“THE WISE MEN”
Matthew 2:1-12
Series: “Christmas Behind-the-Scenes”
Pastor Rusty Russell
New Day Christian Church, SW Florida
December 24, 2024
This month we’ve studied the passages in the Bible about the birth of Christ. We’ve focused on the people God used to bring about his birth. If we were producing a movie we might call them The Supporting Cast. There’s one more group we need to study: The Wise Men.
SCRIPTURE TEXT: [Mat 2:1-12 NIV]
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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.
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 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 shepherd my people Israel.'”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
I. WHO ARE THESE “MAGI”?
A. WHAT ARE “MAGI”?
B. HOW MANY MAGI TRAVELED TO BETHLEHEM?
C. WHAT WAS THEIR ARRIVAL IN JERUSALEM LIKE?
II. WHAT WAS THE “STAR” THEY FOLLOWED?
A. WAS IT A MIRACULOUS STAR OR A SIGN IN THE HEAVENS?
B. WAS THERE A SPECIAL ASTRONOMICAL EVENT THAT FITS?
See article by Dr. Craig Chester https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/the-star-of-bethlehem/
III. WHY DID THEY BEHAVE THIS WAY?
A. THEY FOUND HIM
11a On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary…
How old was Jesus when they arrived?
B. THEY BOWED DOWN AND WORSHIPED
11b …and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Consider the significance of the gifts…
C. WE KNOW HE IS NOT JUST ANY KING
[Col 2:9 NIV] 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…
IV. APPLICATION: WORSHIP JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS
A. Let’s rejoice because of him.
B. Let’s give gifts to him.
Click here to give to the Christmas offering. https://pushpay.com/g/ndcchurch?src=hpp
C. Let’s bow down before him.
IDEAS FOR HONORING CHRIST AT CHRISTMAS
* Before opening gifts, read Mt 2:1-12
* Pray & thank God for the gift of Jesus
* Sing happy birthday to Jesus.
* Have the children tell the Christmas story in their own words
* Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas
* Watch The Nativity Story
* Watch The Star of Bethlehem documentary
INVITATION:
The last verse of our text says that because of Herod the Magi went home another way. From the earliest days of the church, preachers have taught that this is a symbol of what should happen to all of us when we meet the Christ child. When you encounter Jesus, don’t go home the same way. Will you let Jesus change you today?
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