12/1/24 - Matthew 2: Advent of Hope
Unexpected Hope
Unexpected seekers
Magi were court magicians
Astrologers
Unexpected knowledge
Likely Persian court magicians searching for the Jewish king
Possibility of prophetic knowledge passed down by Daniel
Prophetic gifts
Gold, a gift for kings
Insense, an offering in temples
Myrrh, a perfume for kings, a spice for rituals or purity, and an embalming agent for the dead.
Unready people
Who’s on the throne
The throne promised to David
Rome is occupying Judea
Herod is set up as a vassal king by Rome
Herod is an Edomite
Disturbing news
The Magi ask where is the King of the Jews?
Herod is disturbed
By malice and cunning, he seeks to preserve his political power
Jerusalem is disturbed
The Judeans are the people of promise
Who are these foreigners?
Who are these blasphemers?
Foreshadowing
This story from Christ’s infancy foreshadows what Jesus would say later, “many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
These foreign magicians recognized the coming of the Messiah while the people who had been waiting for Him were disturbed by His coming.
This moment foreshadowed that salvation would come to the Gentiles through Israel, the promise of God to Abraham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through his descendants is about to be fulfilled
Israel’s hope
A greater Moses
Just as Pharoah called for the death of the firstborn boys to keep his political power safe so Herod calls for the death of the boys of Bethlehem, 2 years and younger, to safeguard his political dynasty
Just as Moses fled Egypt to escape death, Jesus’ family fled to Egypt to escape death
Just as Moses was sent back to redeem Israel, so Jesus is sent back to redeem Israel
The branch of David
Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zachariah all talk about the branch that the Lord will raise up
In a moment of prophetic destiny, Joseph flees to this small, difficult-to-get-to, impoverished town whose name means “a branch”
The king of the Jews, who the magi sought and found, had come to receive David’s throne and take His crown.
Fulfilling Israel’s purpose.
Luke expands on the story of Jesus’ birth. The first to see him were shepherds who heard the declaration of angels that a Savior had been born, news that would bring great joy to all nations.
Then come the Magi as the firstfruits of the Gentiles who would receive the Good News
God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be a blessing to all the nations. Jesus comes as a greater Moses, a greater David, and a greater Israel, fulfilling what the Nation was meant to do in bringing hope to all mankind
That same hope remains for all of us to receive. No matter who we are, no matter what we’ve done, no matter where we come from, Jesus came, was declared by angels, worshipped by shepherds and foreign Magi, and would soon fulfill His purpose in dying on the cross, being raised from the dead, and ascending to the Father to be our High Priest before God forever.