Responses to Christ’s Birth

Transcript

GRM 1044
12/20/2009
Responses to Christ's Birth
Matthew 2
Gil Rugh


We're going to look back into the gospel of Matthew together. I say back into because most of you were here last week and in our study we looked at Matthew 1. And this week we're going to look at Matthew 2. These two chapters of Matthew go together because they cover events relating to the birth of Christ, events leading up to that birth, the birth and events that took place not too long after the birth of Christ.

Remember each of the gospels has its own emphasis and focus. The Spirit of God has directed the four different gospel writers to concentrate on a particular aspect of Christ's life and ministry. That doesn't mean there is not quite a bit of overlap, particularly in Matthew, Mark and Luke. But Matthew focuses on Jesus Christ as the king of Israel, the king in His kingdom becomes a dominant emphasis in Matthew. In Mark Christ is viewed as the servant of the Lord, in Luke He is viewed as man, the Son of Man, His humanity. And in John His deity is brought to the fore. And each of the gospel writers selects the material from Christ's life and ministry which focuses attention particularly on their emphases in their accounts as the Spirit has directed them. That's why you have some things left out in one gospel that are included in another, because it didn't fit their purpose to include it all. Otherwise these gospels, as John said when he concluded his, if everything were written, he said, I don't think the books of the world could hold it. So obviously we have a condensed, summarized version which we are glad for because we have a great task before us in mastering the truth that God has placed in our hands.

The gospel of Matthew is focusing on Jesus Christ as king so chapter 1 opened up with the genealogy of the king. You have to show that He can fulfill the requirements of what God has set down, particularly in the Davidic Covenant to be the One who can sit on the throne of David. So the genealogy in Matthew traced Christ back to Abraham, the founder and father of the nation, through David. This is the genealogy of Joseph, we noted, so it comes from Abraham through David through Solomon. That's the line. David has other sons but the Davidic Covenant, the promises of that covenant must come from David through Solomon. And we noted Luke's genealogy emphasizing Jesus Christ as Man gives us Mary's genealogy. And Mary is a descendant of David through Nathan, David's son. So the physical lineage from David through his son Nathan down to Mary. And for Matthew He is not the physical descendant of Joseph, but He is the legal descendant so we noted He is legally entitled to the throne of David. We also noted because of Jeconiah in verses 11-12, the prophecy concerning Jeconiah in the Old Testament, that he could not be the physical descendant of Joseph and fulfill the promises because any descendant of Jeconiah is under a curse. He cannot experience the blessing of God. So Jesus is not a physical descendant of Jeconiah, He is a legal descendant of Jeconiah through Joseph.

Then you have the virgin birth in verses 18-25. Supernatural conception brought about by a sovereign act of God to produce conception in the womb of Mary and so there is no physical father for Jesus, but a physical mother. And He is born and named Jesus, He's the One who will save His people from their sins, verse 21. He is called Immanuel in verse 23 because He indeed is the One who is God with us.

When you come to chapter 2 you have events that take place a little time after the birth of Christ. Sometimes with our manger scenes, and we have the song, We Three Kings of Orient Are, we pick up ideas. And usually if you look at the manger scenes we have the shepherds there and we have the kings, as they are often referred to, the magi here, we'll talk about them, all together gathered around the manger. And I guess you could say we've condensed it. But the events of Matthew 2 happen sometime after the birth of Christ, sometime up to two years after the birth of Christ. So we see the timelines in Matthew 2. So these men in Matthew 2, the magi from the East, do not come tot he stable and worship Christ in the manger. He has been moved to a house, some time has gone by. And Joseph and Mary have stayed, settled in Bethlehem. But then they will have to leave.

What stands out here in Matthew 2 is the hostility of the king of the Jews, Herod; the indifference and apathy of the people of Israel, the Jews themselves. And amazingly the only ones in Matthew 2 that worship and honor Jesus as the Christ, the king of Israel, are Gentiles. And remember we saw in our previous study that the Abrahamic Covenant, which is the foundational covenant between God and Abraham and his descendants, also included a blessing for all the nations. Gives us some glimpse here as Gentiles fall in worship of Jesus Christ.

The chapter opens up, now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. So identifying where He was born—in Bethlehem of Judea. It is specified as Bethlehem of Judea because there is also a Bethlehem of Zebulon in the north in the region of Galilee. It's not as well known to us, obviously, but it distinguishes it here. It is Bethlehem of Judea. And that's important, that's the City of David, that's where David was born, it's where the King of the Jews had to be born, as we will see.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king. Herod the king, this is Herod the Great. The difficulty is the name Herod becomes attached to different ones of his sons, grandsons and great-grandsons. So which Herod is this? And it gets further confused because this strange man named some of his sons the same. So there are two Herod Phillips. So now you're going to call Phillip and you have two of them. So it gets confusing because we're saying, who are we talking about here. Herod the Great, there is only one Herod the Great and he is great, great in a variety of ways. But he is a great man, he was a genius. In his buildings and structures he was responsible for, the temple was constructed by him. He was appointed king of the Jews, king of Judea in 40 B.C. Now it will take a few years for him to solidify his hold so often his formal reign is marked as beginning in 37 B.C., but you understand three years earlier .... The Romans rule the world and through the manipulations of his father, Antipater, and so on and contacts that are established, it ends up that Herod is appointed in 40 B.C. as king of the Jews. He returns to Judea, he solidifies his power and really he formally takes control in 37 B.C., and he will reign until 4 B.C.

Now you right away notice a problem. He dies in 4 B.C, well Christ is already born. Now our modern calendar was established in the 6th century and it is off a few years. So Christ was born before the year that is supposed to mark His birth. He was born at least 4 B.C., probably 5, 6 or 7 B.C., somewhere in there. All this to say Herod dies in 4 B.C., so we get an idea where we are. Because Herod is going to die in chapter 2, so we know where the time period is. We are in the days of Herod the king, we are in the closing days of his reign. Not a good time to be associated with Herod the Great.

He is a powerful man. You ought to read some on Herod the Great in a Bible encyclopedia or something, it doesn't have to be a long article. But you talk about a soap opera. Here is a man who had ten wives and a number of children. And it was not a safe thing to be a child of Herod, he murdered three of his own sons, one of them five days before he himself died. He had his favorite wife murdered, never did fully recover from that. And he's a man, a city rebelled against him in his territory, he took his army there. When the city surrendered he murdered every single person in the city, all 3,000 of them. Then burned the city to the ground. I mean, he is a man of tremendous abilities when you look at some of his accomplishments, but he is a man of vile character. He is near the end of his life, he is suffering multiple physical problems and yet he is holding on tenaciously to his throne.

At this time magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem. The magi, the magoy as the Greek text would have them. We really call them the magi. These are not kings. We get the word magician from this word. It gives you an idea of something of the flavor, a magician, a sorcerer, a soothsayer, an astrologer. It encompasses that group of people.

Turn back to Daniel 2. Daniel has been carried away in the Babylonian captivity, so carried away from his homeland of Israel to the land of Babylon. There he is one of those select young men to be trained in the ways of the Babylonians, in the wisdom of the Babylonians. And you'll see in verse 2, when King Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans and tell the king his dream, they came in. So you call in the magicians, there is our word. When they translate the Old Testament into Greek they use the word magi here. You see the group that they are connected with—the conjurers, the sorcerers, the Chaldeans, the astrologers. These are men of great wisdom, but more than just human wisdom. They are supposed to be men who have insights beyond the normal. So they have spiritual insight and wisdom, supernatural insight. They are those that the king would look to to give him advice with their wisdom and supernatural insight. The word is used down in verse 10 as well, no one has asked anything of any men like a magician or conjurer or Chaldean. So they would be in that class of Babylonian, the astrologers who study the stars and through the stars astrology. Daniel is part of this group. Now he didn't partake in the pagan practices, but he is a man of great wisdom who is part of the counseling group to the king who has been trained in the ways of the Babylonians and is to have beyond normal insights and understanding so that the “gods” will reveal things to him and he can tell the king.
So you come back to Matthew 2 and it says the magi from the East arrived. These magi could have been from Babylon, they could be from Persia. Somewhere in the East is a title that could have been used of those kinds of men in Persia, in Babylon. If they are from Babylon the connection is interesting that how much had they learned perhaps that had been passed down from when Daniel and men like Shadrach, Meshech and Abed-Nego were present in the court of the king. And what they had taught and made known had been passed along. We don't know, we're not told any more about them. They are not kings but they would have been important people, the kind of men that served in the courts of kings, men of position and influence and power and wealth as their gifts would make clear.

They show up in Jerusalem. Why, we'll be told in a moment, the next verse. They begin to inquire around, Jerusalem being the capital city, where is He who has been born King of the Jews. For we saw His star in the East and have come to worship Him. We've come to worship the King of the Jews. Now it is interesting here. There is a king of the Jews, he is mentioned in verse 3, Herod the king. He has been sovereignly appointed king by the Romans, he has been functioning as king for over thirty years, he's a man widely recognized for his greatness, his accomplishments. And you come here asking, where is the One born King of the Jews. What is this?

Well, we saw His star in the East, when they were in the East, in Babylon or the region of Persia, we saw His star. No information here. We've come to worship Him. How did they know what that star signified? Evidently there was special revelation given to them, perhaps in a dream, perhaps an angel made known to them what the significance of this supernatural star was. It signifies the birth in Israel of the King of the Jews, the One who is a King worthy of worship. So significant that these great men from the East will make all the preparation and the arduous journey to travel all the way to Palestine to bring gifts and offer worship to Him. You begin to wonder, I'd like to know more.

As you read the papers these days and you watch television programs, people coming up with ideas. This star, the planets were in special alignment and it could have been .......... That's just man rejecting the scriptures. There is no natural explanation here because this star will reappear shortly and it can't be an alignment of planets or any other natural phenomena. And there has to be special revelation, so we have to leave it there.

We have come to worship Him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Now you note here, here is Herod the king, they don't offer Herod the king gifts, they don't offer him worship. They have come for one purpose, to give valuable gifts to the newborn King and offer Him worship. You see that they recognize something remarkable about the newborn king. He's greater than Herod the Great who constructed the temple here that is splendid by anybody, and all his other buildings and projects. We didn't come to give gifts to Herod, we didn't come to worship him. We came to worship the newborn King of the Jews.

When Herod the king heard this he was troubled. That's a strong word—agitated, shaken. Not only Herod but all Jerusalem with him. Now remember this is the Herod who murders three of his own sons. The last one was the one that his will had designated would be his heir. But five days before he died he had him murdered, executed. So he has to rewrite his will in his last five days. Why did he have him executed? Because that son had the audacity ......... Herod already had him imprisoned because ......... All kinds of things going back and forth here, it's amazing. But he heard that he was trying to get out of jail to get ready to take the throne. Well Herod has designated him in his will his heir. He's a dying man, in five days he'll be dead. When Herod heard that he did that, he immediately sends the executioners to the prison and has him executed. There is no rationale for this man. He's a man of powerful influence, he demands who had regular contacts with the Caesars in Rome. Antony and Cleopatra, Herod is involved. Took the wrong side, he supported Antony and Cleopatra. But he is so clever that he ends up that Augustus will accept his explanation. And it just goes on, back and forth to Rome, he's in contact with the Emperor. And you have all this going on. His sister is trying to turn Herod against his own son so that her son can become ........... And it just goes on and on and on. I mean, you could write a soap opera for TV about this guy. He's Herod the Great, he's troubled and when he is troubled, everybody is troubled. And this can only be trouble.

And Jerusalem is troubled with him. The Romans are in power and we have the Roman Empire. Herod is king because the Romans said he was king. If the Romans say he is not king, he won't be king. Just that clear. The reason they put people in power like this was to keep peace in the empire. Now the Jews have a working relationship, particularly the leadership. Herod is not a Jew, he is an Idumean, and Edomite, descendant of Esau. The Romans have appointed him, the Jews have accepted him. They have their power and influence, it's working. If you have someone now that is going to be honored as king of the Jews and the Romans haven't appointed him, you have trouble with Rome. This comes out in the book of Acts and the fear that the Romans will come and take away our position. There is always a danger. Herod recognized that. He had to keep the Caesar happy or he would not longer be in power.

And so the Jews here know that if Herod gets upset there is going to be trouble. I mean, he is a man who can kill thousands and show no remorse. And furthermore the Romans could get upset. So word spread. When these magi come, we see them with three camels coming along. And that's all right. The three comes from the gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh. We're just not old how many. There may have been three, there may have been ten. The entourage would have been significant because this kind of men with this kind of position and these kinds of valuable gifts wouldn't travel themselves. So when they arrive in Jerusalem and start to inquire around it gets attention. Everybody is agitated, what is going on.

Herod takes it seriously. Herod took all these kinds of things seriously. Now he is king of the Jews but his knowledge of Jewish scriptures is limited. So he calls the Jewish leadership together and wants to know, where will the Messiah be born. You'll note the connection Herod makes. They say in verse 2, where is He who has been born King of the Jews? Herod inquires, verse 4, where the Messiah was to be born, the Anointed One, the One anointed by God to be the ruler of Israel. He takes this seriously, he knows something about Jewish prophecy. He doesn't know enough to know where the Jewish writings said He would be born, but he knows about a prophesied Anointed One who will rule.

And the Jewish leaders tell him, verse 5, in Bethlehem of Judea. For this is what has been written by the prophet. And you Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by not means least among the leaders of Judah. For out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd My people, Israel. We have here Micah 5:2, prophesying specifically where Jesus would be born. Remember that is why Mary and Joseph end up having to be taken to Bethlehem. Taken to Bethlehem is the plan of God, arranged so He would be born in the City of David where David had been born and where the prophet Micah said the Messiah, the descendant of David, would be born. So the Jewish leaders know right where to go.

The last part of that, He will shepherd My people, Israel, is taken from II Samuel 5:2. And there you see the purpose of Matthew. And often as we do, we'll pull two different scriptures together and make a point in order to show something. He doesn't quote the rest of Micah 5:2 which says that the One to be born at Bethlehem will be the One who has dwelt in eternity, because this particular point is not to demonstrate the eternality of Christ. That will be John's purpose in John 1, because he is showing the deity of Christ. Here he is showing that Christ is King. So he quotes the purpose where the coming Messiah has to be born, and He will be the ruler who will shepherd My people. In II Samuel 5:2, there it is said of David that he would be the one who is shepherding Israel. The context is David assuming his responsibilities and being recognized. He's the shepherd of Israel. Now here is the One who will be a Son of David who will carry that out.

But it's in Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Bethlehem is about five miles from Jerusalem, so it's not far away. We noted it is a little insignificant town, significant because it was the birthplace of David, significant to the Jews, but it's like we look at a small town out in our own state where someone well known is born. But we go there and say there is not much to the town but it has a connection to that well known person. Well David was born in Bethlehem but Bethlehem itself is not any significant town as far as size and so on.

Well then Herod has his information. You see something of the mind of this man, it's a wicked mind. But it is a brilliantly wicked mind. He is already doing his strategy. He doesn't take this lightly. These men have traveled a long way, they've gone to a lot of trouble to come, they say there are some supernatural events. I want to know where the Messiah is to be born. You talk about you have come to worship the King of the Jews, I know Old Testament scriptures talk about this. So the Jewish leaders can tell him where He'll be born, Bethlehem.

So verse 7, Herod secretly called the magi. Now the Jewish leaders can go back home. Magi, come in here and we're going to have a private conversation. I want to know exactly when did you see that star that signaled the birth of the King of the Jews. You know what Herod is doing, I have to narrow this down as much as possible. I know where He is, now I want to know how hold He is. He's planning the execution of this baby. Now here is a man in his late 60s, he'll be dead at 70, in poor physical condition. Being dipped in baths of oil, trying to relieve some of his suffering. When he gets to the end he'll have worms eating parts of his body, something like his great-grandson, Agrippa the First in Acts 12, experiences in death. I mean, remarkable. But he is plotting the death of what the Old Testament scriptures would have prophesied concerning the birth of the Messiah. So he is narrowing it down. When did you see the star? How long?

Then he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search carefully for the child. And when you have found him, report to me so that I, too, may come and worship Him. You know it's remarkable. There is no doubt on the part of the Jewish leaders where the Messiah will be born. There is no doubt on Herod's part that this is a potential threat to him. But it's amazing how things are handled. There is no indication the Jews want to find out any more. All Jerusalem is unsettled and shaken here, but no indication the Jewish leaders have any real interest in following up on this. They are just concerned that things are going to get difficult if this gets out of hand.

Herod has one thing on his mind, He's got to die. How can this baby be a threat to Herod? It's not a threat to Herod because Herod figures He's a baby, He won't be able to be king for twenty years or so. Well let's face it, in twenty years Herod is going to be going on 90 and in his physical condition he knew he wouldn't be living that long. But he has to hold on. There is no rational to sin.

So you go to Bethlehem. Why didn't he send soldiers? Herold's point is to keep this as low key as possible. And you sent a contingent of soldiers along, all of a sudden now you have elevated it, Herod thinks this is important. And then you have Herod's men arrive in Bethlehem, possibility that they will not be able to find this baby. So I'll let them do my work. I would love to worship Him, too, so you go and find Him. When you find Him you come tell me and I'll come and worship Him. And of course these magi have no reason, I mean, Herod is king of the Jews, expect he'll be all pleased about this, too. You wonder what is going on in the minds of the magi. We go to all this work to get ready to travel over here, this preparation could have taken months. Then you take the trip over here, you just didn't get in a car and drive over. You have to pack the animals, you have to make provisions because you don't stop at restaurants along the way and hotels, and make this arduous and dangerous journey. You show up here in the capital city and people have to start asking questions around to even find out where he would be born, let alone do they know He has been born. And then the king tells you, go find Him and I'll come worship Him.

You appreciate the fact, verse 9, after hearing the king they went their way. And the star which they had seen in the East went on before them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. I mean, our confirmation. You think you get here, now I'm in Jerusalem and they tell us to go to Bethlehem, five miles south down here, a little town, you won't miss it, there is not much to it. And the king, the Jewish leaders and the city, here we go to Bethlehem. And you appreciate the great faith of these magi, they are on their way. But the star reappears and they rejoice with exceedingly great joy. And it's just a confirmation, a reminder. Do you think the planets got back in line? They disappeared for months, now they ......... No, this is a supernatural star because you'll note, the star appeared which they had seen in the East, verse 9. This is a supernatural star. And it is so specific it can come and be right over the exact house in Bethlehem where Jesus is. So it's a supernatural event. People who have a problem with this are those people who have a problem with the supernaturalness of scripture and what is recorded. Well let's face it, if you have a problem with a supernatural star, I assume you really have problems with the virgin birth. And if you have problems with these things, you have problems with the whole concept of God becoming man. Let's face it, if you are trying to take the supernaturalness away from God, what kind of God do you have? I mean, man wants to reduce God to what he can control.

The magi, the star reappears and directs them to the exact house. They don't have to go to Bethlehem and ask questions now, they don't have to go around and knock on doors or go to the inn and say, do you know where.......... Now note, they came to the house. They are not in the stable any longer, they are in a house. As much as two years have gone by. Evidently Joseph and Mary have stayed put in Bethlehem. Maybe they thought it was a good thing to do. Let's face it, Mary became pregnant in Nazareth, she's not married to Joseph. Nazareth is not a place of great reputation, we'll see that in a moment. And now Mary and Joseph, that's where ......... Maybe we ought to just stay in Bethlehem, we'll stay here. And Joseph is a carpenter, get a job here. We are from here, you know, we have ancestors from Bethlehem so maybe make some contact, get a job carpentering and we'll just ........... So they've settled down here, they've been in Bethlehem for months, as much as two years at the outside, no more. Probably some less, how much less we don't know.

So they come into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. That's just not what you would maybe ......... bow before a king in those days. They fell down on the ground before Him and then they offer worship to Him. So they are beyond just honoring a king or a great person, they are falling on the ground and offering Him worship. Isn't it amazing? I think great faith on the part of these magi, Gentiles from Persia or Babylon. I mean, what do you think. You've come, you've been to the capital city, no one has a clue. And they send you off to Bethlehem to find this newborn King and then you come find Him and He's living in a house, not a palace. I take it it wouldn't have been one of the great houses of Bethlehem, if there were any great houses in Bethlehem. But they are not shaken a bit. As soon as they see Him there is a recognition. They fall down and worship Him.

You ought to note, they don't fall down and worship Mary. Not to minimize the great privilege given to Mary, but she is not worshiped. They fall down and worship the child.

And they opened their treasures, and they are treasures, gold, frankincense, myrrh. Things of great value, they are gifts to Him. They will probably finance the trips that they are going to have to take to Egypt, Mary, Joseph and Jesus, and their stay there and their trip back. You can be sure these important men from the East travel all this way to give worship and honor to the newborn King of the Jews. They didn't bring a little bit of gold, they brought treasures worthy of the One who could be worshiped. And so great gifts here. Not shaken a bit. You don't find any conversation, now we're a little unsure here. I mean, there is just a directness about it.

Coming into the house they say the child with His mother, they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. There is not any discussion, do you have any proof. The Spirit of God works in such a way there is a recognition here. They give their gifts. Matthew is concerned to draw attention to the Old Testament. He doesn't draw attention here to anything in the Old Testament, but there is something that comes to mind. Here you have these Gentile rulers bowing before the King of the Jews and giving Him great gifts. And you know that's what the Old Testament said would happen with the Messiah.

We'll just take one passage, Isaiah 60. And here you look forward to the Millennium and the glory of that time. Verse 1, arise, shine, your light has come. The glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Verse 3, nations will come to your light, kings to the brightness of your rising. You see nations and kings. They bring all these gifts, verse 6, a multitude of camels will cover you, young camels of Midian, Ephah. Those from Sheba will come, they will bring gold and frankincense, bear good news of the praises of the Lord. Verse 9, the coastlands will wait for me, the ships of Tarshish will come to bring your sons from afar. Their silver, their gold with them. For the name of the Lord your God and the Holy One of Israel because He is glorified. You see what happens in the Millennium. Here you have a foretaste of it, Gentiles coming with great gifts. And bringing them to the King of Israel. The king of the Jews, Herod, is not here, the Jewish leaders are not here. But these Gentiles have come. So you see a little bit of a foretaste of what is unfolding.

Come back to Matthew 2. The magi are warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod. So they left for their own country by another way. So you see there is supernatural revelation communicated to these magi. That evidently happened to them when they were in the East and how they knew the significance of the star and so on. They are warned, don't go back through Judah, don't go back to Herod. They leave another way, we're not told how. Did they go out and up the coast? Did they go down south of the Dead Sea and around the desert region? We're not told. All they had to do was stay out of Herod's territory because he has to be careful. He has to be careful because it will bring him in conflict with people who rule other areas. And if the Romans would think that Herod is taking on more than they have allotted to him, he would soon find himself quickly removed. So all they had to do was go out and Herod is not going to spend time trying to chase them down.

Verse 13, when they had gone, behold an angel of the Lord. And you get the idea the events now are happening quickly. They are warned in a dream to not return to Herod. So they go another way. When they had gone, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, get up. And you'll note here, the angel does not appear to Mary to give instructions. Joseph is the head of this family unit and so the instructions are given from God in a dream to Joseph. Not Joseph comes to Mary, Mary tells him what God told her. No, Joseph is recognized here in his role.

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, get up. Take the child and His mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you. For Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him. So Joseph got up, took the child and His mother while it was still night and left for Egypt. So he gets the dream, awakes from the dream, wakes Mary, gets Jesus and their belongings and they are gone. There is no spending a few days here getting ready. There is an urgency about this because as soon as Herod realizes the magi aren't coming back he is on it. And so it is essential they get to Egypt.

So they go to Egypt. They remain there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, out of Egypt I have called My son. So you see this emphasis in Matthew. We had it in verses 5-6, spoken by the prophet, He'll be born in Bethlehem. Here now you have the prophet, Hosea who said, out of Egypt I called My son, Hosea 11:1. Interesting reference. That is talking about what had happened historically in the past when God brought Israel out of Egypt. In Exodus 4:22, basically there God calls Israel His son, His firstborn. Exodus 4:22, then you shall say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, My firstborn. So you see that connection. The nation Israel, and the nation is viewed as God's son, His firstborn. So when the prophet Hosea refers back to the exodus deliverance from Egypt, he refers to the fact, out of Egypt I have called My son, because brought His son, His firstborn, the nation out of Egypt. Now Matthew makes that application and parallel to Christ, the One in whom all the promises to Israel will find their fulfillment, and enable their fulfillment to be carried out and brought about. Out of Egypt I have called My son. Just as the nation, so the physical Son will be brought out of Egypt.

Now we go back to Herod. When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged. And Herod had a temper that displayed. I mean, Josephus reports some of this and you read any of the writing about Herod you see something of how he can go off. He sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity. We're going to be sure, He is born in Bethlehem but I want to make sure they didn't mean on the outskirts or just outside Bethlehem. Now some reject this because they say there is no record in all of Herod's activities of his killing all the male children in Bethlehem and that area. But you understand Bethlehem is not a big city, it's a little town. Common estimate is twenty or less male children would have been included in this, from what we can tell on the size of Bethlehem at this time. Twenty male children, to kill them, babies, that's significant. But you understand, that's not significant to Herod. Here is a man who can kill thousands at a time, men, women and children. He could get away with every one as long as he doesn't offend Rome and he keeps relative peace in his area.

And it happens today. We get numb. Terrorists, set off a bomb and they kill ten, fifteen, twenty people. I was noticing in the paper this week one day. You get in the back section and there is a little item 2-3 inches high of terrorists setting off a bomb and killing ten people. Well that doesn't even make the front page, it doesn't even make the second or third page. It's buried back there in a little column. We get numb to terrorists who are blowing up people everywhere, so we just accept it. That's the way it was with Herod, he kills people all the time. It is not a major event to us that he killed twenty baby boys in Bethlehem. I wonder what set him off? You don't even have to know, he did it. We don't even look and say, I wonder what set that terrorist off to do that? I mean, we don't even bother anymore because there are so many places and reasons they do it. Herod, I don't doubt he did that. Somebody probably got under his skin, somebody probably offended him. So you see what happens here. It's not recorded in secular events, secular writers take that to mean it probably didn't happen. But it's just not a major event in Herod's life.

Two years and under from the time he had determined from the magi. So at least the outside, Jesus is two years old because Herod is going from the time they saw the star that marked the birth of the King of the Jews. Now how much time did Herod build in there? I mean, let's face it, if it were exactly two years, Herod is going to allow extra space. So one writer said Jesus was probably about two months old because Herod would have allowed ten times as much time in there. So if he killed everybody under two years old, Jesus was probably only two months. We don't know. He could have been a 1½ years old. There is probably some backing off from the two years because Herod would have wanted to allow enough space to be sure the magi had it right and told him right. So that's why we say Jesus is somewhere under two years of age by this time when these events occur.

They've been living in Bethlehem and now they are in Egypt. This is a great tragedy, we're not minimizing the tragedy when we say it's not major ___________, but it is major in Israel and so we have a fulfillment of Jeremiah's prophecy in Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31 is a great chapter because it contains the new covenant that God prophesies. It is a prophecy of good things for Israel. Verse 15, a voice was heard in Ramah weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children. She refused to be comforted because they were no more. That's referring to the events of the Babylonian captivity. Now they will ultimately overcome with the blessings of God and the new covenant and the blessing promised to Israel. But you have the sufferings of the Babylonian captivity that Jeremiah references in Jeremiah 31:15, which is recorded here.

A voice was heard in Ramah. Ramah is about ten miles from Bethlehem. It's the burial place of Rachel. The picture here, Rachel the wife of Jacob, viewed as a mother of Israel. And she is coming out of her grave to weep for her children. In Jeremiah 31 immediately because of the Babylonian captivity, they've died, they've been killed. She can't be comforted because they are no more. And now Matthew takes that, and we say there is a significance in that passage of what has taken place here. And it's in the context of the blessings that will come with the new covenant through the Messiah. But in that context also there is great suffering and sorrow ___________. There is weeping in Israel because of the death of these young sons.

Isn't verse 19 interesting? But when Herod died. You know these rulers never stop and consider, some day I'm going to die. He knew he was going to die, he's a dying man. I mean, there was a time when he took a knife and wanted to kill himself and those with him prevented him because of the agony and all that is going on. But here he is trying to kill the Messiah, the Savior. Remarkable. But when Herod died, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, get up, take the child and His mother and go into the land of Israel. For those who sought the child's life are dead. You know, God works. You have these events on the human level, but God is sovereignly behind it all. Why didn't He just tell the magi, go to Bethlehem. Don't talk to Herod, he's a wicked man. Could have spared these babies in Bethlehem. But God doesn't do that. He has the magi go to Jerusalem and tell Herod and Herod in his wickedness will fulfill the writings of Jeremiah.

Now you can return to Israel. The angel doesn't tell Joseph where to go in Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over in Judea in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. So afterward being warned by God in a dream he left for regions of Galilee. And he came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Just a summary here. Archelaus is a son of Herod. He's running out of possible heirs, he has killed three of them, his last one five days before he died. Now Herod could write a will but as a king under the Romans that will had to be approved and validated by Caesar. Well Herold's will specified his son would be his heir, but the son that he specified in his will he executed five days before he died. So he wrote a new will but the Romans hadn't validated it. So now you have the soap opera. Off to Rome we go. Archelaus and other brothers to fight. Archelaus took the new will and said, I'm the king, I'm the new replacement for my father, I inherit his realm. The other sons said, no, that shouldn't be because that will wasn't a validated will. The previous will ought to be in place and we ought to get a portion. Well Caesar decided there would be no new King Herod. They appointed Archelaus as an ethnarch, he got half of Herod's territory. The other two sons split the other half, they each got a quarter. Archelaus got half that included Judea.

So Joseph doesn't want to settle in Judea. Archelaus is a vile man and did not have the abilities of his father. He killed thousands of people. Finally the Romans became so disgusted with him, they deposed him and exiled him without Roman support. So they didn't even recognize him as valid and worthy of support. So that's the condition, he is not a man .............. You wouldn't want to go back into Judea with Archelaus on the throne, he is as bad as Herod.

So they go to Nazareth in Galilee, Galilee in the north, up by the Sea of Galilee. And they settle there. Now when you read Matthew you might get the idea they just picked out Nazareth. But if you go over to Luke 1, you know where Mary is from? Nazareth. You go to Luke 2, you know where Joseph is from? Nazareth. When the angel appeared to Mary to tell her about the birth of Jesus she was living in Nazareth. When the angel appeared to Joseph to tell him about Jesus he was living in Nazareth. They were from Nazareth. So they end up going back home. They may have been difficult, because remember Mary was an unmarried woman who was pregnant when they left Nazareth to go to Bethlehem. But now they can't settle in Judea, have to get into Galilee, we're back here to settle in Nazareth. And you know what that does? That fulfills Old Testament scripture.

Now there is no specific passage that says He's be called a Nazarene. We're familiar with the title, Jesus the Nazarene. The prophets prophesied this. He shall be called a Nazarene. But you'll note it is prophets, plural. There is no specific prophet that said that. But the general message of the prophets is He'll be a Nazarene. What did it mean to be a Nazarene? It means to be despised, rejected, thought little of. Remember in John 1:46 or 47 Nathaniel was told about Jesus and his question was, could any good thing come out of Nazareth? What did Isaiah prophesy in Isaiah 53? He is despised and rejected of men, He has no comeliness that we should desire Him. Then He is a Nazarene. Other passages give the same picture.

So again, the hand of God in every detail. And you have the wickedness of man operating with an openness but not able to frustrate the plan of God. Amazing, isn't it? Herod is determined to kill the King of the Jews. Here is a man facing death and yet he is determined to fight against the plan of God. Even when he finds out what the Old Testament has prophesied about Him, he is determined he will frustrate the plan of God. The Jews, like religious people settled down, don't rock the boat. They're just comfortable to have it the way it is. Their Messiah has been born five miles away, there are no Jews there to worship Him. The Jewish leaders, He is going to be born at Bethlehem, I hope this doesn't get out of hand, I hope we don't have trouble. Everybody is sort of unsettled and upset and shaking. But let's not make anything of it. But by God's grace here come Gentiles with great gifts and worship the newborn King of the Jews. This young baby, they worship Him, give Him gifts. He is the One who will be the Messiah of Israel, but He will be the Savior of Gentiles as well as Jews.

You know what a tragedy, we see the same _____ people, apathetic, indifferent, hostile. But God in His grace brings some to the Savior.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for these magi and your work of grace that brought them to the land of Israel searching for the King of the Jews, not Herod, but your Anointed One, the Messiah, the true King of Israel. Lord, what an honor given them that they should worship Him and should give Him gifts. What a tragedy that the Jewish leaders are relatively indifferent, uncaring. They, too, will become more openly hostile. Herod in a lost, wretched, depraved condition, Lord, as he faced imminent death, manifested such open hatred and hostility toward you and your Son. Lord, we see all these reactions manifest around us in these days. We thank you for your grace, manifested to us Gentiles that we are privileged to know and worship the Jewish Messiah and Savior. Thank you that He is a Savior for Gentiles and He is a Savior for Israel and ultimately all the promises will be realized one day when He rules and reigns on this earth as King of the Jews and ruler of the world. We give you praise for who He is and what He has done. In His name, amen.