Search the Manger
Matthew 2: 1 – 12
I. Introduction
When Nathan was in kindergarten, we lived in Mississippi. His kindergarten school day went from 8:00 until 12:00 noon. This was a good way to ease Shauna into having both children in school. She still had half a day she could spend with Nathan.
One day during the Christmas season, Shauna had Nathan in the car with her as she drove around town running errands. While they were running errands, they were listening to a Christmas CD.
Nathan was singing along with the songs, being festive and Christmas-y when he stopped and asked a question. Nathan said, “Mommy, are all these songs Santa songs?” Shauna asked him what he meant. He said, “Are all these songs Santa songs, or are there any Jesus songs on this CD?”
Shauna told him that this was a CD of Santa songs. He said, “I want to listen to some Jesus songs.” So, I didn’t realize that we had this many Christmas CD’s, but Shauna put on another Christmas CD. This time it was one that had Jesus songs.
After the first few songs, Nathan asked another question: “Are all these songs Jesus songs?” Shauna said that they were. Nathan answered, “That’s not what I wanted. I wanted a little Santa and a little Jesus.”
I thought that was very cute that Nathan had figured out a difference between Santa songs and Jesus songs. I also thought it was cute that he had—quite by accident—stumbled onto our biggest problem of the Christmas season: We don’t seem to know what we are searching for. We want a little Santa and a little Jesus.
As Christians in America we celebrate Christmas by walking along a precariously thin line. Or as Nathan put it: we want a little Santa and a little Jesus.
Do you know what you are searching for this Christmas?
Read Matthew 2: 1 – 12
This is not the only story of Christmas visitors found in the Bible. Matthew tells us about the Wise Men, or the Magi who visited the “house” in Bethlehem. And Luke tells us about the shepherds who visited the stable in Bethlehem.
Both of these are stories about people in the Bible who were searching during the Christmas season. It has always been interesting to me that Matthew and Luke have made distinctly different contributions to the Christmas story. This is especially true of their descriptions of the first “visitors” to the Holy Family in Bethlehem.
I have often wondered why Matthew and Luke tell the Christmas story in different ways. Why didn’t they both tell the same story? Why didn’t at least one of the Gospels tell everything in one place? After all, if everything were in one place we wouldn’t have to turn to Matthew one week and Luke the next week…It would be much more convenient!
I believe the reason for this can be found in the motivations behind why Matthew wrote his Gospel and why Luke wrote his Gospel.
We don’t have to wonder why Luke wrote his Gospel. In fact, Luke tells us in Luke 1: 1 – 4…He tells us that there are other accounts of Jesus’ life. So, Luke accumulated all those resources and carefully investigated everything so that he could write an orderly account for Theophilus.
Theophilus is a funny name. On one hand, there is evidence that some men in the ancient world were named Theophilus. On the other hand, there is evidence that Luke is using the name as a symbol for a group of people who might read his Gospel. You see, the name Theophilus is made up of two Greek words…Theos = God…Philos = Love or Friend…Therefore, Theophilus is a Greek word that means “Lover of God” or “Friend of God.”
Since Luke used the Greek name Theophilus, I believe that Luke wrote his Gospel so that non-Jewish people—the Gentiles, like you and me—might learn about Jesus and trust Jesus as our Lord.
Therefore, Luke was the most Greek, or Gentile, of the Gospel writers. Luke used Gentile themes to write to Gentile men and women about Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Savior of the Gentiles.
Matthew, on the other hand, didn’t tell us why he wrote his Gospel.
However, when we read Matthew’s Gospel, I think we can pick up on some important themes and concerns that run throughout the book. In particular, Matthew goes to great lengths to show that the birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies about the Promised Messiah.
Matthew shows us that Jesus was born as fulfillment to Jewish prophecy. But, Matthew also shows us that Jesus lived in fulfillment of all the Jewish Law. Jesus fulfilled the Law by observing all aspects of the Law and never breaking a single commandment. Jesus fulfilled the Law by teaching us in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 – 7 that the Old Testament Law has not passed away…It continues to serve an important role in our lives as Christians…Followers of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Matthew was the most Jewish of the Gospel writers. Matthew used Jewish themes to write to Jewish men and women about Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Savior of the Jews.
II. Shepherds.
Luke—the most Gentile of the Synoptics—described the visit of the shepherds.
I usually imagine the shepherds as 10 year old boys wearing their fathers’ bathrobes, with the sleeves rolled up and the train of the robe filling the temple. But shepherds were grown men, who held the lowest of all positions in society.
Shepherds were despised by society because of the nature of their work.
Shepherds smelled like sheep!
Shepherds worked and sweated in the heat of the day.
Shepherds had no other option but to sleep outside—certainly a romantic idea if one were free to choose to sleep outside, but not romantic for those with no choice.
Shepherds were feared by business owners because they had earned for themselves the reputation of being thieves and untrustworthy.
Shepherds were rejected by the Jewish religious authorities, because they were considered unclean and unworthy to enter the temple without first being purified.
And yet, Luke described these same shepherds as the first visitors at the manger in Bethlehem. In fact, the shepherds did not just “show up” at the manger, they were beckoned by a choir of angels. God himself sent his angelic messengers to announce the birth of Jesus Christ his one and only begotten Son. And God invited shepherds!
The sweaty, the smelly, the disheveled were invited to be the first to meet the Lord. The unclean, the unworthy, the untrusted were ushered into the presence of God.
Since this was written by Luke to a Gentile audience, I believe the story of the shepherds has a Gentile message. By telling us that the shepherds were the first ones invited to see the Christ Child, Luke has just declared that the Jewish religion is inadequate. The very ones unworthy to enter the Temple knelt in the presence of God at Bethlehem.
III. Wise Men.
Matthew, on the other hand, did not condemn the Jewish religion. Rather, Matthew—the most Jewish of the Gospels—celebrated the unique role of the Jewish religion by describing the visit of the Magi.
Who were the Magi? We have traditionally called them “Wise Men.”
They may have been astronomers—star gazers. One day they noticed a “new star in the east.”
I am certainly not an expert in astronomy, but I assume it would take a lot of effort to be so familiar with the constellations and all the millions of stars in the sky that someone would recognize a “new star.”
It seems that the Magi may have been religious people. Something told them that this “new star” was the birth announcement of a new religious leader. Of course this was no ordinary religious leader. This was the Messiah, the one promised by and for the Jews.
I don’t know what might have prompted the Magi to travel to Israel. But their response to Jesus and the gifts they brought imply worship and recognition of his divine nature.
Gold was something that only royal families could afford and was a present fit for a King…
Frankincense was an incense that was burned as a part of the Jewish sacrificial system and was a present fit for a priest…
Myrrh was a perfume that was used to anoint the body of a dead person and was a gift fit for someone about to die…
Matthew’s story of visitors who traveled a great distance to find the only person in all the earth who could be our King, Priest and Crucified Lord implies that there was something missing in all the religions of the world.
That missing piece could only be supplied in Bethlehem! Therefore, we see in the visit of the Wise Men one more Jewish Scripture fulfilled! God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled. Abraham’s descendants became a blessing to all the earth.
IV. Conclusion
I believe that we can find what we are searching for this Christmas if we would just look at these two stories together.
Matthew teaches us that there is something unique about the Jewish Messiah. God has revealed himself and his salvation uniquely to the Jews, and God has provided salvation ONLY through Jesus the Messiah. No matter where you are from or what you might have once believed…Your religion is inadequate. There is no salvation without Jesus.
And Luke teaches us that salvation extends beyond the Jews; salvation is for everyone.
Jesus doesn’t care how dirty and smelly and rejected other people think you are. Everyone is invited…Everyone is welcome…
All you have to do is come…All you have to do is believe!
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