Matthew 2 by Samuel E. Ward Introduction There are many reasons why people search for Jesus. In Luke's account the shepherds sought him out when he was a new-born infant because they were curious about the angel's announcement and had been told where they could find him. In Matthew, the wise men sought him when he was a young child because they had discerned a sign in the stars about the birth of a king and then followed a star to the place where he was. Herod, upon hearing that the wise men were seeking him, was disturbed about the birth of a new king who might one day take the throne from him and for that reason sought him to destroy him. These were all searches conducted while Jesus was either a baby or a young child. The shepherds were seeking the one who would grow up to be a Savior for mankind. The wise men were seeking one who would grow up to be a righteous king in Israel. Herod was seeking the life of one who might take his power and all the privileges that came with it. We have all heard the saying or seen the bumper sticker that says, "Wise Men Still Seek Him!" Today, people still seek him—some for the same reasons as the ancients, others have different ones. There is one reason that is more important than all the rest. We will save that for the closing of our study of this passage. Observe that Matthew tells of . . . I. Two Searches for Jesus, Mat 2:1-8 A. The Search for Jesus by Wise Men, Mat 2:1-2 Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV) 1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 1. Who were the Wise Men? The summary of what is generally accepted among students of ancient middle eastern cultures is that the Magi were descendants of a priestly tribe among the Medes. They were students of the movement of stars and planets and thus were considered expert astronomers. They believed that the movement of these stars in their constellations as well as planets ("wandering stars") could be used to gain knowledge about present and future events. The connection of the Magi with the biblical account in Matthew has been argued by some scholars as due to the interaction of Jews who had been dispersed or taken captive by various nations such as Assyria and Babylon. If this is the case, some of the wise men may have come in contact with the teachings of the Old Testament through such individuals as Daniel (especially due to their curiosity concerning prophecy). We know from the book of Daniel that he even had supervision of some wise men who may have been ancestors to the wise men who came seeking for Jesus. 2. How did they know about Jesus? There have been various attempts by modern astronomers to reconstruct what the night sky may have looked like in the time period around Jesus birth. The reason, of course, is the wise men said that they came because they "had seen his star." For a good, but technical presentation, of one of the leading views of what the wise men may have seen, consult Nick Strobel's Astronomy Notebook web site (http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html#Conj). Dr. Strobel is a professor at Bakersfield College, teaching in the Physical Science Department. Some Biblical scholars have seen the conjunction of Jupiter (representing God) with Saturn (representing the Messiah) into the constellation Pisces (representing Israel) over a period of perhaps two years in the night sky that led the wise men to Jesus. During an acceptable historical time-frame there was even a "retrogradation" of Jupiter in the night sky that would have given it the appearance of "standing still." All being said, there is absolutely no reason to rule out a miraculous star which God made visible to the wise men that led them to Jesus. 3. Are there signs in the stars? a. Christians are rightfully suspicious of the use of astrology as a guide to finding meaning and direction in life. (Deu 4:19 NIV) And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars--all the heavenly array--do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. b. The Bible does not give a guide to using the sky to determine anything of the future but does use it to indicate that an important event is at hand. Signs in the heavens most often indicate that judgment is near and the Lord's return is imminent. We do not seek answers from the stars, but the sky itself will give its unmistakable message when the event unfolds. Their purpose is not so to predict events as they are to alert or give warnings of events that have been predicted. Consider one such usage from Luke 21. (Luke 21:25 NIV) "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. c. Two passages in Job indicate that the secrets in the stars belong to God alone and to whom He chooses to reveal them. Man without special revelation from God is unable to discern meaning from them. (Job 9:9 NIV) He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south. (Job 38:32-33 NIV) Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? {33} Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God's dominion over the earth? B. The Search for Jesus by the Wicked King, Mat 2:3-8 1. Herod was disturbed because the birth of a king would be a threat to his power, Mat 2:3a.
a. He asked for confirmation from Jewish teachers of the law,
6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" b. He asked the Magi for the time of the star's appearance, Mat 2:7.
c. He sent the Magi to find Jesus on the pretense of his desiring to worship Him, Mat 2:8.
2. Jerusalem was disturbed because its residents knew Herod's fury often spilled over onto the general populace, Mat 2:3b.
Having given accounts of the searches of the Wise Men and Herod for Jesus, Matthew next describes . . . II. Three Significant Outcomes of Those Searches A. The Wise Men Worshiped Jesus, Mat 2:9-12 1. They needed to find him first, Mat 2:9.
2. Having found Him, they found joy, Mat 2:10.
3. Having found joy, they worshiped Jesus, Mat 2:11-12. The child they saw was probably about two years old by this time as indicated by the use of the Greek word (paidion) as opposed to brephos (baby infant) which was used in Luke 2 to describe the newborn. Further evidence that the wise men were not at the manger is the statement that the came to a "house." So much for accuracy of the nativity scenes which include the wise men. B. Herod Sought to Destroy Jesus, Mat 2:13
C. An Angel of the Lord Protected Jesus, Mat 2:13 -23
1. The angel protected Jesus from the slaughter of the innocents, a. The angel's instructions, Mat 2:13 Matthew 2:13 (NIV) 13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." b. Joseph's obedience, Mat 2:14-15
c. Herod's atrocity, Mat 2:16-18
18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." 2. The angel protected Jesus from any others who wanted Jesus dead, a. The angel's permission to return, Mat 2:19-20
b. Joseph's precautions against harm, Mat 2:21-23.
Applications 1. Proof of the truth of our faith is evident because like no other faith, there are scholars and scientists who find historical and scientific confirmation of its claims. This is not so of Islam (there is no way to do textual criticism of the Koran), Buddhism, Hinduism, or any other major religion that has no historical or scientific connection. 2. People with their own motivations still seek to know the truth about Christ. Some are looking for a Healer, others for a Redeemer, still others for a Counselor. Jesus is all that, as well as Mighty God. There are, though, some who still want to destroy His the influence He has gained in many cultures in the world. The motivation is to avoid the condemnation of what many hold as a sacred right to do as they please with and to anyone they please. Jesus teaches bind and convict them so they seek to diminish Him. They cannot because He is the God He claimed to be by "many convincing proofs" (Acts 1:3). 3. Just remember, the baby grew up. He lived a perfect life. He ministered unselfishly as a healer and miracle-worker so that others could confidently place their faith and trust in His ability to save them from their sin and give them eternal life. And then, He rose from the dead to prove that He had power over death. Finally, He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us when our days on earth are complete. I hope you had a Merry Christmas this year, I know you can have joyful life forever with Christ! Some interesting related web sites: http://ai.stanford.edu/~csewell/essays/ch8.htm http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/sg2182.htm http://www.astronomynotes.com/history/bethlehem-star.html http://www.answers.com/topic/three-kings ========================================================== |
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Out of Egypt
