A King has been born. God has announced the birth to these wise men (of non-Jewish descent). God placed a star in the sky for the wise men to find and follow, announcing & pointing them to the birth of the king of the Jews.
Such an amazing story. What about the star indicated that not only was a king born but that He was the king of the Jews? And why would non-Jews be so intent on following a star that would lead them to this king...of the Jews?
And who were these “wise men?” What was their understanding of astrology? Apparently they studied and interpreted the existence of the stars and this particular star purposely revealed to them that the “king of the Jews” had been born! Of course God intended to reveal the birth of this king to non-Jews because THIS king was a king who would bring blessing to all!
Along with fulfillment, the miraculous is all over this story too! In addition to leading and revealing Jesus to these wise men, God intervenes to protect the life of Jesus, warning the wise men about Herod’s (who saw himself as the Jew’s king) real motives.
The Gospel stories don’t want us to miss the fact that Jesus is God’s promised Messiah intended for all people.
The wise men persisted until they were led into the presence of this king of the Jews in order to pay homage to Him. They weren’t deterred by distance, dangerous travel, means, or even the fact that the star indicated the one born was the king “of the Jews”. They remained determined and steadfast, convinced that this star was purposely revealed to them to point them to this king. And so, they journeyed to find this king.
Amazing that they weren’t necessarily even anticipating and awaiting the arrival of God’s promised Messiah. Yet, God chose to announce and reveal the arrival of this king to these non-Jewish wise men from the east.
I don’t know about you, but I can put a lot of pressure on myself. I (emphasis on myself) must search out, must be diligent in seeking to understand. But these wise men weren’t searching as far as I can tell!!! God seeks (He said He came to seek and save the lost). It’s in God’s reaching out, God’s acting, God’s initiative, God’s divine intervention that He reveals Himself to me, to you…and it's our response to Him that matters (as it was with these wise men). Will we choose to respond in diligent pursuit of worship to this king...the King of Kings, the One who came for all the world!
Merry Christmas Season! ☺
Such an amazing story. What about the star indicated that not only was a king born but that He was the king of the Jews? And why would non-Jews be so intent on following a star that would lead them to this king...of the Jews?
And who were these “wise men?” What was their understanding of astrology? Apparently they studied and interpreted the existence of the stars and this particular star purposely revealed to them that the “king of the Jews” had been born! Of course God intended to reveal the birth of this king to non-Jews because THIS king was a king who would bring blessing to all!
Along with fulfillment, the miraculous is all over this story too! In addition to leading and revealing Jesus to these wise men, God intervenes to protect the life of Jesus, warning the wise men about Herod’s (who saw himself as the Jew’s king) real motives.
The Gospel stories don’t want us to miss the fact that Jesus is God’s promised Messiah intended for all people.
The wise men persisted until they were led into the presence of this king of the Jews in order to pay homage to Him. They weren’t deterred by distance, dangerous travel, means, or even the fact that the star indicated the one born was the king “of the Jews”. They remained determined and steadfast, convinced that this star was purposely revealed to them to point them to this king. And so, they journeyed to find this king.
Amazing that they weren’t necessarily even anticipating and awaiting the arrival of God’s promised Messiah. Yet, God chose to announce and reveal the arrival of this king to these non-Jewish wise men from the east.
I don’t know about you, but I can put a lot of pressure on myself. I (emphasis on myself) must search out, must be diligent in seeking to understand. But these wise men weren’t searching as far as I can tell!!! God seeks (He said He came to seek and save the lost). It’s in God’s reaching out, God’s acting, God’s initiative, God’s divine intervention that He reveals Himself to me, to you…and it's our response to Him that matters (as it was with these wise men). Will we choose to respond in diligent pursuit of worship to this king...the King of Kings, the One who came for all the world!
Merry Christmas Season! ☺
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