MATTHEW 2

LESSONS FROM CHRISTMAS! PM 12/12/04

 

Lessons From Christmas:

Two women who were having lunch in an elegant hotel were approached by a mutual friend who asked the occasion for the meal.

 

One lady replied, “We are celebrating the birth of my baby boy.”

 

“But where is he?” inquired the friend.

 

“Oh,” said the mother, “you didn’t think I’d bring him, did you?”

 

What a picture of the way the world treats Jesus at Christmas. Source unknown

 

Lessons from Christmas:

How can you explain or describe or quantify what Christmas means in our lives?  Norman Vincent Peale tells about two men who were standing on Fifth Avenue at 57th Street in New York City during the Christmas rush, waiting for a red light.

 

One of them was irritated by the traffic.  "This town is totally disorganized," he growled.  "Look at this traffic!  It's terrible!  Something ought to be done about it."

 

The other man was more philosophical.  Thoughtfully he countered, "You know, it's astounding, the romance of it.  There was a baby born of peasant parents in a little out-of-the-way place halfway around the world from here.  The parents had no money or social standing, yet two thousand years later that little baby creates a traffic jam on Fifth Avenue, one of the most sophisticated streets in the world.  This irritates you.  Instead it should fascinate you."

 

Lessons from Christmas:

"If our greatest need was for information,

God would have sent an educator."

     

"If our greatest need was for technology,

God would have sent a scientist."

      

"If our greatest need was for pleasure,

God would have sent an entertainer."

      

"If our greatest need was for money

God would have sent an economist."

 

BUT SINCE OUR GREATEST NEED IS FOR FORGIVENESS, GOD SENT A SAVIOR. Source Unknown

 

Christmas seems to be a great time for lessons. 

People are more sensitive and reflective. 

They are in a mood to learn.

They are more willing to share of themselves.

 

The best place to go for lessons from Christmas, however, is to the Bible.  Tonight I bring you to Matthew 2 to learn some lessons from the Christmas Story.  I have four of them to share with you this evening.

 

1. GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT Vss. 1-2

 

One of the biggest problems we have in our lives is with timing.  Most of us subscribe to the adage of Murphy’s Law, “If anything can go wrong it will, and at the most inconvenient time.”

 

Just when we think that when nothing more could go wrong, it does!

From the Christmas Story, however, we learn that God’s timing is perfect.

 

Vs. 1 – First of all, we are reminded that Jesus was born in

Bethlehem in Judea.  Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth.

 

God promised that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

 

Micah 5:2 - But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

 

It would not do for Jesus to be born in Nazareth, although I imagine that is what Joseph and Mary intended.   

So God worked.

He moved in the heart of a Roman Emperor to call for a fresh registration for taxes.

 

Luke 2:1-4 - And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. [2] (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) [3] And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 

This registration required Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem because Joseph was a descendent of David.  He had to go back to the family’s home town.   

 

Jesus was born right on time in the right place. 

And there was more involved in God’s perfect timing.

 

Vss. 1-2 – It is at this point in the story that the wise men show up.

 

So who were the wise men?

 

·       We know very little about them. 

·       They have been known as the “three kings”, but we do not know that they were kings.

·       We do not even know that there were three of them.  The idea of there being three wise men comes from the fact that they brought three gifts.

·       The word used for wise men is actually “magi”, the word from which we get the word, magic.  They were specialists in astronomy.

 

Evidently God spoke to them through the stars.  Having seen “His star”, they came to worship Him.

 

Notice when the wise men showed up.

They weren’t too early.

They weren’t too late.

They were right on time! 

 

Let us remember that God is always on time.

I have seen Him provide financial help right on time.

I have seen Him heal at just the right time.

I have seen Him settle disputes right on time.

I have seen Him intervene at just the right time.

 

As humans we get impatient. We sometimes think that God is delaying or slow. But just as the best puddings made from scratch take more time to make than instant puddings, God’s answers take time to develop because they are the best answers and not just instant answers.

 

As we wait for God’s perfect timing we must remember what Romans 8:28 tells us: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

 

Waiting for God’s perfect timing is something we Christians need to learn to do.

 

Psalm 130:5-6 - I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. [6] My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

 

Psalm 27:14 - Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

 

God’s timing is perfect, so we can confidently wait for Him.

 

1. GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT Vss. 1-2

 

2. GOD'S ENEMIES ARE TREACHEROUS Vss. 3-8

 

Who, more than anyone, wanted Jesus destroyed?  Yes, it was Satan!

Satan had an associate, or should I say, slave, who was in a position to help him.  This helper, of course, was King Herod.

 

This Herod was known as Herod the “Great”.

According to John MacArthur, “He was a clever and capable warrior, orator, and diplomat. In times of severe economic hardship he gave back some tax money collected from the people. During the great famine of 25 B.C. he melted down various gold objects in the palace to buy food for the poor. He built theaters, race tracks, and other structures to provide entertainment for the people, and in 19B.C. he began the reconstruction of the Temple in Jerusalem…

 

“But Herod was also cruel and merciless. He was incredibly jealous, suspicious, and afraid for his position and power.

 

Fearing his potential threat, he had the high priest Aristobulus, who was his wife Mariamne’s Brother, drowned. After which he provided a magnificent funeral where he pretended to weep.  He then had Mariamne herself killed, and then her mother and two of his own sons. Five days before his death…he had a third son executed. One of the greatest evidences of his bloodthirstiness and insane cruelty was having the most distinguished citizens of Jerusalem arrested and imprisoned shortly before his death.

Because he knew no one would mourn his own death, he gave orders for those prisoners to be executed the moment he died – in order to guarantee that there would be mourning in Jerusalem…” John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Matthew 1-7 (Chicago, Moody Press, 1985) p 26

 

Vs. 3 – When Herod heard about the inquiries of the wise men he was troubled.

He was troubled because He had been appointed King of the Jews, and didn’t want anyone threatening his authority or throne.

He was troubled because he wasn’t a Jew! He was an Edomite, a descendent of Esau.

He had no right to the throne in the first place!

 

Vs. 4 – So Herod gathered the religious leaders together and demanded to know where Christ would be born.  It is interesting to note that the scholars certainly had a “head knowledge” about their coming Messiah.

 

Vss. 5-6 – They told Herod exactly where the prophecy said that the Messiah would arrive in Bethlehem, Judea.

 

Vs. 7 – Herod called the wise men together privately.  He had a treacherous plan that required secrecy.  The less people knew about his trying to destroy the Messiah, the better!

Notice that he inquired diligently as to appear to be sincerely interested in the birth of this King. 

It was all an act.  But this should not surprise us. 

Satan is deceptive and so are his servants!

 

2 Corinthians 11:14-15 - And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

 

Vs. 8 – Herod sent the Wise Men to Bethlehem with the command to return and tell Him the details about the child.  He said he wanted to go and worship Jesus.

The exact opposite is true!  

 

We are reminded that God’s enemies are treacherous.

We should never be surprised at the lengths Satan, through his henchmen will go in order to destroy God’s work.

 

Many a pastor and many a ministry have been destroyed by people who appeared to be Godly who were only faking it.

They have gotten into positions of influence and destroyed God’s work.

 

We need to be on the alert against those who would destroy God’s work.

 

1 John 2:19-20 - They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. [20] But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

 

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

1. GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT Vss. 1-2

2. GOD'S ENEMIES ARE TREACHEROUS Vss. 3-8

   

3. GOD'S SERVANTS ARE FAITHFUL Vss. 9-14

 

1 Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

 

To be God’s servant you do not need to be talented.

To be God’s servant you do not need to be rich.

To be God’s servant you do not need to be famous.

To be God’s servant you do not need to be good looking.

But to be God’s servant you need to be faithful.

   

In this passage we see three things about the faithfulness of God’s servants.

 

·         God’s Servants Are Faithful to Go. Vss. 9-10

 

Vss. 9-10 – The going that the wise men did actually started back in the East when they first left family, friends, and the comforts of home to journey to Judea.

 

Their trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem was just a continuation of their journey in obedience. They continued to go.

 

God rewarded them with protection, guidance, and joy.

They were protected so that Herod didn’t kill them on the spot.

They were guided by the star that they had seen in the East.

When they saw the star they had exceeding great joy.

 

Like the Wise Men, we should be faithful to go.

·        God might call us to go into the ministry.

·        God might call us to the mission field.

·        God might call us to service in this church.

·        God might call us to witness to certain individuals.

·        God might call us to go to Christians who are hurting.

 

When God calls us to go, he will protect us.

Acts 18:9-10 - Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: [10] For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.

 

When God calls us to go, he will guide us.   

Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

 

When God calls us to go, he will give us joy.   

Acts 16:23-25 - And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

 

Nehemiah 8:10 - …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 

God’s Servants are faithful to go.   

·         God’s Servants Are Faithful To share. Vs. 11

 

Four gifts were given by the wise men.

Don’t forget that the most important thing they shared was themselves in worship.

More important than anything else we can give to the Lord Jesus is the gift of worship.  It is the ultimate sharing of ourselves.

 

Hebrews 13:15 - By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

 

Gold, frankincense and myrrh were all costly gifts.  The later two were perfumes.   

 

God’s servants are faithful to share what they have with those who are need and in the Lord’s work.

 

Galatians 6:9-10 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. [10] As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 - But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. [7] Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. [8] And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

 

God’s Servants are faithful to go.

God’s Servants are faithful to share.

·       God’s Servants Are Faithful To obey. Vss. 12-14 

 

Vs. 12 – The wise men were told by God not to go back to Herod so they went home “another way”

 

Vss. 13-14 – Joseph was warned to leave and go to Egypt.

                     Joseph left that night!    

 

In the course of a life time God will ask us to do many things. 

 

Whenever it is plain that God wants us to do something, let’s not dilly dally around.  Let’s go forth to do what we are told.

 

1 Samuel 15:22 - …Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 

One of the most important things we can do as servants of Christ is to obey Him!

John 14:15 - If ye love me, keep my commandments.

 

1. GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT Vss. 1-2

2. GOD'S ENEMIES ARE TREACHEROUS Vss. 3-8

3. GOD'S SERVANTS ARE FAITHFUL Vss. 9-14

4. GOD'S PROTECTION IS POWERFUL Vss. 15-23

 

Satan through Herod tried to destroy Jesus, but God protected His Son.

Let us remember that when we are in the center of God’s will nothing can harm us.

God can protect when it seems that we have no hope whatsoever! 

 

Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

 

Deuteronomy 33:27 - The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

 

1. GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT Vss. 1-2

2. GOD'S ENEMIES ARE TREACHEROUS Vss. 3-8

3. GOD'S SERVANTS ARE FAITHFUL Vss. 9-14

4. GOD'S PROTECTION IS POWERFUL Vss. 15-23