What Were Those Gentiles Doing?

Dennis Tuuri

Outline: Matthew 2:1-12 What WERE Those Gentiles Doing? Sermon Notes for Epiphany Sunday , January 7, 2007 by Pastor Dennis R. Tuuri Introduction - Epiphany and the Church Year I. Old Testament Postmillenial Prefigurements of Matthew 2:1-11 A. Micah 5:1-4a Bethlehem and Conquest B. Numbers 24:15-23 (see also 23:18-25) A Star, A Scepter, and Dominion C. Isaiah 60:1-14 The Glory of God Draws The Wealth of the Gentiles II. Correcting Other Misconceptions About Matthew 2:1-11 A. The Timing – Probably About Two Yeas Later (The Slaughter of the Innocents) B. We Three Kings? – Unnumbered Priests: Not Kings, but King-makers Zoroastrian God-fearers? C. Following Yonder Star – A Very Unusual Star! v. 9 A Tabernacle for the Sun; A House for the Son, A Leading Light Ps. 19:4; Amos 5:26/Acts 7:43; Ex. 40; Ps. 80:1,2; Mal. 4:2; 2 Cor. 4:6 D. Bearing Gifts – King, God, and Sacrifice? Yes but… Frankincense – Lev. 2 Myrrh - Ex. 30:23; Ps. 45:8; Canticles 4:6,7 Gold – Genesis 2:11,12 III. Some Truths Revealed A. Constitution of the New Temple of the Lord – Canticles 3:6; Isa. 60:7 Change of priesthood, change of law (Heb. 7:12) B. The Great Reversal Has Been Effected Joseph and Myrrh – Gen. 37:25; 43:11,12 C. Our Response is Worship (Tribute, Spirit-consecrated Prayer at the Golden Altar) Gold – Money/Labor Frankincense – Prayer Myrrh – Love (Esther 2:12) D. Starting with Relationships, Ritual, and Reframing our Lives Children’s Notes for Matthew 2:1-12 “What WERE Those Gentiles Doing? 1. When is Epiphany? ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 2. How many days after Christmas is that? ___ ___ 3. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem? 4. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ makes us think the Wise Men rode on camels? 5. How many men brought presents to Jesus? 6. Were they Kings? 7. Name two other places where gold, frankincense and myrrh come together in the bible. A. The ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ B. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ‘ ___ cart. 8. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ was used to anoint the temple items. 9. Frankincense was burned on the ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ altar. 10. Animals became smoke on the ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ altar. 11. What kind of light filled the Temple? The ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ glory of God. 12. Our response to today’s good news is to ___ __ ___ ___ ___ __ ___ . 13. In worship, we act as we should to ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___. 14. In worship, we ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ good habits. 15. In worship we re-___ ___ ___ ___ ___ our view of the world.