand the significance of the birth of Christ. Instead of seeking Him our, they were indifferent. They were content to be called as consultants to this Gentile king who they hated rather than welcome their one, true King.

They even go so far as to quote from the Old Testament to substantiate their claim. In my day job, I’m an auditor. That is an accountant that has specialized in the task of telling other people how to do their jobs. Basically, when an auditee presents me with information, I never take their word for it. I always look for corroborating evidence. In a sense, that is what these men do here. They quote from Micah 5:2. We see in their quotation that is recorded in Matthew 2:6 that they knew the humble beginnings of the Messiah (You, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah.) They also know from Scripture the character of the Messiah. They quote that the Messiah shall be a Ruler. The word ruler translates the Greek word hegeomai which means leader and has the sense of royalty. However, even though He would be the Messiah and would rule with a rod of iron, as noted in Revelation 19:15, He would be tender and compassionate with his subjects. These men further quoted that this Ruler would shepherd My people, Israel. We know that in the book of John, Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in chapter 10 and David proudly proclaimed that the Lord was his Shepherd in the 23rd Psalm. There is no more selfless, tireless kind of caretaker than a shepherd and that is exactly the kind of Messiah that was revealed in this prophecy.

These men knew all these things. They knew where He was to be born and, after the visit of the magi, they knew when He was born. Instead of going to look for Him, they remained in their lofty positions of power and influence in Jerusalem. Friends, let us pay careful attention to this. A person can know a lot about Jesus and the Bible and be lost as a goose. I would dare say there may well be some very well educated theologians that go straight into Hell and not all of them may be liberals. It isn’t head knowledge that saves a man or a woman but a real relationship with Jesus Christ. These men, by their indifference to the Messiah, prove their lack of a true faith in God.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:3-Responses to Christ. Agitation.

I would like to have come up with a better title for this weeks study, Unfortunately, I’m not that creative. In any case, the single most important point that God reveals in this verse is how the Jews in Jerusalem and Herod the King reacted to Jesus’ birth. It is important for us as we study this not only to observe what their reaction was, but to think Biblically and determine why they reacted this way.

Matthew records that when Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled. The word, translated troubled is the Greek word tarasso and it means to agitate, disturb, or stir up. It is used to describe the emotional condition of the disciples when Jesus walked on the water to meet them in the boat during a storm. It is also used in John chapter 5 to describe water being stirred. One might say that the things he heard from the questioning magi caused him to fret. We should ask ourselves “Why?” Why would news of this sort cause this man to be agitated?

The answer lies in history. The Jews had been under foreign rule since about 500 years before Christ’s birth when the Babylonians invaded Judah and conquered the people, Rule passed from Babylon to Medo-Persia to Greece and, finally, to Rome. The Jewish people hated being under the control of a foreign ruler and, as such, were somewhat difficult to control. Occasional revolts against their rulers were not uncommon. So Herod was in a tense political environment, to say the least. He was a descendent of Esau and, therefore, a foreigner. Therefore, the Jews hated him and he knew that.

In addition to the tense political situation, we have to remember that Herod was a ruthless, power mad despot. He killed two of his sons and their mother because he feared they were a threat to his power. Upon being promoted to king in Jerusalem by the Romans one of his first official actions was to kill many religious leaders in Jerusalem. The Jews knew him to be ruthless. He was also wildly ambitious and jealous. Therefore, when he heard the magi were asking about the one who had been born King of the Jews, he was thrown into a jealous fit. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone else bearing his title and he feared the people of Jerusalem would support the usurper.

We see, however, the people did not have the reaction he feared that they would. In fact, Matthew records that all Jerusalem was troubled with him. Of course, we know that they were aware of the evil this man who had been set over them as king was capable of because of his ruthlessness and cruelty. However, all Jewish people were expectantly hoping for the arrival of the Messiah. They knew His arrival was imminent because of the prophecy in Daniel 9:25. Their hearts longed for what they expected to be a political emancipation from foreign rule. Instead of rushing out to find where this Messiah was born, we see that they are troubled. In contrast to Gentile philosopher kings who brought word that the promised Messiah had been born and traveled many hundreds of miles to do so, God’s chosen people, the Jews, wouldn’t so much as travel less than 20 miles to their south to find their true King. Their fear of this Gentile king led them to ignore their Messiah who was God in human flesh. Instead of turning in faith to God, they kept their eyes on their circumstances and robbed themselves of the joy of greeting their Messiah.

Which side do you and I fall on? Are we like the Jews who were so worried about their circumstances to seek after God? Or do we have the faith of the wise men who followed a star on a treacherous journey because they were desperate to find God. Do we allow worldly concerns to become more important than seeking God and His Truth, no matter how hard the voyage.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Matthew 2:1-2: Responses to Christ: A Persistent Search for the Truth

Matthew records events that occurred after Christ’s birth to give us a clear picture of the kinds of responses people had to His birth. In chapter 2, we see Christ sought after, feared, ignored, and worshipped. We ever see innocent people murdered in an attempt to kill Him due to jealousy.

In verse 1, Matthew records that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was south and slightly east of Jerusalem. It was a small town but it was important for several reasons. First of all, it was the birthplace of King David. Secondly, the town had prophetic importance. As noted in Micah 5:2, the Messiah would be born in this town. Therefore, the location of Jesus’ birth was significant.

Additionally, Matthew records the ruler who reigned at the time. Herod the king was the man assigned to govern this area by Rome. Essentially then, he was a governor. The Jews hated this man. First of all, he was not Jewish but a descendent of Esau and, therefore, a foreigner. Secondly, he was known for ruthlessness and cruelty. Because the horrible man was set over them as king and he represented Roman rule, he was a constant reminder that Israel was under the political rule of another country.

Into this tense political climate came wise men from the east. The word wise men is magios in the Greek. It referred to men who were devoted to the study of the sciences of that day as well as philosophy and religion. Since these men came as the result of seeing a star, it is reasonable to assume that they spent at least some of their time studying astronomy or astrology. We also know the general location these men came from because Matthew records that they came from the east. Many Bible scholars believe these men were Persian. In any case, it was fairly obvious that these wise men “weren’t from around these parts.” These men left their homes and went on an arduous, possibly even dangerous, journey to follow this phenomenon. Very likely, it had taken them a long time to reach their destination. They were obviously motivated by some intense driving force. As our Lord noted in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” The faith and persistence of these men is an example to us.

We find further evidence that these men were people of faith as we examine the inquiry they made when they arrived in Jerusalem. They went around to people 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.” Again, we see these men were persistent in the manner in which they asked. As John MacArthur observes in his study Bible, the word saying is a present participle in the Greek text. This indicates that they were probably asking everyone they met this same question. They were also fully cognizant of Whom they were asking about. They identified Him as the King of the Jews. Evidently, they were aware of the position of royalty this baby boy was born into. They also must have read and been familiar with the Hebrew prophecies and knew the Messiah would be born under a sign; a star. While this star looked like it might have just been a heavenly body, it was probably supernatural since it led these men here and would eventually settle over the house where Jesus was living. They knew the Old Testament prophecies in Isaiah 60:3 and Numbers 24:17 that the sign of the birth of the Messiah would be a star. Finally, we see their faith further evidenced by the purpose of their visit. They came not as political envoys or curious men, but as people who were in fact seeking God. They were Gentiles and, therefore, outsiders to the Jewish community. They were not seeking religion nor were they Jewish proselytes. Instead, these men went on this long journey to find God in order that they might worship Him. Let us pray for God to draw us even closer to Himself as He drew these wise men. Let us also pray that he would give us a heart to seek the truth as persistently as these men did.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.