THE RHYTHM OF CHRISTMAS THE WISE MEN BIBLE READING: Matthew 2:1-12 NLT Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose, and we have come to worship Him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the Child. And when you find Him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship Him, too!” After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the Child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. While the Wisemen may not have been present at the birth of Christ in Bethlehem as portrayed by modern day manger scenes, it is does not dilute their contribution to the Christmas story. They saw the same star the shepherds did. Instead of debating what they saw or wasting time deciding how to act, their obedience was immediate. Their response was to worship Christ. They did not let things like the length of the journey or the struggles they may endure on their journey distract them from their sole focus of worshipping Christ. Furthermore, their dedication to worshipping Christ with every fibre of their being created a desire within them to bring their best in the form of beautiful and valuable gifts. They would not settle for giving Jesus anything less. When you worship God are you giving Him your very best? Are you just going through the motions? Or does every fibre of your being crave the presence of God to the point that you cannot help yourself in crying out and worshipping the Creator of the universe. Listen to the words of the Wiseman today as he shares how Jesus changed the very rhythm of his life leading him to respond in worship. youtu.be/RAHxobkRVR4
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 12:00:16 +0000
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