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MATTHEW 2
"1
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of
Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship
him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was
troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered
all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he
demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5 And they said
unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the
prophet, 6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the
least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a
Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7 Then Herod, when
he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when
ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and
worship him also. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed;
and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them,
till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When
they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and
when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him
gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned of
God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they
departed into their own country another way."
THERE ARE TEN LESSONS DRAWN FROM THIS TEXT APPEARING BELOW. JUST
SCROLL DOWNWARD TO READ THEM ALL.
LESSON 1:
(Saturday, December 18, 2004)
Verse 1 tells us that "wise
men" from the east came to see Baby Jesus.
"Now
when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod
the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem." Matthew 2:1
The Greek noun for "wise men"
is "magos." (From which obviously we get the word "magi.")
The word is used in the Bible
only six times. Four of those times is in Matthew chapter
two (verses 1,7 and twice in verse 16).
The other two times is in Acts
chapter thirteen (verses 6 and 8). In Acts the word "magos"
is translated "sorcerer." Of course there it has evil
connotations.
However, I am told that when
one delves into the history of the word, it originally meant a
class of men who were literally the wisest and most discerning
(in a good sense) in the whole land! One source tells me
that the root of the word is "mag" which an old word for "priest
or preacher" in some of the ancient languages.
By the way, even if they are
"magi" in an evil sense (magicians and fortune tellers and
astrologers), they have now laid all that aside to come and find
Jesus the Saviour! If so, this is a parallel event to the
people burning all their magical books in Acts 19:19 ---
"Many of them also which used curious arts
brought their books together, and burned them before all men:
and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty
thousand pieces of silver."
But if they are truly wise men
in a noble sense, they have surely been searching the Scriptures
(particularly the Book of Daniel and the writings of Moses as he
told of Balaam's star), which made known the soon coming of the
Messiah Jesus!
A "greater than Solomon" was
coming and these wise men wanted to see Him! In Luke 11:31
Jesus said: "The queen of the south
shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation,
and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than
Solomon is here."
And, lastly for today,
consider these wise men in relation to the shepherds who came to
worship Jesus. One group was poor (the shepherds) ... the
other wealthy (the wise men)! One from near ... the other
from far! One ignorant ... the other well educated!
And one comprised of Jews (shepherds) ... the other of Gentiles!
Glory to God! Already the peoples of the world are being
drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ!
And, while we have no idea how
many wise men came, traditionally three are imagined. They
have even been named (Melchoir, Gaspar and Balthazar)!
Look at this: Melchoir is a name drawn from the families
of Shem! Gaspar from the families of Ham! And
Balthazar from the families of Japheth! (Noah's three
sons, the founders of all the nations of earth!) All the
countries of the world already seeking the Child! (Hey!
Wait until He comes again!)
Glory to God!
Lord willing, more tomorrow!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2:
(Sunday, December 19, 2004)
I still want to talk with you
about the Shepherds and the Wise Men.
Do you remember HOW each group
was led to the Lord?
The Shepherds were instructed
by angels! God led them via His Word to Jesus.
The Wise Men were guided by a
Star! God led them by His Creation to Jesus!
There you have it!
The two great Books of God!
They are called Revelation and Creation.
But behind them both is the
drawing power of the Holy Spirit!
No one can be "saved" ...
apart from the conviction of God's Spirit ... then the power of
God's written Word!
Also in either case above ...
"angels" or "a star" ... "The heavens
declared the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his
handywork." Psalm 19:1
Then note this too.
The Shepherds (Jews) arrived
at Jesus' side almost immediately! While the Wise Men came
later (but before the flight to Egypt)!
So ... the Jews first ... then
the Gentiles! In Romans 1:16 Paul gives that very "order."
He declares: "For I am not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto
salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek." Wow!
Then lastly for today, notice
that to the humble Shepherds Jesus is pictured as a lowly
Saviour (Who will be a Sacrifice, later called a
Lamb)! But to the
scientifically minded Wise Men (who no doubt studied the skies)
He is presented as the Star of
David! (And the the Woman at the well Jesus is the
Water of Life! And to David
Jesus is The Shepherd! And to
the hungry He is Bread! To
the lost He is The Way! In fact,
Christ is exactly what we need!)
Yes, whatever our "need" today
... Christ is the Answer!
Praise the Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
(MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2004)
When Jesus was born there was
a sign in the heavens! The Star led the Wise Men to the
Child.
When Jesus was crucified there
was also a sign in the heavens! (Or should I say a lack of
any sign!) Total darkness (no stars or moon or planets
emitting or reflecting any light)! Luke 23:44 tells us
about it: "And it was about the
sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until
the ninth hour.
And when Jesus comes again,
there will be a sign in the heavens too! Jesus Himself
tells us so in Matthew 24:30 --- "And then
shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then
shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great
glory." Additionally the Book of Revelation tells
us about the Moon appearing as blood and the sun scorching men
with great heat and the stars falling from their sockets!
How fitting that these epochs
in the life of Jesus should be so marked with astronomical
sings! For, after all, He IS "the bright and morning star"
Himself! (Revelation 22:16 --- "I
Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in
the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and
the bright and morning star.") And even Balaam,
prophesying of the coming Messiah said,
"I
shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh:
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise
out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy
all the children of Sheth." (Numbers 24:17)
Jesus is That Star out of Jacob!
And, when you really think
about it, for all eternity we shall live in a celestial city ...
one that "... Had no need of the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did
lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Revelation
21:23) Then later John adds: "And
there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they
shall reign for ever and ever." So there is a
heavenly sign (no sun, moon or stars) forevermore declaring the
Glory of God even in His eternal and glorified state!
Therefore I say ... our little
Bethlehem Star of Matthew 2 is just a harbinger (a fore-runner)
of greater things!
Thank about it!
What manner of Man is This ...
that even the sun, moon and stars proclaim His in His brightness
and Glory!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
(TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2004)
As you know from studying the
Gospel of Matthew, he loves to show how the life and ministry of
Jesus is rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures. His very
first verse foreshadows this fact:
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham." Matthew 1:1
I am wondering now if even the
Star we're studying at this time has some Old Testament
moorings.
I believe Balaam (not a good
man but he sure had a good message) prophesies of such a Star.
Hired to "curse" Israel,
Balaam was overruled by God and ended up "blessing" Israel
instead! Listen to just a bit of what He said about
Jacob's sons in a future day. "I
shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh:
there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise
out of Israel ...." Most Bible Preachers and
teachers believe this is a reference to the coming Messiah, to
Jesus our Lord. Notice the "star" and the "sceptre."
The star describes His First Coming. The sceptre describes
His Second Coming!
If I am reading this right,
Matthew may have told us about the Wise Men because they help
highlight this star prophecy from Numbers 24:17.
Remember that Matthew 2:2
records the wise men as saying: "We
have seen
his star
in the east, and are come to worship him." That
sentence closely corresponds to "I
shall see Him ...!" Wow!
And, by the way, the wise men
come bearing gifts! Where did they get that idea? Is
it simply protocol? Just the politically correct thing to
do? Hardly! (To a Baby born in a barn and laid in a
feed trough?) WHY the gifts?
Had they perhaps read such
things of the coming Messiah as these:
"The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer
gifts." (Psalm 72:10 here is speaking of the coming
Kingdom days!) Perhaps the wise men were just getting a
"head start!" Or how about Isaiah 60:6?
"The multitude of camels shall cover
thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba
shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall
shew forth the praises of the LORD." Even two of
the "gifts" are mentioned by name!
There is SOME divinely
inspired reason that Matthew (and only Matthew) includes the
account of the Wise Men.
I believe the answer is found
in the Jewish Scriptures, the precious errorless inspired (39
Books) Old Testament!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
(WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2004)
Today we get a little theology
lesson from (of all people) wicked King Herod!
He was "troubled" at the news
of Jesus' Birth! The verb means to be agitated or
disturbed. Who could be bothered by the coming of Light?
Just darkness! Who would worry at the birth of Truth
personified? Only falsehood! Who would belittle the
arrival of Peace? Mr. Hatred!
We're told the whole city
(Jerusalem) was troubled along with the king! Jesus, even
as a Baby, did not bring harmony to the world of sin and
rebellion and lust! The greatest battle of the ages had
just increased in intensity!
But watch what Herod says.
The first question asked to
the Monarch by the Wise Men was this:
"Where is He That is born King of the
Jews?"
Then immediately Herod has a
conclave with his top advisers and calls Jesus
"Christ!"
So it is apparent that in the
King's mind the "Christ" Child would also be the King of the
Jews!
He equated Christ the Lord
with His coming reign as King of Israel!
He did better than some
preachers I've met through the years!
They will call Jesus LORD ...
but will not admit to His coming some day to sit on the Throne
of David to rule and reign for a thousand glorious years as King
of the Jews!
Don't mimic Herod in any other
way ... but on this one point of doctrine he has excelled!
The Lord Jesus Christ some day
will literally occupy the Throne of David. After all, He
is the great (and perfect) Prophet ... Priest ... and KING!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
(THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2004)
And where was Jesus born?
"There
came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he
that is born King of the Jews?" Matthew 2:1-2
He is born in
Bethlehem!
And even the name of His birth
city was foretold 500 years before the actual Birth! This was
done by Micah the Old Testament prophet!
"But
thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,
though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of
thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be Ruler in Israel;
Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
Micah 5:2
The name Bethlehem means
"House of Bread!"
Isn't that interesting?
Jesus is to come to earth (via
the womb of a Virgin named Mary) to the little town of
Bethlehem, the House of Bread!
He, Who IS the Bread of Life,
was born in the city of bread! Four times in John chapter
6 (verses 35 and 41 and 48 and 51) Jesus calls Himself the
Bread! For example: "I am
the living
bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread,
he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
And the name Micah associates
with Bethlehem is "Ephratah." It means "fruitful"
according to most sources. But one lexicon says the
word denotes an "ash-heap!" That's a place where all the fuel
(wood or whatever) has been spent to produce light or heat or
energy! I am wondering if this name could be a
foreshadowing of the Cross on Which this darling little baby
(The Son Of God) will some day die? If so, we have the
Cross embedded within the Cradle here!
Well, here's some good news!
Jesus, Who was born in a land that means "fruitful," sure lived
up to that name! In Jeremiah 33:15 Jesus is called "The
Branch!" (What a Fruitful Branch He is!) See for yourself:
"In
those days, and at that time, will I cause
the Branch of
righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute
judgment and righteousness in the land."
Amen!
A little village ... a GREAT
Saviour!
What more needs to be said?
Praise the Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7:
(FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2004)
Notice that the Wise Men, upon
arriving where Jesus was, "worshipped" Him!
"And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, and fell down, and
worshipped him." Matthew 2:11
Now if we are going to accept
this word and its meaning literally, we must believe there is
substance to their adoration of the Saviour!
The Greek word used here for
"worship" is interesting. It is spelled: "proskuneo."
It is derived from the Greek word they used to express a "kiss."
To worship Jesus is "love" Him! To throw Him kisses of
respect and reverence!
But, get this also.
The "heart" of the word for
worship is "kuon," which is their word for a little "doggie!"
Not a wild flea bitten old scavenger ... but a little clean
house dog! (The Greeks and Romans both had these.
Not the Jews!)
How can a word for "worship"
come from the word for "kiss" and then from the word for
"doggie?"
It's a metaphor. It's a
"word picture." It's a beautiful figure of speech!
Anyone who has a little pet
dog knows what I mean.
Remember how excited little
doggie (or big doggie too) is to see you when you return from
shopping or somewhere?
How he jumps and jumps!
And wants to be near you!
And, if you'll let him, will
lick and kiss and love you as best he can!
That's this word for
"worship!"
It means to love Jesus so that
one gets excited about it!
To love Him enough to "kiss"
Him!
In case someone is repulsed by
this attitude, better read Psalm 2 again! Especially the
last verse --- "Kiss
the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the
way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are
all they that put their trust in him." Psalm 2:12
(That "Son" is the Son of God!)
The Wise Men worshipped Him
that "first" Christmas!
So should we today (and every
day!)
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
(SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2004)
Today notice with me the gifts
given our Lord by these Wise Men.
"And
when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him
gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew
2:11
The noun "treasures" is (inGreek)
"thesauros." It's our English word "thesaurus!" (A
book which most preachers have and use!) It means a chest
for storing valuables! A storehouse, a coffer, a casket, a
repository or even a magazine (in its old sense). As you
can see the word is plural.
The verb "presented" is "prosphero"
and means to bear or to carry forward (into one's presence or
before one's face).
When one comes into the
Presence of the Lord ... it is customary to bring a gift!
Psalm 96:8 pretty
well says it best: "Give unto the
LORD the glory due unto his name:
bring an offering,
and come into his courts." Yes! And that's
exactly what these Wise Men did! (And it's what we should
do every week at church too!)
Not a gift to buy God's Grace.
It is not for sale. But a gift motivated by our Love for
Him!
Nearly every time you see
someone in Scripture approach a King ... he or she is bearing
gifts!
Now let's look at their
"gifts."
They brought gold. It is
the metal the ancients associated with Deity. (In some
cultures gold was so holy that it was illegal to coin it and
spend it as currency!)
The Holy of Holies (the most
sacred place in the Tabernacle and indicative of the very Abode
of God) was fitted with furniture of pure solid gold or heavily
overlaid with gold! God and gold are Biblically connected.
Think of the street of the heavenly city!
"And the street
of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass."
Revelation 21:21
Next they brought
frankincense. ("libanos") This was the most
excellent of all fragrances to the ancient cultures. It
was a gum that exuded from the cut side of a special tree!
This substance is usually associated with Arabia. See 1st
Kings 10:15. It is primarily used as a sweet-smelling
incense during times of worship. All the priests knew
about it.
Then they brought myrrh.
Here's how it's spelled in Greek: smurna! (Remember
the church at Smyrna, the suffering church?) It was part
of the Holy Anointing Oil! See Exodus 30:23. Does it
foreshadow Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed of God? I
believe so. Again, it is associated with Arabia. And
... as you know ... it was chiefly used for embalming the dead.
I am sure it prefigures Jesus' sacrificial Death on Calvary!
(All three of these items are
linked to Arabia in one way or another. This has led some to
believe that these Wise Men were of Ishmael's family! If
so, what a picture that makes. Especially in today's
political climate! Either way, some day the sons of Ishmael and Isaac,
as well as the lion and the lamb, shall peacefully sit at the
Throne of the darling Lord Jesus, the Son of God!)
Lastly, notice this.
The gold speaks of a King!
The frankincense speaks of a
Priest!
And the myrrh (some day dying
a substitutionary death) speaks of a Prophet!
The King owns lots of gold.
The Priest works with incense
daily.
And the Prophet foretells the
future according to God's standard!
Yes! Prophet, Priest and
King --- the three "offices" whose occupants were "anointed with
oil" in ancient Israel! And in Jesus the three are
combined into One! One Holy Perfect One!
Appropriate gifts, I'd say!
Oh, let us also worship HIM
today!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9:
(SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2004)
Finally, it happens!
The Goal is reached!
There He is!
The Babe is born, the very Son
of God!
Matthew 2:11 says ...
"And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young
child."
They "saw" Him!
Their faith became sight!
A bunch of Gentiles, led by
God's Hand, see ... then fall in adoration ... at the Feet of
the Saviour!
It is a picture of salvation
itself!
Most today who read these
words will be old Gentiles! We too have been led of God to
the Saviour's feet! Led by His Hand (not by a star ... but
maybe by a preacher) to the place of (by grace through faith)
acceptance of Him as personal Redeemer and Lord of our lives.
And then some day we too shall
SEE Him in all of His Glory! Not as a Babe in a manger ...
but as a conquering ruling King!
Our thought today is a picture
of the future!
Some day yet ahead the Kings
of the earth will fall before His feet once more! (Every
king! Every knee! Every tongue!) They shall
see Him ... some in fear, others in delight ... some to hear
"depart" ... others to hear "enter" ... but SEE Him nonetheless!
(Matthew 25)
Therefore Matthew 2:1-11 is
not just history! It is a preview of Bible prophecy too!
Thank God, one day I was drawn
by the Spirit of God and came to Jesus and believed. I too
have fallen at His feet and worshipped! I have tried to
give Him my gifts (simple as they are) as well!
But ... too ... some day (and
maybe soon) I shall SEE Him Face to Face!
Praise His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10:
(MONDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2004)
Now it's time for the men to
leave.
They have found Jesus, seen
Him, worshipped Him, presented Him gifts then...
"And
being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to
Herod, they departed into their own country another way."
Matthew 2:12
I have used these Wise Men as
a picture of lost Gentiles coming to Jesus (really being drawn
to Him)!
After their salvation
experience, they leave to return home!
As they go, I see three things
that have happened since they fell on their knees before the
Lord Jesus Christ.
First they are now
communicating with God! They no longer have to ask
questions of others! God spoke to them ... telling them to
return using another route! (To avoid King Herod!)
I hope you agree. One
will not be saved long until the Holy Spirit begins to lead him
and give him discernment and commune with him! That's a
good sign of genuine saving grace!
Next I see them obey the Lord!
If you're truly born-again, you WILL do what He says! They
used the route the Lord demanded!
Lastly they (in obeying this
commandment) began a life of defending the Faith they had just
learned to love! They refused to subject their Saviour to
the vile hands of a heathen King! True Christians behave
that way!
They seek to
"earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints." Jude 3
Wow! They are already
bring forth "fruit" that evidences true salvation!
It always happens that way
when faith is not in vain!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
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