christmas_wallpaper_prettyblueMerry Christmas! Well, Merry Christmas Eve to all. From where I sit it is going to be a white Christmas for sure. Even more important, it is going to be a Christmas spent with family. I hope the same is true for you. But most importantly I hope and pray that your Christmas will be full of hope, joy, and worship. In order to aid in that, I have been posting a series called Rediscovering Christmas. If you missed part 1: Lay Hold of Hope or part 2: Awestruck with Glory, you can click here. But today, I want to finish up by calling us all to Join in the Worship.

Join in the Worship – The Story of the Wise Men and King Herod – Matthew 2:1-12

Who Were the Wise Men? – vs. 1

  1. They were magi – a class of priests from the Medo-Persian Empire.
  2. Both Daniel and the Greek historian Herodotus give us insight into the significance of these men.
  3. Knowing their belief in mystical powers, they were more astrologers, than astronomers.
  4. They learned about Jehovah and the coming Messiah from Daniel. – Daniel
  5. Throughout the east, the magi were known as the religious leaders, but in the west they were the king-makers.

One Paranoid King – vs. 2-8

  1. Herod was the governor of Judah, a puppet ruler of Rome, not the self-proclaimed king of Judah, or king of the Jews.
  2. The wise men would have caused great concern to both Herod and all Jerusalem.

The Irony of the Story – vs. 9-10

  1. Herod knew he had no authority to be called the King of the Jews.
  2. Herod knew that Jesus was the true King of the Jews.
  3. The priests and the scribes knew who Jesus was but they did not accept Him.
  4. Their Messiah was only five miles away.

The Gifts Teach us the Gospel – vs. 11-12

  1. Gold – Jesus is the King.
  2. Frankincense – Jesus is God.
  3. Myrrh – Jesus came to give His life for our sin.

Conclusion

  • Are you like Herod, the Scribes and Priests?
    • They knew the truth, were indifferent to the truth, rejected the truth when confronted by it, and sought to silence the truth.
  • Are you like the wise men?
    • They knew Scripture, acted in faith, and worshiped Jesus.

This concludes our Rediscovering Christmas series. I hope you have either discovered the true reason for Christmas or rediscovered the joy of Christmas. Enjoy your Christmas!

***Sermon preached by Pastor Rick Wilson at Denbigh Baptist Church December 22nd, 2013.***