Jesus was born in the small village of Bethlehem ephrathah. However, the story began long before the birth. There has never been a time that Jesus didn't exist. Jesus is the I AM. The past, the present and the future. Eugene Peterson said, "When we submit our lives to what we read in Scripture, we find that we are not being led to see God in our stories but our stories in God's. God is the larger context and plot in which our stories find themselves."
INVITATION: This week we look at various responses to the presence of Jesus. What is YOUR response to your story within the context of the larger story of God?
MONDAY: Matthew 2:1-2: Not to ruin anyone's nativity scene, but the Magi actually came later in the story. They were wise and highly educated and trained. They were also likely Syrian. They were called "King Makers." They had all the Old Testament prophecies which were passed down to them and recognized something was going on when they saw the star in the sky. They chose to take an action that took a lot of time and commitment. They traveled approximately 900-1000 miles and the trip likely took a year. What type of action and commitment do you take in your daily life to seek out and follow Jesus?
TUESDAY: Number 24:17-19: This is likely the prophetic scriptures the Wise Men were familiar with and thus, they were on the alert for a special star. In yesterday's verses from Matthew 2, the wise men did not inquire "if" a king was born, but inquired where they could find the "newborn King of the Jews?" This was an identity....at birth. Who do YOU say Jesus is? As C.S. Lewis points out, claiming he is simply a good teacher is not an option because he himself claimed to be God. How are you on the alert for the presence of Jesus in your daily life?
WEDNESDAY: Matthew 2:3: Herod was "deeply disturbed" (along with everyone else) about all this. The wise men coming into town asking about Jesus would have made a big stir around town. For someone who had power, such as Herod, this was threatening. He wanted a big kingdom for himself. He operated from a place of fear and insecurity. How much does fear and insecurity rule your life? Could it be dominating your decision making and your relationships like it was for Herod? How big of a place does the desire for power have in your life?
THURSDAY: Matthew 2:4-6: Herod called a meeting with the leading priests and teachers about the birth of this messiah. Again, Old Testament prophecies come into play. Herod had it affirmed to him that the King of the Jews was to be born in Bethlehem. Then, Herod called a secret meeting with the wise men. He was scheming and planning in order to build his own kingdom. How much scheming and planning is in your life and relationships right now? Are there areas that may need to be confessied and left behind during this Advent season and into a new year?
FRIDAY: Matthew 2:7-12: The wise men wanted to know where, and Herod wanted to know when. He was beginning his political scheming and games of figuring out how to manipulate things so he could remain in control and in power. Pastor Adam used a quote by Cesar that is telling: "On hearing that the son of Herod, king of the Jews, had been slain when Herod ordered that all boys in Syria under the age of two be killed, Augustus said, “It's better to be Herod's pig than his son"
This is how far evil and sin took Herod. That seed of sin didn't start on that day. It had been planted and watered along the way. It was a positioning of the heart in Herod's life Do you have a seed of sin in your life that may need to be brought into the light of Christ and His mercy and grace? Is your heart bent toward Jesus and dying to yourself, or is it more toward building your own kingdom?
SATURDAY: Summary of three responses to the Christmas Presence: 1) Herod was blinded by personal fear and insecurity. He wanted to be the savior and to suppress truth. 2) The wise men embraced faith and were willing to look for the savior. They were seeking truth and responded with worship and offering gifts. 3) The chief priests were blinded by personal expectations. A helpless baby was quite the opposite of what they expected.
When WE become the center of our universe, we end up building our own kingdom. We can easily fall into justifying things with bad theology in order to continue this building process.
What is YOUR response to Jesus?