Matthew 2:1-12 (#4.2021.03.28)

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:02

Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there will be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.

Scott Keffer [: 00:00:47

Well, I mean, say their lives have changed a bit with COVID and the, the continued extended lockdown? Raise your hand, you'd say, if you've changed a bit. Right? One of those unexpected interruptions in life. One of the books we read from time to time in our, business is a, small book, fun and very insightful. It's called Who Moved My Cheese? Who Moved My Cheese? How many have read it? You read Who Moved My Cheese? It's a great parable. It's a fun little story about, cheese that gets moved. And 2 mice who don't like it very well and who continue to go back to where the cheese used to be, and the 2 mice who have to move on and find the new cheese find the new cheese. So it's not very fun when life gets booted, if you will, or interrupted, certainly, when we have plans in place and things seem to change. Well, God seems to be, very good at that, of interrupting our plans and our purposes with his plans and purposes in mind.

Scott Keffer [: 00:01:57

And we're gonna look at some different responses today. Everything from, looking at God's intrusion into our life as upsetting our plans to uprighting our plans. Upsetting our plans to uprighting our plans. Because God reminds us that he is nullifying the things that are. He's nullifying the things that are. So we are in the book of Matthew, and we're going through a familiar story, of course. Been a Christian for a while. You've been through the gospels.

Scott Keffer [: 00:02:30

You know the story. You know the details. What I want you to do is put on a set of glasses as we go through this journey and take a look at the sovereignty of God as he shows himself to us through the gospel of Matthew, the sovereignty of God. And so in this very first, set of, scriptures, these first chapters, he is revealing the proof of the Messiah and the proof of the fact that he is the sovereign king. So today, we're gonna look at Matthew 2, verse 1 through 12. Chapter 2 verse 1 through 12. So if we could, if we would stand out of reverence to God and his word. I'm gonna read from the New American Standard.

Scott Keffer [: 00:03:25

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's been born king of the Jews? For we sought his star in the east, and we've 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 is the Messiah 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, and by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. And Herod secretly called the Magi and determined with them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, go search carefully for the child. When you've found him, report to me so that I 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 and Mary's mother.

Scott Keffer [: 00:04:48

They fell to the ground and worshiped him. And opening their treasures, they presented to him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the Magi left for their own country to another way. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. So here we are in the gospel of Matthew. No great detail about the birth of Jesus like in Luke. If he's a doctor, I guess that would make some sense, but no great detail.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:30

But just Jesus is born. Right? In fact, in the past tense, now after Jesus was born, literally, it already happened when we show up in chapter 2. Jesus was born. So I'd like you to think about the sovereignty on display. That's the blank there. The sovereignty on display. Because, again, at the top, the proof. You can underline the proof.

Scott Keffer [: 00:05:58

These first sections are proving, if you will, the Messiah. He was born in Bethlehem, the ancestral home of David, founder of the royal dynasty and the legal royal line. Remember we said, right, this if you look at the the line through, in Matthew here, we're looking at the legal, the royal line as opposed to Luke. The legal royal line through Joseph leading back to David, son of David, son of David. So I put on there, and Jack knows this well. He reminds me of this all the time. The math of the Messiah. Having been a kind of a math geek, well, because I was a geek, introvert, loner, growing up, you know, and I liked math.

Scott Keffer [: 00:06:46

Right? It it's amazing to me that you can be a mathematician and not be a Christian. I I I don't even I I can't even not even imagine how you could be a mathematician and not be a Christian. So look around and see mathematically. I wanna say to the we have a a a couple folks in our in our coaching program from, Toronto. Really nice people. You know? And, he sends me one one of the guys we follow is a a marketer named Seth Godin, and he, he has a a a blog post on the improbability of universal delight, that it's impossible to delight everyone. Right? Which is his point. You can't delight everyone.

Scott Keffer [: 00:07:29

And I put I had sent to him the improbability of, randomness becoming systematic. So when was the last time I'll ask when was the last time in your office that things in your office came together into a system by themselves? In fact, where is there anywhere where things come together systematically by themselves? So all you have to do is look around and see the way things are systematically. Well, bore 700 years before Christ, Micah says that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem of Judea. So the probability of that I the I looked up these numbers, Jack. You probably know if I have these right. The probability of that one being coming true is 2.8 times 10 to the 5th power or 1 in 280,000. 1 in 280,000 to 700 years before this say, and if 8 prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus, which at least 8 were, it's 1 times 10 to 17th power, which, somebody said, if you took the state of Texas and you filled it with gold coins 2 feet deep, and you put one coin in the mix of it and mixed it around and said to somebody, I want you to go into the state of Texas. You have as long as you want and find that one gold coin.

Scott Keffer [: 00:08:57

That's the probability of 8 prophecies being fulfilled in Jesus. So improbable that it happened by accident. Of course, if probability's convinced everyone would be a Christian, there is enough probability. But there is probability for his people. RC Sproul said, the the primary purpose the primary purpose of defending the faith is for believers, to strengthen your courage. So the fact that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea is 1 to that times 2.8 times 10 to the 5th power. So even if you're not in math, you gotta say that's a lot. Whatever that is, that's a big number.

Scott Keffer [: 00:09:48

That's a pretty big probability. So I put on there, what's the probability that the Lord has your situation in hand? What's the probability that throughout all these generations that you go back through this genealogy that he connected everybody to the coming Messiah? I mean, think about all the details that happened over all of this period of time, And how do you have his hand on those? While people were making all their decisions, some good, some not so good, and some inherently evil and purposefully evil. All of this is happening at the same time over years years years, and here the Messiah shows up. Either it's an amazing coincidence or our god has his hand of power over all things. And I think that's the hardest thing to get, but I think it is it is the footer at which you should build your faith. You should let your feet set firmly into the sovereignty of God. Without it, we're just flipping around in the wind. And as things seem to change more and more out of our control, I think you need to go back and look, where are my footers? Where are my footers? What's the probability? Not a single sparrow falls to the earth without his leave and his notice? What's the probability that whatever circumstance you have, including the world and the insanity in the world, is the world insane or what? Yes.

Scott Keffer [: 00:11:36

It is insane because it is upside down. So he comes to nullify the things that are the world system. He has turned that's why he's coming. He's either going to upset or he's going to upright your world. He's gonna upset your world or he's going to upright your world. And so I put in there the reminder is that at a moment in time at a moment in time, at the eternally decreed right moment of time, eternally decreed. Eternally decreed. What does that mean? Not only before there was time, because we think about that chronologically.

Scott Keffer [: 00:12:22

Like, this happened at a point in time and it did, but it was eternally decreed, which means it was to happen. He says, I I speak and it comes to pass. I plan it. I purpose it. And who can reverse it? No one. It was eternally decreed, and I love this. But when the fullness of time came fullness of time came at the exact, eternally decreed, perfect moment. And so the world asked us and our unbelief asked us, so where is God? And scripture says, our God is in the heavens, and he does as he pleases.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:19

And that's a good thing because his will is good and perfect. We know that. Right? He does as he pleases. He does as he eternally pleases. And I was thinking, on Saturday morning, we have in the morning, we have our coffee, and it's, it's country gospel on Saturday morning fries. So we have a country gospel, mix. And so we listen to country gospel. Alan Jackson and, others.

Scott Keffer [: 00:13:46

And, there's a great version of I'll Fly Away by Keith Urban. It's a great version with, banjo and just wonderful version. It's from, from a country gospel, collection. And I was thinking that I'll fly away. How many like that? I'll fly away. One day, I'll fly away. We want to leave this Earth. He came to this earth.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:13

He came to this earth. I want out. I wanna get out of here. He came. Is that mind blowing? Why would the god why? How? What? And he came fully god and fully man on Earth. It was the father's good pleasure for all the father's good pleasure, the hypostatic union, which is a a conceptual thing. Right? God became man. The fullness of deity dwelt in bodily form.

Scott Keffer [: 00:14:53

A 100% god, a 100% man. What? There's all the question like, how did he do that? But before that, our god would come to rescue us? You gotta be kidding me. I'd let us go. Like, years years years of rebellion. You're on your own. No. He came to earth fully god, fully man. And I put on there, Jesus fully god and fully man eternally.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:20

He was not only here on earth at a time, but eternally. Love this in Luke 24. Is our god mind blowing or what? So in Luke 24, it says, while they were telling these things, he himself stood in their midst and said, peace be to you. Oh, what? Jesus shows up. Peace be to you. They were startled and frightened. No doubt. There's Jesus standing in their midst, like startled and frightened and freaked out, we'd say.

Scott Keffer [: 00:15:50

They thought they were seeing a spirit. They thought they were hallucinating. We said to them, why are you troubled? Oh, Jesus. You're here. What? Why do doubts arise in your heart? Why? Supernatural. He has transcended. He stepped into the material world, the incontainable. The uncontainable became containable.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:15

What? Without being, still being uncontainable. What? See my hands and my feet. It's high myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. And then I love it. He says, have you anything to eat? He's eternally, fully god, fully man. You don't have anything to eat. Like, what? They gave him a piece of grilled fish.

Scott Keffer [: 00:16:43

You still like fish? He ate it. What? Because I put on there Jesus is fully god and fully new man. He's new man. He's the new man. He's the second Adam. And he didn't come and just do what Adam didn't do. He did more than, much more than. We are now joint heirs with him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:12

Is that mind blowing? We're joint heirs with him? Like, he he took our sin and we got rewarded. What? He's created an inheritance for us. We we share his glory. What? He's the firstborn among many brethren. He's the first fruits. He's the second Adam. Holy smokes. And he shows up and everything begins to change.

Scott Keffer [: 00:17:44

A stir began, I love the spurgeon, as soon as Christ is born. He's not spoken a word. He's not wrought a miracle. He's not proclaimed a single doctrine. While as yet you hear nothing but infant cries and can see nothing but infant weakness, still his influence upon the world is manifest. There's infinite power even in an infant savior. There's infinite power. Infinite power.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:11

So he says to us today, why are you troubled? Why are you troubled? Same thing he says here. And why do doubts arise in your heart? He says, see. See my hands. See my see me. I'm real. I'm as real. No. In fact, I'm more real.

Scott Keffer [: 00:18:32

How many read The Great Divorce, CS Lewis? It's like I got on a bus, so people get on a bus, and they're going toward a mountain. And as they get there, they become they become more, what do I wanna say? The things that they as they get closer, they become more solid and they become, right, they, all the plants and stuff seem to push through them. And it's a reminder that that reality is where is in the Lord. What is real and what is infinite and what is enduring is in him. Stir begins. So we see a spectrum of response. We see the Magi, wise men, more than 3, likely, exile believing Jews, don't know for sure, who are waiting for the promised Messiah. They were astronomers, astrologers, scientists, magicians.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:29

And it says they saw the star and they followed. Don't know for sure how long they followed, but it was 3, 400 miles on a camel. No. I've never ridden ridden a camel, but, you know, it's like that's driving, you know, to the shore. It's like driving to the shore. From here to the shore, let's go to the Jersey Shore on camel. Why? Well, there's a star. Hey, honey.

Scott Keffer [: 00:19:57

We're we're packing up, and we're following the star. Well, you know what? This hearkens back to when he called Abraham, doesn't it? He called him out of Ur. Go to a country which you don't even know exist. And Abraham obeyed. So I put in there faith in action, Which is why, listen, it's sitting under the the absolute sovereignty of God. God calls us to put our faith in action, to make decisions that cause us to change our course, to do something different, to change our daily life. The sovereignty sits overall. Right? Man plans his ways, the Lord directs his steps.

Scott Keffer [: 00:20:43

But we still we make choices about our steps. So it says they they saw the star and they followed, and they came. They had a purpose. What was the purpose? To worship. I put on there worship. Action. Worship. Come, let us sing for joy to the lord.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:01

Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let's come before him with thanksgiving. Let us shout joyfully to him. Psalms, I sometimes I say to the Lord, a lot of joy in there, and sometimes I feel like, you know, like, grinding my way through. Like, shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. The lord is a great god and a great king, he says above all gods, in whose hands are the depths of the earth, and the peaks of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, and his hand formed the dry land. The depths, the peaks, the sea, the land, like everything.

Scott Keffer [: 00:21:35

So he says, come. Let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the lord our god, our maker. For he is our God, and hear that we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hands. Are you bowing down in worship on a daily basis? Are you bowing down in worship on a daily basis? I always said, I want a place in my carpet or on my hardwood floor where there's too little little indents, where my knees set on a daily basis. Sometimes it's hard to get up from the because you're because things get stiffer, don't they? Yep. Or are you bowing down in worship? They came to worship him. Action.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:23

Worship. Giving. Says they gave. Giving. That's the 3rd space. They gave. They offered him costly gifts. Gold.

Scott Keffer [: 00:22:36

They didn't know this, but gold speaks of his royalty. Incense, his divinity. Myrrh, his death. David said, I won't offer anything that cost me nothing. Costly gifts. Costly gifts. You grow up and say, do I should I tithe on my gross or my net? Larry Bacchae said, depends on whether you want God to bless your gross or your net. And I said, actually, if you believe in tithing and you wanna follow Old Testament tithing, it's actually 23 a third percent because there's 2 tithes and a third one that happens every 3 years.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:18

So if you wanna tithe, tithe 23 a half percent. Otherwise, give graciously with a joyful heart, but they gave costly gifts. Those who look for Jesus will see him, Spurgeon says. Those who truly see him will worship him. Those who worship him will consecrate their substance to him. Of course, he says, I urge you therefore, brother, and by the mercies of God to present your bodies, a living and holy sacrifice. All of life. Right? All of life.

Scott Keffer [: 00:23:49

All of life. So think about that. What's one way you grow your faith and action? Is there something that God is calling you to do these days? What's one way you can grow your worship? Bending your knee on a regular basis. And worship and confession. I don't know how you can go without confession. I don't know how you can get with the Lord and not confess. Because I can't enter his holy presence and not see my own, and then rejoice in the blood of Jesus every day. There's power.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:27

Power. Wonder working power in the blood. Yeah. The precious blood of the lamb. And then what's one way to grow and give it? One way to grow and giving. Well, there is a spectrum of response. We see the Magi, the wise men. And we see Herod.

Scott Keffer [: 00:24:48

Herod was troubled. So Herod was troubled. Herod the king. Of course, he was troubled. Nedomite. He was appointed king of the Jews. He wasn't even Jewish. Wasn't even a Jew.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:04

He was born a king of the Jews. Josephus said he was evil. He was relentless in punishment. He was unsurpassing in action against the objects of his hatred. And Augustus said, who is a Roman, said it's better to be Herod's pig than his son, which was a double it was a double slap against Herod because he had his wife executed. He had sons executed. Many people executed. But he was supposed to be king of the Jews.

Scott Keffer [: 00:25:31

What would Herod be doing with the pig? So it's like a double slap against Herod. Right? Better to be Herod's pig. And so it reminded me, of course, he is, you know, he's king of the Jews. They don't they don't like him. They don't listen to him. That the a the real king of the Jews, the real king, threatens every so called king. And more importantly, every authority. And he threatens mostly our own authority.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:12

He's a great king. He's a king. I'm an American. I don't have a king. We left the king. What do we know about kings? Right? Grew up with the Marlboro man. The Marlboro man doesn't have a king. The Marlboro man rides the west on a horse.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:30

That's what he wants to do. What the heck? We're steeped in that. I don't even like the thought of a king. So when Jesus shows up, he threatens our own authority, doesn't he? Because we're all the king of our own, captain of our own destiny, king of our own kingdom. So, of course, Herod was troubled. In fact, it says everybody was troubled. Everybody. Isn't that interesting? The chief priests and the scribes, they were troubled.

Scott Keffer [: 00:26:59

Religious leaders, including, this is interesting, former high priest. This was the teachers, the religious leaders, the former high priest. What did the high priest have the privilege of doing? Entering into the holy of holies. Literally into the presence where god dwelt. Sprutin said they could tell where Christ was born, but they never went to worship him. Right? Because they asked him. They knew the answer. It's written.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:30

It's written. They were indifferent altogether to him and to his birth. Actually, I I disagree with Spurgeon. They weren't indifferent. They were troubled. It says they were troubled. What What is this gonna mean? What does this mean? Jesus overturning our apple cart. He's gonna overturn more than the apple cart.

Scott Keffer [: 00:27:57

And he does for each of us, doesn't he? In fact, it says all the people of Jerusalem were troubled. Isn't it interesting? It says they they were all troubled. Herod was troubled, it says in verse 3, and all Jerusalem with him. They were troubled. Why? What if if the Messiah is showing up, what does this mean? What's gonna happen? I've got plans and purposes. He's he's he's threatened all all he says all were troubled. And he he all he is is a baby born. It's a baby born.

Scott Keffer [: 00:28:34

All the people of Jerusalem were troubled. So I put on their testimony to the greatness of Jesus, Brooks Burton said, Jesus of Nazareth is so potent a factor in the world that no sooner is he there in his utmost weakness, a now born king, than he begins to reign. I love that. Before he mounts the throne, friends bring him presents, and his enemies compass his death. So I put on there, here's the spectrum of response to this Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:16

Now after he was born, here it is. Everything from active hostility, because the hatred turned to active hostility. We're gonna see how Herod responds. We're gonna see how the leaders respond. So there's active hostility. Troubled, hatred, active hostility. So I put over there that's the world underline that's the world system. Who's behind that? Satan.

Scott Keffer [: 00:29:41

Satan. He's a murderer and a thief and a liar, and he has been from the beginning. Here's the amazing thing because it's the same for me. Christians today are going, oh, they don't like us. No. They not only don't like you, they want to kill you. Don't you understand? Jesus said if they wanted to kill me, they will want to kill you. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:09

If they send mean names against you right? We were watching the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. There's no penalty for name calling. Christians wanna go, like, call it penalty. They're calling us names. Oh my. They don't like us. They say bad things about us. Oh.

Scott Keffer [: 00:30:26

Like, come on. Jesus said, they persecuted me, they will persecute you. We're confused if we think the the world is waiting for us, that the world system wants Jesus to be king, doesn't. So that's the first, like, This is what happened when he came. Why are we surprised it's happening today? John Piper said it's a an anomaly, a 300 year bubble where it was confused. The world system should not reward being a Christian, or it's okay to be a Christian. In fact, it was even applauded in certain places. They're saying that's not the norm, and that is true.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:11

They were all troubled. They were all troubled. Then you can move over to indifference. And now we're sliding over to those who know him. Fallen away. Fallen away. Where are you? Stalled. You need to be rebooted.

Scott Keffer [: 00:31:39

Going through the motions, which means you're doing the do, but it's kind of an empty, passionless, emotionless, joyless. Maybe you're active? Faith in action, worship, giving. Faith in action. So put a dot on there. Where are you? Put a dot on there. Where are you? Jesus now after Jesus shows up, everyone's troubled. Where are you? Where are you? And so what what I want you to think about is that truly not just a dot, but where are you and where do I wanna be? Where do I wanna be the next week, the next month, this year as things unfold? How are they gonna unfold? I don't know. Here's what I know.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:34

Just as he was sovereign as king then, he's sovereign as king now. What will things look like? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Would I like to know? Yeah. How many would like to know? Yeah. So he says, I told you this before it came to pass so that when it comes to pass, right, you might know. And then when he tells us, I think, I don't like that.

Scott Keffer [: 00:32:59

I don't know. No. I I have some revisions here for you, Lord. Could you do it a little bit differently? So he's sovereign and king. So I want you to think about where am I? Where do you wanna be? Where do you wanna be at the end of this year? Think about it. Where do you wanna be at the end of this year? Put that dot there. It's the same Daniel. Those who know their God will do great exploits.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:24

Depending on which version you're in, right, will rise up and take action. So I think that's what is the faith and action that he's calling you to take these days. What's the worship that he wants you to have? Lord, infuse my worship again. Love the prayer. Unite my heart to fear your name. Incline my heart to you and your testimonies. Pray for your heart, Lord. Infuse my heart with joy and passion to be with you.

Scott Keffer [: 00:33:51

One thing I've asked that I shall seek that I might dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life. I pray that all the time. When you're giving, lord, show me how I can give more. Give more. Faith in action, worship, giving, but Jesus shows up. We see a spectrum of response. We see that today, ain't it? Don't worry about the world system. Don't worry about the world system.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:18

It's doing it's gonna do what it does because the prince of the power of the air is behind it. It's gonna do what it does. And don't worry about what other believers are doing. Jesus said to Peter when he turned around, he said, what about him? Jesus said, you you follow me. Don't worry about the what the church is doing. He's worried. What is the church doing? What what are you doing? That's what he wants to know. Walk with him.

Scott Keffer [: 00:34:44

We don't want that's what he says to Peter. Like, don't worry about what all the other people are doing. Where's your faith in action? Where's your worship? Where's your giving? No matter what's going on around you, even in the church. So write down an insight and application. We'll share a couple. But we're studying the sovereign internality of his, incarnation. Next week, we'll be studying and reminding the sovereign internality of his resurrection. But may the lord of all the sovereign king.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:19

May he bless you. May he keep you. May he cause his face to shine upon you. May he lift up his countenance and grant you dish shalom, and know him know him as the lord of all. Amen.

Scott Keffer [: 00:35:34

Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you.