King Jesus and the Queen City

Today we looked at the first 12 verses of Matthew 2. Although this is a very familiar passage to many of us as it is part of the Christmas story, we can continue to learn new truths that give us a deeper understanding of God’s plan. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is a small town about 6 miles south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem means, “House of Bread”, which is so fitting since Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of Life”!

The Magi (wise men) were Gentile pagans from Babylonia/Persia. They studied the stars, which means they were put on notice when a bright light in the sky rose (Numbers 24).

Herod the Great was king at the time, and became very alarmed about the star and the birth of Jesus. King Herod was a paranoid egomaniac who built amazing structures so that the world would know that there is a Herod. He was an Edomite who married a Jew, so he was disliked by both the Romans and the Jews. He couldn’t handle that. When the Bible says, “Herod was troubled”, it meant that people were going to die… To find out more about King Herod, click here.

In all of this drama playing out, the real lesson is watching how the pagan wise men responded to Jesus. They truly worshipped. They realized that God literally moved heaven and earth for the birth of His son. When they met Him, “they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts”. They didn’t expect anything in return.

Questions to discuss as a family today

1. Why would it have been hard to have faith in Christ during Jesus’ life on earth? A “king” gave them everything but was a madman sitting on the throne of David. Or trust Jesus…born a king, but with an eternal perspective…

2. What do you learn from the wise men…these pagan Persians? When was the last time you worshiped with great joy?

3.  What does God think about our worship? Do you worship to “get” or to exalt God? How? Why?

Prayer

Spend some time worshiping God as a family. Praise Him, sing a song about Him, and quietly reflect on His worthiness to be worshiped. Ask Him to forgive you for making Him smaller than He is. Allow the Holy Spirit to capture your imagination to show you who He truly is. Confess your indifference of God to Him, and commit to worship Him in spirit and in truth.