Sermon: Sunday, 15th December, 2024
Speaker: John Johnstone
Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
For many people in Scotland, the Christmas story brings back memories of the school nativity play. Perhaps you were in one yourself or have watched one of your own children be an angel, a wise man or a shepherd, or even Mary or Joseph is they were lucky enough to have a starring role. It’s good that at least many of the children in our land still know the gist of the Christmas story, though that number seems to go down each year, as Christmas Carol services are replaced by winter celebrations. There are several dangers we face when returning to the Christmas story. There’s the danger of familiarity. We think we know the story and have nothing left to learn and so we just switch off and wait for the mince pies. There’s a danger that we see the account as a made-up story, like an ancient myth, something which probably didn’t happen. And there’s a danger that we sentimentalise the story, thinking ‘That’s lovely that Mary found somewhere for her baby eventually.’ but failing to think deeply about what God is trying to tell us in this crucial part of history. Let’s try and briefly deal with some of these dangers.
Firstly, this is not a myth but a historical event. Almost all serious historians agree that Jesus was a historical figure, who was born in Bethlehem and died by crucifixion. The King Herod mentioned in the account is Herod the Great, whose reign is also well attested in history. He was known as a paranoid ruler, who got rid of his own wife and some of his sons when he felt they threatened his reign. The killing of the boys aged 2 and under is a horrific act which accords with similar actions throughout his reign, recorded in secular sources. However, the Christmas story is a also a supernatural story. That’s no big deal if you believe in God. If you say that you don’t believe in God, then you must conclude that the world, including our own existence, happened by chance and has no ultimate meaning or purpose or hope beyond the grave. It’s hard to see how the world could be so full design and order, with the amazing laws of chemistry, physics and biology, if it all came about by time plus chance. In the praise earlier we sang: ‘Chanting bird and flowing fountain, praising you eternally’. In other words, we can see God’s fingerprints all over creation. But if God has always existed, and he has, then we should not be surprised that the birth of Jesus was accompanied by the supernatural, such as angels, special stars and dreams.
Last week, we thought about the names God tells Joseph to give to his son. Immanuel means ‘God is with us’ and Jesus means ‘the LORD saves’. This captures the whole of the Christmas story. Jesus, who is the Maker of all things, and is eternal God, leaves heaven and comes down to earth to become a human being. Why? In order to rescue human beings like us from their sins. This is the heart of the Christmas story. Of course, it is supernatural – God becoming a true human being is marvellously supernatural. But that does not mean it isn’t true. We know it is true because it is historical and we know it is true because of the prophecies given. The prophet Micah predicts, 700 years before Jesus’ birth, that he will be born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was an obscure town 5 miles away from Jerusalem and often missed off the maps of Israel being so small. The prophecy comes true. In Matthew chapter 2 verse 15, we read that Jesus’ fleeing into Egypt as a refugee was also prophesied, as was the killing of those in Bethlehem, his growing up in Nazareth, and the appearing of those from the east with gold, frankincense and myrrh. These are prophecies which were historically documented in the Hebrew language long before Jesus’ birth. In fact, there are dozens of prophesies about Jesus’ life recorded in the Old Testament. Every single one comes true. This is totally supernatural. God is telling us here that the Bible is true. Conservatively, Jesus fulfilled at least 300 prophecies in His earthly ministry. You cannot explain that.
Secondly, we won’t sentimentalise this account this morning. Instead, let’s ask ourselves what God is saying to us through these events. That might even unsettle or offend us. Let’s consider the wide range of reactions to Jesus’ birth and think about which reaction we can relate to the most. In other words, let’s remember that God speaks to us today, loudly and clearly, through the pages of the Bible. That’s why it has been the best-selling book every single year for hundreds of years. It’s because God speaks to us through His Word.
We don’t know much about the Magi from the east. One Christmas carol says ‘We Three kings From Orient Are’ but the truth is, we don’t know how many there were, which country they were from and it is unlikely that they were kings. At least the carol gets the ‘orient’ part right. Our best guess would be that they are from modern day Iran or Iraq, coming from Persia or Babylon. They are likely to be well-educated, experts in the stars, in interpreting dreams, and in religion. Perhaps they had some Old Testament prophecies, such as in the book of Daniel, since Daniel was prime minister in Babylon. We cannot be sure. We are not told.
What we do know is that the star-gazers see an unusual star in the sky and understand what it means – a very special king of the Jews has been born. They travel for hundreds of miles, armed with expensive gifts fit for a king, so that they can pay homage to this special person. In spite of their limited understanding, these Magi, Gentile foreigners from the east, come looking for the Jewish Messiah. They find him and worship him.
What’s the significance of the wise men in the Christmas story? What is God telling us through it. God is telling us that Jesus is God’s special gift, not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, in other words, to the whole world. Let’s make this more personal, seeing ourselves in this story where we belong – in a sense, this baby is for you. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…’ (John 3:16) If you believe in him, you can have eternal life.
The worship of the wise men signals to us that the Kingdom of God is international in its scope. Yes, Jesus is the King of the Jews. But he is also the true King of the whole world. As God-in-the-flesh, he is my rightful King and your rightful King. The question is, will you receive him as such? Will you give your allegiance to him?
The prophet Isaiah, eight centuries before Jesus was born, makes this prophecy about the birth: ‘Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. ‘Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the hip. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.’ Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.’ (Isaiah 60:3-6)
So, in a very real sense, the wise men are the first fruits of millions upon millions of Gentiles who like them, will come to Jesus in faith and worship. First fruits are special as they signal that the rest of the harvest will follow. The wise men are the first fruits signalling the massive worldwide growth of Christ’s church. That is one of many reasons we celebrate having so many different nationalities in Kirkcaldy Free Church. Jesus is for all the nations. He is for the rich and educated like the wise men and he is for the poor less-educated like the shepherds. He is for the Jews and the Gentiles. He is for men and women. He is for the young an the old. He is an international Saviour-King.
If someone hands you a gift then you need to make some kind of a response. Myself and Geoff handed out some more welcome packs to people in new houses in Kirkcaldy. Thankfully, we weren’t met with much hostility, though that can happen. Most people responded with apathy and indifference. A few responded positively. That was just a welcome pack. But imagine it is Christmas morning, and you hand a close family member a present you have made yourself, having poured time and money and thought and love into it. The person opens it and says,‘I don’t want this.’ Or perhaps they open it and you can tell they don’t really want it. Though special and useful, it’s not valued by them and remains unused, gathering dust amongst the several unwanted Christmas presents in the house. What if God himself offers you a gift which is just what you need. Your response to that gift is highly significant and will actually shape your future. That’s why you are part of the story.
Let’s look at some negative responses to Jesus’ birth first. Herod hears the news about the birth of a new king of Israel and he (verse 3) is disturbed. He must have thought ‘I’m the king of Israel’ and felt threatened. His mind would have been working overtime, thinking about getting rid of any potential rival. Herod wasn’t actually truly Jewish and he wasn’t in the line of Israel’s kings as Jesus was. He was half Jewish and half Idumean. He was appointed by Roman authority and not from the Jewish people. For Herod, the answer to the question ‘Who is in charge?’ is ‘I am’. He is a ruthless and selfish man and will do anything in order to cling to the power he shouldn’t even have. He only cares about himself and not even for his own immediate family. When the wise men enquire (verse 2) about where the king of the Jews will be born, Herod does not care a jot about this claim, even though it is a right one. Jesus is the true king and not Herod. Whilst Herod rules with selfishness and greed, Jesus will reign (verse 6) as a shepherd who truly cares for the flock. In fact, he will lay down his life for his sheep. Of course, we might find it hard to relate to Herod’s response.
However, it’s all too easy to be like Herod spiritually. What do I mean? Jesus, as God, is the one who has the right to be in charge of all people. We ought to follow him. He is the true King and not us. The universe revolves around him and not us. But we can feel threatened by his claim over our lives. We want to cling onto being the ones in charge and want to do what we want when we want, and relegate God out of our lives altogether. We don’t want God, a rival king, telling us what to do, nor do we want him in the Bible to tell us how we ought to live. It’s all about what we think and what we want. That’s all. If that’s where we are at, then we are like Herod spiritually. In verse 3, we read that all Jerusalem is disturbed. I’m not sure why. Perhaps they fear Herod’s mood swings and are scared about more political unrest. Whatever the reason, the nation which had been waiting for the Messiah-king for centuries reacts negatively when he actually arrives.
Then there’s the apathy of the religious leaders. They should have known better. They should have been excited and filled with enthusiasm, as the religious leaders of the day. They ought to have jumped on their donkeys and travelled the 5 miles to Bethlehem to see Jesus for themselves. They don’t bother. Yes, they have the head-knowledge (verse 5) knowing that the Bible had revealed the Christ would be born in Bethlehem. It’s all just a job for them. They have no sense of longing and wonder about the birth of the Rescuer. It seems to make no difference to them. They are comfortable with their own positions of religious power, but their hearts are far from God. This is a sobering response.
Perhaps a parallel today is those who come to church out of routine, or guilt, or because they think they are good people. But they don’t really love Jesus and are not thankful to him for dying on the cross. Inwardly, they shrug their shoulders at the true Christmas message, and it fails to impact their everyday lives. Which of these responses can you relate to?
Finally, we have the positive response of the wise men. It is wonderful that although they have far less knowledge than scribes and pharisees, they are the ones who have faith and love and worship in their hearts. ‘On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ (Matthew 2:11) The Magi put Herod and the religious leaders to shame. The faith of the Magi stands in stark contrast to the unbelief of the religious elite.
J C Ryle captures the strength of the Magi’s faith: ‘They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knees, and worshipped Him as a King… They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them… and yet when they saw that infant they believed they saw the divine Saviour of the world! They fell down and worshipped Him.’
What about us here today? We have the whole Bible and can read the records of Jesus’ miracles and incomparable teaching. We can read of his act of love dying for others on the cross. We can read of the greatest proof of his identity – his resurrection from the dead. We have more light than the wise men. The question is, are we willing to honour and worship the King? Will we gladly honour him with our gifts of love and time and service.
The carol ‘In the bleak midwinter’ asks the question:
‘What can I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
et what I can, I give Him, give my heart.’
If you refuse God’s greatest gift what are you refusing? You are refuging his forgiveness, grace, peace, love and eternal life. Instead, be like the wise men. Worship the true King.