CHRISTMAS STORY: THE WISE MEN

 

CHRISTMAS STORY: THE WISE MEN I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17 It's hard to understand why the Wise Men felt compelled to travel a great distance just because of an odd star. Apparently, they had faith that something very significant was about to happen: and they wanted to be there when it did! The visit from the Wise Men is another startling addition to the Christmas story. These foreign men were so important, they easily gained admittance to King Herod.  And, once again the destiny of Jesus Christ was confirmed from unexpected sources. The visit of the Wise Men triggered a string of events; beginning with the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, and Herod's massacre of all the baby boys in Bethlehem. “The Holy Innocents” are remembered and honored as the first Christian martyrs. Eventually Mary and Joseph returned to Nazareth, where the child Jesus grew "in favor with God and man." Jesus wants us to seek Him as earnestly as the wise men; who set out from a far country. They weren’t sure where they were going, but they set out in faith, and God led them to an obscure village and a poor family. This was not what they were expecting: but they knew they were in the right place when they found Him.  We have a lot more information to go on than those wise men did; therefore, we won't have excuses when we stand before God someday. We know the story of Jesus, and why He came. We have Bibles that we can read. So this coming year, 2026, is the time to seek Jesus. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20