Introduction: As Jesus was born there were wise men that came from far away to see Him and worship Him. However, evil people in His own land hated Him and wanted to destroy Him. Today it is the same. Some go way beyond to serve Him- suffering hardship, persecution and even death in some circumstances.
I. (2.1-8) The Visit With Herod
* Came from foreign land seeking Messiah
* Were seeking when Jews should have been
* The Jews had the information
* Evil king with an evil plan
*Knew about Messiah-King, planned to prevent it
*Eye on earthly, not eternal
*Told exact location of Messiah’s birth
*6"But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."' (Micah 5.2)
(2.9-11) The Visit With Jesus
*Sought Messiah Jesus and worshipped Him (Properly)
*Gold- represents kingship: representing the Kingship of Christ (Revelation 19.16- On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”)
*Frankincense- representing the Priesthood of Christ: Jesus our High Priest (Hebrews 3.1- “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…”)
*Myrrh- representing the death and sacrifice of Christ: (Romans 5.8- “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”)
(2.12-15) The Visit By God
*God spoke to the wise men (who were seeking Him) about Herod’s evil plan
*They obeyed Him
*God spoke to Joseph- who displayed dedication to Him- about Herod’s evil plan
*He obeyed Him
*"Out of Egypt I called My Son." (Hosea 11:1)
(2.16-18) The Vengeance Of Herod
*Herod figured out that the wise men would not return
*He sought to destroy the child-Messiah-King by murdering of innocent children
*Jesus was already gone
*the murder of the children was prophesied
*"A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more." (Jeremiah 31:15)
Application Points: In that day people sought to remove Christ while others sought to honor and worship Him. Today many seek to remove Christ- especially visible during Christmas. This is the time to seek after Him no matter the cost and reject the idea that we need to reject or remove Him from our lives.
Conclusion: When Jesus was born there were those that came from far away to honor and worship Him. Others hated Him and wanted to destroy Him. We need to stand and take sides: with Jesus or against Him. Honor Jesus this Christmas. Don’t settle for “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings.” Keep Christ honored in Christmas- wish people a Merry Christmas.
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