Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
I. Stress is caused by focusing on me.
A. King Herod in Matthew 2 was a paranoid old man. He was stressed out and troubled when he heard the news of a new Jewish king (vs. 3). His paranoia made everyone in Jerusalem troubled (vs. 3) by what violent act he might do next. He wanted to find out when Christ was born and where he was living so that he could do what he always did to threats: eliminate him (vs. 7-8)! The important thing to Herod was to protect me and my throne. Nothing else mattered.
B. This focus on me does not make us happier and less stressed. In fact, it makes us unhappier and more stressed. King Herod thought that everything in his kingdom should serve him. But he was wrong. And he was miserable. And he spent the last years of his life paranoid and stressed out about how he might desperately hold on to his kingship. He focused on me, and he lost what was most precious to him. He would never bow his knee to the true king – King Jesus.
II. Stress is caused by focusing on work.
A. We read in vs. 4 that Herod assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people. Herod asked them where the Christ was to be born. These Bible Answer Men worked to study the Scriptures and taught other people the Scriptures. They knew the answer to Herod’s question about where the Christ would be born. They answered mainly from Micah 5:2 as well as with a few words from 2 Samuel 5:2 in vs. 6. The King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.
B. There may be knowledge of the Bible in the head while at the same time there is no love for God in the heart. These Bible Answer Men were all head and no heart. These men who supposedly longed for their Messiah to come couldn’t be bothered to travel the five miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to find out if what the wise men said was true. They never went to Bethlehem to seek their Savior. They were indifferent to this news. They kept working.
III. Stress is relieved by focusing on the worship of Jesus.
A. We see the joy and worship of the wise men in Matthew 2:10-11. We don’t know if these wise men in Matthew came from Babylon, but if they did, it means they traveled around 600 miles one way to see Jesus. What does it mean to worship Jesus like the wise men did (vs. 11)? Worship means great joy (vs. 10). If you have no joy this morning in worshiping Jesus, you are not truly worshiping. Worship means doing whatever it takes to get close to Jesus. And worship means giving Jesus your best (vs. 11).
Application:
Turn your eyes on Jesus this Christmas if you want to be free of stress.
Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by J.C. Ryle, D.A. Carson, R.T. France and Charles Quarles
Sermon Discussion Questions
1) What was King Herod’s main concern when he heard about the birth of Jesus? Does a focus on yourself relieve stress or cause stress in your life?
2) Why do you think the chief priests and scribes did not go to Bethlehem to look for Jesus? What did their indifference reveal about their hearts?
3 ) What was the focus of the wise men as they went on their journey to see Jesus? How can you keep your eyes on Jesus this Christmas?