The Christ of Prophecy

Matthew 2:1-23

January 20, 2002

 

None of us can really imagine what life was like for the Jewish people in pre-first and first century Palestine. With a grand heritage as a fading memory, they could only see the deprivation of the present. Rome held them in an iron grip. They had no ruler from their own people. The prosperity of David and Solomon's reigns had long since passed. A day's wages provided a meager existence. Herod the Great ruled as a Roman vassal king but with surprisingly more power than most. Though to the Jews' delight he rebuilt the ruined temple, he showed no mercy to them in pursuing his own ruthless goals. 

 

But God had given them promises of Messiah. These promises sustained them through Babylonian and Persian exile, and Greek and Roman domination. True, most of the Jews had fallen prey to the folklore concerning Messiah as a political General/King, and had no thought of Him as Redemptive Lord. So when He did come, how would they be able to recognize Him? Matthew, along with other Gospel writers, revealed the truth of Jesus Christ as the Messiah by the use of Old Testament prophecies. More than any of the other writers, Matthew quotes or refers to 61 Old Testament passages to demonstrate "that God is working his purpose out," as Leon Morris writes. "And that one way in which that purpose is to be discerned is the manner in which what God has inspired his prophets to say can be seen to have been fulfilled in the life and teaching of Jesus" [Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 3] (the other Gospel writers use the OT as follows: Mark-31, Luke-26, and John-16). While many of the prophecies were partially fulfilled by Israel, their ultimate fulfillment came through Christ.

 

The same prophecies speak to us, affirming the truth concerning Christ. In a world that is full of skeptics that sneer at any thought of the redemptive work of God through Christ, it is helpful to see how 1500 years of biblical revelation flows cohesively into one grand aim, the revelation of Jesus Christ as God become man for the purpose of saving His people from their sins. For the Christ of prophecy is the only Savior of sinful men. How did the Old Testament prophecies picture the Messiah?

 

I. The King born

 

While we are covering a large portion of Matthew (not our common approach), I want to focus on the four references to the prophetic word concerning Christ in chapter 2. Matthew's approach narrates a portion of Christ's life then shows how the Lord had already foretold of the events through the prophets. Matthew's Jewishness shows throughout his Gospel as he seeks to demonstrate that Christianity is the continuation of what was established in the Old Testament concerning true Judaism [Morris 2]. Just as the writer of Hebrews shows that the Levitical and sacrificial system were foreshadows of the Christ to come (thus they were prophetic), the many details spoken concerning Messiah and veiled in the experiences of Israel, have been fulfilled in the coming of the Incarnate God-Jesus Christ.

 

Twenty years ago, the world looked with interest to England and the birth of Prince William who was born to Charles and Diana. He was heir to the throne. He was born to be a king, if all goes as planned. But Matthew's record from the lips of the Magi does not show anticipation but realization. Jesus Christ is King. After traveling for perhaps months and arriving in Jerusalem, the Magi asked, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" From the moment of His birth Jesus Christ reigned as King over the universe. His kingship is realized when we see His qualifications, the vocation given to Him, and the adoration of those acknowledging His kingly authority.

 

1. Qualifications

 

I suppose that no one pays more attention to British royalty than Britain's cousin, the United States. The media finds the royal family to be captivating. Books about them sell quite well in the States. One thing that has caught our eye is whether or not Prince Charles is qualified to assume the throne after his mother. During the lengthy marital squabbles of the Prince and his late wife, we were informed that a divorce and remarriage to his commoner mistress would render him unqualified for the ceremonial position of king. How all of that shakes out will be the fodder of tabloids on both sides of the Atlantic, because the issue of qualifications is of paramount importance when crowning a king.

 

The Magi, who were likely Babylonian astrologers that had studied Jewish messianic teaching, quickly recognized the qualifications of the new King. So convinced were they of this King after seeing "His star," as they called it, that they dropped everything and made the perilous trip from Babylon to Palestine, just to gaze upon Him. While much ado is made of the Magi, most of what is written is speculation and hyperbole. How many were there? Matthew does not say. Were they Oriental Kings as the old hymn suggests? Not according to Matthew who simply tells us, "magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem." Were they fully informed concerning the Messiah so that their lives were transformed before they left Babylon? Again, no speculation is made of these astrologers who commonly dealt with "the meaning of the course for the stars and its interconnection with world events" [Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. IV, 358]. D. A. Carson points out, "Matthew neither condemns nor sanctions [their astrology]; instead, he contrasts the eagerness of the Magi to worship Jesus, despite their limited knowledge, with the apathy of the Jewish leaders and the hostility of Herod's court-all of whom had the Scriptures to inform them" [EBC-Matthew, vol. 1, 86].

 

The first qualification of the unique kingship of Jesus Christ is found in nature itself testifying of Him. While God reveals Himself especially through Scripture, He does reveal Himself in a general way through His Creation (Rom 1:20-21). And in this case, a special star-"His star"-announced the birth of the King. We get our English term, asteroid, from the Greek word used. Some ancient church fathers speculated that this might have been a special asteroid. Others in recent times have suggested that it was an appearance of Haley's Comet. Some speculate that it was a convergence in the line of sight by Jupiter and Saturn so that they almost appeared to have come together, forming a distinct celestial brilliance. We can only speculate on how God did it, but we can rejoice that He did! Creation testified of the King of the universe born into humanity.

 

But the major qualification for Christ as King is found in the quotation from Micah 5: "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." We noted a few weeks back while looking at the first chapter that Matthew begins with a genealogy. His purpose in the three sets of fourteen generations is to demonstrate that Christ is in the promised lineage of Abraham (Gal 3:15-18) through whose "seed" the families of the world would be blessed (Gen 22:18). But more so, he shows that the seed of Abraham came through David as the promise was renewed and given specifically to David that one issuing from him would sit upon his throne forever (II Sam 7:16). "Bethlehem" was known as the city of David, so that the birth of the Messiah in the lineage of David in David's hometown affirmed Jesus Christ as the King.

 

One more qualification must be mentioned. It is found in the repetition of the phrase, "the Child" (vv. 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20, 21). Many children were born into the Roman Empire during that timeframe, but only one was "the Child." The phrase points to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. Yes, there were other children, but none was God but Christ alone. Other children were born but none of a virgin mother whose conception took place by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Some of the children born during that time had great promises, some would die tragic deaths (v. 16), but only one would be the Savior of the world.

 

2. Vocation

 

The first prophetic text also tells us of the vocation of the Child: "For out of you shall come forth a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel." Just like David whom the Lord took from the sheepfold to rule and shepherd God's people (II Sam 5:2), his greater Son, Jesus Christ, would come forth from heaven through the Incarnation to shepherd the people of God. Matthew Henry points out that the attitude of the Magi was one of expecting the whole city of Jerusalem to be worshiping the new King [Matthew Henry's Commentary, vol. V, 9]. But the Jewish anticipation was not one to rule their souls but to champion them against Rome and their foes-in this case the tyrannical Herod the Great. They saw no need for a Savior to deliver them from their sin, a Redeemer to ransom them, a High Priest to mediate for them, a Ruler to reign over them, and a Shepherd to guard their souls forever. They were so bound by physical sight that they could not see beyond Herod's throne and the Roman Empire. They longed for the "good old days" of prosperity, peace, and power. But they failed to understand their history, and that all of those things are fleeting, here today and gone tomorrow, but the soul lasts forever. Even though the chief priests and scribes knew the Scripture, and could rattle off precisely where the Messiah would be born-"In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet"-they did not bother to investigate the claim of the Magi regarding the Messiah's star. They wanted a political leader with military power, not "a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel."

 

Several years ago there was a brewing controversy over whether or not a person can be saved without receiving Jesus Christ as Lord (the "Lordship Controversy"). But this passage makes it very clear that Christ has come to rule over our lives in sovereign might. In the words of Matthew Henry, "Christ will be a Saviour to those only who are willing to take him for their Governor" [10]. "Ruler" is no soft term. Added to this is the concept of "shepherd," another term that implies sovereign rule. And yet with "shepherd" there is the reality that He sovereignly rules over us with tender care and compassion, as one who can "sympathize with our weaknesses" (Heb 4:15), yet who works in us to will and do His good pleasure (Heb 13:21; Phil 2:13). He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep, and His sheep hear His voice and follow Him (John 10:1-18). Does the Good Shepherd rule over you as His own?

 

3. Adoration

 

A King must be honored and reverenced, and that we see in our text. The irony is that it is not the Jewish spiritual leaders reverencing Him. It is those whom God called out of the spiritual desert of Babylon, giving them enough light to know of the King's birth, and who followed Him until they saw Him. "And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." Herod and the Jewish leaders were of little help to the Magi, but God provided the star to identify where the Child would be. "After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother." In all likelihood, Joseph and Mary had begun to set up housekeeping in Bethlehem at this point, perhaps thinking that the Davidic promises demanded that they remain in the city of David. Most scholars think that a period of six months to as much as two years had passed before the Magi arrived. Therefore, they did not come into the stable and find the Child in a feed trough as had the shepherds, but now he was in the humble surroundings of a peasant family. They may have lived with relatives or secured a small home of their own. In either case, it was not what the Magi thought they would have found when they set out on their journey. Yet once they arrived, they could not contain themselves! "And they fell to the ground and worshiped Him." Though but a baby, they understood that He was King, so they fell before Him in humble worship. "Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." No doubt these were gifts fit for a King! What Mary and Joseph did with the gifts we can only speculate; perhaps they helped to fund the stay in Egypt. But the point that Matthew makes is that the ones recognizing Jesus Christ as the King was not the religious leaders or political leaders, but Gentiles, showing that the kingship of Christ is universal and not localized by the borders of Israel.

 

What the Magi did with very little understanding, we are able to do with great light. Whether they grasped the reason for Christ's coming or not is left to our speculation, but with what little they understood, the Magi worshiped. What are you doing with the revelation of Scripture that God has given you? You know that Christ is the Son of God, that He was incarnated in order to redeem us from our sins. You know that His death and resurrection serve as the means for us being in the presence of God in righteousness for eternity. You know that Christ sits at the Father's right hand interceding for us until that time that He returns in power and exercises His prerogatives as Judge. You and I know all of that! So what are we doing to express the honor and worth due to the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you worship the King of kings as your King and Shepherd of your life?

 

II. The King opposed

 

The Gospels do not pretend to show smooth sailing for the Messiah. At every turn there were those who opposed Him, and who did their best to frustrate His purposes. But none succeeded! Even as a Child when Jesus Christ had to live in dependence upon the faithfulness of Joseph and Mary as his earthly parents, we find mounting opposition and God's continued deliverance.

 

1. Sovereign details

 

After the Magi had worshiped, they were "warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod," so they "left for their own country by another way." The plan Herod had in mind was to quietly get the news of the Child's location, then to kill Him and probably the Magi as well so that no rival could claim his throne. We struggle to imagine how anyone could be so vicious, but Herod was so evil that he killed his favorite wife, Mariamne-who happened to be of Jewish descent of the famed Maccabeans, strangled two of his sons, and killed yet another son who talked a bit too freely about inheriting his father's throne from Rome. Even before his death Herod ordered that the Jewish leaders in his realm be put to death so that the whole land would sorrow at his death-an order that fortunately was not carried out [see Morris and Carson].

 

Before Herod caught wind of the Magi's departure, Joseph was directed in another dream to make a hasty escape. "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'." Herod's intentions were certain but a Sovereign hand directed every step so that our Redeemer might bear the debt and burden of our sins at the cross. Though Joseph was quite comfortable in Bethlehem, he quickly obeyed, leaving in the night for Egypt. Then Matthew adds, "This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called My Son'." Quoting from Hosea 11:1 that refers to the exodus of Israel out of Egypt, Matthew explains that it was finally fulfilled in Christ. The reason was due to Israel's failure to obey the Lord once they were called out of Egypt. They were only shadows, and often, poor ones at that, of the Lord to come. Matthew uses this reference to Israel, claiming that it was "to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet." The concept of "fulfill" implies that the full meaning (Gk. plerothe) of what the Lord intended in the prophecy was now being made known. Jesus is the "antitype" of what Israel is the "type," much the same way that we have seen that in our study of Hebrews. The prophecy demonstrates that every minute detail promised, the sovereign working of God fulfilled concerning the Messiah. God sovereignly designed the census to be taken by Caesar Augustus at just the right time, so that Joseph would carry Mary to Bethlehem to deliver the Child according to Micah's prophecy. Now Herod follows plan so that Christ would enter the dark land of Egypt to emerge as the Light of the world (see Carson 91-93).

 

2. Future hope

 

D. A. Carson calls verses 16-18, "the massacre of Bethlehem's boys" [93]. The deranged mind of sin multiplied in one man concocted the plan to murder all the boys two years old and under in Bethlehem, just in case this Child would threaten Herod's reign. The incident recorded is not found in other historical works, so some complain that Matthew made this up. But the records are clear that Herod was capable of doing such a heinous act, and would have masterminded a cover-up lest Rome find out about it. Besides, Bethlehem was a small village, so that by the best estimates there were only about a dozen or so boys in the area. Unfortunately, that was small by Herod's standards. Josephus records that Herod assembled the leading men from all over Judea when he was at the point of death, and had them locked up. He instructed his sister and her husband, "I know that the Jews will celebrate my death by a festival; yet I can obtain a vicarious mourning and a magnificent funeral, if you consent to my instructions. You know these men here in custody; the moment I expire have them surrounded by the soldiers and massacred; so shall all Judaea and every household weep for me, whether they will or no" [Cleon Rogers, Jr., The Topical Josephus, 34]. It is no small wonder that the enraged Herod "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."

 

The prophecy of Jeremiah records not only the pains of exile but the yet future time that baby boys were slaughtered by Herod: "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more." There is almost the feeling that we wish Matthew had left out this detail-so painful does it lie on the mind. Yet it is given to remind us of just how wretched the human heart can be. The insane jealousy and rage of Herod has been multiplied a thousand times over in our own day. Not only have we seen this in Hitler, Stalin, Amin, Hussein, and now Bin Laden, but also it has been present in our own nation for the past thirty years since abortion was legalized. How many little boys and girls have been slaughtered legally through the desire to pursue the path of sin, our minds can hardly contain! Bethlehem wept for her little boys. And we weep for the 40 million of our sons and daughters in America that would be standing by our side at a time like this but for the hardness of people's hearts and the unrelenting pursuit of sin. Dare I say that Herod's sin in killing the boys of Bethlehem was mild in comparison to the slaughter of millions of innocent children through the abortion clinics?

 

But with the grim message of how wretched sin really is, there is the underlying message of hope. For Herod sought to extinguish the Light of the world, the Bread from heaven, the one hope for sinners, but he could not! Hope carved a path for Joseph and Mary as they carried the Child, Jesus, to Egypt, and later brought Him back. Hope covered the steps of Christ as He traversed the region of Galilee and finally made His way to the gory hill of Golgotha. Hope for those weighed down by sin was brought to life at the cross, and in the resurrection. Though "weeping and great mourning" was heard in Ramah, though "she refused to be comforted, because they were no more," hope for forgiveness, life, and eternal comfort is found in the one Herod sought but God gave for you-Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of all who believe. This "stone which the builders rejected," this very Stone "became the very corner stone," the rock of our salvation. And though rejected by men, He is choice and precious in the sight of God and for all who believe in Him (I Pet 2:6-8).

 

III. The King scorned

 

The last paragraph and prophecy bring out the humble humanity of our Lord. Once again, Joseph had a dream to get up and take Mary and the Child back to the land of Israel. Herod was dead, so Joseph made his way to Bethlehem, evidently intending to pick up where he left off with developing his trade there. But hearing that Archelaus was king in Herod's place, he balked. Archelaus was like his father, just not quite as powerful but every bit as wicked. So God spoke to Joseph in a dream again, telling him to leave for the regions of Galilee, and so he "came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: 'He shall be called a Nazarene'." Two simple points are important for us to see.

 

1. His humanity

 

Everywhere Jesus went Joseph carried Him. "So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel." The Son of God, the Creator of the universe now come in the flesh, was carried about by this peasant man into Egypt, back to Israel, and into Nazareth. He lived in dependence upon his parents. Just like any baby that comes into the world, He came helplessly, needing their tenderness, care, and attention. His humanity cannot be doubted when we think of His helplessness as a baby.

 

2. His humility

 

You will search in vain to find one prophet that uses the name, "Nazarene." You can find Nazarite, but that refers to the title of particular dedication to the Lord, as in that explained in Judges concerning Samson. But this prophecy was not a one-liner spoken by one prophet. It was "spoken through the prophets," plural. The title must be understood in terms of its contemptible usage. Nazareth was an unimportant city that had nothing but a poor reputation among Israelites. Do you remember Nathaniel's remark to Philip's word that they had found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth? "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" he asked (John 1:45-46). That was the way everyone in Israel felt. Every region has its "Nazareth," a place of such contempt and scorn, that no one wants to claim it as his hometown.

 

That is the point made by the prophets. The King would not be like the arrogant Herod and prideful Caesar Augustus. He would walk in humility. Maybe Isaiah captures it best: "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit"-just a shoot and a branch (11:1). "He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed he will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish" (42:2-3). "For he grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him" (53:2-3).

 

Conclusion

 

It is this Child that has been sent to be our King. Do you know Him as King of your life? He is King, no man can change that; but have you acknowledged Him as the Lord and King of your life forever?

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