Matthew 2 - Following the Light of the King

Following the Light of the King
In chapter two, gentiles from the East -- Matthew calls them "Magi" who were astrologers, magicians, or wizards -- follow a special star which they believe indicates the birth of the "King of the Jews." They check-in with King Herod to find out the specific location. The priests and teachers of God's law reveal the prophecy of Micah -- the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. The Magi find Jesus, present Him royal gifts, and worship Him as King. The LORD then warns them through an angel not to go back to Herod.
Scripture Passage: Matthew 2:1-12
Main Thought: God provides revelation of Himself to people around the world. Those who respond to His light are given more. And those who seek God will find the Savior He promised.

God leads through Scripture -- The Magi started a long journey to seek God's promised Savior because of the revelation of a prophet.

God leads through Signs -- The Magi followed a sign which God knew they could recognize.

God leads through Systems -- The "system" and the "authorities" were used by God to lead the Magi to Bethlehem.

God leads through sacrifice -- The Magi's sacrifice of time, talents, and resources is rewarded with divine protection given through an angel of God.

1. God leads through Scripture -- The Magi started a long journey to seek God's promised Savior because of the revelation of a prophet.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and 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' (Matt. 2:1-2 NIV).

1.1 Who were the Magi?
"Wise men still seek Him" is still a popular Christmas card. Who were these people Matthew calls "the Magi?" The Greek word "magoi" can refer to magicians, sorcerers, wizards, or wise men. The king would often have learned men sitting in his court to help him understand and interpret the varied events in his kingdom. These "wise men" as the tradition holds, came from the East. This would most likely have been ancient Persia (formerly the kingdom of Babylon). The Bible does not say how many wise men there were -- perhaps three, maybe more. When they approached King Herod, they were granted an audience. They were "wise men" at least -- they may well have been kings in their own right. They were either kings or high officials of another king -- Psalm 72:10 refers to the Kings of Tarshish bringing tribute to Messiah, along with the Kings of Sheba and Seba. This could possibly be a prediction of the Magi's visit. Isaiah 49:7 also contains a vague reference to kings and princes worshiping Messiah.
1.2 How did they know this would happen at this particular point in time?
In Daniel 9 the Bible gives a prophecy concerning the arrival of Messiah to rule in Jerusalem. This date coincides with Jesus' triumphal entry to Jerusalem on a donkey. Daniel was given this remarkable prophecy by God while in captivity in Babylon. Though captive, Daniel's wisdom and anointing by God was well known by the King and all his high officials -- particularly the wizards, astrologers, and sorcerers. In fact, Daniel showed up all of the king's advisors in interpreting his dreams with exact precision. Daniel attributed all of his wisdom and insight to the LORD. It follows naturally that some of the high officials became believers and passed on this great prophecy of Daniel.
Alternately, God could have also directly provided this prophecy to some other group of people that had recognized the hand of the Creator. In seeking Him, they would have been given the light (revelation from God concerning His reality and His truth) to find His promised Messiah. This promise has been given throughout time -- even back in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:15). God would have no problem providing light to the Magi no matter who they were.
1.3 Why did they make such a long journey?
A Thirst: Daniel revealed the true and living God to King Nebuchadnezzar and his court officials. In this great light, the Magi's work in astrology would have shifted to pure astronomy, their sorcery to science. When Jesus becomes your LORD, He will lead you along His path -- the "good way."
Thus says the LORD: 'Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls' (Jer. 6:16, NIV).
The Magi had an obvious spiritual void in their lives. They were thirsty -- and the thirst could not be quenched by their money, power, or even occultic practices. Like the commercial of the man crawling through the hot desert sands. He sees a Coca-Cola truck driving toward him. The driver steps out and hands him an icey-cold Coke. The man chokes, coughs, and says, "No, I only drink Pepsi." and crawls away. The light they were given was dim but sufficient. They responded to the promise of God's Savior by watching, waiting, and passing on the prophecy to their descendents.
A Drink: God rewards obedient response to whatever revelation He graciously provides. God never expects more than what He has given you capacity to return. Jesus said:
That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked (Luke 12:47-48 NIV).
How much light has God provided you? It is a trust of truth that God has placed on your -- How have you responded to this trust? You can be sure that spiritual apathy and complacency leads only to spiritual blindness and moral decay. Act on what you know and He will bless your response and provide a fuller understanding of Himself. Respond to the light of God's truth when you receive it and you will receive more. If you truly seek to know God, you will find Him -- and you will find Jesus Christ. It is His deepest desire to have fellowship with you (John 15:15-16).

2. God leads through Signs -- The Magi followed a sign which God knew they could recognize.

...We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him' (Matt. 2:1-2 NIV).

2.1 How did they know this star was anything special?
The Magi were most likely either:

Students of astrology -- and saw special meaning in this unusual star. This does not establish this activity as good or acceptable for God has declared it abominable in Deut. 18. It is merely a practice of the Magi in which God intervened with a great revelation. Certainly God can speak to us wherever we stray from His will and lead us to His path.

Students of astronomy -- and saw this strange phenomenon as significant. It seems more likely they were God-fearing men who were watching the skies for the sign of the coming King.

The point is that God provided a sign to them that they would understand -- something significant that would catch their attention.
2.2 What caused them to prepare for such a long trip?
The Magi prepared for a long trip. It required planning, provisions, guides, and expensive gifts to bring as a tribute to the new king they expected. This was an act of faith on their part -- they brought the gifts expecting to see the new king according to God's word. This act of faith was rewarded by God as we will see in a moment.
2.3 Does God plant stars in the sky today -- does He guide us by signs?
Suppose God provided His revelation to us in an unknown language -- how would you respond? On a recent trip to Charlotte for my niece's wedding, my wife and I stayed at an inexpensive motel for a few nights. One morning I tried to tell the housekeeper we needed four washcloths. Only the housekeeper spoke no english at all. We both tried to speak -- slower and slower it got -- but we could not understand one another. Holding up four fingers the housekeeper said, "Quattro?" "Yes, quattro washcloths!" I said. The lady walked off and we never received our washcloths. If only I had given her a sign or symbol she could understand -- like holding up a washcloth and then saying "Quattro!" Of course, then I might have gotten four dirty washcloths -- I wanted clean ones! Signs which God would use to reveal His will certainly must be something we would be able to recognize.
2.4 How do we interpret the signs today?
Signs are rarer today because of the comprehensive revelation we have from God in the Bible. While God has used signs and continues to use signs to lead His people, we must be careful to test any such sign in light of Scripture:

Consider the person in pain awaiting the January VISA bill. He prays about how to pay even the minimum balance. The bill arrives with the message, "You are such a good customer, no payment is required until next month." Is this a sign that God is going to take care of the VISA bill and pay it off? Why or why not? The Bible does make it clear that debt is not to be a way of life (Heb. 13:5).

One of my brothers in Christ brought something to me one time that someone had given him. It detailed a miraculous vision he had seen and my brother was troubled by it. After reading several lines into the account of this "sign from God," I spotted some things that contradicted Scripture. Should we be concerned about "signs" that contradict the clear teaching of God's word? In a word, No. What about those that do not contradict Scripture? Consider them prayerfully and then follow the leading of the Holy Spirit -- He promises to guide you along the "good path."

The Bible is the only objective standard we have. The believer has been provided with God's word and the Holy Spirit to discern what is true and good. Any meaning derived from a "sign" must be tested in light of God's word -- hold fast to what is true and ignore the rest.

3. God leads through Systems -- The "system" and the "authorities" were used by God to lead the Magi to Bethlehem.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel."' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him' (Matt. 2:3-8 NIV).

3.1 The system dictated visiting dignitaries see the local king or governor first.
If you were visiting a foreign land land today, you would have to check in with the "king" first. Today this involves a sometimes laborious process going through "Customs." These are people who represent the government of the land you are visiting. Back in the first century, you usually had no border police. But if you were an official or a king from another country, it was the custom to check in with the local king to declare your intentions.
3.2 God's light to the Magi came through His word and His signs, but also through the obedience of the Magi.
The Magi were obedient to the customs and laws of the land. They submitted to the authority of King Herod though later, when God warned them to bypass Herod, they refused to tell him the location of Jesus. It is more important to obey God than man. In their righteous actions, God used even an evil king and corrupt religious leaders to guide them to the birthplace of Jesus. Remember, God had already used a star and would continue to do so. Here He used King Herod and his court. It sometimes seems odd or even beneath God to do so -- but He has demonstrated it over and over in Scripture:

Using ungodly kings and nations to judge Israel (Hab. 1:6-12).

Using demons to test individuals (Judges 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:14,18:10,19:9).

Using religious leaders to persecute the church so that it will grow (Acts 8:1).

God accomplishes His will in many ways. He works through individuals both good and bad. The Magi were blessed for doing the right thing -- respecting the authority in power -- even though they faced great danger in it. Imagine any king's response to visitors seeking to find the "new" king who has been born in his country! The Magi could have been jailed or executed at Herod's slightest word. This demonstrates concretely:
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you (Rom. 13:3 NIV).

3.3 God will lead you in obedience to Him and His appointed authorities.
Imagine the joy and excitement the Magi felt when the religious leaders affirmed the prophecy concerning Messiah -- and then His birthplace! How their hearts must have been burning inside. It may sound a bit corny but there is great joy and excitement when we learn to trust God and do what He says. Obedience is not an exciting doctrine to teach but it really is an exciting doctrine to live. Here the Magi, though they were searching for their Savior and King, acted on faith by doing what was right and proper.
Obedience frees us to truly love God -- no fear, no regrets, no guilt and no shame. I remember when I was convicted by God that speeding was an incredibly stupid thing for me to do. As a child of God, it destroyed my witness, hindered my relationship with God for I knew that it was wrong, and also could affect my stewardship with high fines and insurance hikes. Once I determined in my heart to do what was right and obey the speed limit, I experienced incredible freedom while driving. With traffic nearly everywhere, it really did not "cost" me any time. I no longer "feared the king (state troopers)" or "fear THE King (God)." Obedience rooted in love rather than duty will bring you great joy.

4. God leads through sacrifice -- The Magi's sacrifice of time, talents, and resources is rewarded with divine protection.

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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 and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (Matt. 2:9-12, NIV).

4.1 Upon seeing the King they sought, the Magi bowed in worship.
The Magi recognized Jesus as the king they had sought. The prophecy, the star, the circumstances were used by God to lead them to this point. Here the Holy Spirit took control in affirming the end of their search. "...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..." (Matt. 2:11 NIV). Though God came as a human baby -- fragile and dependent on others -- each Magi bent the knee of his heart and worshiped Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Their gifts were costly and worthy of royalty -- God later used these to finance Joseph and Mary's flight to Egypt.
4.2 God granted them protection from the authorities because they endangered their lives seeking Him.
Their acts of faith before the Christ child -- seeking, following, honoring, sacrificing -- were rewarded by divine protection. God sent an angel to warn them not to go back to Herod. Imagine how Herod would have treated them for worshiping another king in his own country? God had plans for the Magi -- He wanted them to return home safely and share the good news with the people in their own country.
4.3 Like the Magi, we enjoy God's divine protection by following Him
God's will for our lives provides for the best possible life in a cursed creation. Though some may "seem" to die young or suffer unreasonable hardships, God views it from the perspective of eternity. From an eternal perspective, we can see God using hardships to hone the character and faith of His children. From eternity, we will see the fullness of life experienced by God's children who followed Him -- walking by faith and not by circumstance or happenstance.

5. Conclusion -- Responding to God's light leads us along His path and shapes our life and character in His image.
George Borglum was the sculptor who carved the massive faces on Mt. Rushmore. When asked how he produced the amazing work, he replied, "Those figures were there for ... years. All I had to do was dynamite 400,000 tons of granite to bring them into view." What a marvelous picture of one who has accepted Christ -- a new creation is born and the Spirit of Jesus has made His home in your heart! Respond to the light that God continues to provide you and watch the Holy Spirit begin to "dynamite away" all the granite in your life. Let's get real and make Jesus our true King.

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Copyright 1999, Randy Lariscy.