Mat 2:1-12; The Significance of Being Human.

Class Outline:

Thursday November 16, 2023

 

Is mankind significant or insignificant?

 

Theme: The real significance of humanity reveals itself when we find Christ, and this brings us the greatest joy and allows us to worship Him.

 

“I will make man, who shall inhabit the world that the service of the gods may be established, and their shrines built.” [Marduk]

 

“There is nothing particular about man. He is but part of this world.” [Heinrich Himmler]

 

This was all the sanction he needed to commit genocide.

 

Is mankind special? Earth has incredibly complex life, the most complex by far is mankind. God Himself became a man. Man is special and superior.

 

However, we are not so great in the face of holiness.

 

ISA 40:17

All the nations are as nothing before Him,

They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

 

[The people of Marduk totally flattened the city of Yahweh and took His people captive.]

 

ISA 40:20

prepare an idol that will not totter.

 

ISA 40:25

"To whom then will you liken Me

That I would be his equal?" says the Holy One.

 

This week we have seen the need of humanity to worship.

 

Worship:

General - prayer, praise, sacrifice of gifts and service.

Specific - adoration in contemplation of His holy perfection.

 

We also saw that the shining light of hope has always been given to the world. We saw this in the Book of Micah from which Matthew quotes concerning the birth of “Him who is born King of the Jews.”

 

Today we continue with the magi. We started with their journey, following the star, and now we see their exceeding joy and worship of God who is before them as a very young boy.

 

Significance of humanity: If a person were doing what they were called to do, what would they be doing?

 

He would be living in all the virtues in the Bible. He would be like Christ.

 

Man alone was created to be a finite creature with divine characteristics.

 

So then, the gift of God was to become one of us and then change us from being united to Adam to being in Christ.

 

In so doing, Christ made any who believed in Him like Him.

 

He made us new (born of the Spirit) in Him.

He gave us His Holy Spirit and His word. 

 

EPH 5:15-18

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit …

 

Look at these in parallel.

 

COL 3:15-16

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you,

 

Be filled with the Spirit. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.

 

EPH 5:19-21

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

 

COL 3:16-17

with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

 

In both of these parallel passages, the results of the Spirit and the word within us are joyfulness and worship of God, both of which we do together (and individually).

 

We can rejoice individually and together.

We can worship Him individually and together.

 

Rejoicing in God and worshiping Him, both through the word and the Spirit are the means by which we find our significance.

 

By doing so we find the significance of what it means to be human.

 

There is no more satisfying feeling that fulfilling what is true and truly important.

 

This is exactly what the magi do.

 

MAT 2:7-12

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." 9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

 

The star that the magi saw in the east is now (vs. 9) going ahead of them.

What had given them the overabundance of joy was that it stood over where the child was.

 

“rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” - they found the King.

 

Whatever the journey may be, when we find Christ Jesus our hearts overflow with joy.

 

If you are not happy, you are still looking or you are very distracted.

 

They:

Saw Him, fell down, worshipped Him, opened their treasures, and gave Him gifts.

 

Joy is from finding Christ. Then the door to the house is open for worship - the door of heaven. From a joyful thankful heart we worship God generally and specifically.

 

Great joy and worship = fulfillment and purpose from Eternal God.