The Light of the World (Matthew 2:1-12)
It’s Advent season, and here’s our second sermon in this season. You can catch the audio and the video here.
We live in a divided world, don’t we? I don’t think I can ever remember things in America being quite this bad. Long-time friends no longer speaking. Churches being torn completely apart. There’s so much division.
And isn’t our world also so dark? A cloud has been hanging over our nation, it feels like. And every time the sun seems to almost show its face, another variant rears its ugly head. And all of this has brought out the worst in all of us. Crime is way up. Civility is way down. So much darkness - everywhere.
But today - just as back many, many years ago, a light is shining. The light of the world. And it - really He - shows us the way out of all of this. It shows us the way to something better. Here today, in Matthew 2:1-12, we see these travelers called “wise men” on a quest. They see a light up in the sky, and they set out after it. And there in Israel, they find what they’ve been searching for. Not just an astronomical marvel - a feast for their eyes, but what the celestial beauty led them to - a feast for their hearts. Hope, peace, joy - in the child King they find there in Bethlehem.
Now if you’ve just walked in today for the first time - or it’s been awhile - we’ve just started a series through the book of Matthew. We’re in the opening chapters of the book, the prologue, the introduction, where we learn who Jesus is and where He’s from. Today, we learn He’s from Israel, and from Bethlehem. But we also learn that He’s the Light of the World - back then and still today. We’ll see a couple of main things in this passage this morning. First, the light coming into the world. Second, the world drawing to that light.
The Light Shines
First, the light comes into the world. Right away, we see “wise men” coming to Israel, pursuing a star. Now this was no ordinary star. People have debated. Could this have been a comet? Or a conjunction of planets? Something unmistakably glorious that the maker of stars had placed in the sky? Like a super supernova, perhaps? We don’t know. But the fact that it was that striking - and that it was moving - make it seem clearly miraculous, definitely supernatural. God the Father will move the heavens to make much of His Son.
Matthew says these men come “from the east.” We don’t know for sure where their journey started. Some have said as far as India. But there’s one reason why many think it was likely Babylon. There were still Jews there. God’s people had been judged - and deported there - back in the day. And God had been silent ever since. Israel - and the world - were covered in darkness. Until this day, when they saw this star. There in Babylon, these “wise men” may have heard prophecies like Numbers 24:17. Which reads, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Maybe it’s from those Jews there that they learned, as they say in verse 2, that the “king of the Jews” has been born.
They come to Jerusalem asking around. And “Herod the King” hears about it. This is the man known as “Herod the Great.” Yes, he rebuilt the temple in those days and was known for other marvelous building projects. But he really wasn’t that great in power - propped up by the Romans to keep the Jews under control. And Herod certainly wasn’t a great person. He was really wicked actually. We’ll see some of his insecurities today and what they give birth to next week.
He has to call the religious scholars to figure out what it all means. Unlike those “wise men,” they should have seen this coming. They didn’t even notice the star in the sky. But when it’s pointed out to them, they still just shrug their shoulders. They’re not moved to check things out further, even as they guide Herod to where the baby would be born. They inform him of another Jewish prophecy that’s being fulfilled in this birth. Verse 6 quotes Micah 5:2, which reads:
Matt. 2:6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of
Judah; for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Jesus is from a humble place, actually the hometown of David, Bethlehem.
Now after Herod’s investigation, he tries to conscript the “wise men” as informants. This is a year or two after Christ’s birth. They’re not in a stable anymore. Now they’re in a house. We learn the timeline from his diabolical plan at the end of the chapter. He sends them on their way, asking them to let him know when they find the boy. So he, too, can worship. Yeah, right. His true motives will come to the light soon enough.
Twice in the passage, Matthew uses the word “behold.” This is a Hebrew way of trying to get attention. He’s saying, “Hey! Look! This is a big deal.” He says, there in verse 9, “And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.” Yes. It stopped over that house. In Bethlehem. The star! This is no ordinary child. Check this out!
At the beginning of Isaiah, right before the famous Christmas passage in chapter 9, it reads like this:
Is. 9:2 The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
This is the Light of the World. Jesus later calls Himself this in John 8:12. Well, what does that mean? And how does it bring hope to our darkness today? Light shines. It shows us what is true, good, and beautiful. Maybe you’ve been in one of our state’s caves. So dark that you can’t see your hand right in front of your face. But even lighting a match lets you see how things really are. Jesus is truth, goodness, beauty. He takes away our blindness. He gives us eyes to truly see. And He is no small light. He is magnificent. He is resplendent.
Light also means that God is here. He is indeed “with us” (Matthew 1:23), as we saw last week. His name is “Immanuel.” “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all,” as 1 John 1:5 puts it. His presence exposes sin for what it is. And provides for us the way out of it. He dies for it, in fact. This child will go to the cross - for sinners like you and me. For this broken world. So that you and me - and all of this darkness around us - can be healed. We’re not alone. And not without hope.
This also means that the King is here. He gets that label - by those “wise men” even there, as a baby. That’s why verse 3 says Herod is “troubled,” and why he hatches this plan. Jesus threatens the kings of this world - as well our little puppet kingdoms. He doesn’t rule like they - or we - do. Did you hear verse 6? He’s a “shepherd” - like David, but better. He’s something greater than Herod or any kings you and I try to prop up. He doesn’t lord Himself over us. He’s a servant. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He’s the Anointed One, the Messiah. He’s the “King of the Jews,” as those “wise men” put it.
So here’s what we do with this. We first go low. Like Him. We don’t just lament the darkness out there. We repent of the darkness right here. Unlike those Jewish leaders and citizens here. We don’t fight against it like Herod. Protecting our little kingdoms. We wave our white flags. And plead for His help.
And we second reach up. Up to that sky. To that King who is also a Savior. We trust Him to heal and transform what’s wrong in here. As well as what’s out there. Karis, the light is still shining. And He’ll keep shining until that day that Revelation 22 talks about, when “night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” The Light shines. And He will overcome the darkness.
The Light Comes
Second, the world draws toward the light. Where’s the other “behold” here? It’s right there in verse 1. Matthew, an Israelite writing to other Israelites says this: “Do you catch it guys? ‘Wise men from the east’ - Gentiles - are coming to worship! Wow! Can you believe it?” Even here, not long after His birth, He’s not just a light. He’s the Light of the world. Behold that.
Twice in the book of Isaiah, in the famous “Servant Songs,” that prophet speaks of one coming who’d be a “light for the nations” - once in chapter 42 and again in chapter 49 (Isa. 42:6-7; 49:6-9). Hear also these words from the end of that prophecy:
Is. 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
Is. 60:2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
Is. 60:3 And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Is. 60:4 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Is. 60:5 Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be
turned to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
Is. 60:6 A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall bring good news, the praises of the
LORD.
The nations would come. Bringing gifts. Expensive gifts fit for a King. Did you catch that? Coming to worship. And it’s happening here at Christ’s birth. And still now, in even greater measure, as He reigns in heaven, until He’ll one day return. The world is drawing to Him. Here, likely from Babylon. Gentiles - people outside of Israel - are worshipping this King. He is the King of the earth!
Now there aren’t likely just three “wise men” in that home in Bethlehem - regardless of how many types of gifts are mentioned. They surely came with a large entourage. And although every king will bow - just like Herod we see here - “we three kings of orient are” is a pretty misleading lyric. Because, as you’ve also probably heard before, these men were what would be better translated as Magi.
Now if you want to see something vintage Karis and have a good LOL in the process, type these words into YouTube later today: “which way Lord karis.” It’ll take you to a video from 2012 - likely recorded on an iPhone 3 - that introduces a series we did on knowing the will of God back in the day. In those four messages, we talked about the truly crazy ways even Christians pursue divine guidance, and how God actually wants us to grow in godly wisdom.
Anyway, in the video, you almost immediately see a shot of a sign for a psychic studio. It’s at the top story of the building downtown that now houses Broadway Brewery. That psychic operated in that spot for sometime, I guess, but even by the time of the release of that video, it had been replaced by… guess what? Us. It became one of our first Karis offices. We used to joke all the time, about the business in that place before, “Replaced by a church? I wonder if they saw that one coming?” No longer were people there trying to read palms. The light of the gospel had shone into that place.
The word for “magi” is yes, where we get the word magic. They weren’t that unlike those psychics. Or astrologers. They were pagans. Idolaters. The Old Testament doesn’t mince words in making clear what God thinks of that stuff.
They aren’t just Gentiles. Like Matthew the tax collector - and each of us - they’re also sinners. Even they are coming to this child in Bethlehem!
As David Mathis puts it, “Gandalf and Dumbledore are coming to worship the baby Jesus.” He also writes,
“This is astounding — that God is welcoming the magi, and not on the provision that they first abandon their life of astrology and magic. No, he comes to them where they are, in their sin. He goes as far as to exploit the very channel of their deepest idolatry to draw them to Jesus.” (David Mathis)
This is the Light - the Light of the World. Well, what does that mean? And how does it bring hope to our division today? This light brings the nations together. He is the only One who can. As people from every people group of the world fall down before His throne in worship, they show the glory of His creation, as well as the power of His gospel.
Take His creation. He made us to be one with Him and one with each other. He made us uniquely - skin hues included - to image His beauty. The fall into sin messed it all up. It pitted us against one another. Now His gospel - accomplished through His perfect life that we see begin here - and through His sacrificial death that purchased the nations with His blood - it restores us little by little until those from every “every tribe and language and people and nation” will rule with Him over the earth.
But again, it’s not just the nations that come. It’s sinners. And that’s all of us here. As we go through this gospel, we’re going to see Jesus lambast the Pharisees, while He welcomes the last, the least, the lost. Folks like the “wise men,” the Magi. Now imagine if psychics started joining us here on Sundays. Or maybe astrologers or even witches - they began streaming in.
Maybe someone had their palm read and it somehow led them here. Now they’re suddenly reading the Psalms. We might respond, ”I didn’t see that one coming.” But that would mean we saw the light as far too dim. And had forgotten that we, too, had been saved out of this world.
What’s at the bottom of all this division is the rebellion that’s in our hearts. Our darkness. Sin against God that comes out against others. Our way forward isn’t found in trying to become better people. The Pharisees were all over that, and we know where that took them. What’s needed is for us to be humbler people - people who are poor in Spirit, who mourn for their sins, who are known for meekness, and who hunger and thirst for God. The gospel again shows us the way out and through.
Jesus is the Light of the World. This also means that His kingdom is here. The kingdoms of this world are bowing at the feet of Christ and His Kingdom. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. That He is Lord. All of our pathetic little kingdoms will evaporate. They’ll burn up. In His blazing presence. This is no doubt why Israel also is said here to be “troubled” with Herod. They’d prefer what they know and expect from Rome over the One who’d come and chuck over tables and tear into hypocrites.
And, as a result, pagan astrologers are passing them en route to that Star. Could the same tragedy be happening with God’s people today? Will we be similarly shamed?
Here’s what we do with this. First, we open wide. Our hearts to His reign. Our arms to the nations. And we live out the welcome we see here even in the baby Jesus. And then throughout His life. The light of the nations will keep on shining. Until all the peoples of the world have found their way in.
But here’s what’s interesting. Back then the nations are coming toward that light. It’s how this gospel kicks off. But notice how the gospel ends. Now we’re meant to take the light out to them. Second, we go out. That baby grows up. And He tells us this.
Matt. 28:18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Matt. 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Matt. 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Have you heard of centripetal versus centrifugal force? Centripetal pulls toward the center. Centrifugal pushes outward. Centrifugal force is what makes merry-go-rounds fun. What makes you feel like you’re going to fly right off. But it’s centripetal force that keeps you out of the ER most of the time - provided that you can somehow hold on.
Israel was meant to stand as a light, drawing the nations to her. More, come and see. But they failed. Jesus came to be the Light of the Nations, drawing all to Him, as we see here. But He now sends us out. Now, go and tell. And we see that in the book of Acts. To go to all nations. Making disciples. Calling people to Him.
What We All Need
Telling people. He is the Light in this darkness. He will end all this division. We have hope. Like the wise men here, we’re meant to seek after Him. And to fall down before Him in worship. And to there, in Him, find joy. Did you see that? Those magi? They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (verse 10).
And we’re also meant to proclaim - as the Magi did to Herod, and I’m sure to everyone on their way home - of the glory of this Bright Morning Star. Jesus is the light we all want and that this world needs. Let’s carry that light into our worlds, as well.
I love what Rich Villodas said this week:
“Advent invites us into a prayerful expectation, a holy waiting, an attentive gaze. What are we awaiting? Resplendent light. God’s light. Isaiah announces that a great light is coming— coming from an unexpected source.
It’s making its way through a child, the Messiah. This light is not to be found in some new political power, or in some cultural movement. It’s not located in a particular ideology, but rather is found through the living-God-in-Flesh.
Advent reminds us that no matter how dark it gets, the light has come, and the light is coming. So be of good cheer! The darkness you feel today will not have the last world.” (Rich Villodas)
Here are four quick questions I want to leave you with. Two for the truth that He is light. Two for the truth that He is for the world.
First, are you and I running to His light? Are we trusting in Him during this dark time? I know I’ve struggled so much - with discouragement about myself and with sadness and anger as I look at our world today. Church, the light still shines. And He calls us to come to Him.
Second, are you and I emitting His light? In this dark world, are we looking like the Light of the World? Are we reflecting His glory to those around us? Or are we joining in, making things worse? He wants us to shine like the stars.
Third, are we welcoming others into His light? Church, the nations are coming to us. And so many in America today are giving them stiff arms and angry glares. And are we the kind of people who are so filled with light, like our Lord, that those who came to Him - tax collectors and astrologers - want to also be around us?
Fourth, are we going out, carrying forth that light? Are we out in our city, living lives of love, carrying the good news? How many of us will go to the nations - even risking our lives - to share Jesus with those who don’t know?
I love the words of John 1:5. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Karis, the Light is shining still. He is drawing the nations to Him. Let’s come close to Him and be warmed by His light. And then invite others in the darkness to join us. Let’s pray.