One of the glories of Christmas is the glorious response of those who witnessed Christ's birth. They offered Him pure and glorious worship! Ascribing glory to Christ.
And what does Matthew 2 record as the first reaction to the birth of Christ? Worship. Shortly after the birth of the Messiah, Babylonian magi from the East arrived in Jerusalem and inquired of King Herod where the real king of the Jews was to be born.
The immediate reaction of the theologians of Herod's court who knew the Scriptures well-was "in Bethlehem." What is amazing is that as they recited these words they showed the terrible condition that though they knew the Scriptures, they did not believe them! What a sad indictment upon these Bible students that they did not even bother to travel the five or six miles to Bethlehem to see their Messiah.
But one person in the crowded court believed the Scriptures! Herod believed the Scriptures! That is why he dispatched a corps of butchers to Bethlehem to slaughter innocent children, in hopes of destroying this rival to his throne. But he was too late. The magi had come and gone and Jesus was by now safe in Egypt. Another group also believed, those magi believed the Scriptures. They had traveled several hundred miles to worship this Babe. They were guided to Bethlehem by a supernatural celestial phenomenon--and by the Scriptures. Apparently, their ancestors had been instructed by Daniel the prophet about the coming Messiah. . . When they saw the Child, they fell down and worshiped him. This was God in the flesh. They could do no other.
And they gave him gifts--gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This was an unusual present--by any standards. The gold, of course, we all can understand--but the frankincense and myrrh were odd. Perhaps this means these wisemen had been exposed to Isaiah's prophecy which foretold that "nations will come to your light, and kings to your rising. . . They will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news. . . " (Isa. 60:3, 6). This exposure and their response explains the frankincense, but not the myrrh.
To the ancients myrrh, like frankincense, was a perfume. But unlike frankincense, myrrh always seemed to have the smell of death. In the ancient world, it was used to embalm a corpse. Jesus himself would be embalmed with this very perfume (cf. John 19:39).
Childbirth is enough of a miracle on its own, but this time of year adds a completely new dimension. Long ago in a quiet, crude place where animals sleep, Mary reached down and felt the Life from her body-she reached down and felt the soft, human skin of infinite God. "An Invitation to Touch the Skin of Infinite God" Chuck Swindoll, INSIGHT FOR LIVING
Recently there was a news article about some Christmas advertisements in Washington, DC that read, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake." These ads will appear on D.C. buses through December, and are being paid for by the American Humanist Association. Some people have hostility and indifference towards the things of God, the same as those who heard news of the Savior's birth. We have people who say, "We will not have Christ to rule over us," by trying to remove Jesus from the whole Christmas celebration."Matthew 1:2" David Rosales, A SURE FOUNDATION
I heard that someone actually tried to calculate how much it would cost to give the gifts named in the classic Christmas song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Still, the real message of Christmas is not the gifts that we give to each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. "The Greatest Gift of All" Greg Laurie, A NEW BEGINNING
Tradition dictates the way many of us celebrate Christmas. But as these traditions take on a life of their own, we can become haggard from attending to all of the details. It might make us wonder why in the world we're doing all of this. "Christmas Traditions Reloaded" Dr. Michael Youssef, LEADING THE WAY
May the Lord richly bless you!
The Oneplace.com Team
http://www.oneplace.com
Listen for Life!
2 comments:
Ann;
I am glad that you said that "God was in the Manger", the creator of heaven and earth.
This is missing in to day's proclamation of Christ's birth.
Most so called Christians say that God was not in the Manger only His Son.
Paul,
Hope you had a blessed Christmas and New Year's, Ann! I've been thinking about you and your upcoming trek!!! So excited for you. Will be praying that it's everything you need it to be.
I loved this Christmas post from Oneplace. It's no wonder God chose to announce his Son's birth to the shepherds...
Happy New Year, friend!
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