SEEKING BY THE MAGI

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem!" (Matt. 2:1 NKJV).

Though Christ was born in a very humble situation, yet He was honored by angels as well as “wise men from the East.” Our verse speaks of the time when the wise men came seeking Christ. Thus, we want to note the duration of the time and the danger of the time.

The duration of the time – “Now after Jesus was born.” Though the “wise men” started their journey to see the Christ child at the time He was born, they did not arrive for some months, because of the great distance they had to travel. Matthew includes this incident to contrast the mysterious insight of the “wise men” with the incredible imperceptions of Herod and the religious leaders. The “wise men” traveled hundreds of miles which took months, in their quest to find a newborn king. Herod and the religious leaders would not even travel six miles (the distance from Jerusalem to Bethlehem).

The danger of the time – “In the days of Herod the king.” This is the first mention of Herod in the Bible He was vicious and lustful (married nine times), and in his quest for absolute power did not hesitate to kill even members of his own family (a wife and some sons were murdered). He is called ‘Herod the Great’ in secular history but not ‘Great’ in the Bible. He had no greatness of character, his greatness was in vileness. That Christ was born in this most perilous of times is an illustration of God delighting to do His great works when the opposition is the greatest. This shows the great power of God. And it is an encouragement to God’s people that the darkest of days and direst of circumstances are no problem for God to work mightily on our behalf.

(Adapted from Butler Daily Bible Reading)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“There were many who saw the babe, but did not see the salvation!”

Anonymous

Word Study

Draw near

In Jam. 4:8 we read, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (NKJV).

Draw near is the Greek word engizō (ἐγγίζω = eng-id'-zo). It means to approach, draw closer to, draw near, be near, and come near. Hence drawing near in space and drawing closer to some point. It is also used of drawing near in regard to time.

In classical Greek, engizō means to approach or bring near, often referring to drawing near to God. In the Septuagint engizō is a common word referring to both spatial nearness (Gen. 12:11) and time nearness (Isa. 26:17). It is particularly used to describe both the approaching Day of Judgment and to describe one drawing near to God.

In the New Testament engizō is used to describe the approaching of events or people. It is often used to describe the approaching of the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:2), one drawing near to God spiritually to worship (Matt. 15:8) and to meditate (Jam. 4:8). The promise is draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you, which is a pledge of fellowship and communion. The word is decisive and indicates that we are not to draw a step or two nearer to God but are to approach Him completely.

Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus

Old Testament Prophecy – Messiah would be the Wonderful One (Isa. 9:6)

New Testament Fulfillment – Luke 4:22

Did You Know…

In Luke 1:42, Elizabeth says to Mary - “blessed is the fruit of your womb!” In Matt. 12:33, Jesus says that “a tree is known by its fruit.”

Bible Quiz

According to Matthew 1, who was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary?

**Answer to last week’s trivia: All the land of Judea, and all they of Jerusalem came out to John, “and were all baptized by him” in what river? Jordan (Mark 1:5)

Everyday Expressions Alluded to in the Bible

"Father knows best”

“But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die” (Gen. 3:3 NKJV).

“Forbidden fruit” - The expression “forbidden fruit” carries the idea of that which is forbidden, yet tempting. One of Satan’s main strategy is to raise doubts in our minds concerning the truthfulness of God’s Word and the goodness of God’s heart. He always focuses on the negative, on the restrictions, and not focus on the positives, and the privileges. He focuses on the burdens, not the blessings. He would make us discontent with our God-appointed situation. Defeat of Satan here requires us to be constantly thanking God for His blessings. We need to focus on our triumphs not our trials, our delights not our disappointments. Yes, the Lord really loves us and is not holding out on us. “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32).

Did You Know – Christian History

Joseph Mohr was born December 11, 1792 in Salzburg, Austria. He was as an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and writer, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol "Silent Night."

Joseph was an illegitimate child; his father Franz had deserted not only his mother, but also the army, leaving the mother to face a steep fine. Being a knitter who earned little, i would have taken her a full year’s wage to pay the penalty. However, the town’s brutal executioner stepped into the picture – he paid the fine and became the child’s godfather. By so doing, he hoped to improve his own reputation. But Joseph’ life now bore another stigma: godson of the feared and hated executioner. He was banned from attending school or learning a trade, or even from holding a job.

Joseph loved to sing, and while playing on the steps leading up to a Capuchin monastery, he was overheard singing by Johann Nepomuk Hiernle, a Benedictine monk and cathedral choirmaster. Hiernle thought the boy’s voice so good, that he arranged for Mohr to study with his elite group of students.

Hiernle’s kindness was not wasted. Joseph proved to be an outstanding pupil and mastered the organ, violin and guitar by the time he was twelve. He always placed in the top quarter of the class. His training continued and he was ordained a priest in 1815.Over the course of his life, he was assigned duties in many towns. But it was while he was yet a young assistant in Oberndorf that he won lasting fame. He wrote the words to a new Christmas carol and asked the church organist, Franz Gruber, to set them to music.

On Christmas Eve, 1818, the two first sang what has since become the most popular Christmas carol of all time: “Silent Night, Holy Night.” This carol captures the awesome humility of a God who stooped not just to the level of mankind, but to the lowest level - born among animals and announced to common shepherds.

In his last post, at Wagrain, Joseph opened a school which took in poor children. He gave virtually his entire income to this project and died as poor as he was born. But he left us the riches of “Silent Night” which has been translated into 200 languages. Millions sing Joseph Mohr’s words every Christmas.

A Little Humor

You do know what would have happened if it had been three wise women instead of men, don’t you? They would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, and brought disposable diapers as gifts!

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“It’s never too early to accept Christ, but at any moment it could be too late!”