Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Well, my friends, we’ve arrived to the last few hours of the year 2023. What a year this has been, and I imagine there will yet be some events globally, even in these next few hours, which will amaze us!
May I offer us two questions for consideration as we close out 2023?
1. What will you do this weekend to help you evaluate the journey your life has taken in 2023 and how do you plan to finish this year well?
2. What will you do this weekend to position yourself for a great start to 2024?
Yesterday I left you on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem about 2030 years ago, walking with Joseph and Mary with one of them carrying 41-day old infant Jesus. They are likely discussing the remarkable experience they’ve had in the great Temple in Jerusalem where they met two old people who said some amazing things about the infant Jesus.
Joseph and Mary had consecrated themselves to God to raise this child in the very best way they possibly could, to help Him understand His Jewish heritage, understand His unique identity, and lead Him to a vibrant relationship with God which would enable Him to discern and accomplish His God given life mission.
May I ask us parents and grandparents, is that our objective with the children and grandchildren we influence?
Upon their return to Bethlehem, Joseph must have moved his little family into a house or at least a few rented rooms, until he and Mary could make a longer-term plan. Why do I say that? Because the very next event in what we often call the “Christmas story” is found in Matthew 2 and is the unexpected visit of the Magi.
These were scholars and perhaps astronomers who had seen some strange astrological phenomenon which from their studies led them to believe a new “King of the Jews” had been born, probably in Israel. While most songs and dramas portray three Magi, the Bible does not tell us how many came. We presume they formed a small caravan and came with servants to tend their animals and assist them in what we presume was a very long journey.
Believing they were coming to meet a newborn ‘King of the Jews’ they naturally made their way to Jerusalem and inquired at the palace of King Herod the Great. You may recall this man was a strong yet paranoid ruler of the Jewish Palestine region. His legacy includes at least these three great construction projects… the great mountain top fortress “Masada”; the remarkable seaside city of Caesarea, and the significant expansion of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Of course, the inquiry of the Magi was shocking and disturbing to King Herod who had already killed several people, including some of his own family, whom he thought might be vying for his throne. Matthew chapter two tells us Herod called together his most learned scholars in Jerusalem to inquire about this newborn King, specifically Herod wanted to know where the Jewish Messiah was to be born, according to the ancient Hebrew scrolls.
They quoted the prophet Micah who had written these words about 500 years before: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.” (Micah 5:2)
With that news, King Herod sent the Magi on their way to Bethlehem, requesting they send news back to him, since he insisted that he too wanted to meet and worship this new King! Matthew’s record gives us this very interesting description: “The Magi went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.” (Matt. 2:9-11)
Because Matthew refers to a star, and stars are only visible at night, I presume the Magi arrived in Bethlehem at night. How a star could identify a particular neighborhood in Bethlehem or even a single house, I do not know, but somehow, it’s clear these Magi discerned the correct house where they found Mary and her young son Jesus. Joseph is not mentioned, so I presume he was not at home at the moment of the arrival of the Magi. I doubt we can imagine the shock of young Mary when she opened the door to see these Magi bearing gifts and behind them, I presume a small caravan of camels and servants.
When Matthew says they ‘worshiped’ I presume it means they bowed very low, maybe even murmuring some prayers or words of honor in whatever language they spoke in their far distant land. I presume these Magi were dressed in attire befitting highly respected scholars. And when they placed their gifts before Mary and infant Jesus what do you think Mary was thinking? We have no record of anything they said, but I presume they spoke a language Mary could understand, either Greek, the language of the entire Roman empire, or Aramaic, the dialect spoken especially in the Galilee region.
I’m sure they explained who they were, how a star in the sky had led them on their long journey and especially why they had come… to honor a newborn “King of the Jews”. Young Mary’s mind and heart must have been deeply stirred as she reflected on what Simeon and Anna had said to her about her infant son, and even what she had learned from Zechariah and Elizabeth when she spent 3 months with them studying the ancient Scriptures, and finally what she remembered the angel Gabriel had told her about this Child, even before she was pregnant.
The gifts these Magi placed before Mary and her infant son were gifts for a king. Gold, of course, the international symbol for wealth; incense used especially in temples and places of worship; and myrrh, a very special spice used especially in preparation for the burial of people of royalty. Now ponder that a moment my friends.
We know Joseph and Mary had brought two pigeons to the Temple for the consecration of infant Jesus. (Luke 2:24) According to the Jewish Law of Leviticus 12:8, that was the minimal sacrifice appropriate for those unable to afford a sacrificial lamb. We presume because of the shame related to Mary’s pregnancy while she was engaged, Joseph and Mary had a private wedding, perhaps not even attended by their own families and thus they would not have received the normal outpouring of gifts and money given to young couples to begin their married life together.
I believe it’s safe to assume Joseph was doing the best he could to provide for the essential needs of his little family and so these lavish gifts would have been overwhelming to young Mary and may well have provided financially for their survival in the difficult weeks which followed.
We have no record of their conversation, how long they stayed, or if Joseph arrived home before they left. But Matthew wants us to understand something important about the departure of the Magi that evening: “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, the Magi returned to their country by another route.” (Matt. 2:12)
Obviously, God had brought them on their long journey TO Bethlehem as another confirmation to Joseph and Mary, but also to our entire world, that this child Jesus was a God sent Child in fulfillment of ancient prophecies. God also warned them of what they did not know about wicked King Herod, and they left Bethlehem that night, heading east to safety, having seen with their own eyes, “Immanuel”, God with us!
Let’s pause here friends, watching the Magi camel caravan disappearing into the night and also watching Joseph and Mary as they discuss what we have just witnessed.
They had no idea… about the terrifying things Herod was thinking and planning for them and Bethlehem.
They had no idea… God was about to send another angel to warn them and instruct them what to do next so they could keep infant Jesus safe.
They had no idea… they would soon be refugees in Egypt!
All they knew was that they were participating with God in the greatest miracle of all time, ‘Immanuel’, God with us.
It’s a picture my friends of you and me this weekend. None of us know what ’24 will bring, but are you confident God sees ’24 very clearly and is ready to lead you and me through this next year? Do you trust God fully or are you insisting you must be in control of your own destiny? I urge us to serious reflection of the two questions I started with today…
1. What will you do this weekend to help you evaluate the journey your life has taken in 2023 and how do you plan to finish this year well?
2. What will you do this weekend to position yourself for a great start to 2024?
I look forward to you and I ‘Walking with Jesus’ across the threshold INTO 2024 and THROUGH the months ahead with assurance that we can trust Jesus! Here’s a worship song to help us consider all these things, my friends. Will you have room in your busy life for Jesus in 2024?
Today’s Scripture is Matthew 2:1-12.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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