Jesus is now a young child now rather than an infant. He is in a house now rather than a stable in Bethlehem. Matthew writes this book to present Jesus as King and constantly quotes Old Testament scripture to show Jesus as the fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the Messiah. The wise men followed a star. What does it mean to follow a star?

1 – Their amazing decision (vs. 1-2)

The wise men left their jobs and families to follow the star.

• Their identity (vs. 1) – They were wise men from the East. We don’t really know much from the Bible about these wise men. There is no indication in Scripture how many wise men there were. It is assumed because there are three gifts. It has been assumed that they are kings. There is no proof that they were kings from the Bible.
• Their intention (vs. 2) – They are looking for the newborn King of the Jews. They are going around asking, “where is he?” They have seen the star and they have come to worship Him. This star is likely to be a manifestation of the glory of God. This happened in the Old Testament. There was radiant light at the transfiguration and when Jesus appeared to Paul. When you see the glory of God you want to fall down on your knees in worship.

2 – Their alarming difficulty (vs. 3-6)

There is always going to difficulty if you follow a star.

• The trip – They had made a difficult journey.
• The treachery (vs. 3) – Herod was troubled by this “King of the Jews”. He was a cruel murdering individual. He did not want to lose his throne. He eliminated any threats. He killed those in his own family! There will always be a Herod who will oppose you if you want to worship Jesus.
• The truth (vs. 4-5) – Herod would not like the truth. They quote Micah 5:2. They knew the scriptures but they are not interested in finding Jesus. They had knowledge without heart knowledge. See Romans 10:9. Some people are going to miss heaven by 18 inches! You need to know Jesus in your head and in your heart! It is scripture that leads them to Jesus. They know from the scriptures that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. If you want others to find Jesus then tell them from the scriptures. There are over 330 predictions that a Messiah would come. The odds for them to be fulfilled are staggering. It is not something natural, it is supernatural. There are the wise men, Herod and the scribes and Pharisees. There are those who want to follow, oppose or ignore Jesus. Which crowd are you in?

3 – Their awesome delight (vs. 7-12)

Herod had no intention of worshipping Jesus. They follow a star and it is all worthwhile!

• It takes a desire – They want to find Jesus. You won’t find Jesus if you are not looking for Him.
• It leads to difficulties – You will always come across a Herod to oppose you. You just come as you are and God will make you as you ought to be. Don’t believe the Devil’s lies. You can’t fix yourself up.
• It requires determination.
• There is joy (vs. 10-11). The goal was to worship Jesus. They are face to face with God Almighty. They came as they were. They sought Him and found Him. They found joy when they found Jesus.

Categories: Matthew