Matthew 2:7-15

(Text only for Ch. 1,2,3 Audio available for most Matthew sermons from Chapter 4-28)

Title: Breaking Tradition by Knowing Scripture*

As we continue with our fourth sermon in Matthew this morning, I again want to remind you of the original author, audience, and intention of this Gospel.  It certainly does have application for us, and all believers this morning, but I think we can have an even greater appreciation for the Holy Spirit’s authorship if we closely examine the evidence that Matthew starts to pile up in his effort to show that this Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah that the Jews had been so long waiting for.

  1. Why so secretly?

We read in v. 7 that Herod called the Magi “secretly” to determine the where and when of Jesus’s birth.

My question is:  why did this meeting need to take place secretly?

(take answers)

  1. Herod didn’t want to show fear about this possible deliverer being born.
  2. Herod wanted to keep his plan low key, so that others might not warn Jesus’ family.  (But later God would spoil his plan.)
  3. It most likely was not the best political move for Herod to kill a child based on Jewish prophecy, so better to keep the entire even quiet.

Point:  Most of the time, when things are done in secret, it’s because you don’t want any accountability.  Now, obviously, I’m not talking about secret plans for a surprise birthday party, or secret plans for an anniversary trip.  But when we scheme to cover up our intentions (And Herod was already lying to the Magi by telling them He, too, wanted to worship Jesus…) it says something about how we really feel about our own plans.  In other words, if what we are doing is perfectly fine, why do we feel the need for secrecy?

  1. The flawed Nativity Scene

Ahhh, the Nativity Scene.  This is the part of my sermon that I drew my strange title from.  Now, I realize that what I’m about to teach you is going to break some of your tradition, and in so doing, may break some of your hearts, but I want us to be rooted in the Truth of the evidence of Scripture, not just the comfort of our traditions.  So I’ve decided to break the ice with my favorite nativity scene joke.  (Fireman as Magi.)

Most of us love our nativity scenes.  My wife and I have one, and Vaeh rearranges it every morning.  At one point, Jesus was riding a camel to visit Joseph in the manger.  Talk about revisionist history. 

  But I think our nativity scenes are somewhat flawed in the historical presentation of what and how these event actually happened.We set them up each Christmas and every nativity scene has some very specific components to it…so what makes up a nativity scene?

  1. Jesus in the manger
  2. Mary and Joseph
  3. The 3 Magi brining the gifts to Jesus.

The problem:  If we look carefully at the scriptural evidence, we know that Jesus was somewhere between the age of 41 days and 2 years old when the Magi arrive.  That seems like an odd statement?  Follow the evidence:

  1. Matthew 2:11 clearly says that the Magi entered a house, not a manger.
  2.   Luke 2:21 tells us that Jesus was circumcised when he was 8 days old.
  3.   Luke 2:22-24 tells us that when the 40 days of Mary’s “uncleanness” had passed they presented Jesus in the Temple IN JERUSALEM.
  4.   Matthew 2:7 tells us that Herod asked the Magi when they had first seen the star and then later killed all the male Children in Bethlehem age 2 and under.
  5.   Matthew 2:13-15 tells us that Joseph was warned by the Angel of God and they fled to Egypt, meaning that Jesus HAD to have already been presented to the temple before they fled to Egypt.
  1. The importance of the gifts

The gifts are another O.T. prophecy fulfillment from both Psalm 72:10 and Isaiah 60:6, both of which show that foreign “kings” or dignitaries would present the Messiah with gifts. Remember, these Magi were like Daniel and Joseph, they were advisors and emissaries from the courts of their Kings.  They did nothing without the permission and blessing of the kingdoms they served.

Now, imagine you are Herod, and these Magi show up, as ambassadors from foreign nations, saying they want to offer congratulations to the birth of a Jewish king on Roman soil.  You can see why this whole scenario has Herod a bit miffed.

This would be the equivalent of my house being decorated with Cleveland Browns flags, a Cleveland Browns mailbox, a Cleveland Browns doormat, and the day after the Superbowl, my doorbell rings.  I get up to answer the door and a Steelers fan, complete with Steelers jersey, hat, gloves, and face paint says, “Excuse me, sir, do you know where Daisy lives?  I just wanted to congratulate her on the Steelers winning the Superbowl?”

And I would have to roll my eyes and say, “Yes.  She’s downstairs.”

Now, of course my story is ridiculous…I’d never let a Steelers fan live with me, but it gets the point across.

Herod was worried because foreign kings were already recognizing and thusly celebrating the birth of a Jewish King within the Roman Empire.

  1. “Out of Egypt I Have Called My Son”

As we draw to a close this morning, let us consider the reasons that Joseph was told to flee to Egypt:

  1. To get away from Herod (who would die soon)
  2. So that O.T. prophecy could be fulfilled

Both Numbers 24:8 and Hosea 11:1 show that God would call his son out of an exodus in Egypt (yet another parallel to Moses.)  You can see, as the similarities between Moses and Jesus are starting to add up, why so many Jews were confused, and thus disappointed as Jesus’ ministry:  They wanted a political messiah, but what Jesus was going to bring to them was a whole different type of Kingdom.

The Jews were clamoring for the nation of Israel to be restored, and it would be, under the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.