PURPOSE: To help listeners understand what Matthew was trying to accomplish in his gospel.

I. The lead-off writer of the New Testament is Matthew.

He was a tax collector and he worked for the Romans.

How do you think that Jews of his day regarded him?

Why do you think that Matthew wants to write about Jesus as King of the Jews who was rejected by his people?

II. There are many things in Matthew's birth narrative that show us that Jesus was a king.

Matthew starts in what seems like a very boring thing--a long genealogy. Why would he do that? He shows that Jesus was born to be a king.

What was the title given to Joseph? Why would that be important?

Herod figures largely in this story. Why is that true?

III. Matthew also wants us to know that Jesus was a rejected king.

The wise men who come to worship Jesus were not Jews. They were probably Persians. They evidently traveled long distances to find Jesus, and they asked, "Where is He who is born king of the Jews?"

The Jewish religious leaders knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is 5 miles from Jerusalem. In contrast to the Gentiles who traveled hundreds of miles, they didn't bother going to Bethlehem.

Herod, the sitting king, had plotted to kill Jesus.

The opening question by the wise men was "Where is He who is born king of the Jews?" The answer to that question is given at the end of Matthew's gospel when the Roman soldiers put above Jesus' head on the cross, "This is Jesus, King of the Jews."

The point that Matthew makes is that Jesus was a rejected king.