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This weekend we find ourselves at the center of a great clash, both between the east and the west and between good and evil. Matthew 2 documents the journey of mysterious men called the Magi and their search for a King. Standing in their way is another king, Herod the Great. These two great powers converge in the little town of Bethlehem where both are faced with a decision; a decision that faces each of us today: what to do with the Christ child?

We have been looking at several of the key figures of the Christmas story over the last few weeks of Advent. Many of our thoughts and ideas of these figures come directly from our own Christmas traditions.

Here’s one of my family’s traditions (ON SCREEN) .. each year as we got the boxes of Christmas decorations down out of the attic one of the most exciting times was finding the nativity set because we got to unwrap each character one by one and read the newspaper headlines …

“Aw, it’s a sheep .. yeah, but look! .. Russia launches Sputnik!

“Whajoo get? .. I got a camel, but Kennedy is the youngest president!”

“How bout’ you? .. Oh, the Beatles just fired Pete Best in favor of Ringo Starr!”

“No, I mean who’djoo get? .. Oh, I got a ground angel.”

You see there’s two basic kinds of angels ..

you got yer’ air angels like the one up top there (ON SCREEN) .. air angels always carry banners

… and you got yer’ ground angels .. like this one (ON SCREEN) .. ground angels still have wings but they stick to walking most of the time cause’, according to my brother, ground angels usually date shepherds … you can tell .. (ON SCREEN) see how she’s kinda’ checkin’ the shepherd out?

Looks like he’s playin’ hard to get.

(ON SCREEN) Anyway, we’d take all the characters and clump em’ all together ..right? You got yer’ ground angel and then two of the three kings then Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus goin’ …

“Why won’t anybody pick me up?” .. “Cause yer’ God!”

Then the third king and ground angel #2 checkin’ out the shepherd .. and then your sundry barnyard animals .. and that’s how it was right?

Wrong .. first of all, in Scripture, angels almost always

take on human form

they almost never have wings

most of the time they take on a male form ..

and they are most certainly NEVER (ON SCREEN) chubby nude infants!

And how bout’ the We Three Kings of Orient Are .. traversing through fountains and moors and such?

Ah, our traditions .. some fiction, some fact, and some only based on fact. Let’s take a look at our scripture passage because we’re going to find out that at the time of Jesus’ birth, there was only one King in Israel and he wasn’t a very nice guy at all .. we’re in Matthew 2:1-12.

Lets ask some good who, what, when, where questions about this text to get an idea of what’s happening here and who the main characters are.

#1 – Who is King Herod? He’s the only Jewish king to speak of for the last 600yrs. For 600 years Israel has been without a king .. why? (ON SCREEN) Because the Babylonian Empire invaded in 600BC under King Nebuchadnezzar who took the last Jewish king, Zedekiah, captive, burnt Jerusalem to the ground and took the entire Jewish nation back to Babylon as slaves.

(ON SCREEN)

Later, a much larger and stronger empire took over .. the Persians. The Persian empire from the east started moving west, and as they did, they defeated the Babylonians. The Persians allowed many Jews to return to Judea. But, for the next 500yrs. or so, many pseudo-kings came in and out of power in Judea and Israel was wracked by civil war until 63BC when something significant happened ...

As the eastern Persian empire grew in size and strength and as they moved west, another empire grew to great power in the west and decided to move east … the Roman empire.

(ON SCREEN)

In 63BC, Rome swept in from the northwest and captured Jerusalem. At the time there was a very powerful man in the area named Antipater. Antipater wanted to rule in Judea so he claimed to be a Jew even though everyone knew that he was anything but a Jew .. he was an Idumean hailing from an area south of Judea and so they hated him cause’ he was what my youth group likes to call a ‘POSER’.

These Jews had another reason to hate Antipater .. in his lust for power he sided with Rome, and Rome’s occupation of the area was seen by many as idolatry. With the support of Rome, Antipater made his two sons governors of Jerusalem and Galilee and one of them was named .. Herod.

As Rome expanded to the east they eventually attacked Persia and these two great forces clashed and enemies were made. One of Rome’s enemies was named Mattathias. He also hated Herod, the newest Jewish poser on the scene, and wanted to remove Herod before his power became firmly established .. so Mattathias sided with the Persians.

Herod got wind of the imminent coup and in the face of a Persian attack he decided to flee ..

all the way to Rome. There he did a lot of wheeling and dealing and eventually met with none other than the Roman emperor himself. Caesar Augustus gave Herod his endorsement .. gave him a large sum of money .. gave him an army .. and also gave him a new title: King of the Jews.

Herod’s job was to further Rome’s interests in Israel by restoring order, keeping peace with the Jews, and keeping the Persians from moving any farther west .. he did this by setting up a reign of terror that lasted over three decades. He murdered thousands, including all of his wives and all of his sons. He was a ruthless and paranoid king.

So, here we have Herod, and scripture tells us that after Jesus is born a group of Magi from the east show up in Jerusalem asking some questions. So how many of these Magi are there? Actually, we don’t know. The gospel writer doesn’t tell us. Our tradition claims that there were three based upon their three gifts, but we really have no idea how many there were. In some traditions they are called kings, and some even give them specific names.

So, who were these Magi?

Well we have some fascinating scriptural history to help us answer that question.

This word ‘Magi’ comes from the Greek word ‘Magos’ which is a term that is used quite often in scripture. It’s a term that is linked with the word ‘magician’. Now, when we hear magician we think of tricksters like Houdini with top hats and rabbits, but this term in scripture was used to describe a very different group of people. It’s interesting that the first time we see this group of people is in the book of Daniel which documents the Jewish exile into Babylon. In Daniel chapter 2, King Nebudchadnezzar has had a weird dream, so he summons his most learned advisors to interpret the dream .. this great king calls for his highest officials .. men that wielded great knowledge and power .. and these men are called astrologers and magicians. Now the term ‘magician’ is an English corruption of the word magi .. a much closer term used for this group is found in the King James version and it is the term we know as ‘wise men’.

The Greek word ‘Magos’ literally means ‘WISE’.

This group of men were not conjurers .. they were scientists and they were intelligent. At this time scientists merged the physical sciences with the spiritual and people were amazed at their knowledge and these Magi were experts in astronomy and astrology .. they looked to the stars.

People were so amazed at their wisdom that the Magi became a priestly tribe of people .. much like the Levites had become for the nation of Israel serving as priests in the temple .. the Magi became priests in the eastern empires, both in Babylon and in Persia. Over the years these Magi were given unmatched political power and eventually they were charged with a very interesting job description .. they became the King-makers. Their wisdom was so great that historians tell us that no Babylonian or Persian was ever able to become king without mastering the discipline of the Magi and without being approved and crowned by the Magi.

And so, back to our text, we have this group of Magi, very powerful, very wealthy, and very intelligent men coming from the east .. from Persia .. you can imagine what their entourage might have looked like .. many horses .. many soldiers guarding these important king-makers and their treasures … and they come into Jerusalem asking one question, ‘Where is the one born King of the Jews?’

And Herod freaks out .. of course he’s disturbed! These men represent Rome’s greatest eastern enemy .. Persia! And the memories of the war against Mattathias are still fresh in his mind, but the thing that really puts Herod over the top is who the Magi are looking for .. they’re looking for the King of the Jews. And the first thing Herod does is consult his own priests and wise men .. why?

Because he knows that he’s not the true Jewish king .. he took the title through deception and he remembers that there is an old Jewish legend about where the true King will be born. We see his wise men quoting the Old Testament prophet Micah in the Matthew passage right here.

(ON SCREEN)

'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.'

Bethlehem … that’s David’s town .. the place where David was crowned King of Israel .. the shepherd-king and the greatest of all the Jewish kings.

And Herod’s true colors shine through ..

Herod’s heart was fearful .. You see, Herod knew that he was sitting on a powder keg. He knew that the people of the city didn't like him, and they didn't like Roman rule, and they wanted their own independence and he knew that they wanted to overthrow him and Rome, and he also knew that if the Persians got in on the act and these king-makers actually found the true King that he was really in trouble.

And so Matthew tells us that he is disturbed .. the word that is used here is agitated like a washing machine .. he’s shaking .. he’s panicky .. and look at this, verse 3 .. ‘Herod was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him.’

Now, why would EVERYONE in Jerusalem be upset? Because they too had fear in their hearts .. fear, not so much that Persia was there to attack again, but fear of Herod himself. At this time Herod was 70 years old .. he had ruled in Judea for over thirty years and the Jews he ruled had seen first-hand the wrath and vengeance of this maniac .. and they figured man, if these Magi upset Herod there’s gonna’ be a blood bath … and they were right.

Any tyrant who would have all of his wives and children assassinated because of paranoia would stop at nothing to keep his throne .. a throne that was being challenged by the appearance of the Magi .. these king-makers .. asking around town about the King of the Jews.

Now there’s a great question for us to ask: ‘Why in the world would these Persian priests even know about Judaism? Why would they even have knowledge about Yahweh? Why would they be asking about a Jewish King?

Remember the story about the Jewish exile to Babylon under Nebudchadnezzar? This is 600 years before Jesus. Let’s go back there in the book of Daniel because the context will help us understand Matthew 2 even more.

In Daniel chapter two, king Nebudchadnezzar has a bizzare dream .. and he wants it to be interpreted and none of the Magi can’t do the job, but one man successfully interprets the dream .. Who?

The prophet Daniel. And in Daniel chapter 4 Nebuchadnezzar writes,

‘I commanded that all the wise men (the Magi) of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. ⁷ but they could not interpret it for me. ⁸ Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. ⁹ I said, "(Daniel), chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me.’

So Daniel had literally been given supreme power over these wise men and the Magi .. and he is re-elected to that office by the next king, the son of Nebuchadnezzar.

He was their CHIEF, their boss, which put him in a very unique position of being able to influence the Magi .. to be able to teach the Magi about the OT. Daniel was a man of God .. totally devoted to Yahweh .. to the point that he ended up in the lion’s den. He was extremely influential and he didn’t mind living out his faith in public. And Daniel ran in important circles.

So, is it any wonder that Daniel had greatly influenced this group of Magi .. he introduced them to his God .. and he probably spoke openly about the coming Messiah. Now, even though the Persians allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem, many of them remained in the East.

And 600 years later we find that Daniel’s presence in the East was still influencing the Magi .. Judaism had permeated the east through Daniel .. and the king-makers come, understanding Yahweh, looking for a king.

There’s another great question: Why are they looking for a king? Because, number one, that’s what Magi do .. and number two, because they had been having some major problems with their current king of Persia, King Phraates IV. Phraates was a loser .. such a bad leader, in fact, that his wife poisoned him .. and so the king-makers, the Magi were on a quest .. to find a new king.

And so the East comes West and the West comes East and they clash in the little town of Bethlehem .. and both Herod and the Magi have and important decision to make,

‘What do we do with the true King of the Jews?’

Herod does what he does best .. he plots murder and he lies. He dupes the Magi .. he calls them in for a private meeting, so as not to agitate the Jews any further, and he plays to the Magi’s profession and their passion …

In verse 7, Herod asks them about astronomy .. when exactly did this astronomical phenomenon happen? They were glad to tell him .. and why did he want to know? He wanted to know how old the child-king was because he had decided what he was going to do with the true King .. He was going to add him to his long list of murders ..

You see, Herod already knew where the baby was born which is why he sends the Magi to Bethlehem in verse 8.

… and that’s where they go .. it’s most definitely some time after Jesus was born .. probably some months or even a year .. and they are looking forward to meeting the new king and completing their mission .. and then a couple of miracles happen …

First, the star reappears. They’re in Jerusalem which means that they’re only a few miles from Bethlehem but the star appears and shows them the exact house where Jesus is living. That kind of miracle would cause anyone pause .. think about it .. the Magi need a new king in Persia .. they remember the stories told about a great Jewish king who is to come and then they see an astrological sign in the heavens

Scripture doesn’t tell us that the star physically leads them to Jerusalem, it simply prompts their journey and of course they end up in Jerusalem .. that’s the capitol of Judea .. but now the star reappears and now it really does go before them and takes them to the exact address.

Now they’ve got to be thinking that something miraculous is happening .. and something miraculous does happen .. they don’t do what they do best.

All this power .. the military might of Persia .. the expansion of Rome .. Herod’s lust for power and recognition .. each group looking to their own agendas … The Magi could very easily have found Jesus and taken him to Persia to rule as the Persian king, but instead, in their wisdom, the Magi decide to do this …

(ON SCREEN)

This is not a very traditional rendering of the nativity, but I love it because it depicts exactly what the Magi’s response to the true King was … verse 11, ‘…when they saw the child they bowed down and worshipped him.’

The word that is used is PROSKUNEO which means to physically bow down and to kiss .. it’s where we get the English word to PROSTRATE. It was a response that was reserved only for a deity. And this was their response. These were the wealthiest most powerful men in Persia .. people bowed when THEY passed by .. and they fall on their faces in front of a child .. because when they got to that little room in Bethlehem they saw more than a child .. they even saw more than a king .. they saw the Messiah that they had heard about from the days of Daniel.

And isn’t that just like God? 600 years before Jesus was born God was setting up the situation for the great Hebrew prophet Daniel to rule a group of Magi so that one day when a baby was born in Bethlehem, those Magi would find their way to the house where the baby was .. where the Shepherd-King was .. where the Messiah was .. where God Himself was.

Charles Wesley put it this way,

“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity.”

They came in .. they saw the child with Mary and they fell down and worshipped Him .. it was an appropriate response .. it’s what you do when you meet God.