In 1857, John Henry Hopkins penned the words to the famous song, “We Three Kings of Orient Are” to describe the journey of the wise men to see the newly born Jesus. There are just a few problems with the song; we don’t know how many wise men there were, they were not kings, and they were likely not from the Orient. Still, their importance in the storyline of Jesus is essential. Through them, we find both fulfillment of ancient prophecy as well as a striking contrast with a foolish leader who rejected God’s gift to humanity. This study will focus on Matthew’s unique perspective of events following the birth of Jesus and demonstrate the choice that must be made concerning one’s view of Jesus.

A sermon given by Greg Chandler on December 25, 2022.