Herod and the Maji
Pastor Shane takes us to Matthew 2, where we see the relationship between Herod, the Wise Men, and God, who works His plan. Click here for the recording of this 12/8 Service, and you can fast-forward to 32:58 to get to the start of the sermon.
Our text comes from Matthew 2
Matthew 2.12-15:
12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt
15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,
“Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Introduction…
What do you do when you find yourself with no recourse, at the sinister hands of a powerful person?
This person has power, money and influence
Their past behavior shows they will stop at nothing to get what they want
You have none of this- power, money, influence
You are a teenage couple, with a new baby, not many possessions, and no real home
You have no human advocate to take up your cause
Who were the Maji (wise men)?
Maji is the plural of Magus, meaning magician or sorcerer
They were a hereditary priesthood from the Median, Babylonian and Persian areas
Theirs was a tradition of pagan religion mixed with occult practices
They believed in the primacy of the elements- water, fire, earth and air
They dressed in white robes and tall, conical hats with ear flaps
They carried small rods known as barsoms, used in officiating at sacrifices
They had great political influence in Persia, a country that had dominated Israel in the middle and later portions of the OT
They studied the stars as part of their worship
They probably would have had a cavalry escort to insure their safety
They were political, secular, mystical
Herod was ill and in his last days of power- thus, he was threatened by their appearance
He saw himself as “King of the Jews”
Herod…
Came to power at 25 by being politically parasitic
Ruled 37-4 BC, came to power by force
Claimed to be Jewish but was Idumean- traced his lineage back to Esau rather than Jacob, and was resented because of it
Killed 2 of his sons and 3 of his 10 wives
He had a politically popular 16 yr old brother in law drowned, and then led the funeral
He was a consummate builder- Herod’s Temple, Herodium
Kept the body of Meriamne I in a vat of honey for 7 years after he murdered her
He was a political survivor- loyal to whom ever could help him stay in power
He saw people as mere possessions
He was an evil genius
It is sad that one so near the coming of Christ would fail to see Christ for what He was
1 - The genuine presence…
…of Christ will attract the attention of even secular people
It appears that the Maji were fairly pagan in their worldview
God used their interest in the stars to attract them to His Son
God used the secular to serve the sacred- Rom 8.28
If all is God’s ultimately the line between the sacred and the secular is artificial
What does unbeliever sense when they walk into this sanctuary-
the presence of Christ?
A religious club?
The conviction of the Holy Spirit?
The affirmation of nominal American spirituality?
The preached Word, or a sermonette that it generally meant to make people feel good about whatever level of spirituality they happen to be at?
2 - Even the most evil of people…
…will not thwart God’s plan for you
Isa 54.17- no weapon formed against you will prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn
It is very important to listen for God’s voice when pursued by evil- 4x Joseph was warned in a dream by God
Herod was very good at stomping out rivals- he had done this for 43 yrs
Herod’s dominant sin was pride, the mother of all other sin
What is sin?
Sin- ”is an invisible force, emanating from Satan, that impacts on the mind and will, to think and act, in terms of negative life choices, thus detracting from our Kingdom potential” – Dobbins
In this world, sin is everywhere, including in you, and in me; our job is to medicate it with Jesus, the Word, and church
There is no earthly reason a newborn baby should have prevailed over Herod’s plans
Our advocate and defender is Jesus- not position, power, or money
The only thing that can keep God from working in your life is your own disobedience to Him
*And So…
Are we, individually, and as a church, modeling the genuine presence of Christ to secular people?
Do we understand that no external force will keep us from God’s intentions for our life?
