「救い主に礼拝をささげる」 クリスマス礼拝 宣教 2025年12月21日
マタイによる福音書 Matthew 2章1〜11節 牧師 河野信一郎
Good morning. Merry Christmas! I am truly thankful to God that we can celebrate Christmas 2025 together. This morning, K-san, who believes in Jesus as Savior and has resolved to follow Him for the rest of her life, was baptized. While she himself is surely the most moved and joyful, this is truly a day of great joy for us at Okubo Church as well. It has been a very long time since we last had a baptism. We are deeply moved by God’s guidance and grace
Today, we rejoice together with you all in the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and in K-san’s new beginning as a disciple of the Lord Jesus. We ask everyone gathered in this sanctuary to bless the start of her life of faith and to continue praying for God’s presence and blessing upon her, that she may walk in faith alongside her husband, U-san.
This morning, under the theme “Offering Worship to the Savior,” I wish to share the love and mercy God pours out upon us. When we translate “offering worship to Christ” into Latin, it becomes “Christus Mass.” ‘Christus’ is Christ. “Mass” means worship. “Savior” is ‘Salvator’ in Latin, so “Savior Worship” would be “Salvator Mass.” However, since Jesus Christ is our Savior, and we express our faith in worshiping Him, it becomes “Christmas.” Therefore, the true meaning of Christmas is believing in Jesus Christ as our Savior and offering heartfelt worship to Him.
At Christmas, we give gifts to loved ones and receive presents from them. This custom originated from the biblical story of Jesus’ birth, where wise men—astrologers who traveled from the East—presented him with numerous gifts. Therefore, those who delight in receiving gifts at Christmas should be grateful to these wise men. Those who find gift-giving financially burdensome should lodge a complaint with the wise men. And all businesses and companies across every industry profiting from Christmas should, in my view, return a portion of their annual sales to the wise men.
Now, the Gospel of Matthew was written for the Jews, with the hope that they would come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. Yet, as we read through Chapter 2, ironically, it records that the Jews themselves rejected the Savior born as the King of Israel, while the Magi, Gentile wise men, traveled from afar to worship Him. The Jews apparently judged that paying homage to a baby born in Bethlehem held no value. Yet the wise men from the East, despite being Gentiles, believed this infant was worthy of their utmost reverence. They spent considerable time, wealth, energy, and effort to find the infant born as the King of Israel, believing Him to be the Savior, and offered Him worship. Isn’t that amazing? I think it is.
However, we must not stop at merely saying, “Wow, that’s amazing.” What we should explore here is whether, for me personally, Jesus is a figure worthy of reverence and worship. It is the pursuit of whether Jesus truly possesses enough value to warrant sacrificing our precious Sunday rest to worship him. So, how can we undertake this inquiry? We must read the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which record the story of Jesus’ birth, as historical documents and rely on them. Therefore, at this Wednesday evening’s Christmas Eve service, we will listen to Luke 2 to consider whether worshiping Jesus is truly worthwhile. This morning, I wish to explore the same question through Matthew 2. I will read from verse 1.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea during the reign of King Herod. At that time, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.’ When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. He gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
King Herod felt uneasy because he feared he would become useless. He worried he might lose his position, power, wealth—perhaps even his life. The people of Jerusalem felt uneasy because they feared they might become victims if King Herod and the new king went to war. Though under Roman rule, they weren’t greatly affected and preferred the status quo, perhaps wanting to avoid any dramatic changes.
The reason the wise men came to Jerusalem was likely because they assumed the capital city would be where the king resided. However, the primary reason was that they had discovered the “star” announcing the king’s birth, and it was this star that led them to Jerusalem. Countless stars exist in the universe, yet it was one shining star that guided the wise men to Jerusalem. The sun made that star shine brightly, and since God created the sun, it is fitting to say God guided the wise men. In other words, Jesus was born not only as the King for the chosen Jewish people, but as the Savior for all people, including the Gentiles.
We begin reading from verse 7. “Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.’ After hearing the king, they set out. The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly.”
When the wise men left the king’s palace and looked up at the night sky, it says, “The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” In other words, God used the star to lead the wise men straight to the Savior, and they safely arrived at Bethlehem, where the Savior was. Why did God safely guide them to Jesus? The reason is simple. Jesus is the Savior born for the salvation of all people, the Christ we should worship with all due reverence, and He is God.
In verse 11, it says, “When they entered the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” The Gentiles bowed down and worshiped Jesus. This was an act of faith, recognizing Him as the Savior. During their worship, they opened their treasure chests and offered many gifts, but gold, frankincense, and myrrh are specifically mentioned. This is because these three gifts carry profound meaning.
People today casually wear gold as jewelry, but in Jesus’ time, “gold” was something only kings wore. That it was given to Jesus means that gold was presented as a confession of faith—a confession filled with gratitude and joy—that Jesus is our King.
Next is “frankincense.” In those days, frankincense was used as incense offered by priests to God in the temple. When lit, it produced a pleasant fragrance and smoke that rose up to the temple. This smoke was considered to connect and intercede between humans on earth and God in heaven. We had sinned against God and lived separated from Him, but Jesus came as our Savior to restore us to God, to reconnect us to Him. This gift was given to show that.
Myrrh, however, is not typically something given as a gift to celebrate the birth of an infant. In ancient Egypt, it was used as a medicine in the mummification process and also as a pain reliever. What is intriguing is that the word “myrrh” appears in the Gospels during the time just before Jesus was crucified and died (Mark 15:23, John 19:39). This means that among the gifts celebrating Jesus’ birth, preparations for His crucifixion were already present.
Why did Jesus have to be crucified and suffer such a horrific death? It was so that, as our substitute, He could pay the full price for our sins with His death. It is so that, through our faith in believing Jesus as our Savior, all our sins are forgiven by God, we are saved, given the identity of God’s children, and live eternally with God. Jesus loved us and gave us everything. Therefore, we offer worship to Jesus, giving Him our hearts and all we have. Jesus is the Savior worthy to receive our praise, worship, and offerings. I am thankful to worship this Savior together with you all. Merry Christmas!