Pastor Grant Brown's sermon, "Christmas Presents," centers around the visit of the Magi as described in Matthew chapter 2, highlighting its prophetic significance. The Magi, guided by a supernatural star, came to worship Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, which symbolize Jesus' kingship, priesthood, and sacrificial death. The sermon emphasizes the fulfillment of prophecies from Isaiah and Numbers, illustrating the universality of Jesus' mission as the light to the nations. Pastor Brown contrasts the Magi's worship with King Herod's hostile reaction, underscoring the threat Jesus posed to earthly powers. He calls for a recognition of Jesus as the ultimate authority over all nations and challenges the idea of a secular state, advocating for the acknowledgment of Christ in all aspects of governance. The sermon concludes by encouraging believers to come to Jesus with their sins and receive the gift of salvation, drawing parallels between the Magi's worship and the act of giving gifts at Christmas.

Matthew chapter 2 beginning in verse 1 and we'll read all the way through verse 16. As you're turning there, just want to let you know that there are a number of these printouts for you to take to your neighbors, to your family members. This is just a small little blurb about the Christmas Eve service we have in just three days from now. Make sure you take one on your way out. And you'll also see right next to these printouts a gift from Crossroad Church to you.

Please take one of those home as well. Please stand with me as we hear now from God. Matthew chapter two beginning in verse one, Thus saith the Lord. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King, Magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem saying, Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what has been written by the prophet, and you Bethlehem land of Judah are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel." Then Herod secretly called the Magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the child, and when you have found him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship him." After hearing the King, they went their way, and the star which they had seen in the east went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell to the ground and worshiped him.

Then opening their treasures they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi left for their own country by another way. Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, Get up! Take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him." So Joseph got up and took the child and his mother while it was still night and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod.

This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Out of Egypt I called my son. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, he became very enraged. And he sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the Magi. May God bless the reading and now the preaching of his word.

Amen. You may be seated. Could you grab me a glass of water? Thank you. Don't apologize, no, no.

I have a whole bunch right there. So as we enter into our final week of Advent, it is very fitting that we come out of this passage concerning the days immediately preceding the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That's how our text begins, isn't it? Now, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea. When Jesus was born, he did have immediate visitors, didn't he?

On Christmas day, who showed up? Luke Chapter two, the shepherds came on Christmas. Shepherds came. So Jesus had visitors the day he was born. But these are not the only visitors that Jesus had.

Thank you, sister. These are not the only visitors that Jesus had. We find now in Magic Chapter 2, Magi or the wise men in other translations, the Magi have come and they've come from the east. They've come from the east and they're asking this question. Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?

Where is he? We saw a star, we've come to worship him. And they know it has to do with the birth of the king of the Jews so they come to Jerusalem. They come to Jerusalem why would they go to Jerusalem? Because that would be the place where a Jewish king would be born more than likely right?

If you're looking for a king of the Jews go to the capital city go to Jerusalem so these magic have come to worship Jesus what it come to Jerusalem and they've come after his birth how long after his birth do you think well if you've read the final verse of our passage verse 16 how old do you think Jesus might have been? In verse 16, thank you, in verse 16, Herod slaughters all of the male children from two years of age and under. So it's at least possible, I think probable, that this visit from the Magi is a year or even two years after the birth of Jesus the Messiah Needless to say I don't think the test indicates that Jesus is still an infant So here come the Magi from the east and they arrive in Jerusalem. And in verse three of our passage, who hears of this? King Herod.

King Herod hears of the Magi. They've come. And why have the Magi have come? Well, What does Matthew tell us? They're looking for the king of the Jews.

And so how does Herod react? Is Herod excited? No, he's actually it says in our text Herod was troubled Now who is this King Herod fellow? They haven't talked about him for quite some time. King Herod was known as Herod the Great and he ruled over Judea as a sort of puppet king under Rome.

So in Judea who does King Herod rule over? He is quite literally, Herod is quite literally the king of the Jews. That's Herod. So it's not just the Jews in that region. He is the Roman appointed king of the Jews.

And so all of a sudden, the Magi have arrived from the east. And they get to the capital city of Jerusalem and they're asking about the birth of who? King of the Jews. And so naturally, the one who calls himself the king of the Jews, Herod the Great, how does he respond? Verse 3, Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.

As theologian Leon Morris puts it, If Herod was troubled, the whole city was troubled with him because when Herod the Great trembled, the whole city shook. And so what does Herod do? Well, he gathers all the chief priests, he gathers the scribes of the people, and he asks the same question that the Magi are asking. He asked the scribes and the chief priests, where is this Messiah supposed to have been born? And these scribes and these chief priests, they know their Old Testament, don't they?

They know the prophecies and so in verse 5 they tell Harry where this Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem of Judea and then they quote to him two of the prophets. They quote Micah and Samuel. Verse 6 of our passage this morning is a conglomeration of Micah and Micah chapter 5 and 2nd Samuel chapter 5. The promised Messiah will come from Bethlehem and when he comes he will rule as a shepherd over Israel his people forever. That's the prophecy.

And so in verses seven and eight of our passage, what does Herod do? He calls the wise men after hearing from the scribes and the chief priests, he says okay I got that information, I need some more information from the Magi. So he calls the Magi to himself and he figures out when the star first appeared. Which by the way, I think that helps us understand later on why Herod murders the age group that he does based on when the star appeared verse 16 tells us that's how that's why he knew to another so he gets that information from the magi and then what do he ask the magi to go do for him hey you go to Bethlehem you you do some scouting you find him and then you come back and report to me, and I'll go and worship him too. Right?

Now, is that the case? Is that really? Children, do you think Herod was telling the truth there? You don't think he was? Why do you think he's not telling the truth?

What did we read at the very end of our passage? Herod doesn't want to see Jesus. Herod wants to what? Kill him. Destroy him.

Herod wants to destroy him. End of verse 8. Go and search carefully for the child. When you found him, report to me so that I may come and worship him. That's not the case.

Herod, king, King Herod wants to slay him. Well, let's go back to the Magi. The Magi in verse 9, they say, okay, they take their leave and they follow the star towards Bethlehem. And when they arrive at Bethlehem, the star is standing over the place where the child was. Now, I just got to pause there.

Stars don't typically do that. You know what I'm saying? I'm tempted to go way off script here, but I better not. Verse 10, what do they do? What do you guys see in verse 10?

They see the star and they rejoice exceedingly with great joy, right? So the text says, they come in the house, they see the child, they fall to the ground, then they worship him. They worship him and then opening up their treasures they present to Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And then being warned by an angel not to return to Herod, they don't go back to Herod, they disobey the lesser king and they go they go another way in obedience to the greater king That's the passage in a nutshell Is that that sound like a good summary if not, I'm sorry. I Want to help you see though in this passage three massive and I mean massive implications and applications that come from this narrative as you consider what it is you're celebrating four days from now.

Four days from now, you're sitting around your tree, you're sitting around with your family together, passing around presents. What is it that you're celebrating? What is it that you're doing when you do that four days from now? If you get what I'm trying to exegete here from the passage, it will change everything about the way you celebrate and remember and proclaim Christmas, presence and all. I think that's worth listening to.

So Number one, Pastor Matthew. Thank you, if you could click it one more time. There it is. The Magi and Isaiah chapter nine. If you're taking notes, I would write that down.

Isaiah 9 and the Magi. Now for the past two Lord's days, where have we been? We've been in Isaiah chapter 9, haven't we? And what was it that Isaiah prophesied would happen when Jesus was born? Do you remember what the prophecy was?

We spent two Lord's days on it. When that first Christmas went down, what was the promise? When a child would be born and a son given, what would happen? Isaiah chapter 9, the people who walk in darkness will see a Great light and those who live in a dark land the light will shine on them That's the promise of the first Christmas. And what do we see here in Matthew chapter two?

You have wise men from the east, the magi from the east, men from pagan nations, Men from Gentile lands. These are men, these magi are men from peoples who walk in darkness. Who live in dark lands. What happens to them? Literally, literally a light shines upon them.

And what do they do? They follow the light to Christ who is the great light, the light of the world. In Matthew chapter two, these pagan men, these magi, these princes from dark pagan nations, they are coming to Christ. They are streaming to the root of Jesse. God promised in Isaiah chapter 9 and Isaiah chapter 11 that this child to be born will multiply the nation.

Do you remember that? Remember we talked about that? Some of you came up to me and said, you've never considered that before, praise God. The promise was the nation will be multiplied, the people of God will be multiplied. God promises to multiply the nation to the ends of the earth.

That's the promise in Isaiah 9 and 11. He will increase gladness over the earth as far as the waters cover the sea. That's the promise from Isaiah. He will take the Abrahamic blessings to all the nations and make those blessings go as far as the curse is felt. God promises that this child will fulfill Psalm 67 for that the nations will be glad That's the promise of Isaiah about Christmas That's all stuff we've talked about And the very next thing that God does in the Gospels after the birth of Immanuel on Christmas, remember the promises of Isaiah about Christmas, the nation's being glad, his increasing gladness over the earth as far as the waters cover the sea.

The nation will be multiplied. The next thing he does after the birth of Immanuel on Christmas is God makes that down payment on the promise. God makes a down payment on that promise a foreshadowing of what's to come so what did you do what did he say would come what Matthew 2 just said okay he sends the nations to his son have you ever considered this God sends the nations to his son, the Magi from the east. And when the Magi get there, when they arrive, what is their response? Look at verse 10 of our passage.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. That sounds like gladness to me. Isn't that incredible? Verse 11, after coming into the house, they saw the child of Mary his mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped him and then gave him their treasures. What do you have in our passage today?

You have the nations, a taste of the nations being Glad. Rejoicing with great joy. Now I think if that was the only point of the sermon you ought to say, at least I think you should, that's incredible. The wise men, The Magi are not in your Bibles just so you can sing a really cool Christmas carol. And it's really cool.

It's one of my favorites. I was singing it last night around the table. We three kings of Oriental army. Right? It's great.

They're not there just to sing that song. No, those who walk in darkness will see a great light. And what is it that these magi from the darkness see? They see a star and where does that star take them? It takes them to the light of the world, King Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us.

These magi, I'm going to say it again, these magi are representatives of the nations from pagan lands, from peoples in bondage to sin, in captivity to Satan. Lands and peoples that Jesus Christ came to liberate starting on Christmas. And so here these representatives of the nations in darkness, they come. They come to the light of the world Jesus when he is but a toddler at the very oldest. Have you ever considered that?

As you read this narrative, as you read this narrative, what is it that you're supposed to think of? As the reader, what are you supposed to think of when you see the Magi from the East, these pagan princes, they come from afar, they come from the darkness to worship the babe the son of Mary what are you supposed to think what's it what's this supposed to do in your mind as you see pagan princes from pagan lands come to worship the word may flush Come to worship the one true God who is yet just a babe, a toddler. Is that just a random detail? You are supposed to ponder as the reader that if these men, if these nations will come and worship Jesus the Christ when he is but a babe, how much more will they come to Christ, how much more then will they stream to the root of Jesse when he has grown and he triumphs over Satan and he binds Satan and plunders Satan's house and he goes to the cross and he triumphs over sin, he's resurrected, triumphant over death, and then he ascends on high with all authority in heaven and on earth.

How much more then will they come after all that? That's the point. If the nations will come when Jesus Christ is but a babe, how much more then will they come to Christ after he cries out, it is finished. You're supposed to say, after you've read Isaiah 9 and then you read Matthew chapter 2, you're supposed to say, man, When God told Abraham that his seed would bless the nations, he really meant it. I mean, look at this down payment on the promise at Christmas.

Here is the promised seed of Abraham, Jesus the Christ, and then immediately in the narrative God brings the representatives of the nations to him. This is what Christmas will bring about. God's showing you. You're supposed to say When you read Isaiah and then you read Matthew, man, when God spoke through Isaiah about how the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as far as the waters cover the sea and that the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, starting with the coming of Emmanuel at Christmas. God really meant it.

God really meant it. These Magi who walk in darkness see a great light. They come to worship the light of the world of Jesus. Are you seeing it? The arrival of the magi is but a foretaste of what is now going to happen among all the nations of the world now that Jesus Christ has come at Christmas and now that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, and now that Jesus Christ has ascended on high, it's but a foretaste.

This is but a foretaste of now what is going to happen among all the nations of the world, now that Christmas has happened. Some of you though may be thinking, well, that sounds good, Pastor. But Pastor, it just don't seem at all like the nations will do that. Sure, we have some wise men here. Sure.

I mean I see it. I see it. I hear what you're saying about Isaiah 9 I see what you're saying about Matthew 2. It does seem to connect But have you looked outside? Have you read the newspaper?

Have you been on social media lately? The answer would be no It just doesn't seem like the nations will do what you're saying. It doesn't seem like our world, 2, 000 years after Christmas, is headed in that kind of direction. It seems like it's actually getting darker, not lighter. It seems like the nations are heading away from Christ and not towards Christ.

I mean, come on, Pastor Brown. I mean, cut you a break. I mean, you know you just baptized your daughter, but... You just put your saying down. It's just not making sense.

It's not the way the world is. Not the way the world is. Now, friends, if that's you, if you're going to say things like that, that's not the way the world is. Not the way the world is. Now friends, if that's you, if you're going to say things like that, that's not the way the world is, we're talking about a virgin birth in this world.

What do you do with that? We're talking about the incarnation, God taking on flesh. And then being sinless. If you have any idea about your sin in your life right now, the idea of someone being sinless, it will blow your mind. We're talking about virgin birth in this world.

We're talking about an incarnation into this world. And then we're talking about star. And let me come back to the star. That all of a sudden this star appears and it leads these men over a home in Bethlehem. That's what the text says.

They follow the star and they get to Jerusalem, and then from Jerusalem it literally takes them to a home. The text doesn't say they go around knocking on everybody's door in Bethlehem, somewhere here. No, the text says the star over a house so that they can go into the house and worship the king of kings. Do you get that? Do you completely understand that?

Do you understand the virgin birth? Does the incarnation make a great deal of sense to you? Do you understand a star standing over the home of Jesus? Is that the way the world is? Of course you don't understand it.

Of course you can't make complete sense of it. These are supernatural realities. This is the same world, saints, that those realities went down in. And only God can do those things, can't he? So, stop insisting that because the world right now is a certain way that you have to understand the Bible in light of the way the world is.

Stop that. I'm going to use a really good theological term. That's done. You don't interpret the world, you don't interpret the Bible in light of what the world says. You take the Bible and you say this is what it says I'm going to understand what it says and I'm this must happen in God's world.

What you got to do don't understand the Bible in light of the world understand the world God's world in light of His word. And God, who made the virgin birth happen, God, who gave His only begotten Son in the incarnation, God, who brought about the star and has it stand above a particular house in a particular city so that the magi coming all the way from the East know exactly where the Immanuel lay that God has told you throughout the Old Testament and Now he's showing you in the New Testament that he will do this thing. And he promised all the way back in the garden with Adam, with Abraham, in Isaiah, the nations will come. Not just telling you anymore, is he? He's showing you.

But the Prince of Peace came on Christmas, and that peace on earth will have no end. It will fill the earth as the nations hear the gospel proclaimed, as the nations are discipled in the Great Commission, and as the nations repent of their sins and come to kiss the Son, Jesus the Christ. So if you believe the star in Matthew chapter two, and if you're a Christian, you do. If you believe the star in Matthew chapter two, and if you're a Christian, you do, then it is not at all difficult to believe what God has said would begin at Christmas in the one who makes all things new. It's not difficult to believe that God will indeed cause His glory to cover the earth as far as the waters cover the sea.

That is not difficult to believe. If you believe the stars, it's not difficult to believe that this gospel will triumph over all the nations, and that the nations will stream to Christ. It's not hard to believe. The Magi sure did. The Magi follow the star.

And they know what it means. And so they come to Herod. They come to Herod. The Magi in King Herod. We learn in verses 1 through 8 That the Magi have come to Jerusalem because they've seen a star And you might be wondering and you should be wondering if you aren't you should be wondering How did these Magi how did these wise men know what that star signified?

This seems kind of random doesn't it? They see a star in the sky? King of the Jews. How'd they know that? Why did they come to Jerusalem?

How'd they know so much? Those are good questions. You should have those questions. Well, you'll notice in our text that the wise men know who they're looking for. Look at verse 2.

Who are they looking for? They ask, where is he who was born king of the Jews? So they're looking for a newborn king, And that king is going to be the king of the Jews. OK. But again, the question, why does the appearance of the star make them think of the king of the Jews?

Well, to get that, let's go in our Bibles to the book of Numbers. Turn with me to the book of Numbers. At the very beginning of your Bible, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Fourth book of the Bible, Numbers chapter 24. Numbers 24.

And I want you to look at verse 17. Now, again, we're trying to answer the question, how do the wise men know so much? Why do the magi Look at a star and think, King of the Jews, got to go to Jerusalem. Numbers chapter 24, look at verse 17. This is a prophecy from Balaam and it's a prophecy when Balaam was asked to curse the people of Israel as they're in the wilderness and he couldn't do it, couldn't curse the people, right?

He had the Spirit of God in him in a unique way. Now don't get confused here. Balaam was an evil man. He was an evil man, but he ended up being a true prophet. And if you go, man, I don't get that, don't worry about it.

You gotta leave that up to the Lord. The Bible's really clear about this. Balaam is an evil man, he's a pagan man. The Old Testament and the New Testament are very clear. Balaam was a corrupt prophet.

Later on, you'll find out as you keep reading through numbers that though Balaam can't prophesy an evil word about Israel, he gives the kings, the nations surrounding Israel bad advice. Bad advice for Israel, good advice for the enemies of Israel. He tells Israel's enemies how to seduce them, how to make them corrupt. Gives them Evil advice. So Balaam was a corrupt prophet.

And so this corrupt prophet, nevertheless, gives an incorruptible prophecy. How do you know it's incorruptible? Because it's right here. It gives an incorruptible prophecy concerning one to come from Israel. Verse 17.

Verse 17. I see him, but not now. I behold him, but not near. Listen to this. A star shall come forth from Jacob.

A what? A star shall come forth from Jacob. A scepter shall rise from Israel. What will that star and scepter do? And shall crush through the forehead of Moab.

Does that sound familiar to you? Oh, come on. Yes, it does, right? Genesis chapter 3, crush the head of Satan. A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheph.

Okay, so you have a Gentile prophet giving a prophecy from God to other Gentiles in Numbers chapter 24. A Gentile prophet giving a prophecy from God to other Gentiles in Numbers 24. And just as you have it recorded for you in your Bibles this morning, it's right here in your Bibles just as you have it recorded for you, it's not a stretch at all to suggest that this same prophecy was recorded and in the possession of other Gentiles like the Magi. It's not a stretch at all. Made it in your Bible.

It's a prophecy from God. It's not a stretch at all to suggest that the same prophecy was recorded and in the possession of other Gentiles like the Magi. These Magi in Matthew chapter 2 could have had Baelor's prophecy. I'm pretty convinced of it. And it all checks out, in case you're thinking, hey, now, come on.

It all checks out. These Gentile men, these wise men, these Eastern princes, they come looking for a king. Why? Well because they saw a star, a star that hadn't been in the sky before. And the star is connected with a scepter, a king.

According to Balaam's prophecy, scepters are what rulers bear. And so these Magi, they see the star, they come looking for the king of the Jews, according to Balaam's prophecy. The star will come forth from Jacob. The Magi know that. Ah, king of the Jews.

And so they come. Now, Herod is concerned, isn't he? You can go back to Matthew 2. Herod is concerned. We've already mentioned it, but why is Herod the Great concerned?

Well, he's concerned because Herod is the king. He's the king, but now he's hearing that the king in all caps has come the king of whom all the other kings must bow down and worship and serve that king has come and so as a result Herod Herod takes God's Word a lot more serious than most Christians do today. At least Herod takes these prophecies from Isaiah and 2 Samuel and Micah. He takes these prophecies more serious than most Christians do today. How so?

Well, Herod isn't confused about what Jesus has come to do. Herod isn't confused about who Jesus is. Herod isn't confused about what that means for other rulers that aren't him. Herod isn't confused about what Jesus came to do, who Jesus is, and what that means for every other earthly ruler that's not Jesus. Jesus has come to be the King of Kings.

The prophet Isaiah is clear. If you don't remember, if you weren't here two Sundays ago, I'm going to tell you, Isaiah 9 says this, there will be no end to his governance. The government will rest upon his shoulders. And there will be no end to the increase of his rule, straight from the text. The child will be born, a son will be given, and he is the prince of peace, he's almighty God, the father of everlasting, and all of that is summed up with this phrase Jesus is the king of kings so as a result as a result every ruler every government every magistrate every nation including every ruler right now today on this planet.

And every ruler then, back in Herod's day, Herod included, they must worship and serve Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus is Lord. That's not hard. Jesus is Lord.

Now that's not hard because it's in the Bible and it's in there not just once, not even just twice, a lot. But we have trouble with these kinds of things. Here in America particularly. The very fact that we have even a debate among Christians in America about whether or not Christ and his scriptures belong in politics or government. The fact that that's even a debate and controversial is evidence that Herod had things more figured out than we do, at least about these parts of the scriptures.

At least when it comes to knowing about the kingdom of Jesus Christ. He's got it more figured out. So here's a question that isn't very hard, a question that Herod had figured out that we struggle with. Here's the question. Should America be a Christian nation?

Should America be a Christian nation and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord Should our government promote Christianity it's the same question What's the answer If you can't answer that question immediately, you don't take God's prophets nearly as serious as Herod did. Say what you want about the rest of the things that Herod did. He took this part really serious. You don't take him as serious. You don't take the prophets as serious as Herod does.

Herod took God's promise of the Messiah way more serious than we do in America. He goes, and because of the prophecies, he goes in an axe of bloodbath in Bethlehem, doesn't he? Because of how serious he takes the prophecies of God. Because of how serious he takes the prophecies of God. Because of how serious he takes the kingdom of Christ.

He calls the scribes and the chief priests together in verse 4. He hears the prophets speak of the king of kings to come. And he takes them really serious. You don't need to ask Herod twice, why did Jesus come? That's easy for him.

He came to rule and to reign over everyone and everything right now. Herod knew that. That's why he tried to have Jesus killed. No question to Herod's mind. Homo put a stop to that.

Herod knew because Jesus has come to be king at Christmas. Jesus has come to be king at Christmas. And he is now, right now, king of kings over everything and everyone and his kingdom is forever. His kingdom is forever. We sing it, Almighty fortress is our God.

His kingdom, how does the song end? His kingdom is forever. We declare it on Reformation Day, we declare it on Christmas. We declare it every day in between. Jesus is Lord.

So are you going to let Herod out do you? That's the question this morning at least for this particular sermon point. Are you going to let Herod out do you? Are you going to take Isaiah serious that all the earth that all the nations will resort to the root of Jesse, who's Jesus, that's the root of Jesse? Are you going to take Isaiah serious that his kingdom is over all the earth?

Are you going to take the Psalms serious, that all the nations of the earth are to kiss the sun that was shattered like pottery and perished forever, America included? You gonna take the Salter seriously? Are you going to take Paul seriously? In Romans chapter 13, that every earthly ruler is to be a deacon of Jesus Christ, a servant of God. Right now, that means the mayor of Berlin is to serve Christ.

The representatives in our Congress in Iowa and in the national federal government are to serve Jesus Christ. The President of the United States is to serve Jesus Christ and obey his word. Paul says so. Why? Because Jesus is Lord.

Are you going to take Jesus himself seriously you're not going to take this prophet series you're not going to take Herod series You're not going to take Paul serious. You're going to take Jesus seriously? Who said all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go? All authority in heaven and on earth. That means there is no authority higher than him.

There is no authority higher than him in heaven and on earth. There's no way around that, brothers and sisters. There is no ruler that is to rule except in submission to the crucified, risen, and now reigned Savior Jesus the Christ. So should America be a Christian nation? Should Christianity be the religion that the government promotes?

On Christmas, you ought to say, yes. Why? Because Jesus is the King of Kings, and he came on Christmas, and then he ascended on high with all authority. So don't let Herod outdo you. Don't let Herod outdo you.

Now, you might have problems with that I don't know that you will but you might so I want you to think on this is there such a thing as a secular state Is there such a thing as a secular state? Is there such a thing as a secular nation? You might be thinking, hey, this all of a sudden turned into a sermon on politics. Yeah. All right.

Very good. Christmas, like the incarnation happened and it wrecked things. The incarnation happened and it changed everything. Including politics. Everything.

So, including politics, so we should talk about it. Is there such a thing as a secular nation? The answer is no. Yeah. There can't be, but you and I have been indoctrinated in that it must be, It must be.

Who told you that? Did God tell you that? Is that where you got that information? If you remove Jesus Christ as King of Kings, so here's Christ and underneath him is a different series of authority that we've talked through as a church. Christ is King.

You remove Him as King. When you remove Jesus as King, what do you get? Do you get rid of God? You get a perfectly secular state? No, no, you just get a new God.

You get a new God. The state becomes God. You take Christ out, Christ reigns over the state, you take Christ out, who becomes the new Christ? The state. God becomes the state, or the state becomes God.

You remove Jesus as sovereign, the state becomes sovereign. So if you've ever been confused by what to make of Jesus in government, if you've ever been confused about whether Jesus in politics should mix, perhaps you thought we need to do our best to keep these things separate, I'm going to say it again. If you thought that, Brothers and sisters, don't let Herod put you to shame here. He believed what God said. Verse 16 of our passage proves it.

And the book of Isaiah and the gospels make very, very clear Jesus is king. And to have any form of government that does not submit to him is blatant idolatry. So Christian, hear this really clearly and I'll move on, I promise. Christian, you should have no problem. No problem with separation of church and state, the different spheres of authority.

That's totally fine. No problem. Separation of church and state, they're different spheres. But you should have all kinds of problems with the idea of separation of God and state. No, no, no, no, no.

Separation of church and state, There's a biblical category for that. Separation of God and state? No, you get rid of God, state becomes God. There is no thing in the Bible that suggests even for a moment that you should ever separate God and state. Never.

You should have no problem with that. Christ is Lord over the state. Because God on Christmas became flesh and dwelt among us, and then thirty some odd years later he ascended as the Son of Man and if you read the prophet Daniel that ascended son the Son of Man He ascends and the ancient of days, God the Father, gives the Son of Man all dominion and all authority over every nation and every kingdom and over every state on the earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now Herod understood that, at least on some level. And I think, I'm pretty certain of this, I think earthly rulers today, rulers over our world today, still understand that reality.

Which is why they will do everything possible to make Christmas about anything or anyone else but Christ. They know the power of Christmas. But beloved, when you as a Christian say, Merry Christmas, when you say, Merry Christmas, do you know what you are saying? One of the things that you are saying to earthly rulers, when you say the phrase Merry Christmas, and you say it as a Christian, about the King of Kings, when you say Merry Christmas, you are saying at least this in part, you're saying this to earthly rulers, kiss the son lest you perish. Christ is Lord.

He's your Lord, Magistrate. He's your Lord, Ruler. So repent and believe in the Son who is Lord over all. Govern and rule according to His word, earthly rulers. Merry Christmas, Jesus is Lord.

That's part of what you're saying when you're saying Merry Christmas. Herod knew that and so Herod, like so many rulers today, wanted Jesus dead. But the wise men, they chose wisdom, not death. And they worshipped. And that's our final implication this morning.

The Magi chose wisdom and they came and worshiped the King of Kings. In verses 9 through 11, verses 9 through 11, the Magi, they come to Bethlehem and it says, I've got to get back there to my Bible, and it says that they have come to worship him. They rejoice, they are glad, and they worship the promised king of kings. So part of their worship is as they fall down in worship, they then get up and they go into the home and they give gifts. And there's no confusion here about what these gifts signify.

In verse 11 of our passage, let's read verse 11. After coming into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now, worship, this behavior of worship, it's only to be reserved for who? God.

And these are gifts only fit for a king. Well, amen. Jesus is God, and Jesus is king. And they give him three gifts, which is often, I think, why we sometimes think there were three wise men, there were three magi, we think, well, three gifts. Well, I heard one brother put it this way, there had to be at least six, because one on each end of the box.

We don't know how many there were, but I think there are probably more than three. But notice the three gifts. You have gifts fit for a king. First you have gold. This gift was a fulfillment, a literal fulfillment of Psalm 72 verse 15, that Gentile rulers would come and give gifts of gold to the promised Christ.

A literal fulfillment of prophecy and the giving of gold. And really If you want to get technical, this scene of the Magi with the King of Kings, it's a fulfillment of several prophecies. I gave you Psalm 72, but Isaiah chapter 60, foreign rulers, Gentile lands would come and give gifts to the king to be born. And it says in Isaiah 60, it would be gifts of gold and gifts of frankincense. Isn't that interesting?

And here in Matthew 2, prophecy fulfilled. But back to the gold for just a second. These magi, the giving Jesus gold, they were confessing something. They were confessing his kingship. The gold was to be given to Kings they were confessing his kingship and then they gave him incense incense which was used in temple worship And I can't say better than James Montgomery voice, when in doubt let voice ring out.

So here it is. It was mixed, incense was mixed with the oil used to anoint the priests of Israel, and it was blended into the meal offerings and offered as thanksgiving and praise gifts to God. And so, in presenting incense, the wise man, either intentionally or unintentionally, pointed to Christ as our great high priest, the one whose entire life was pleasing to his father. So, I'll just sum that up for you. Incense, typically used to anoint the priests of Israel and then blended into the offerings of praise and thanksgiving to God.

And so you take both of those and put them together in Christ. He's the great high priest who is forever pleasing to God. God the Father looks at God the Son and says, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. And then God raises him up from the dead, saying, I'm still pleased in you. I'm still pleased.

So gold signifies the King of Kings. Incense, this Jesus is the great high priest. And then myrrh, myrrh. At the time, this spice would have been just as or even more valuable than gold itself. So we think of gold like, man, that's valuable.

Myrrh might have been more expensive, at least on a level playing field. And so again, Gold, incense, myrrh, these are gifts fit only for a king. But myrrh is an interesting gift. It was used typically to prepare bodies for burial. And so in fact after his crucifixion, Jesus' body was prepared for burial with myrrh by Nicodemus.

If you go home and read John chapter 19, you'll read that. Nicodemus, he brings myrrh, mixes it with other spices to prepare Jesus' body for burial. And so you have the life of Jesus Christ bookended, don't you? The Magi come at the beginning, two years age or less, they give him myrrh. At the end his body is covered with myrrh.

And so I think William Barclay puts all this together perfectly when he writes this and I quote gold for a king frankincense for a priest Myrrh for one that was to die These were the gifts of the wise men and even at the cradle of Christ they foretold that he was to be the true king, the perfect high priest, and in the end the supreme savior of men." So here in our passage we have the first Christmas gifts. King Herod brought the sword. The Magi brought gifts and they worshiped him. Brothers and sisters, I need you to hear this as we close. This is a microcosm of the world.

This scene is a microcosm of foreshadowing of the world. As Joe Rigney puts it, the apostles of the world will try to kill Jesus like Herod. And the refugees from the world will kiss him. The apostles of the world will be shattered like pottery and perish in their sins, while the refugees from the world, believing in Christ, will find perfect peace and rest. And they'll never learn war again, according to Isaiah.

And so, dear ones, children, adults, as you gather around your family in the tree, whatever you do on Christmas, when you gather around as a family in just a few days, as you celebrate Christmas, I want you to consider the Magi. Consider the Magi who came to Christ. He had came to Christ and they worshiped Him. And consider how they gave gifts as part of that worship. And rejoice as you exchange and receive gifts.

Rejoice that you would be let in on that same tradition. Rejoice. This Christmas, join with the wise man. This Christmas, come to Christ. Hail Him as King, great high priest, and perfect Savior.

Do that. Come to Christ not with gifts of gold, not with frankincense or myrrh, but with your sin. All of it. Come to Christ, beating at your breast with the publican in Luke 18, crying out to God that He would be merciful to you. Cry out with Spurgeon, I have a great need for Christ and then remember that second line and I have a great Christ for my need and he came on Christmas receive the gift of everlasting life receive the gift of justification by grace through faith that he gives freely from his hands He has promised to save all who call upon his name.

You might think this Christmas season, it's funny during, it's not funny, during Christmas season it is the hardest, difficult time for me as a pastor. There's A lot going on, but things happen. I think it's the stresses of the season maybe. Maybe it's getting darker, it's colder. I don't know, just relationships break down.

Things are hard. I have lots of meetings and I'm not saying I don't want to have the meetings. But what I'm saying is that I know that it's really possible, it's probable, it is likely that you get to Christmas and you're saying, no way for me. There's not enough righteousness, not enough triumph in Christ for me. Beloved, I say it a lot, I love me some Richard Sibbes.

There is more righteousness, there is more mercy in Jesus Christ than there is sin in you. And Christmas proves it. Christmas, He came, He took on flesh, then He went to a cross, He was the second Adam. If He didn't take on flesh, He couldn't be the second Adam. He obeyed when the first Adam failed.

Jesus took on flesh and He had to take on flesh in order to be your substitute at the cross, in order to bear the wrath of God in your place. He couldn't do that unless he took on flesh. He came on Christmas to do that. His death is sufficient for you, and His perfect obedience will be given to you, and you will be saved by grace through faith. You come to Him this Christmas.

You come and be welcomed to Jesus Christ. He has promised to do so for all who call upon His name. And beloved, if you haven't got the picture yet, I'm going to say it one more time. When he promises something, he keeps his promises. So with the Magi, come and worship.

Come and worship. Worship Christ, the newborn King. Let's pray. Father, I thank you for this your word. Thank you for your precious and very great promises herein.

And thank you for Christmas. Make us a people who celebrate and give the best of gifts and have the most merriest of hearts for Jesus sake. In his name we pray.