December 7, 2025

Passage:  Matthew 2:1-12
Speaker:  Pastor Ron Laeger
Big Idea:  A Long Journey Turns Into Exceedingly Great Joy!

A. The Wise Men’s (Magi) Journey (2:1-8) (See Daniel 1-5)
      1.Their public meeting with King Herod. (2:1-6)
            a. The magi’s request: (2:1-2) “Where is He who is born King of the Jews”?
            b. The monarch’s reaction (2:3-4)
                  (1) His concern (2:3) Herod is greatly troubled!
                  (2) His command (2:4): Herod demands that the Jewish priests and scribes tell him where the Messiah will be born.
            c. The ministers reply (2:5-6)
                  (1) The place (2:5): In Bethlehem!
                  (2)The prophecy (2:6) This was what Micah the prophet predicted. (Micah 5:2)
      2. Their private meeting with King Herod (2:7-8)
            a. Herod’s demand (2:7) He asks them when they first saw the star.
            b. Herod’s deception (2:8) He say’s “When you find the child, tell me, so that I can worship him, too.”

B. The Wise Men’s Joy  (2:9-12) They rejoice when they find the child.
      1. The witness of the star (2:9) It leads them to the very house where Jesus is living.
      2. The worship of the wise men (2:10-11): They present him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
      3. The warning from the Lord (2:12): They are told to bypass Herod and take another route home.

C. Communion Together at the Lord’s Table


APPLICATION NOTES –
1. Like the wise men, each of us has a journey in life. God often grabs our attention and curiosity right where we’re living.    At any age – at any stage. In any of our varied interests or whatever we’re studying in education.  He uses our families, careers and the in the places we serve.

2. Like the wise men, each of us has a need for additional directions and instructions in and for our journey.
God’s Word!
The wise men were missing a piece of the puzzle in their journey: BETHLEHEM.  The star wasn’t enough.  They needed to know what God had foretold and promised. They could only get that from Scripture.

3. Like the wise men, each of us is often called to go the next segment of our journey.  It may seem longer and more difficult than we imagined.  Jerusalem wasn’t the end destination. God had the next place for the Magi to visit. Christ, Himself.

4. Like the wise men, we are called to bring our best gifts to the King.  We bring ourselves and what He provides.

5. God shows us, in His own way, we have to often to take “another route” than we initially imagined to arrive where He wants us to go. This requires trust.

Questions or comments: pastorron@passion4christ.org or text at (360) 827-1099
Merry Christmas, Mountain View family! You are greatly loved and appreciated.