December 24, 2024
Big Book Idea
God with us.
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew was probably written in the late 50s or early 60s A.D. Matthew (also called Levi), the former tax collector who became Jesus’ disciple, is the author. The original audience may have been the church in Antioch of Syria. Its members included Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Matthew tells the story of Jesus of Nazareth, the long-expected Messiah who brought the kingdom of God to earth.
Matthew writes his Gospel to demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, that he has the right to the throne of David as Israel’s true King, and that he is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all the world (1:1; Gen. 12:1–3). Matthew seeks to encourage Jewish Christians (and all future disciples) to stand strong despite opposition. They should feel secure in the knowledge of their citizenship in God’s kingdom. Matthew shows that Gentiles also can find salvation through Jesus the Messiah.
The events in the book of Matthew take place almost entirely within the vicinity of Palestine, an area extending roughly from Caesarea Philippi in the north to Beersheba in the south. During this time it was ruled by the Roman Empire. The opening chapters describe events surrounding Jesus’ birth in Judea, where Herod had been appointed king by the Romans. The closing chapters end with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension during the rule of Pontius Pilate and the tetrarchs Antipas and Philip.
Herod the Great ruled Israel and Judah from 37 to 4 B.C. He was an Idumean (or Edomite), and was appointed king of the Jews under the authority of Rome. Herod ruled firmly and often ruthlessly, murdering any who might challenge his place on the throne. This included his own wife, several sons, and other relatives. It is no surprise, then, that he tried to kill the baby Jesus. Despite his cruelty, Herod was known as “the Great” because Israel and Judah experienced prosperity during his reign. He was a master builder who restored the temple in Jerusalem and built many theaters, cities, palaces, and fortresses. Herod also financed structures—including pagan temples—throughout the Roman Empire. Ravaged by disease, Herod died in his palace at Jericho and was buried at Herodium. (Matthew 2:16–18)
Matt. 2:9 the star . . . went before them. The star led them specifically to Bethlehem.
Matt. 2:11 The wise men arrived up to two years after Jesus’ birth. By then Jesus lived in a house. worshiped him. Because of their pagan background, the wise men may not have understood Jesus’ divine nature, but their actions were clearly appropriate (see Phil. 2:9–11; Rev. 7:9–10). gold and frankincense and myrrh. The number of gifts contributed to the tradition that there were three men, but their actual number is unknown. Frankincense is resin which was used in OT times as incense on the altar (Ex. 30:9, 34–38). Myrrh is sap used in incense and perfume. The gifts probably supported Jesus’ family when they fled to Egypt (Matt. 2:13–15).
Can you imagine living in a time when there were stories that God would one day come in human form (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7; Micah 5:2)? And then—it happened! How would you respond?
In Matthew 2, we see three different responses to Jesus' birth. Each response points to a deeper root of whom they believed God to be and the resulting posture of their heart.
First, we see King Herod's reaction—fear, self-preservation, and false worship. Herod feigns an interest in Jesus' arrival to get information on His location, likely for malintent. We know he later calls for the death of all boys under age of 2 in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16), so we can assume the outcome for Jesus would have been violent had Herod found Him. Herod feels threatened by Jesus and desires only to preserve his own power, authority, and fame.
Next, we see the priests and scribes (lack of) reaction—apathy. They knew the prophecies of the Messiah in detail, and yet it caused no reaction of worship. They had head knowledge of the promised Messiah, but their heart did not have a proper response to Him.
Finally, we see the wise men's reaction—curiosity, rejoicing, worship, gratitude, generosity, and responsiveness. The news of Jesus' birth stirs them to travel a great distance, following a star as their guide. Upon seeing Jesus, they immediately respond in worship with generous, extravagant, and symbolic gifts. They acknowledge Jesus as God and offer a God-focused, worship-filled response.
Similarly, we can fall anywhere on this spectrum of responses to Jesus. If I'm not careful, I can fall into a response of seeing God's Word as a threat to my comfort or own desires. I can see the commands to forgive and entrust justice to the Lord as a threat to my own desire for justice. Or I can respond with apathy, knowing that I cannot bear fruit without abiding, but choosing distraction or lack of discipline instead. But, oh, how I want to respond like the wise men—intent on following Jesus at every turn and worshiping with joy in His presence.
This month's memory verse
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
1. Where do you see your own response to Jesus in this story?
2. What is one thing the Lord is calling you to do (or not do) to which you are struggling to respond?
3. What are you doing to keep this Advent season one of worship? Is there anything you need to start doing or stop doing to turn your eyes toward Jesus?
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