Creekside Church, Sunday, December 11, 2022
Bah Humbub vs Joy to the World!
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:30 AM
This is the clash between the Magi and the Religious Leaders.
Matthew 2:1-12
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The religious leaders have a “Bah, humbug!” attitude toward the birth of the Messiah. The magi have this “Joy to the World!” response.
THE MAGI:
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.
Daniel 2:48 NIV
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
Daniel 5:11 NIV
Did Daniel’s leadership over the magi have any bearing on their arrival in Jerusalem and consequent worship of this child?
* Magi was the name of a tribe, a priestly tribe
* very religious and quite ancient.
* settled in Babylon or what was later called Persia
* they were highly influential.
* their religion was very similar to what the Jews believed:
- monotheistic.
- believed in the existence of angels and demons
- claimed to have prophetic insight
- believed that one day God would bring judgment on the earth
- believed in a coming Messiah
* were astronomers, astrologers, scientists, historians
* they became very influential and very powerful
* they were king makers
Daniel 9 predicts the coming of the Anointed One.
God used their “language” (star) to communicate with them that the Messiah had indeed come.
The religious leaders told them where to find the Messiah
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Micah 5:2 NIV
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Jeremiah 19:13 NLT
But not everyone seeks.
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS:
The religious leaders didn’t seek.
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:4 NIV
Who are they?
* They were also a powerful group religiously and politically
* Consisted of present High Priest, former High Priests, Captain of the Temple Guard, other leading priests, and teachers of the law
* Know the OT Scriptures really well
* Were corrupted by position, power and wealth so that they compromised to stay in power
They knew where the Messiah was to be born and yet there is no evidence they took the 10 km trip to Bethlehem to see the baby even though they taught the people that he would come.
They ultimately became enemies of Jesus and often tried to trip him up and were part of the plot to kill him.
Perhaps they were jealous of the Magi.
RIGHT NOW . . . ARE YOU LIKE THE MAGI OR LIKE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS?
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2b NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6 NLT
. . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:9 NLT
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6 NIV
WHEN YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE SICK OR YOU ARE DEAD.
HUNGRY PEOPLE ARE HEALTHY PEOPLE.
Matthew 2:1-12
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The religious leaders have a “Bah, humbug!” attitude toward the birth of the Messiah. The magi have this “Joy to the World!” response.
THE MAGI:
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.
Daniel 2:48 NIV
There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.
Daniel 5:11 NIV
Did Daniel’s leadership over the magi have any bearing on their arrival in Jerusalem and consequent worship of this child?
* Magi was the name of a tribe, a priestly tribe
* very religious and quite ancient.
* settled in Babylon or what was later called Persia
* they were highly influential.
* their religion was very similar to what the Jews believed:
- monotheistic.
- believed in the existence of angels and demons
- claimed to have prophetic insight
- believed that one day God would bring judgment on the earth
- believed in a coming Messiah
* were astronomers, astrologers, scientists, historians
* they became very influential and very powerful
* they were king makers
Daniel 9 predicts the coming of the Anointed One.
God used their “language” (star) to communicate with them that the Messiah had indeed come.
The religious leaders told them where to find the Messiah
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Micah 5:2 NIV
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
Jeremiah 19:13 NLT
But not everyone seeks.
THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS:
The religious leaders didn’t seek.
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
Matthew 2:4 NIV
Who are they?
* They were also a powerful group religiously and politically
* Consisted of present High Priest, former High Priests, Captain of the Temple Guard, other leading priests, and teachers of the law
* Know the OT Scriptures really well
* Were corrupted by position, power and wealth so that they compromised to stay in power
They knew where the Messiah was to be born and yet there is no evidence they took the 10 km trip to Bethlehem to see the baby even though they taught the people that he would come.
They ultimately became enemies of Jesus and often tried to trip him up and were part of the plot to kill him.
Perhaps they were jealous of the Magi.
RIGHT NOW . . . ARE YOU LIKE THE MAGI OR LIKE THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS?
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2b NIV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.
Matthew 5:6 NLT
. . . for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalm 107:9 NLT
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6 NIV
WHEN YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE SICK OR YOU ARE DEAD.
HUNGRY PEOPLE ARE HEALTHY PEOPLE.