The Joy of the Newborn King

[Matthew 2:1-12]

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
"'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained 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 have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

[Rev. Dwight Yoo]

Jesus brings joy to all who recognize Him as King

The wise men, also known as the magi, probably came from the arabian peninsula. There is alot of mystery about them. They were learned men. They practiced astrology, not astronomy. This was widely practiced during these times. Jews generally looked down on this practice. But God used this pagan practice to bring the wise men to Jesus. Of course, the wise men went looking for him in Jerusalem. Where else would you look for someone important and influential? But they don't find him there... Herod has no idea. So Herod asks his advisors, they tell him about prophesies of the messiah. So the wise men go to Bethlehem. And they bring expensive gifts to Jesus and worship Him.

Matthew wrote this in such a way as to bring to light all the ironies. Out of everyone, the wise men should not be the first to seek out Jesus. The priests who know these prophesies... they don't seek him. Instead, these pagans who have such limited knowledge of this messiah... they go out in search of him. And they are seeking him out because of something they discovered through astrology. Stranger and stranger. Herod and the rest of Jerusalem were troubled. This messiah that has been prophesied for years... brings them trouble. Instead, these pagans come and worship Jesus. They "rejoiced with exceeding joy." They experienced joy just solely because they know that Jesus was this history-changing person, this king of the Jews. They acknowledged Jesus as the hope of the world.

Not only this, but Jesus also seeked out the outsiders. His attraction to those who were outside extended to his ministry. He spent his time with uneducated fishermen, tax collectors (thugs), and prostitutes. All these outsiders can find joy in Jesus because of who He is. King of Kings... hope of the world. It doesn't require knowledge of prophesies or extensive bible knowledge.

For those of us who feel like we are on the inside... What does this story tell us? Those priests who know all this biblical knowledge and all these prophesies. They have this set of expectations. What about this son of a carpenter? And why does he hang out with sinners? Openly sinful people. Prostitutes... Isn't he supposed to overthrow the Roman government? Isn't he here to free his people? What kind of messiah is this? Aren't we apt to find that Jesus doesn't fit into the expectations we have of Him? "I pray and pray... and my life is still a mess." Jesus disturbs and troubles us. So what then? Stop trying to be KING! Our lives are not supposed to be the way we want them. Our lives are supposed to be the way God wants them. This is how it works to serve a King. We may not understand why He does things, but we can say that He is King, even in strange circumstances.

Jesus reverses the world's values

These wise men are learned, cultured, and well off. And they come... and find the king of kings in a manger. Mangers are not a barn. They are this lower section of the house, where the animals were kept and fed. This is where Jesus came into the world. This is a humble place. Herod, the king, was so troubled because this "king of the Jews" was a threat to his throne... to his power. Jesus doesn't chase after power. He humbled himself. He wins by dying. Who does that?! Jesus does not come to us in the likes of Brad Pitt (handsome, famous character) but he was completely forgettable. We would not notice him in a crowd. But Jesus valued other things. Consider the sermon on the mount. Jesus told us that the greatest in heaven would be the servant of all. The world's values will kill you. Being famous. Being rich. Being good-looking. Our careers taking off... The values of the world are wrong. Don't judge yourself by the world's standards. If we want to find life, we need to follow Christ. Loving others. Serving others. Quietly serving in the background. In the eyes of God, that is greatness. This is what living hope and joy looks like.

Jesus is the joy of the world

The fact that foreigners are the first to bow down and worship him. This is evidence that this is not a message for a small people group, a small sect. This is a global world-wide plan for joy. He uses the weak, the foolish. He just needs people who have a heart of a servant. Not someone who is powerful. Not someone who is rich. Not even someone who is capable. He needs those who are willing to serve. May we be that people.