The Gospel According to the Wise Men

We are get some historical context to the first. Our favorite Christmas carols. Completely romanticize and misconstrue the night of his birth, making it seem like some genteel precious moments event rather than the chaotic inconvenient. She's having a baby right now we want to place even to check in for the night moment that it actually was lined with after legend. I'm your host Molly. That's we all know the popular Christmas Carol. We three Kings.

In fact, I bet you're running it right now that we all know that the three wise men receive a birth announcement in the mail from Mary table. Find out how these three pagan philosophers were among the first to worship Jesus British series called upside down Christmas.

JD titled today's message the gospel according to the wise store that many of us know it probably strikes you probably thought of it as a quaint little cute Christmas bedtime story but the story is absolutely loaded with profound counterintuitive truth that reveals to you the essence of the gospel, and it is going to address some of life's absolute deepest questions. Things like how can we believe there is a loving God. When the world seems like it's been such a chaotic mess, or perhaps this question if Christianity is really true. Why don't all the smart people in our world automatically agree on it. That question if Christianity is really true if God is really the author of it lies in adults more people get why does my college professor, ridicule it and make me feel like an idiot for believing it about this.

What about all the people in the world were not Christians. But what is God say about them. How does God feel about them ever have some of his questions.

I do there been times in my life for those questions provide a real stumbling block something that really troubled by faith. The answers to all those questions release the beginnings of those answers are in the story. This quaint little Christmas bedtime story. Matthew chapter 2 verse one Dr. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from these came to Jerusalem same. Where is he who has been born the King of the Jews, for we saw his star when it rose we have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him now. First of all, we have several wrong assumptions about the birth story of Jesus that if I can will be helpful for us to clear up as we get into the story. First of all, our favorite Christmas carols.

Completely romanticize and misconstrue the night of his birth, making it seem like some genteel precious moments event rather than the chaotic, inconvenient, oh my God, she's having a baby right now we will have a place even to check in for the night moment that it actually was. For example, one of our favorite Christmas carols. Silent Night, holy night all is calm, all is bright. Have you ever been present for the birth of a baby, I've been present for the birth of four of them, all of them were mine and I can promise you got a one of them was a Silent Night all was not calm, all is not bright even after the epidural. All was not calm and all was not right about this one away in a manger, a way to feature the crib for a bit thing about this line. The title or lowering the poor baby wakes but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes. If, on the first night of your newborn babies life. He wakes up next to a cow that is staring at him, moving do you honestly think, no crying he makes right.

Second, and I really do hate to mess up your nativity sets bites the wise were not present at the manger scene.

They started traveling. The story tells us when Jesus was born. We knew it took several months after he was born for them to arrive.

So to that end I have taken the Wiseman pieces out of our manger scenes around the house and I have put them across the room to signify that on the night of Jesus where they were traveling. This totally annoys my wife but it's accurate and on the spiritual leader.

So if you really want to be accurate. By the way, to bring these these pieces back out in June because that's probably about the time that they they showed up at Jesus's event to bring back out like a Christmas part two of it.

Third, we always assumed there were three wise men probably based on the fact that there were three gifts given gold, frankincense and myrrh, but it never says that there were three. In fact, the school of of traveling astrologers likely would have included at least a dozen or so astrologers. This is a caravan. The most likely included these guys are wise of service the kids the doggies and a whole slew of people.

Plus it says in verse three that date troubled the whole city. A group of three guys on camels are to get the attention of the city like Jerusalem, so it's probably a huge group.

There's an ancient tradition that says that these three guys were named Gaspar Melchior and ball toss or but there is absolutely no verification on that we don't know their names. I did hear about one little boy who was the third wise man in one of the Christmas blaze and so you're the first Wiseman came on with this gift and says this is gold missing, wise men came on said this is murder in the third Wiseman is a warlock on said Frank send this by which the one of them might've been a friend but we don't know right so that there's your misconceptions now not clear that up.

Who exactly were these guys who were they will. It's obvious that they were astrologers, but don't just think kooky stargazing club there title indicates that they were part of the Persian priestly ruling class will how they put all this together that you start indicating the kingdom, and that sort of thing.

Short answer is course God revealed to them, but let me postulate if I could just a little bit further for you. This is a highly educated but deadly accurate guess that I'm about to give you so hear me out. Persia is where many of the children of Israel have been sent into exile right. We know that from book of Daniel. Jeremiah just got things we know from the book of Daniel that some of the greatest men of God. Some of his profits were numbered among the wise men like Daniel dangling again on lines they got. He was, if you recall, part of the tribe of the wise men shot right me shed and Abednego which were the three guys in the fiery furnace.

They were part of the wise man at the wise men.

There is absolutely no doubt that they share the writings of Moses and the prophets with these guys with the writings of Moses and the prophets are chock-full of prophecies about the Messiah.

In fact, there is one that these guys were very likely to have known that I think is particularly relevant to this event from the story of Baylon that's recorded numbers chapter 23 and that story if you're unfamiliar with the go something like this. There's an enemy king of Israel getting bailout who wants to curse the children of Israel, so he goes out he hires a hot profiting bail him and pays a lot of money to curse the children of Israel will Baylon who is evidently not a very conscientious prophet agrees to this really high price and so he gets on his donkey to travel to overlook the children of Israel from the top of this mountain peak get them all at one time. Third occur site God would want that to happen.

So I bail Ms. on his way on this journey God puts an angel that has a screw as a sword drawn stadium away of his donkey is of God and opens the eyes of his donkey, who sees this angel. The sword drawn and he so returns. He veers off to the side. Will Baylon protect about this so he beats the donkey after a couple minutes. The angel moves is that it the dog gets back on the road.

He goes this time the angel reappears.

But now he is is in the middle of the road this between two walls and they decide so that you don't you can't bill off to the donkey just tries to go over to the side to get random zoomable applet would outlast him when he went too far and scraped Baylon's foot.

Baylon curses and beats a donkey again. Humber Spears number 426 then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn a little right or the left when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under bail in Baylon's anger was kindled and he struck the donkey with his staff. At this point, he's a flat fed up just goes Old Testament on a donkey right. Verse 28 then the Lord open the mouth of the donkey and she said the bail what I done you that you have struck maybe three times and Baylon said to the donkey because you made a fool out of me.

Not, mind you, excuse me, what are you talking but you made a full enemy.

I wish I had a sword in my hand. For then I would tell you start great writer. Donkey said the Baylon, not your donkey that you have written on all of your lifelong. To this day. Is it my habit to treat you this way and Baylon said no and then God opens up Baylon's eyes to see the angel and he realizes that his acid saved his life and so instead of cursing Israel. Baylon prophesies a blessing every Israel and part of that prophecy of blessing that he gave was this lesson a star will come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.

Number 2417, which meant that a king would rise up who would rule the whole world and bring blessing to all the nations on earth.

Now I have to think that these wise men from Persia might have been familiar with that prophecy for them left 400 years before by Daniel when God causes this unusual heavenly activity. These wise men who were the descendents of the wise men the different Daniel very likely might've said that it that's what we been hearing about right there.

So let's go to Jude and see what actually is unfolding here right that's the wise man Melanie give you little background. If I could on Herod because understanding Herod will help you make sense of the story. Herod was one of the absolute worst hiring kings of Israel had ever had. He was Jewish, but he was a Roman puppet very annoying things about him first.

He was very ostentatious. He built everything he could go big showing places palaces and temples and plastered his name on. For example, there was an ancient tradition that said that when King David was trying to escape Saul, but he climbed up on the topsail mountain peak in a place called Masada and hid out the cave. There, and so so Herod thought well if the mightiest king in Israel hit on the cable Masada. I'm the one upping my bill. The big palace. There he built one of the most immense palaces known in the ancient world. I've actually been there and see the ruins of its unbelievable how people be storerooms that would would preserve food because it is in case you is under siege or something how he figured out a way to pack and preserve dates, and figs that would preserve them for hundreds of years.

A group of archaeologists in the 1940s were excavating this area and they found one of Herod's old storerooms still filled with food that he had stored 2000 years ago still preserved and that you cannot read said that some of the archaeologists actually unwrapped a few of these dates and figs and and ate them than they had to quickly look for hairs bathroom so that that that's is out. As I went to see everything was impressive. Second, he was psychotically paranoid about losing power psychotic. It is wife killed because he thought she was conspiring against him and just for good measure. He went ahead and killed her brother and her mother a few years later he had all three of his sons killed because he was suspected them of wanting his throne charges turned out to be totally false. But this is how he was probably the craziest thing when he was on his deathbed he ordered that the order dozens of other nobleman to be executed at the moment of his death because he wanted the land to mourn his passing. He figured nobody would actually mourn his passing, so we can create hardship throughout the countryside and people would cry when he died, even if it wasn't for him.

The Emperor Augustus Caesar Augustus says said it would be better to have been Herod Sal been one of his sons is brutal and finally just to ease the terrible ruler who exported everybody for his own selfish ends. Yet one gender that he wanted and it was his exultation.

One time when he was short on money.

He had the 45 wealthiest citizens executed on trumped up charges and sees their estates. That's how he avoided his fiscal cliff when he really stuck at the 1%. I but nudges them by the white half of everything that the common man made was taken for Herod and another 12 1/2% was taken for Caesar and then another portion that was taken for a tax collector. If for example you were a fisherman. Then when you brought your harvest back into land there would literally be a tax collector, standing there like Zaki us who take 50% per Herod 12 1/2% off of your boat for Caesar and then take it on your specified amount for himself. They say by the time it was all said and done, you would have paid the average person paid as much is 75% in taxes like living in France. By the late Jesus told this group is always better taxes even that ridiculous system. At one point under Herod's reign, the Sanhedrin sent a delegation to appeal to Caesar saying that Herod had reduced Israel to a land of helpless beggars (right driver for so assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. Now this next verse is absolutely amazing. They told him in Bethlehem of Judea for so it's written by the prophet Micah 52 and you will Bethlehem, the land of Judah, you are by no means least among the rulers of Judah for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel, that you expect the next verse to be something like this. It's all the scribes. All the religious leaders men they packed up their stop and they hide entailed it over to Bethlehem to get a glance of Jesus, the promised Messiah luggage and at first notice as note.

Nothing on the mobile indifference will discuss that next weekend.

Verse seven then Herod summoned the wise men secretly ascertain from them what time the star had appeared and he sent them to Bethlehem saying go and search diligently for the child and when you found and bring me word that I assume a common worship him now is really one or seven Ohno/tell Joseph about Eric. He he he pretends worship, but he intends murder verse nine. After listening to the king.

They went on their way to hold the star that they'd seen when it rose went before them until he came to rest of the place with the child once when they saw the star they rejoice exceedingly with great joy and Frank, and she being born into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down they worshiped him. Then opening the treasures they offered him gifts in gold and frankincense and myrrh will next. We will talk about specifically what those three gifts mean.

But here verse 12. Be warned in a dream not to return to hear they departed to their own country by another way. I therefore first three observations about the gospel that are embedded in this world. Many of us to serve the children story was of this number 11 the Gospels for the nations. This might be, by the way, the main point of the story is each of the four Gospels Matthew Mark Luke and John. Each of the four Gospels is written for an intended audience different audiences in the Gospel of Matthew.

The intended audience is the Jews.

He's trying to show the Jews that Jesus was the promised Messiah and King. But interestingly, when you consider the fact that it's written for the Jews.

The first people who come to worship Jesus in Matthew are not Jews. They are pagan philosophers that is no accident.

Matthew's last words in his gospel are the great commission going to all the Gentile nations and preach the gospel so another words Matthew book ends a gospel written for the Jews. They focus on the nations. He begins his gospel by showing the nations coming to see the Messiah.

He ends his gospel by telling the church to go to the nations and tell them about the Messiah because you see the core of the gospel message is that Jesus came for the nations. Jesus was not a Jewish Savior port American Savior or a Middle Eastern Savior.

Jewish Jesus was the only Savior. There is no hope for forgiveness of sins and healing from the curse. Apart from him, and the task of the church is not complete until people from every nation have come to Neil at his feet like these wise men and worship it so we cannot read the story without reflecting on the fact that there are still what we call 6000 or so unreached people groups around the world and unreached people group is defined as a group of 10,000 people or more united by a common language that have little to no access of the gospel.

1.48 billion people have no access to the gospel at all, which we just got in their language 3,000,000,003.06 billion have little access to it in the country that I used to live in Indonesia there are 76,000 villages.

50,000 others villages are without a church and our job as a church is not complete until they know until they had a chance to hear so we will not, as a church ever be content to play church while they do not know. We will keep giving.

We will keep going until absolutely everyone has heard that some people say to me like all men, you did accomplish this and you done this one about this UK.

Did you not even know the mission of God is not the building of a church that were all comfortable in will never get to a point will we build everything you want to build. We sit back because there are still all these people groups filled wise men like this all around the world have never heard that is the mission of the church which leads me to question – about your life, what you doing with your life because the mission of the Bible is that there are wise men in every nation. Some of them searching for truth, and the stars and we have to go tell them I know that not everybody is under the not everybody is called to go overseas but I would say that probably a lot more of us that are going are called out just in back if that is the mission of God.

The mission of got to see the gospel take all around the world doesn't make sense of the burden of proof should lie on you for staying that would be for going again. I'm not telling you that all of you are called on to say I probably a lot more. You will are called dinner actually thinking about it I would sit in the burden of proof is on you to demonstrate why you are say I don't mind at all and I do love it. You stay in Raleigh-Durham here, but if you do so I want to be because God is directing you to and I think you need to be ready to say before God explained to him what you stayed in a place where in the city of Durham alone. There were 418 Baptist churches and we can go downtown to the Durham performing arts Center and put on a gospel presentation. What you chose to stay in a place where there was so much opportunity and neglected places all run the world where there was absolutely no opportunity at all. This is the mission of the church and so Matthew begins and ends his gospel by saying the nations are coming there to come and see, in this gospel but on the church to go would tell I'm not telling you not try to play the Holy Spirit until we tell you which are called to, but I'm very comfortable saying that if you choose to stay in a place where there is so much need to be ready to justify that when there are so many places that have almost nothing at all because there wise men in every nation were searching for truth in the stars.

The gospel is for the nations number two number two God commandeers the universe to accomplish his purposes. God commandeers the universe to accomplish his purposes.

Matthew stamps his Christmas story with evidence of God's absolute control over everything God cause Rome to tax the whole world so that he could move Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the prophecy said that he would be born.

Remora pointed out to you the complete inefficiency of that God could've whispered to Joseph to just take a trip to Bethlehem they could do that, but instead he moved to Rome to do a census of the whole world matches Matthew's way of showing you the God has no problem wielding an entire empire to accomplish the fulfillment of war little teeny tiny prophecy here.

Matthew shows you the God wants pagan sorcerers to be among the first to worship Jesus's birthday party just to make a point. So we commandeers the constellations to bring them there. He controls the heavens. He speaks to donkeys. He manipulates government there is not one square inch of the entire universe including every decision made in Caesar's Palace which God does not have complete control of the Psalm says that he'll make even the unrighteous wrath of man bring praise to him. God has one overriding purpose for you as a believer, and that is to reveal Jesus to you and bring forth Jesus from you to others.

That is the pursuit that he has been on every day in every second of your life is to bring you a place where you would know and understand and love Jesus and where you would be in a position to be able to demonstrate his glory to the world. That's why the pains in your life.

That's why the disappointment is all been about bringing forth Jesus from you without the gospel. The wise men and shepherds showing that you don't need the right kind of person you are accepted, just as you are a powerful message this Christmas from Pastor JD Greer if you happen to tune in late or if you'd like to hear the previous messages in this series called upside down Christmas.

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