After the After the MangerManger

““The God of power, as he did rideThe God of power, as he did rideIn his majestic robes of glorieIn his majestic robes of glorie

Resolv’d to light; and so one dayResolv’d to light; and so one dayHe did descend, undressing all the He did descend, undressing all the

way.” - George Herbertway.” - George Herbert

Pastor Rex DeckardPastor Rex Deckard

Matthew 2Matthew 2

•   11Now when Jesus was born Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise behold, there came wise men from the east to men from the east to Jerusalem, Jerusalem,

22Saying, Where is he that is Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for born King of the Jews? for

we have seen his star in the we have seen his star in the east, and are come to east, and are come to

worship him. worship him.

Who are these men, and Who are these men, and where did they come from?where did they come from?

Other translations call Other translations call themthem

•MagiMagi

•Wise menWise men

•AstrologersAstrologers

•WizardsWizards

•ScholarsScholars

The Christmas CarolThe Christmas Carol

•““We three Kings We three Kings of Orient are…..”of Orient are…..”

Some observationsSome observations

•We don’t know if We don’t know if there were three, there were three, or how many or how many there were.there were.

• It is generally accepted that “the Magi were a priestly It is generally accepted that “the Magi were a priestly caste from Persia once a mighty country where modern caste from Persia once a mighty country where modern Iran and Iraq are now located.Iran and Iraq are now located.

In the second century, a church father named Tertullian In the second century, a church father named Tertullian suggested that these men were kings because the Old suggested that these men were kings because the Old Testament had predicted that kings would come to Testament had predicted that kings would come to worship the Christ. Tertullian also concluded that there worship the Christ. Tertullian also concluded that there were three kings based on the number of gifts were three kings based on the number of gifts mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh.mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh.

In the sixth century, In the sixth century, someone decided that their someone decided that their names were Melchior, names were Melchior, Baltazar and Gaspar. Baltazar and Gaspar.

And the term Magi is the And the term Magi is the base from which our base from which our modern words “magician” modern words “magician” and “magistrate” are and “magistrate” are derived.derived.

Some observationsSome observations

•They did not They did not come at the come at the Manger. They Manger. They came much later.came much later.

Some observationsSome observations

•They came from They came from modern day Iraq and modern day Iraq and Iran (Persia and Iran (Persia and Babylon), traditional Babylon), traditional enemies of Israel.enemies of Israel.

Some observationsSome observations

•They travelled the They travelled the distance of Iowa distance of Iowa to New York. It to New York. It would have taken would have taken many months.many months.

Some observationsSome observations

•The star must have The star must have been shining for been shining for some time. They some time. They might have might have begun begun the journey when the journey when Jesus was born.Jesus was born.

33When Herod the king had When Herod the king had heard these things, he was heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem troubled, and all Jerusalem

with him. with him.

• When the wise men arrived, this was When the wise men arrived, this was old news. Jesus had been born for old news. Jesus had been born for some time, and they didn’t know it.some time, and they didn’t know it.

Herod was troubled, Herod was troubled,

because he was because he was

threatened.threatened.•Jerusalem was also troubled, instead Jerusalem was also troubled, instead

of happy. They didn’t want anyone of happy. They didn’t want anyone to rock their boat. It’s one thing to to rock their boat. It’s one thing to talk about Messiah, quite another if talk about Messiah, quite another if He actually shows up!He actually shows up!

One commentator said of One commentator said of HerodHerod

•He was of a stern and He was of a stern and cruel disposition. "He cruel disposition. "He was brutish and a was brutish and a stranger to all humanity." stranger to all humanity." He was fond of He was fond of splendour, and lavished splendour, and lavished great sums in rebuilding great sums in rebuilding and adorning the cities of and adorning the cities of his empire.his empire.

Roman Emperor, Roman Emperor, Augustus said, Augustus said,

“It was safer to be “It was safer to be Herod’s pig than his Herod’s pig than his

son”.son”.

•He rebuilt the city of Caesarea on He rebuilt the city of Caesarea on the coast, and also the city of the coast, and also the city of Samaria. He restored the ruined Samaria. He restored the ruined temple of Jerusalem, a work which temple of Jerusalem, a work which was begun B.C. 20, but was not was begun B.C. 20, but was not finished till after Herod's death, finished till after Herod's death, probably not till about A.D. 50 (John probably not till about A.D. 50 (John 2:20). After a troubled reign of 2:20). After a troubled reign of thirty-seven years, he died at thirty-seven years, he died at Jericho amid great agonies both of Jericho amid great agonies both of body and mind, B.C. 4, in the year body and mind, B.C. 4, in the year in which Jesus was born.in which Jesus was born.

•The terrible acts of The terrible acts of bloodshed which bloodshed which Herod perpetrated in Herod perpetrated in his own family were his own family were accompanied by others accompanied by others among his subjects among his subjects equally terrible, from equally terrible, from the number who fell the number who fell victims to them. victims to them.

•On his deathbed, he On his deathbed, he ordered the nobles ordered the nobles whom he had called to whom he had called to him in his last moment him in his last moment to be executed to be executed immediately after his immediately after his decease, that so at least decease, that so at least his death might be his death might be attended by mourning.attended by mourning.

  44And when he had gathered And when he had gathered all the chief priests and all the chief priests and

scribes of the people scribes of the people together, he demanded of together, he demanded of them where Christ should them where Christ should

be born. be born.

• He knew where to turn when it He knew where to turn when it came to the things of God, but came to the things of God, but he did so with the wrong he did so with the wrong motive.motive.

  55And they said unto him, In And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, it is written by the prophet,   66And thou Bethlehem, in the And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my Governor, that shall rule my

people Israel. people Israel. • Every detail of Jesus’ birth had been Every detail of Jesus’ birth had been

prophecied. They should have been prophecied. They should have been expecting His arrival! There was no excuse.expecting His arrival! There was no excuse.

  77Then Herod, when he had Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently enquired of them diligently

what time the star what time the star appeared. appeared.

The assumption was that the star The assumption was that the star appeared at the time that Jesus was appeared at the time that Jesus was born. The wise men must have been born. The wise men must have been shocked at the apathy and ignorance shocked at the apathy and ignorance

they found when the arrived in they found when the arrived in Jerusalem! No one even knew that the Jerusalem! No one even knew that the most important event in history had most important event in history had

taken place a few miles away!taken place a few miles away!

  88And he sent them to And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go Bethlehem, and said, Go

and search diligently for the and search diligently for the young child; and when ye young child; and when ye have found him, bring me have found him, bring me

word again, that I may word again, that I may come and worship him also. come and worship him also.

  99When they had heard the When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, the east, went before them, till it came and stood over till it came and stood over

where the young child was. where the young child was.

  1010When they saw When they saw the star, they the star, they rejoiced with rejoiced with

exceeding great joy. exceeding great joy.

  1111And when they were come And when they were come into into the housethe house, they saw the , they saw the

young young child child with Mary his with Mary his mother, and fell down, and mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when worshipped him: and when

they had opened their they had opened their treasures, they presented treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. frankincense and myrrh.

GiftsGifts

•A wise lover values not so A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver. the love of the giver.

- Thomas A Kempis - Thomas A Kempis

•The only gift is a portion of The only gift is a portion of thyself. - R.W. Emerson thyself. - R.W. Emerson

•GoldGold

•FrankincenseFrankincense

•MyrrhMyrrh

GoldGold

Represents His Represents His deity, His Kingship deity, His Kingship

and His purityand His purity

FrankincenseFrankincense

Frankincense was an Frankincense was an ingredient used by ingredient used by

the priests in temple the priests in temple worship to blend with worship to blend with

the smell of the the smell of the sacrifices. sacrifices.

MyrrhMyrrh

Represents a spice Represents a spice for embalming. Used for embalming. Used to prepare the dead. to prepare the dead.

Jesus came to die, Jesus came to die, from the moment of from the moment of

His birth.His birth.

  1212And being warned of God And being warned of God in a dream that they should in a dream that they should

not return to Herod, they not return to Herod, they departed into their own departed into their own country another way. country another way.

  

They left a They left a different way different way

than they came!than they came!

1313And when they were And when they were departed, behold, the angel departed, behold, the angel

of the Lord appeareth to of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and child and his mother, and

flee into Egypt, and be thou flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee there until I bring thee

word: for Herod will seek word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy the young child to destroy

him. him.   

1414When he arose, he took When he arose, he took the young child and his the young child and his mother by night, and mother by night, and departed into Egypt: departed into Egypt:

  1515And was there until the And was there until the death of Herod: that it death of Herod: that it

might be fulfilled which was might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the spoken of the Lord by the

prophet, saying, Out of prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. Egypt have I called my son.

  1616Then Herod, when he saw Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and wroth, and sent forth, and

slew all the children that were slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the in Bethlehem, and in all the

coasts thereof, from two coasts thereof, from two years old and under, years old and under,

according to the time which according to the time which he had diligently inquired of he had diligently inquired of

the wise men. the wise men.   

1717Then was fulfilled that which Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the was spoken by Jeremy the

prophet, saying, prophet, saying,   1818In Rama was there a voice In Rama was there a voice

heard, lamentation, and heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, weeping, and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be children, and would not be

comforted, because they are comforted, because they are not. not.

  

1919But when Herod was dead, But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord behold, an angel of the Lord

appeareth in a dream to appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Joseph in Egypt,

  2020Saying, Arise, and take Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his the young child and his mother, and go into the mother, and go into the

land of Israel: for they are land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the dead which sought the

young child's life. young child's life.

  2121And he arose, and took the And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, young child and his mother, and came into the land of and came into the land of

Israel. Israel.   2222But when he heard that But when he heard that

Archelaus did reign in Judaea Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father in the room of his father

Herod, he was afraid to go Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a being warned of God in a

dream, he turned aside into dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: the parts of Galilee:

  2323And he came and dwelt in And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.shall be called a Nazarene.