"WHERE IS THE KING?" (Mt 2:1-2)
Dec 8th, 2002 (Visit our Web-site at
Friendship-baptistchurch.com 1. Benjamin Franklin said: "How many observe
Christ's birthday! How few, his precepts! O! 'tis easier to keep Holidays than
Commandments." 2. God asked Adam in the garden: "Where art thou?" (Gen
2:9) 3. The wise men asked: "Where is He that is born `King?"
(Mt. 2:2) a. This phrase, "King of the Jews" is found 18
times in the N. T. 4. The question proposed by these wise men would have never
been asked, but for a necessity of the first question by God to Adam. Helen Steiner Rice wrote: Where can we find The Holy One? Where can we see His Only Son? The Wise Men asked, and we're asking still, Where can we find this Man of good will? Is He far away in some distant place, Ruling unseen from His throne of grace? Is there nothing on earth that man can see To give him proof of Eternity? It's true we have never looked on His face, But His likeness shines forth from every place, In everything both great and small We see the hand of God in all, And every day, somewhere, someplace, We see the likeness of His face. . For who can watch a baby's birth Or touch the warm, life-giving earth, Or feel the softness of the breeze Or look at skies through lacy trees And say they've never seen His face Or looked upon His throne of grace. . . Oh! man's search for God will end and begin When he opens his heart to invite Christ in. I. CONSIDER THE QUESTION BY THESE WISE MEN. A. THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A CERTAIN KING. 1. Of this generation, it can be said: "God is not in all
their thoughts." (Ps 10:4) 2. William Plumer said: "Those who reject Christ
as King have never truly received Him as Prophet or Priest B. JUST WHO WERE THESE WISE MEN? 1. They were Magi’s, not magicians. a. (Gray & Adams-pg. 15) says: "Astronomical
calculations prove that at about 2 B. C. very remarkable conjunctions of the
planets of our systems took place.(Rev. 22:16) See Num 24:17 and also Mt. 2:9)
2. They were Astronomers, not Astrologers. a. Pulpit Commentary says: "A star is the emblem
of a prince. So the sign was interpreted by the Magi. "Where is he that is born
King of the Jews? for we have seen his star" — his
emblem." b. The Christmas star that guided the Wise Men to
Bethlehem may have been any of a number of recorded astronomical events
coinciding with the likeliest dates of that first Christmas.
c. Halley's Comet appeared in 12 B.C., and
ancient Chinese texts note "exploding" stars, or novas, observed in both 4 and 5
B.C. Exceptionally bright planetary conjunctions occurred in 2, 6, and 7 B.C.;
among these, the most promising candidate for the Holy Star was the triple
conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in 6 B.C. d. Whatever they were; they were Divinely ordered of the
Lord. 3. They were Scientists, not wizards. (They had
seen His "star") (Vr. 2) a. (Rev 22:16) "......
b. (Num 24:17) "......there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,......"
c. (Mt 2:9) "When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was."
C. CONSIDER WHAT WAS INVOLVED IN THIS SEARCH BY THESE MEN.
1. They gave up friends and home and took a long, wearisome journey.
2. Any man that sets out to follow Christ, faces a sometimes lonely journey.
D. CONSIDER THEIR SUCCESS IN THIS VENTURE.
1. They didn’t find Him in the Capital city of Jerusalem.
2. They didn’t find Him in the best place in Bethlehem, but yet where their soul hungered....(The House of Bread)
O wonder of wonders! astonished I gaze,
To see in the manger the Ancient of Days;
And angels proclaiming the stranger forlorn,
And telling the shepherds that Jesus is born.
E. CONSIDER WITH ME THAT THEY DIDN’T APPROACH HIM EMPTY HANDED.
1. They first gave themselves in "Worship". (Vr. 2)
2. Then they presented unto Him their treasures. (Vr. 11)
3. Our Daily Homily. F. B. Meyers (S-1-6) pg.369 "The Wise Men followed the Holy Star to lay gifts, symbolic of His life, before the Baby Jesus:
a. "Gold, because He was a king;
No pen can write, no tongue can tell;
Not one of us is able
To comprehend the love of Christ,
Born in a lowly stable.
b. "Frankincense, as he was a divine King;
c. "Myrrh, to foreshadow that His suffering and death would be our preservation."
4. Myrrh was used several ways:
a. As Annointing oil. (Ex. 30:23)
b. As Perfume..(Esther 2:12)
c. In Deodorizing clothes (Psa. 45:8)
d. In Embalming (John 19:39)
F. CONSIDER THEIR POSTURE WHEN THEY FOUND HIM.
1. They bowed before this King and worshiped Him. (Vr. 11)
2. The angel Gabriel had announced to Mary that Christ would be King.
a. (Lk 1:32-33) "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
3. This title was given to Jesus in mockery by the world at the cross.
a. (Mat 27:37) "And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
4. Paul called him King of the Jews.
a. (1 Tim 6:15) "Which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;"
Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy chosen King
Through all eternity.
Crown Him, the Lord of Love I
Behold His Hands and Side
Rich Wounds, yet visible above
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright.
''Crown Him, the Lord of Peace:
Whose power a sceptre sways
From pole to pole—that wars may cease
Absorbed in prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end,
And round His pierced Feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.
Crown Him, the Lord of Years,
The Potentate of time;
Creator of all rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime:
All hail ! Redeemer, hail !
For Thou hast died for me:
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity."
–M. Bridges
5. The Apostle John called him "King"
a. (Rev 17:14) "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful."
G. IMAGINE THEIR AMAZEMENT WHEN THEY FOUND A CHILD INSTEAD OF A KING.
1. They sought a King and found a child: and yet what depth of meaning; for this is how Christ governs.
a. (Isa 9:6-7) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever....."
b. (Mark 10:15) "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."
H. THE PRINCE OF PEACE MUST BE RECEIVED WITH THE TRUSTFULNESS OF A LITTLE CHILD.
1. (Mt. 18:3) "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
2. To be a subject of this King, one must humble himself.
a. (Lk 18:14) "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
II. CONSIDER THE RESPONSE OF THESE WISE MEN. (Vr. 11)
A. THEY RESPONDED BY GOING TO THE SAVIOUR. (Vr. 11)
1. When asked where He dwelt, Jesus responded: "Come and see" (Jn 1:39)
2. (Jn 1:29) "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Lamb of God, we fall before thee,
Humbly trusting in thy cross;
That alone be all our glory;
All things else are dung and dross;
3. (Jn 3:14-15) "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
B. THEY RESPONDED BY WORSHIPING JESUS AS SAVIOUR AND KING. (Vr. 11)
1. The word "Worship" literally means "state of worthiness."
a. That is, they found this Holy child worthy of homage or worship.
2. He was then acknowledged by "wise men from the East."
a. (1 Cor. 1:24) "But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God."
Joseph Hart wrote:
Believers own they are but blind;
They know themselves unwise;
But wisdom in the Lord they find,
Who opens all their eyes.
C. THEY RESPONDED BY WORSHIPING CHRIST WITH THEIR TREASURES.
1. This was a practical evidence of their of their devotion to Christ.
a. Valuable gifts symbolized their lives surrendered to their service of the King.
Conclusion: Here is an expression of what may be termed saving faith in Christ.
1. There was a personal contact with Christ.
a. Nothing short of coming into a personal relationship with Christ will do.
2. There was that personal Lordship of Christ.
a. Nothing short of this is of any use.
b. Does he reign over our lives is the question.
3. There was a personal surrender to Christ.
a. Nothing less than this is possible.
b. Then bow to His absolute Lordship.
Thou glorious Victor, King Divine,
Shut these surrendered hands in Thine;
At length my will is all Thine own,
Glad vassal of a Saviour’s Throne.