God Stepped In The World
Just a few more days until Christmas! Grad your Bible and read Matthew 2:1-12.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 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!”
9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 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.
Why did these foreigners travel so far and why did they bring such gifts? Simple, they came to worship the King. Jesus was and is King of the world. God stepped into the world that He created to display who He was, to show you and me His love and to provide a way to know Him intimately!
Yes, Jesus was born to an ordinary teenage girl who had just ridden on a donkey for 85 miles. Joseph had walked those same miles. Bethlehem was packed with guests and there was no room in the inn to stay. But they were offered a stinky stable full of animals and Joseph did the best he could for Mary with what he had… hay, a manger for a crib, and whatever else he could find for Mary and Jesus.
The King of the World born in a quiet little town where animals were kept. Angels announced to lowly shepherds and some foreigners showed up with gifts fit for the King.
The story is true. The story is for you and me. Worship the newborn King, who created the world, yet entered it as a baby. Talk to God this morning and perhaps sing a Christmas song in worship of Jesus, the King of the World.
Prayer: Jesus, you are the King. Thank you for coming into this world to pay the price for my sin. I believe in you. I love you.