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Dec 25, 2022

The Magi

Preacher: Andrew Repsold

Series: Advent 2022

Keywords: christmas, gifts, wise men, magi

Summary:

Who were the Magi? Why were their gifts and actions so important? What do they tell us about Jesus and how we can be encountering Him this wonderful season?

Detail:

Christmas Day 2022 Sermon--The Magi

Matthew 2:1-12

2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[a] from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose[b] and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

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.

Romans 1:18-25

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Historically, these three things have signified:

Gold: Royalty/Kingship                      significance to us: we owe him homage?    Our response:…

Frankincense: Divinity, Worship        significance to us: he is to be worshipped

Myrrh: Humanity                               significance to us: we are not alone in our sin being cutoff from God

St. Irenaeus (b. 130AD) says that the gifts signify the mystery of the Incarnate Word (God who has become man): gold, a symbol of royalty, represents his kingship; frankincense, used in worship, points to his divinity; and myrrh represents his humanity, particularly in his passion and death (Against Heresies (175-185), 3, 9, 2).

Who are these Magi (Wise Men…matthew) from the East?

…Daniel history/ verse about magi and wise men. Carried off to Babylon in 605BC and likely died in 538 BC. …for 500 years they passed this information on! Or…one of them had a revelation from God. Or they were just astronomers who saw something so significant in the stars that they packed there bags to come worship him.

Things the Magi new (how they new there would be a star giving direction to this, we don’t know):

  1. A baby has been born who IS “King of the Jews”…not is going to be.

2 “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?

Matthew 27:37 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.

  1. He is worthy of Worship…which to a Jew means, He is God.

For we saw his star when it rose[b] and have come to worship him.” 

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31–33).

4. The scepter will come through Judah

Prophecy:

“The scepter will not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (Genesis 49:10).

Fulfillment:

Judah is part of Jesus’ genealogy.

“the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram,
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,
the son of Judah” (Luke 3:33)

5. David’s offspring will have an eternal kingdom

Prophecy:

“When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:12–13).

Fulfillment:

“This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1)

6. The Christ will be born in Bethlehem

Prophecy:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2).

Fulfillment:

“When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘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 shepherd my people Israel.'” (Matthew 2:4–6).

  1. GOD

6. A virgin will give birth, and he will be called Immanuel (God with us)

Prophecy:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Fulfillment:

“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

  1. MAN/death

Isaiah 53

7. They would pierce Christ’s hands and feet

Prophecy:

“Dogs surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce my hands and my feet” (Psalm 22:16).

Fulfillment:

“These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced'” (John 19:36–37)

8. The Messiah will conquer death

Prophecy:

“On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
   he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:7–8).