 Let's begin reading at verse 1 here in chapter 2 of Matthew. I'll read to verse 12 and give you a Bible study. Kind of like what I would do with my children when they were small, except I took multiple offerings with them. But anyway, beginning at verse 1, now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, Where is he who has been born, King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. When Herod the King heard this, he was troubled in all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet. But you Bethlehem in the land of Judea are not the least among the rulers of Judea. For out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the young child. And when you have found him, bring back word to me that I may come and worship him also. When they heard the king, they departed and behold the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. As I was beginning to prepare a study for tonight for our 2021 Christmas Eve service, I have many, many studies that I've done over the years that I actually have catalogued and all. And what I'll do is I'll go and I'll find a study that I've given in the past and I'll update it and use it. And so I was doing that. I was looking through the various studies that I've had on my computer for many years. And then it came to my attention that I had a study that was actually was to have been given on December 24th, 2020. And as I was sitting behind my computer screen, I started thinking, I don't remember giving this study in 2020. And then the Lord reminded me, that's because you had COVID because last year, some of you perhaps have been with us for a while and you know this, I was unable to do my Christmas Eve service or my Christmas day service for the first time in all those years because my wife Marie had COVID, Marie had given to me a Christmas gift. And I began to think about that and a couple of thoughts before I really get into our study. Some of us during this season have sorrow of heart. There was reason before, but for some, this season, even this year is more difficult than it's been in a long time because many have seen their loved ones go to heaven during this last year. And for some, that has been such a very difficult thing. And of course it would be to deal with. It's been a long year. It's been a long two years really. And many have gone through quite a number of things and many have had not simply bouts with COVID and all, but with other things. And for some, it's been very difficult. The fact that we have gone through and are going through, this kind of pressure reminded me of something Jesus said in the Gospel of John in chapter 16, verse 33. In John 16, 33, he said, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. He went on to say, in the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. He said, in the world you will have tribulation. That word tribulation in the original language, the New Testament was written in a language called Greek, common Greek. The word tribulation in Greek is translated also the word affliction or anguish. It speaks of distress or pressure. Jesus was saying in John 16, 33, in the world you will suffer anguish. And in the world you will suffer distress. But he went on to say, but take joy. Take joy because I have overcome the world. Take joy because I have overcome the world. How is it that we can have joy? How is it possible that we in a world that's filled with anguish can have joy? Well, in 1 John in chapter 5, verse 4, we read, whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And he goes on to say, this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. So John said that our victory that overcomes the world is connected with our faith. And he's not speaking of the faith that inspires heroic actions. He's not speaking of a faith that inspires wonderful victories. He's speaking of a faith in Christ that is strengthened by Him and supported by Him. It's a faith that is rooted in who Jesus is and what Jesus does on our behalf because it's Jesus that gives us victory against every enemy that opposes us. So as we gather to celebrate His birth, even in these days, we can have joy, not because of our circumstances, but in many ways in spite of our circumstances. In the deepest portion of our souls, we can have strength. And the reason we can have strength is because our God is with us. So we celebrate His birth not because we're certain of His date. We celebrate His birth because God entered into the world and He did so to save us. And what we sometimes forget is that God often speaks loudest, not when we're having great triumphs and great joys, but God often speaks loudest when we're having great troubles. A writer by the name of C. S. Lewis once wrote, God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. So perhaps despite all we're going through, God may be making Himself heard. You see, in these difficult times, we can come to believe that God somehow has forgotten. It's like the psalmist in Psalm 13 verse 1 said, when the psalmist said, how long, oh Lord, will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? Well, many are feeling what King David felt when he wrote those words. God, have you forgotten me? Will you never again help me? Have you abandoned me? And so because of that we need to remember that the birth of Jesus was intended to bring great joy. It is joyful because God openly revealed how deeply He loves us and it's joyful because we celebrate His birth and are reminded that He is with us. The Bible teaches us that God the Father revealed the depth of His love by sending Jesus Christ to seek and to save those who were lost. And when the lost are found, they can even be surprised by the joy that they experience. Luke records that the birth of Jesus was intended to produce great joy. The angel speaking said to the shepherds in Luke chapter 2 verse 10, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Great joy. Great joy is produced because the one who is in bondage to sin can be set free. And the sorrow that sin produced is removed when they're saved and that sorrow can be replaced by joy. Like it says in Psalm 32 verse 2, blessed or happy is a man whose sin the Lord does not count against him. And so the Christmas season is above all things a time to receive forgiveness and a time to experience the joy of the Lord. Christmas is the remembering that God invaded human history to provide salvation. Christmas is the celebration of the incarnation of God. God took upon himself human flesh, Emmanuel, which means God is with us. Bible scholars have stated that there are over 300 Bible prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. And that included prophecies that Jesus would crush the head of the serpent, Satan. The prophets also said that Messiah would be from the tribe of Judah, that He would be from the line of King David, that He would be born to a virgin. He would be born in Bethlehem, that He would escape to Egypt. And all of these were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We have a beautiful prophecy about Messiah found in the book of Isaiah in chapter 9 where it says in verses 6 and 7, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government in peace, there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. And the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. So he prophesied Messiah. He said unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. When he said a child is born that speaks of the incarnation, Jesus Christ, God taken upon himself human flesh, unto us a child is born. But when he says a son is given, that's a foreshadowing of the death of Christ. He says the government shall be upon his shoulder because he's the Lord and he's the ruler. The Messiah, the one who a rule is described. He's described by four names. He's our Wonderful Counselor. In contrast to the wisdom of this age and its false teachers, Jesus Christ is wisdom. In Colossians 2.3 it says it in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He's called the mighty God, which is a title of God himself. Isaiah 10.21 says that as well as Jeremiah 32.18 where it says, you show loving kindness to thousands, repaid the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts. He is the mighty God. He's the everlasting Father. Messiah shall be a father to his people forever. He is a prince of peace. He's going to rule and perpetuate peace among peoples of the world. And of the increase of his government and peace, there will be no end because he will be the final king. He's not a king among other kings. He is the king of all kings. In Psalm 72.11 it says all kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. So we see that a son has been given. That son was given with a cross in view. And that reminds us of the most famous scripture in the New Testament. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but God sent his son into the world to save the world. And so Jesus Christ came as a gift to us. And that's why we celebrate Christmas. It's this time that we celebrate the giving of the gift of God's own Son. And by God giving us Jesus, he demonstrated to us what love really is. Prophetically, we see a crown because the government will be on his shoulder because our Jesus, our Messiah, was born to rule. And so that's what we're looking at in this passage. That was your introduction. Let's look at the verses before us. Notice in verse one, it says to us, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King. So it states that he was born in a place called Bethlehem. For those who take notes of word Bethlehem speaks of house of bread. That's what the word is defined as. Bethlehem means the house of bread. So Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven to give his life for the world. He has said in John 6.41, I am the bread which came down from heaven. So from the house of bread came the bread of life. It speaks in verse one that Jesus was born. And notice it says that wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. The words wise men is where we get the word Magi. The Magi, let me give you a brief teaching on that. The Magi first appeared in 700 BC as a priestly class in the nation of media. It's possible that they, like Abraham, came from a place called Ur of the Caldees, which is modern Iraq's southern Babylon. The Magi were skilled in astronomy, in agriculture, and science, mathematics, and history. They practiced astrology and sorcery, as well as the interpretation of dreams. And the Magi were the most respected members of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires. There's a prophet that we know of in Scripture, a book is named after him, the prophet Daniel. And we know that Daniel was there in Babylon, and Daniel the prophet would have influenced these wise men. How do we know that? Well, in the book of Daniel chapter 2 verse 48, it says that Daniel was made chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. So no doubt Daniel informed them concerning the God of Israel, the Messiah would have been included. It's possible that Daniel acquainted them with a prophecy that was made by someone named Balaam. We read our Bibles in the book of Numbers as Balaam. Balaam's described to us as a false prophet, and he was from that area. But he gave a true prophecy about the Messiah. In Numbers 24-17, he said, I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. And he went on to say, a star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel. It's very possible that these Magi who came to visit may have been waiting for a sign of the coming ruler. As students of astronomy, the sign of a star would be highly significant. And in conjunction with an unusual star in the heavens, they made their journey to Israel. Now this star, the star was a light that they followed. It traveled south, and then it stood over a house. So that leads some Bible expositors to say that that star is actually the Shekinah glory of God. This glory was seen in ancient Israel as a pillar of fire that led the Jews. Someone said, because the Shekinah glory was a light that could move and could point to the presence of God, it's possible that the star mentioned in Matthew 2 was not an astronomical object, but actually the appearance after a few hundred years absence of the Shekinah glory of God. And so their journey covers a period of time, but they finally arrive in Jerusalem. And as they do, verse 2, notice what they say. They say, where is he who was born king of the Jews? We have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. And so they say, where is he born king of the Jews? It's evident that the star they saw didn't lead them all the way to Bethlehem. They had to inquire where the king was. So what they did is they came to a palace because that's where they would find a king. Obviously the sign was for the wise men alone, not for everybody. But we see a response of these wise men. These men came to worship the king. They had a pagan background, but they responded to the light they had, and they came. And it makes it clear when we go on, I'll read from there out in verse 3. It says, Herod the king heard this and he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. He said to him in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet, but you Bethlehem in the land of Judah are not the least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. And Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, go and search carefully for the young child. And when you found him, bring back word to me that I may corrupt, or rather that I might come and worship him also. And so those who were seeking to worship him were obeying what the Word of God had said, and therefore went to the place that Scripture had said. But Herod's response is worthy of looking at, because when we see these wise men, they respond with humility, but he responded with hostility. Verse 3 tells us he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And they weren't troubled because they were in danger. When you read your history concerning Herod, you discover that Herod was power hungry. In Herod's reign, he had murdered the high priest. He killed his own wife. He killed her mother. I couldn't understand that. No, he killed, just seeing if you're listening. He killed her mother. But he also killed two of his own sons to retain power. He was jealous for power. You see, the wise men came to worship him because they knew that this was one who would be a king. And sometimes when people hear that Jesus is to be the ruler of their life, they too respond with hostility. You know that if you ever share as a Christian, ever share with people about Christ. You know that not everybody listens to you when you speak with respect. Sometimes they may interrupt you. Sometimes they may get angry at you. And in the years that I've been teaching the Word of God over the years, there have been many times when people have gotten upset. Many times when people will write something, you know, the social media that we have today can be a real blessing, but it can also be a curse. And people can write some of the most interesting things. And their comments sometimes can be scathing and angry. And we see that people don't always respond with humility when the need they have is pointed out to them. And the wise men on one hand said, we have come to worship him. But Herod said, where has he been born? Because he didn't want to worship him. He wanted to destroy him. He was responding with antagonism and hostility because this is the one who was born king and he was not a Jew. He had been placed in a position of holding that role by the Roman Empire. And the Jews didn't respect him for that. You see, sometimes people, when they hear that Christ wants to rule their soul, wants to be their king, sometimes they respond angrily. They reject. The Bible tells us in Romans 8 verses 6 through 8, to be carnally minded is death. To be spiritually minded is life and peace because the carnal mind is enmity against God, is hostile against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. And so even to this day, there is still clear hostility towards Jesus Christ and the message of the gospel. It says in verse 4 that he had gathered all the priests and scribes together. The priests were the Levites. They oversaw the duties of being a priest or a priesthood. The scribes were the theologians. They interpreted the law and traditions and all of that and he gathered them together. And so the response of these people is the most dangerous of all because their rejection of Christ influenced the eternity of all who look to them for guidance. You know, when Herod rejected Jesus, that's one thing. But when the priests, when the scribes, when the religious leaders say, I want nothing to do with him, well, their rejection is something that lasts for eternity. Well, Herod wanted to know where the child was. He wanted to know, verse 4, where can I find him? So in verses 5 and 6, they say to him, Bethlehem of Judea, it's written by the prophet. For them, the question of where Messiah would be born was settled by prophecy. They knew this particular passage. They immediately quoted and then Herod, verses 7 and 8, called the wise men and he determined from them what time it was. He knew that his rule was threatened. He wanted to know just how threatened it was. And so he wants to know exactly where Messiah is being kept. And they said in Bethlehem, Bethlehem is about six miles outside of Jerusalem. So verse 9 says they heard the king, they departed. And it says, behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was. So the star leads them and they locate Jesus Christ. Now what did they do when they saw him? Verse 10, when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to him, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod. They departed for their own country another way. Their quest was completed. They came and they were able to worship the king. Mary and Joseph were not in a stable. They're now living in a house. The small city must have been filled with excitement. Here comes these magi. There's no real number, by the way. We sing that song, we three kings, but there's no number. We don't know how many there actually were. The reason they say three kings is because of the three gifts that they had. But they came and they would have had a protective entourage with them and they enter into the small village. And as they enter into the small village, there must have been excitement as these people came in. And as they enter into the house, they notice they fell down before Christ and they worshiped him. The word worship means to fall on the knees to touch the ground with the forehead in reverence. And it says in John 5.23, all should honor the son, just as they honor the father. He who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him. And as they're worshiping him, they opened their treasures, verse 11, presented their gifts to him. So true worship is often expressed by giving to him. It's an expression of worship from the heart. A heart that is filled with worship for God always has a way of expressing itself. And they presented the gifts. Now notice they presented their gifts to him, not to Joseph or not to Mary because offerings are always made to God. They gave him gold, which is a gift for a king. They gave him frankincense, which is a gift for a priest. And they gave him myrrh, which was used for burials, a gift for a savior. When Joseph was told that Mary would have a son, the angel had said, you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Someone said, if our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness. So God sent us a savior, Jesus. These men who are highly esteemed in their own land knew they were nothing as they presented to the true king, the gifts that were suitable for a king. We've called them over the years, the wise men. It's interesting to note that they are the first people in the New Testament who are said to have worshiped Jesus Christ. And that's where we get the term or the phrase wise men still worship him. Jesus Christ, savior of the world, born for us. Not so that he could enjoy the pleasures of this world because there's nothing in this world that is pleasurable to him other than the saving of us. Jesus Christ, a lot of times we keep Jesus as a baby in a manger. But we need to remember that the baby grew up. And though he was once placed in a manger, he was also placed on a cross. And he was also placed in a tomb. And now he takes his place in our hearts. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, you can stop seeing him simply as a baby in a manger. But you can see him as a savior and thrown in your heart. Jesus Christ came that he might save us. He didn't come to take pleasure in life for 33 years. He came to give us what life actually is. And because we're sinners, and because sin has made a separation between us and our God, and because God so loves the world, God gave the most precious thing in the universe for us, his own son. And he gave his son Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, placed in a manger. He gave this son for us so that we might look to him and have life. And the woman who placed him in a manger and saw him in a manger, stood at a cross and saw her son on a cross. And she knew that this one who was born to her in this miraculous conception that she had, that she being a virgin should be with child. She saw this one on that cross, not only as her son, but also as a savior. The one she bore, bore her sins. That's Christianity. And I'm sad to say that it seems that many Christians have forgotten it, but especially many in our nation has forgotten. And Christmas has never been about the gifts that are under a tree. Christmas has always been about the greatest gift ever given, God's son for us, because he loved us. You need to remember that. And because this one who was given for us has taken upon himself our sin, we can have life. And that Jesus called abundantly. We can have life not only in this life, but we can have a quality of life that continues into eternity. And that comes because we received the gift that God gave to us, the gift of eternal life, that Jesus took upon himself our sin, that he bore it on a cross, that he died, and that he was buried. But the third day he rose from the dead. He ascended to heaven. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father on high. He has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within those who believe in him. And he has promised that he would come to receive us unto himself. So that's why I celebrate Christmas, not because of some gift under a tree. I'm thankful for those gifts that I have bought for myself, because that's usually what happens. I'm thankful, and that's why I don't like expensive gifts. We all know that. All parents know that, right? Daddy, what do you want for Christmas? Nothing? Why? Because I have to give you the money to buy it for me. I don't want anything. No, I tried to teach my children. I don't know if I was successful, but I believe that I was. I tried to teach my children, just like we're doing right now. I would do just what I'm doing right now with my babies. Did it for many years. I would read the story. I gave you more information than they could have held to at that age, but I always closed it in the same way, just like I'm right now. Hey, guys, it's not about what's under a tree. It's about what's in your heart, and Jesus Christ can be your savior, and you can worship him. I don't know about you, but as a kid, I used to hope that one day under that tree would be a gift that would make me happy for the rest of my life. I wanted that kind of gift, and I discovered that no matter what it was that may have been under that tree, all those things perished with the using. I discovered very early that there was never anything that was given to me by a mom, dad, or a friend or family member that gave me joy forever. But two days after I celebrated Christmas of 1970, I received the greatest gift I ever have had. I received December 27th, the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, and I have been celebrating that gift now for all of these years. Jesus Christ transforms lives. He forgives sins. He cleanses you from unrighteousness. He heals your shattered life, and he removes and heals your broken memories. He replaces the tears with his joy, and he causes you to realize that not only do you have him here, but you will have him in eternity. The problem is, is the sin that has separated me from God. That's why I have to give up that sin and say, God, forgive me a sinner, and Lord, wash me and cleanse me with the blood of Christ, which washes us and purifies us from all sin. And Lord, there wasn't room in that inn, but there is room in my heart. So I asked that you would inhabit me by faith. I asked that you would take and dwell in me. And like the Bible says, make me a temple of your spirit. And from this point on, I will follow you. From this point on, you will be my God, and I will worship you with all this within me. And then one day, when my eyes are closed here, I will open them there, and I will see you face to face, and I will bless you for eternity for what you did for me. That is the message of Christmas, with Jesus Christ here for us. Wise men still worship him. Father, we ask that you would work in