This morning I see several things: The wise men were looking expectantly to the heavens. God certainly knew in advance that they would be, so he provided a star to stoke their curiosity. The star alone was not enough, they had to dig into the texts to discover what it meant. God also knew they would do this, so he told prophets to write about it many years beforehand. Those who recognize the signs God provides and seek in His Word for answers can still find guidance today. Secondly, I notice the resistance to the Messiah. Herod did everything he could to make sure Jesus never grew up. Since God knows everything in advance, He knew that the babies in Bethlehem and the surrounding area would be killed…and He went through with the plan anyway. I love that God told us in advance there would be casualties in this war, so that when they happen we wouldn’t lose heart by thinking we were wandering out of His will. Satan will do anything in his power to make sure we don’t accept Christ, or mature in our faith. He will use circumstances and people to accomplish his goal. That makes me wonder how Mary must have felt when she heard of the newborns death. It reminds me that in order for God’s purposes to be accomplished there must be sacrifice. I have become fond of saying “nothing grows unless something dies”. John the Baptist said “I must become less, and He must become more”.
Thirdly, I marvel at the instructions God gave Joseph on different occasions. We make a big production about Mary (and rightly so) but Joseph often is overlooked. Today I recognize that without Joseph’s obedience Mary might not have survived the pregnancy (she could have been stoned to death), she wouldn’t have traveled to Bethlehem (that was Joseph’s lineage), she wouldn’t have known to flee to Egypt, and the family wouldn’t have traveled to Nazareth in Galilee. I noticed today that Joseph intended to return to Judea, probably to Bethlehem which is nearby Jerusalem in Judea. Since they had been staying in a home there prior, and it was where Joseph’s family came from, it makes sense. But God directed him north to Nazareth. Herods son Archelaus would rule from Jerusalem, and Bethlehem was already on his radar because of the wise men and what his father had done. It was wise to live elsewhere. Of course, God had planned this in advance as well, and foretold the prophets who wrote it all down hundreds of years before it happened. That is a great encouragement to me because it bolsters my faith. There’s no way for someone to manipulate the story line from 500 to 750 years prior to Christ’s birth. And some of the prophecies are beyond the ability of any one person to control. It would have taken thousands of people walking in lock step to make these prophecies come true…and we see from what Herod did that wasn’t the case. It’s no wonder the authors of the New Testament often say “this happened so that what was written would come true”. Knowing that it happened in the way it was prophesied must have bolstered their strength also.
If this finds you today wondering if there really is a God, or if He really is involved in human affairs right down to the finest details. Be encouraged to know that He is! And He knows and cares about what you are going through. Remember the travel and homelessness of Mary and Joseph as well as the death of the newborns to remind you that maturity doesn’t come without sacrifice. Whatever you are going through may be difficult at times, but it will be worth it!
In love with Jesus,
PR