Call to worship:
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.Psalm 46:1-11
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
What is the significance of the magi being invited?
How does God go about fulfilling His promises to the nations?
Where is God calling you to wait?
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
Thank you for this Advent season where we remember the arrival of Jesus and His promised return, where He will make all things new.. Would you help us to regularly reflect on Your faithfulness, and place Your truth into the areas where we struggle to trust. Holy Spirit, help us to reflect the light of Christ to those around us.
In the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
Notes//Quotes//Slides:
Matthew 2:1-12 - Faith Reading
Slide 1
The Big Idea
The Magi prove that God keeps His promise to bless all the nations of the earth
Slide 2
Who was Herod the King?
Slide 3
“There are lots of Herods in the New Testament—this one is the first Herod, Herod the Great, the King of the Jews. But the thing about Herod the Great, the King of the Jews, is that he wasn’t a Jew and shouldn’t have been king. He wasn’t from the tribe of Judah, or the house of David. He wasn’t actually a Jew—he was an Idumean, an Edomite, technically, one of Israel’s historical enemies.
He ruled by terror and murder. He was paranoid and at times seems legit crazy. At one point when he was literally on his death bed, he thought his own sons were trying to assassinate him. He’s literally on his death bed actually dying—so he had his own sons executed. By the last few years of his life it seems like he was completely out of his tree.”
Craig Hamilton
Slide 4
Who were the wise men?
Slide 5
“Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.”
Exodus 7:11-12
Slide 6
“Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler of the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.”
Daniel 2:48
Slide 7
““The group of Magi in question came “from the East.” They might have been Zoroastrians, Medes, Persians, Arabs, or even Jews. They probably served as court advisors, making forecasts and predictions for their royal patrons based on their study of the stars, about which they were quite knowledgeable. Magi often wandered from court to court, and it was not unusual for them to cover great distances in order to attend the birth or crowning of a king, paying their respects and offering gifts. It is not surprising, therefore, that Matthew would mention them as validation of Jesus’ kingship, or that Herod would regard their arrival as a very serious matter.”
Craig Chester
Slide 8
What was the star?
Slide 9
“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
Revelation 21:23-25
Slide 10
What do the gifts mean?
Slide 11
The ultimate question: What’s the point?
Slide 12
“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse., and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:3
Slide 13
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Habakkuk 2:14
Slide 14
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10
Slide 15
“Matthew plainly says that, though Jesus was the Messiah, born in David’s line and certain to be Shepherd and Ruler of Israel, it was the Gentiles who came to worship him.”
D.A. Carson
Slide 16
“And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
Ephesians 2:17-19
Slide 17
The Big Idea
The Magi prove that God keeps His promise to bless all the nations of the earth