6. The Ruler Who Cares for His People
Question 1:
What leaders have you known who really cared for their people?
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Before our phones had cameras on them, we had to buy film for our cameras—and then we paid someone to develop it into photographs. George Eastman was the man who made cameras every household could afford. The New York Times said of him, “He should be the most thanked man in the world.” The Times wrote that, not because of his camera and film, but because of his business practices running Eastman Kodak®. For example:
- He reduced the work hours of his employees.
- He established a retirement plan and life insurance for his employees.
- He hired women and the disabled.
Many companies offer similar benefits today, but back then, it had never been done before. No one thought in terms of such benefits for employees, but Eastman did.1
George Eastman’s attitude toward others is certainly commendable, but it pales in comparison to Jesus’ care for His people. As our loving Shepherd, Jesus shows His love in how He leads and cares for us.
THE POINT
Jesus leads and cares for His people.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Micah 5:2-5a
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our peace.
We often associate prophets with messages of warning and condemnation. To be sure, Micah delivered his share of such messages, but he also proclaimed hope to both Judah and Israel. The people of God had been led by a string of weak leaders, and the people were longing for hope and peace. Micah pointed to a wholly different and unique ruler who would bring the hope and peace they desired.
This ruler would come from “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” While Bethlehem was the birthplace of King David (1 Sam. 16:1), it now seemed to be an insignificant place for a ruler to be born, especially when compared to the great city of Jerusalem only five miles away. The greatest king of the Old Testament had been born in Bethlehem, and Jesus, the King of kings, would be born there as well.
This hope and deliverance would not be immediate for Micah’s contemporaries. In fact, over 700 years would pass before being fulfilled. The Jews would undergo a season when “Israel will be abandoned” for their rebellion. This abandonment, though, would not be permanent. From among them would be born a Ruler who would rise and shepherd the people of God. Though this could refer to the end of the exile, it more likely refers to the salvation Jesus would bring to the Jews through a relationship with Him.
Question 2:
Where do you most long to see peace?
Micah’s prophecy about Jesus’ birthplace tells us a lot about the kind of ruler he would be. “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord” (v. 4). To stand means He will assume the role of King. Even the best of rulers with the best intentions can fail, but this King would rule “in the strength of the Lord.” The King’s power and majesty would come from God Himself.
The King would not only rule powerfully and perfectly, but He would also rule as a Shepherd. Other passages refer to God as a Shepherd (Ezek. 34:11-16), but the most well-known is Psalm 23. In this psalm, David painted a picture of God as a shepherd who perfectly provides, protects, and guides.
Matthew 2:1-6
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘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.’”
The birth of Jesus in an obscure Jewish village was only known by a small group of people: Mary, Joseph, their families, the residents of Bethlehem, and some shepherds. The news of Jesus’ birth might have spread as the citizens of the village passed on the unusual report from the shepherds. All of that changed when strangers “came to Jerusalem,” announcing they were looking for “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (v. 2). That got the attention of King Herod and the whole city of Jerusalem.
The first questions I would think anyone would ask of these strangers is, “Who are you and how do you know about this king?” Matthew only told us they were “Magi from the east.” Magi specifically referred to a priestly class in Babylon who advised the kings. Daniel and his friends received such training after they were taken as captives to Babylon (Dan. 1:3-4). Ancient records mention such groups in Babylon and Persia. Our word “magic” comes from the Greek word translated wise men. They were known for their knowledge and skills in astronomy, government, and religion.
These men knew to look for the infant king because they “saw his star when it rose.” No one can say with any assurance what exactly they saw, but however it looked, these well-versed men likely connected this unusual sign in the night sky to Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” When they saw the star, they traveled to the place where they thought any Jewish king would be born: Jerusalem.
As word began to spread of another king, King Herod and all the people in Jerusalem were “disturbed.” Herod felt extremely insecure about his position, so the idea of another king threatened him. Therefore, he asked the Jewish religious leaders where the Messiah was supposed to be born, and they told him of Micah’s prophecy. If the “king of the Jews” had come into the world, He could not be ignored. All who heard the report needed to make a choice: Would they accept this miraculous child as the long-awaited Messiah and King of the Jews, or would they reject Him? His position as King of kings demands a response from us too. We will either surrender to His lordship, or we reject Him.
Question 3:
Why does the good news of Jesus still disturb some people today?
Matthew 2:9-11
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Question 4:
What are some gifts we can bring to Jesus?
As the wise men traveled the five miles to Bethlehem, they saw a familiar sight. They saw “the star they had seen when it rose” (v. 9). Then with the house in front of them, the men knew their long journey had come to an end. Let’s not move too quickly past their reaction: “they were overjoyed.” Matthew was generous with the superlatives in capturing their strong feelings. The Greek phrase is literally translated “overjoyed beyond measure.” We don’t know when they first saw the star, how much research they had to do, or how long it took them to travel, but it’s not hard to imagine that, after all the time and effort they had expended, they were jubilant.
The wise men fell to their knees, worshiped Jesus, and “presented him with gifts.” The verb translated “presented” was used in the New Testament in connection with offerings to God. Bringing gifts was particularly important in the ancient Near East when one approached a superior.
- A gift for His royalty. Gold is the finest and most precious metal, and it showed great value from the giver to the recipient.
- A gift for His deity. Frankincense is a glittering, odorous gum obtained by making incisions in the bark of several trees. It was essentially an aromatic used in sacrificial offerings.
- A gift for His humanity. Myrrh was a much-valued spice and perfume, used in embalming and perfuming ointments.
These gifts certainly reflected the wise men’s worship. Our response to the Messiah must also be worship. Jesus came to give us an incredible gift: salvation and eternal life. When we receive the gift of grace and love this is, we are compelled to worship Him as well.
Question 5:
What are some ways our group can follow the example of the wise men?
GIFTS FOR OUR KING
The wise men brought gifts to worship Jesus. Choose one of the images below that represents a gift you’d like to present to Jesus. Then write a prayer of worship.
My Prayer:
__________________________________________________
“For by gold the power of a king is signified, by frankincense the honor of God, by myrrh the burial of the body; and accordingly they offer Him gold as King, frankincense as God, myrrh as Man.”
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
LIVE IT OUT
Jesus leads and cares for His people. Choose one of the following applications:
- Trust your Shepherd. Trust Jesus to guide you with care. Consider if there is an area where He is calling you to obedience, but you are resisting. If so, acknowledge Jesus as your caring shepherd and trust His guidance.
- Acknowledge your King. The wise men bowed down in recognition of the King. Bow or kneel when you pray this week as a physical sign that you recognize Jesus as King. Consider setting up a prayer place where you can make this a regular part of your quiet time with Him.
- Share about your Shepherd King. Use a concordance or online Bible to find occurrences of the word “shepherd” throughout the Bible. Note how this increases your understanding of the ways Jesus cares for His people. Find someone you can share this truth with this week.
Thankfully we serve a Shepherd King who cares well for His people!
Teacher Notes:
6. The Ruler Who Cares for His People
What is it about Psalm 23 that attracts so many people to read it and quote it?
Matthew
2:1-6
1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi
from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been
born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship
him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with
him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers
of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in
Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘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.’”
Who
were the strange visitors from the east, and what led them to Jerusalem? Why
was Herod troubled at hearing a king had been born? What do we learn about the
Christ from the prophecy shared with the king by the religious leaders?
Matthew’s
purpose for his Gospel account is to declare that Jesus is the King of the
Jews, but also much more. He is also the King to the Gentiles, a way of
speaking of the nations of the world, who as the prophets foretold (Isa. 2:2-4)
would come to worship Him.
The
birth of Jesus in an obscure Jewish village was only known by a small group of
people: Mary, Joseph, their families, the residents of Bethlehem, and some
shepherds. The news of Jesus’ birth might have spread as the citizens of the
village passed on the unusual report from the shepherds. All of that changed
when strangers “came to Jerusalem,” announcing they were looking for “the one
who has been born king of the Jews” (v. 2). That got the attention of King
Herod and the whole city of Jerusalem.
The
first questions I would think anyone would ask of these strangers is, “Who are
you and how do you know about this king?” Matthew only told us they were “Magi
from the east.” Magi specifically referred to a priestly class in Babylon who
advised the kings. Daniel and his friends received such training after they
were taken as captives to Babylon (Dan. 1:3-4). Ancient records mention such
groups in Babylon and Persia. Our word “magic” comes from the Greek word
translated wise men. They were known for their knowledge and skills in
astronomy, government, and religion.
Tradition
has portrayed the visitors as kings, numbered them at three, given them names,
and even identified their nationalities. Nothing in the text substantiates any
of that. The men were probably Persian or Babylonian “scientists” of their day
who were specialists in medicine, astronomy, astrology, divination, religion,
and a little magic. Because of their broad interest and learning, people held
them in high regard as wise men (“magi,” NIV, NASB), earnest seekers of truth.
These
men knew to look for the infant king because they “saw his star when it rose.”
No one can say with any assurance what exactly they saw, but however it looked,
these well-versed men likely connected this unusual sign in the night sky to
Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter
will rise out of Israel.” When they saw the star, they traveled to the place
where they thought any Jewish king would be born: Jerusalem.
As
word began to spread of another king, King Herod and all the people in
Jerusalem were “disturbed.”
Herod
the Great, as he was known, had assumed the throne through political
maneuvering and murderous force. He was not “born” into it. Neither was he a
Jew. Herod had received the title “king of the Jews” from the Roman Senate as a
reward for his loyalty to the Empire. He had broken the hold of the rebellious
Maccabean dynasty and developed political alliances that placed him in good
stead.
Herod
did some good things for the city. His building projects, especially rebuilding
and enlarging the temple, earned him favor with the citizens of Jerusalem,
which was his objective. He pretended to be a Jew but pretense was all it was.
Herod was obsessed with himself. He likely knew the people’s expectations about
a messiah-king. Hence, when he heard about someone who actually was born King
of the Jews, he felt threatened.
He obviously would know that no birth had taken place in his household—not that it would have made any difference even if this one born king was of his own blood. His self-obsession and the jealousy that accompanied it expressed itself in hideous acts of cruelty, even toward his own family. He trusted no one and felt threatened by everyone. For example, he executed his favorite wife, her mother, his high priest brother-in-law, some of his own sons, and many others. One story says that just prior to his own death he ordered another mass slaughter of people just to assure that there would be sorrow and sadness surrounding the time of his own dying. That gives us some idea of the kind of man Herod was and why the whole city would be disturbed because he was disturbed.
Micah
5:2-5a
2 “But
you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small
among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one
who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient
times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his
brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in
the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will
reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be our
peace.
Micah’s
message includes threats of judgment and potential for future blessing. The
book was written as Israel and Judah were facing threats of domination by the
powerful Assyrians. Eventually, Samaria became an Assyrian province. Jerusalem
was besieged and was on the verge of being destroyed. During
this turmoil, Micah declared that a new king—a different kind of king—would be
raised up to lead the people—a king of peace, not war. In the immediate
historical context, Zerubbabel may have been that king. In Christian thinking
and as a messianic prophecy, Jesus became the ultimate fulfillment of this
promise of a King who would bring peace and justice to the fore.
What
is the historical significance of Bethlehem Ephrathah? What does Bethlehem
symbolize in terms of God’s ability to act? What promise does the Lord make to
Israel? What distinguishes the new kind of king the Lord promises?
· This
ruler would come from “Bethlehem Ephrathah.” While Bethlehem was the birthplace
of King David (1 Sam. 16:1), it now seemed to be an insignificant place for a
ruler to be born, especially when compared to the great city of Jerusalem only
five miles away. The greatest king of the Old Testament had been born in
Bethlehem, and Jesus, the King of kings, would be born there as well. God has a
history of choosing the weak, small, and unimportant to confound the mighty and
the strong. God was starting anew. He was taking kingship back to its origins.
No doubt, hearing the name Bethlehem would jar the people’s memory to think
about a simple shepherd boy who came from that same little town to be a mighty
leader; that would be David. Therefore, the new king would be of his lineage
and fulfill God’s promise to him (2 Sam. 7:12-13). The birthplace of this
future “ruler of Israel” would be Bethlehem Ephrathah.
Since there were two locations known as Bethlehem at the time of Micah’s
writing, the addition of Ephrathah is significant. It
specifies the Bethlehem in Judah, the portion of Israel in which the capital,
Jerusalem, was located. The Jewish religious leaders in the first century
identified Micah 5:2 as a Messianic prophecy. In Matthew 2, wise men from the
East visited King Herod in Jerusalem and asked where the king of the Jews had
been born. Herod assembled all the chief priests and scribes, and “he inquired
of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of
Judea,’” basing their answer on Micah 5:2. In fact, over 700 years would pass
before being fulfilled. The Jews would undergo a season when “Israel will be
abandoned” for their rebellion. From among them would
be born a Ruler who would rise and shepherd the people of God. Though
this could refer to the end of the exile, it more likely refers to the salvation Jesus would bring to the Jews through a relationship with Him.
Does
the imagery of Jesus as a Shepherd-King resonate with you? If so, what does it
communicate about His place in your life?
· Micah’s
prophecy about Jesus’ birthplace tells us a lot about the kind of ruler he would be. “He
will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord” (v. 4).
To stand means He will assume the role of King. Although a king, he would
function like a shepherd who cares for his sheep. Even the best of rulers with
the best intentions can fail, but this King would rule “in the strength of the
Lord.” The King’s power and majesty would come from God Himself. The King would
not only rule powerfully and perfectly, but He would also rule as a Shepherd.
Other passages refer to God as a Shepherd (Ezek. 34:11-16), but the most
well-known is Psalm 23. In this psalm, David painted a picture of God as a
shepherd who perfectly provides, protects, and guides.
Recall
a time when you experienced the loving care and provision of Jesus as King
during a difficult time in your life. How did His strength and presence bring
you the sense of peace and security that you needed?
· The Lord leads us, cares for us, and provides for us at all times in all ways. We can find peace and security in the Lord.
Matthew
2:9-11
9
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had
seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the
child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were
overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house,
they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.
What
did the wise men once again rely for direction in finding Jesus? Why did seeing
the star again create feelings of joy? What did the wise men do when they
finally saw the young child? What might be the significance of their gifts?
Scripture
does not state exactly how long after Jesus’ birth they arrived, but factoring
in travel time, the references to “the young child” and “the house” in verse
11; and knowing that Herod ordered the execution of “all the children … two
years old and under” in verse 16, we can reasonably conclude it was at least
one year and possibly two years after Jesus’ birth.
As the
wise men traveled the five miles to Bethlehem, they saw a familiar sight. They
saw “the star they had seen when it rose” (v. 9). Then with the house in front
of them, the men knew their long journey had come to an end. Let’s not move too
quickly past their reaction: “they were overjoyed.” Matthew was generous with
the superlatives in capturing their strong feelings. The Greek phrase is
literally translated “overjoyed beyond measure.” We don’t know when they first
saw the star, how much research they had to do, or how long it took them to
travel, but it’s not hard to imagine that, after all the time and effort they
had expended, they were jubilant.
The
wise men fell to their knees, worshiped Jesus, and “presented him with gifts.”
The verb translated “presented” was used in the New Testament in connection
with offerings to God. Bringing gifts was particularly important in the ancient
Near East when one approached a superior.
· A gift
for His royalty. Gold is the finest and most precious metal, and it showed
great value from the giver to the recipient.
· A gift
for His deity. Frankincense is a glittering, odorous gum obtained by making
incisions in the bark of several trees. It was essentially an aromatic used in
sacrificial offerings.
· A gift
for His humanity. Myrrh was a much-valued spice and perfume, used in embalming
and perfuming ointments.
These
gifts certainly reflected the wise men’s worship. Our response to the Messiah
must also be worship. Jesus came to give us an incredible gift: salvation and
eternal life. When we receive the gift of grace and love this is, we are
compelled to worship Him as well.
We
should take note that the first people in Matthew’s Gospel to worship Jesus
were not Jews. They were Gentiles. This dovetails nicely with the fact that the
genealogy of Jesus in Matthew also included several Gentiles.
Conclusion:
How
will you make worship of Christ a critical daily practice during this year?
