January 6, 2019
"International Worship"	Epiphany
Matthew 2: 1 – 12 
Pastor Jonathan 


From the Stable to the Table, here we are.  We stand before the Lord’s Table, one of millions across the face of the
planet inviting believers in the Lord Jesus to come and meet him here.  This do in remembrance of Jesus, written on many
of those tables in the local language.

But as we go back to the Stable, where Jesus was born, more likely a cave-ish, rocky enclosure, than a wooden stable
that we think of in Canada or the US, we find the holy family with their lives in blessed upheaval, surprised by angels,
by shepherds,  (through Dr. Luke’s account) and now surprised by Magi.  I say "now" surprised by the Magi, but Matthew
clearly indicates this is long after the birth, the stable, the manger, and now Joseph and Mary are in a house. (v. 11)
The other part of how much after the birth event is Herod’s order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem under two years of 
age.  So the Magi’s arrival would be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to a few months after the birth.  We have
to work in Dr. Luke’s account of the holy family bringing Jesus for circumcision and then presentation in the Temple in
Jerusalem, after his eighth day circumcision, likely in Bethlehem, where he is named "Jesus," (Luke 2:21), then Luke goes
on to talk about the presentation of the firstborn, to be consecrated to the Lord (Luke 2: 22-24).  The presentation of
the firstborn son would have to be at least forty days after the birth, due to the mother being ceremonially unclean
until that time, according to Exodus 13: 1-2, 11-16 and Numbers 18: 15-16; as well as Leviticus 12: 1-8 for purification
times).

So we have to work in the trip to Jerusalem about six weeks after the birth in Bethlehem.  Now whether the Magi come
before or after that trip to the Temple, we don’t know.  We do know that once the Magi leave, Joseph receives his second
guidance dream to move to Egypt.  So the holy family has done a lot of travelling at this point.  Mary went to visit her
relative Elizabeth in Jerusalem where her husband the priest served in the Temple.  Mary stayed there a few months, came
back to Nazareth.  Then we remember the legal requirement to go to Joseph’s family city of origin (King David’s city) in
Bethlehem.  So they go there, with or without a donkey. Then to Jerusalem, back to Bethlehem, then to Egypt, then back to
Nazareth.  Quite a bit of travelling, and we know the Magi’s gifts must have helped them with the expenses of travelling,
lodging and food.

But who were these Magi?  When we are completely honest, we don’t really know. Scholars have made many educated guesses.
These men could have been Jews who had stayed in Babylon after the Exile in the sixth century BC.  They may have been
acquainted with some of the OT promises of the Messiah, the royal, anointed, king who would bring God’s promises to David
to fulfillment. These men could have been eastern astrologers who studied prophecies from around the world.  They could
have been wealthy men from the east who received a revelation from God, and heard of the God of Israel personally and in
their studies.  We don’t know.  What we do know is that Matthew presents them as important men who are seeking the king
who is not just the king of Israel promised, but the true King of the whole world.

Matthew has them as an international worship team spending a great time of energy, money and resources to find this most
important One.  I saw a sign on one of the properties in Orleans this week that said Wise Men Still Seek Him.  I like
that. Sometimes we think that it is up to God to seek us out, make all the moves, prove Himself to us over and over again
But notice how much time, energy and resources the Magi devote to being with Jesus.  How much time, energy and resources
do we devote to be with Jesus?  Make 2019 the greatest year of your life in devoting time, energy and resources to being
with Jesus, and worshipping Him.

And what was the star that led them? Astronomy looks at events that we might miss looking up into the night sky.  We
don’t know what the star was.  But again we know that Scripture is faithful in presenting this part of the story.  It may
have been the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars in 6 BC.  Scholars do agree that the year marking Jesus’ birth
wasn’t exactly 0, but more likely 6 BC.  It then would be exactly two thousand years from Jesus’ crucifixion at thirty
years of age, in 2024, and could that be the year of his second coming?  How would live your life if you knew you had
five more years only?  Would you make different plans, regardless of your current age?

More likely, in my mind, is that God did a supernatural thing in the stars, which led the Magi to Jesus.  I do not rule
out the above, but I also do not pin my life on the star.  Certainly in Matthew’s theology, the star is a symbol of the 
Light of the World coming onto the earth for a few years.  That light is pointing to the light of life, as John puts it.

Light has a great deal to do with Epiphany.  The light of the star led the Magi to the infant King.  And yet even the 
Magi need the revelation of the Scripture, which clearly points out Bethlehem as the birth place of the Messiah in 
Micah 5, as we read on Christmas Eve, and is quoted in verse 6 of Matthew, chapter 2.  Herod didn’t know.  The Magi
didn’t know. But those who had the light of the revelation of God knew.  This is the importance of the Scripture in
their lives and in our lives.  It is so important to read Scripture every day, even if you don’t understand most of it 
or all of it, right now.  God can use the Scriptures, as we seek to understand God’s way in our lives, to give us the
light in a dark place, to show us things we never saw before. It is important to part of a Bible Study somewhere in your
weekly schedule.  We need each other to help understand the Bible, because it is an ancient book and we need help to
understand it rightly.  But first comes the decision to want to listen to God and to want to take the time and the energy
to read and study the Word of God.

We know that Herod did not want to "go and worship him" as he told the Magi.  He wanted to destroy the rival king, be he
a child or not.  This is very clear in the rest of the chapter.  It is also clear that the Magi have as their main
purpose, to go and worship Jesus.  They spare no time and no expense in meeting with Him, even before they could hear 
him speak. They present him with three gifts.

You know the gifts.  We don’t know how many Magi there were.  We sing “We three kings” but there may have been many more
wise men than three, and certainly a significant entourage with many camels.  Some commentators surmise that the caravan
was an international delegation of those committed to worshipping the King.  And so we are here today, worshipping the
King, coming to the King’s table. And to everyone of you who want to receive from Him, who want to give their lives to
Jesus, he extends his royal scepter to you and bids you come, eat, drink of his very self.  Let me be integral to who
you are.  Let me transform you, from the inside out.

And we can acknowledge Jesus as King, we place our gold, our finances, our resources, our time, our family at Jesus’
feet.  We place our frankincense, our prayers and worship, our sung praise and spoken praise at his feet, and we agree
with the Magi.  Wise ones still serve Him, seek Him, know Him, love Him. And we place the myrrh of our sufferings and
pain at his feet.  We acknowledge our debt to Jesus who died as a sacrifice for our sins, that we would not have to take
God’s punishment on ourselves at the judgment, but we would go free as Jesus paid the death penalty on our behalf.  The
myrrh was a funeral spice used to embalm bodies in that time and place.  Today we acknowledge His body and His blood, as
we take communion at his table. We are all welcome.  Come, open to the journey, with Jesus as Master, with Jesus as
Director, with Jesus as your Saviour from your sin.

As you hold the elements today, thank him royally, worshipfully, through the sorrows and sacrifices of His life for
yours.  We approach His table with countless others from around the world, international worship going up this very
moment in every time zone and every continent across the world.  Know your solidarity with the family of God in this
moment.  Know Jesus’ commitment to you in this moment.

Let us pray.