Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00003B
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00:01 We are exploring the birth of Jesus
00:03 in the record of Book of Matthew. 00:05 We have noticed Mary's response 00:07 and Joseph's response of faith and obedience. 00:10 Now we are entering into Chapter 2 and 00:13 we are seeing these, these Arab philosophers 00:15 from the East who are coming, 00:17 they've come to Jerusalem, Ranko. 00:19 Why do they go there? And what are they looking for? 00:22 What's their question they are seeking after God? 00:24 You know, usually when Bible readers 00:28 they read this event, they think that 00:30 we have here a story that does not fit to reality. 00:33 They've said, you know, Judea was a small country 00:35 and the birth of one child that later 00:38 became the leader, you know Gudhrabai, 00:40 does not fit to reality. 00:42 I just want to read something 00:44 to the readers is, you know, 00:46 Jesus died somewhere in the year 33, 00:50 up to time you know, 00:52 31 okay. 31, yeah. 00:55 I would like something we have from 00:57 two Roman historians, one was Tacitus who lived 01:01 from 60 AD to 120 and another one was 01:05 Suetonius from 75 to 160 01:07 to telling us something very significant. 01:09 They are Roman historians, 01:11 have nothing to do with Jewish race. 01:13 They said there was a firm persuasion 01:16 that at this very time, the East was to grow 01:20 powerful and the rulers coming from Judea were 01:23 to acquire universal empire. 01:26 Suetonius, there had spread over all the Orient an old 01:31 and established belief, it was faith at that time 01:34 for men coming from Judaea to rule the world. 01:37 Scripture elsewhere it says, in the fullness of time, 01:40 that's the right time there is an expectation. 01:42 Believe me, notice of the coming of the Messiah 01:46 was not to just confine to Judea. 01:48 The Romans were very much familiar, through out 01:51 the Roman Empire they were very much familiar 01:54 about what the Jewish people were expecting to come 01:57 to come there and to happen in Judea. 02:00 There's an expectancy, there is a hope. 02:02 Yeah, So these magi, they saw the star, 02:06 but they saw did also the Hebrew Scriptures. 02:11 May I just pause there for a moment, because, 02:14 usually we're so familiar with the Christians, 02:16 Christmas story because of the pageants we see 02:19 and the shepherds and the wise men come at about 02:22 the same time. Yeah. 02:23 There's a difference in time there. 02:25 Actually we must say that, between verse 25 of 02:31 Chapter 1 and what happens in Chapter 2 probably weeks, 02:35 it could be even month that they passed. 02:38 How do you know that? Probably viewers 02:40 would like to know that. 02:41 Number one is we read when the magis 02:45 they came there to Bethlehem, where did they 02:48 find Joseph and Mary? Not in a stable. 02:52 They found in a house, but in Gospel of Luke, Jesus 02:54 was not born in a house, He was born in the stable. 02:57 So evidently by that time, Joseph and Mary, 02:59 moved to a house where they lived. 03:01 And they came because they had seen the star. 03:04 It would take sometime to come to travel 03:06 Second thing is, in the conclusion of Chapter 2, 03:09 when Herod found out from magis about 03:14 the birth of the new king, he decided to kill 03:18 all children up to two years of age. 03:21 Why up to two years of age? He knew that the child was 03:24 born just few days before or may be week. 03:28 Because it said everyone week or two 03:29 Or may be that night that the boy was born. 03:32 Why would he kill all those children up to 03:34 two years of age? But second thing is 03:36 in Gospel of Luke, when Joseph and Mary came there 03:41 to Jerusalem with Jesus, they were so poor, 03:46 they could not offer a lamb there as a sacrifice. 03:50 They, you know, as a poor people 03:51 they were two births there. 03:53 If really the magi they came prior to that, 03:57 they would be very rich people with those gifts. 04:00 So evidently all the evidences that 04:02 indicate to us that the magi came 04:05 may be weeks after that. 04:07 Again we see God's mercy, Jesus has come, 04:10 the shepherds have responded. 04:12 You'd think the nation would be responding. 04:15 Do we see a nation that's so glad their hope 04:18 is finally fulfilled? The people are curious 04:21 and they are rushing to learn more. 04:22 So can you imagine the Messiah was born. 04:25 His people were waiting for His coming. 04:29 He came to save them from their sins 04:32 and nobody was waiting for Him. 04:35 Who were those in the Gospel of Matthew that 04:37 were waiting for him, actually the Gentiles, 04:40 not only that they waited, that they were in Jerusalem, 04:43 they have to travel several weeks from Mesopotamia 04:46 to come there to welcome the new born king. 04:50 When the seekers come, they come to Jerusalem, 04:53 who did they see and what did they find out? 04:54 Yeah, they saw the Scribes, they saw the people 04:57 but they saw such a great in difference. 04:59 I want just go back to what you said last time, 05:02 the people with genealogy. 05:03 They go to those people with genealogy. 05:06 Yes, He came to save them. 05:07 Now did the Priests and Rabbis have the facts, 05:10 did they have the truth, did they have the knowledge? 05:12 Yes, actually when the question was, 05:17 where will the Messiah be born? 05:20 They said in Bethlehem. They knew it. 05:23 Actually we have all the evidences that 05:25 the Jewish people based from Daniel Chapter 9, 05:28 they knew approximate the time 05:30 when the Messiah would be born. 05:31 Can you ever think but they were not waiting for Him. 05:34 There is a warning for us, isn't it? 05:35 Oh yeah. I'm so many times afraid 05:38 when we started the Bible, we know 05:41 what the future will bring. 05:42 I'm afraid that the future can happen, 05:44 but it will not fit to my expectations. 05:48 How it's important to study the Bible as it is, 05:51 not study and bring our ideas and our concepts-- 05:55 So we can know the signs and we can know the prophecies, 05:58 but still miss the Savior. Yes. 06:01 What a tragic experience? Now, 06:05 of course Herod, gets involved in the process. 06:06 What's his concern? He is a king, 06:09 what does he care about a baby being born? 06:11 You know, the readers who lived there 06:13 in the first century, when they read all 06:21 these account of Jesus birth, 06:22 they couldn't escape something, because 06:25 Josephus who was Jewish historian, 06:29 but he became later Romans. 06:32 Actually he described that before Moses was born 06:36 that the magi they said to Pharaoh, you know, that 06:42 a leader will come and He will take your throne, 06:46 He will be threat to you and according to 06:48 the Jewish rendition is Pharaoh wanted to 06:51 kill Moses, because he was threat to his throne. 06:54 The same situation is here. 06:56 Herod was much more concerned about his throne. 07:00 Probably few words should be said about Herod. 07:04 We know that he killed his wife, his beloved wife, 07:09 that he was obsessed with her beauty 07:11 and so he killed her. 07:12 He killed his two favorite sons. 07:15 For Herod to kill several innocent children 07:19 there in Bethlehem was nothing strange, 07:22 simply to preserve his rule, his rule on the throne. 07:28 Actually the history is telling us 07:30 before Herod died, you know, that he gathered, 07:33 he assembled, all the Jewish leaders, 07:36 he put them in jail, put them on side, 07:37 and he said the moment you hear that I died 07:41 I want to kill everybody there, 07:43 crying in the country, otherwise people will 07:46 not cry when I die. 07:47 See it fits his character what he was doing 07:50 there with reference to Jesus. 07:52 I understand, there's even a saying that 07:53 "It is safer to be his dog than his family member" 07:56 because if you are a rival, he will eliminate you. 07:59 So we have here in Chapter 2, 08:01 who is the true king of Israel, 08:03 isn't that the question? 08:04 Yes. Who is the king? 08:05 Is it Herod or does God have someone else? 08:08 No, actually Herod is here as upper of God's authority. 08:12 He is the one that Satan is using to prevent God's plan, 08:15 to accomplish God's purposes on earth. 08:20 Now, Herod was very crafty about what he does. 08:22 He doesn't reveal his motivation. 08:26 He says to the wise men, 08:27 oh I want to worship him too. 08:29 But you know, there is something 08:33 so beautiful here that I cannot but to mention it, 08:37 so many times when we, situation in the world, 08:41 we wonder if God is still in control. 08:45 When we see here what's going on, 08:47 the Messiah is born and now 08:50 there is a threat to his life, even had 08:52 to flee there to Egypt. Where is God? 08:56 But believe me God is still in charge, 09:00 God is still in control. 09:02 According to Matthew, even Jesus had to 09:05 flee there to Egypt, it was 09:06 for the prophecy to be fulfilled. 09:08 Could we spend a moment, you mentioned earlier about 09:11 the gifts that these wise men bring 09:14 and we say three kings, but we don't know the number, 09:17 that's part of our stories that have developed. 09:19 But they do bring three gifts, what are they? 09:22 What could they have been used for? 09:24 How are they helpful? 09:25 Actually they were very expensive gifts and 09:29 people are trying to make different theories of gold, 09:34 frankincense and myrrh etc. 09:36 I really don't want to go with that, 09:38 sometimes it can be very, very speculative, 09:42 but really those three gifts can refer to the threefold 09:46 aspect of Jesus ministry in the office. 09:48 He's the king, He's the priest and He' a judge. 09:52 And it shows how God provides because of those 09:54 gifts become the means for them to escape to Egypt. 09:57 Can you imagine, not only the Messiah, 09:59 was not waited for in Jerusalem 10:02 by His own people, but He had to go and flee 10:06 and to find the protection in the Gentile territory 10:08 which was actually Egypt today. 10:10 What Jesus' say, but God made a provision 10:13 with the gifts of those magi, so that 10:17 Joseph and Mary could for certain period of time 10:20 live there in Egypt, in order to survive? 10:23 How God always makes provision. 10:26 I suspected you'll bring this out in future lessons 10:29 about how Jesus repeats some of the history of Israel 10:32 and correlation between those two. 10:35 Actually I would like to take one minute 10:37 to address it, because we have it here 10:40 the significance of the Old Testament 10:42 quotations in Matthew 2. 10:44 Just quickly Matthew 2:15, what do we have at 2:15. 10:49 Yes and there was. 10:50 Out of Egypt I called my son. 10:54 Then we have in 2:6, we have you, 10:58 Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, 11:00 who are not the least among the leaders of Judah, 11:03 For out of you shall come forth 11:05 a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel. 11:09 And then in verse 2:18, a voice from 11:12 Jeremiah prophecy, A voice was heard in Ramah, 11:16 weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping 11:18 for her children and she refused to be 11:21 comforted because they were no more. 11:23 By the way we know that all these are three quotations 11:26 from the Old Testament and they refer 11:29 to three greatest events in history. 11:33 Matthew 2:15 is quotation from Hosea 11:1 11:37 it refers to Exodus. 11:39 Then we have Matthew 2:6 from Micah 5:2, 11:43 it refers to the kingdom of David. 11:45 You know Bethlehem David was born. 11:47 Then we have Matthew 2:18 is quotation 11:50 from Jeremiah 31:15 its reference to the Exile. 11:55 So what is the point that we have here, 11:57 you know, Jesus came to save His people 12:00 from their sins. How? 12:01 Because he identifies Himself with them. 12:06 We saw the genealogy, the history of God's people 12:10 in the past was the history of constant failure. 12:13 But Jesus, in order to save them, 12:15 He steps into the situation where they failed, 12:19 He won the victory and that's the way 12:22 how He came to save His people from their sins. 12:25 As we conclude what should we hold on to 12:29 from this story of the birth of Jesus? 12:31 What does this say to you and to me as readers today? 12:35 So today, when we read the Gospel of Matthew, 12:40 we can learn something yes. 12:42 We saw that the Gospel of Matthew began 12:44 with rejection of Jesus by His own people 12:49 that actually He came to save. 12:52 What is that hope for me 12:54 as I read the Gospel of Matthew? 12:57 So many times I feel in my life I have constant 13:00 rejection of Jesus, but He still loves me 13:02 and He loves His own people in the past and He's ready 13:04 to save me from my own sin. What a Savior. |
Revised 2014-12-17