The Proper Response To The Gospel

The Book of Matthew spends only one verse on the birth of Jesus but twelve verses detailing the proper response to the birth of Jesus! Matthew 1:25 reads, “…but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.” Matthew spends the next twelve verses giving the response of the wise men to the gospel.

The other gospel writers skip over the account of the wise men. Matthew’s theme is that Jesus is the King. He is the King of every person. He must be your King and He must be my King. The actions of the wise men fit perfectly into the main idea of his Book.

The wise men or magi were very important people. Two English words come from the term magi. Our word magistrate comes from magi. The wise men were the legal authorities of their day. They were not kings but kingmakers. They lived in Babylon in the mighty Parthian empire. The wise men studied science, astronomy and medicine.

Our word magic also comes from magi. The wise men had a dark side. They were involved in astrology and the occult- activities the Bible forbids.

The wise men probably did not arrive in Jerusalem on camels. Most likely they came on Arabian stallions. They wore long, pointed hats like our modern day wizards. They did not sneak into Jerusalem in Matthew 2. They probably arrived with a small army. The entire city was shaken by their arrival.

How should we respond to the good news that Jesus came to die for our sins? We must follow in the footsteps of the wise men! These Gentile kingmakers show us the right way to respond to the birth of God’s Son. In Matthew 2:1-12 the wise men responded in four ways to the birth of Jesus.

First, they sought Jesus. Verse 9 says, “After hearing the king (Herod the Great), they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.”

The wise men traveled from Babylon in the east all the way to Jerusalem. The main trade route was 800 miles! People traveled about 20 miles per day in the first century. Their journey took at least 40 days. They arrived in Jerusalem repeatedly asking, “Where is He Who has been born King of the Jews?” (Verse 2) Later they followed the shekinah glory from Jerusalem six miles to Bethlehem.

We must seek Jesus. The 80,000 people in Jerusalem at that time did not seek Him. The religious leaders did not send an official delegation to Bethlehem to investigate. Herod tried to murder the baby Jesus. Only the wise men sought Jesus.

Today we seek God through the Bible. Does God speak today? Of course! Every time we open the Bible God speaks. We must open our Bibles and read them. Let’s read through the Bible this year!

Second, they rejoiced in Jesus. Verse 10, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Our joy must be found in Jesus. Jesus means “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus came to save us from our sins. Our sin brings punishment. Jesus died in order that we might live. His perfect sacrifice satisfies the Father’s anger against our sin.

Third, they worshiped Jesus. Verse 11 says, “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Falling to the ground is to acknowledge a person’s right to rule. These powerful, Gentile kingmakers fell before a Baby not yet two years old.

Their gifts send a message. Gold is the metal of kings. Seneca, the Roman orator, said that the only proper gift for a king is gold. Frankincense comes from an old French word. It is “frank incense.” Incense was used in worship. Jesus is God. Myrrh was used as a perfume, a painkiller and to embalm dead bodies. The wise men gave the gift to Jesus as a perfume. Before His crucifixion the Romans offered myrrh to Jesus as a painkiller. They anointed the body of Jesus after His death with myrrh.

Jesus is God. He is a King. He came to die. We also must worship Jesus.

Fourth, they obeyed Jesus. Verse 12 reads, “And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.” Over 740 times Jesus is called Lord. Romans 10:9 says that we must confess Jesus as Lord. Confessing Jesus as Lord means that we obey Him.

We are entering a brand new decade. Let’s begin by responding properly to the birth of God’s Son. We must seek Jesus. We must rejoice in Jesus. We must worship Jesus. We must obey Jesus.