Behold the King 04: The Recognized and Unrecognized King, Matthew 2:1-12

The holiday season is winding down, with New Year’s Day in less than a week—then it’s back to the grind. But we still have one Christmas message left. Today we will be looking at the arrival of the Wise Men after the birth of Jesus. In our passage, we see very different responses to Jesus’ birth. How we respond to Jesus makes all the difference. Do we recognize Him as Lord and Savior, or do we reject Him as a threat to our personal sovereignty? This passage dives deeply into both responses.
Regarding the Wise Men, we love the imagery surrounding these people. Songs are sung about them and nativity sets are produced including them, but there isn’t a lot we know about them. We will explore who and what these men were, and more importantly, we will see how they respond to the True King.
Before that, however, we are going to examine Herod, the usurper king sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. When he hears of this incredible birth, he doesn’t respond in worship or awe. He doesn’t recognize the King.