Apicontent

“After listening to the king they left, and once again the star they saw when it rose led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star they shouted joyfully. As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back by another route to their own country.” —Matthew 2:9–12

How miraculously and graciously the hand of God directed these wise men, leading them directly to the Christ child. How joyful they were in God’s leading! The signs of God’s presence cannot help but fill us with great joy and peace. I am reminded of God’s word to Joshua:

“Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic, for I, the LORD your God, am with you in all you do.” —Joshua 1:9

We should be glad for everything and everyone that points us to Christ—directing us to things above rather than earthly things. Paul tells us our minds and hearts should be focused upward:

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth.” —Colossians 3:1–2

There is continual joy in God’s presence. I am reminded of King David’s words:

“You lead me in the path of life; I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.” —Psalm 16:11

God enabled the wise men to do that which they themselves were unable to do by their own abilities and devices. No compass or GPS could have led them there. Even King Herod was confused over the whereabouts of the King of the Jews. As we follow after the Master, God directs, enables, and equips us through His power just as He did these wise men. I am reminded of Paul’s words:

“I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13

What in the world might have been the reaction of the wise men to the humble place in which the star led them to discover the King of Kings? Surely they had to have been at the very least taken aback when they saw a cottage instead of a castle. Yet we discover in our verses quite the opposite. Undeterred, they humbly present themselves in worship first, then their gifts second. Interestingly, the Bible tells us they bow down in worship to the Lord Jesus even though they had not given such honor to Herod. Neither a castle nor a crown makes a man a king.

These wise men present their gifts of gold and incense and myrrh to young Jesus. What might Mary have been thinking while all this was taking place? In the eastern nations, when one did homage to their kings, they brought gifts from their own country.

The gifts presented to Jesus had symbolic value as well as monetary value. Gold was offered because Jesus is King; incense was offered because Jesus is God, and God was honored with the smoke of incense; and finally, myrrh was offered to Jesus as a man who would die, as myrrh was used for embalming dead bodies. These gifts were a timely relief sent by God to Joseph and Mary in their present poor condition. This probably helped them when they headed towards Egypt. God also protected these wise men, warning them in a dream not to go back to King Herod.

Become More

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him, in all your ways and he will make your paths straight.” —Proverbs 3:5–6

Further Reflection

“We cannot expect too little from man, nor too much from God.” —Matthew Henry

“So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.” —Luke 2:16–20

The shepherds had just received an angelic visit and hurried to confirm and see what their ears had heard!

God came to the lowly. The Good News extended first to the down and out shepherds, the lowest of the Jews. I love that about God. He turns all of man’s thinking upside down. I am sure that if you had asked the Jews of that day who would be the first to hear this great proclamation about the birth of the Savior, the answer would not have been “shepherds” … “religious leaders in Jersalem” would have been the response most given!

In verse 17, the word translated “seen” is the Greek word eido meaning “to perceive with the outward senses, particularly with physical sight, to perceive with the mind, to understand” (The Complete Word Study New Testament). Isn’t that great? God tells them. God shows them. What a confirmation and, as a result, what a transformation! It reminds me of Job. After all his struggles he says to the Lord:

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” —Job 42:1

When one hears and understands such Good News, one acts! That’s exactly what the shepherds did! They made known, they declared, they revealed the word given to them! They were the first messengers to proclaim the arrival of the Messiah. And all who heard were amazed and filled with wonder! Scripture tells us that Mary kept all these things carefully in her heart—protected, safe and close. I am sure she replayed the message from the angels to the shepherds over and over in her mind.

“Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” —Luke 2:10–12

When the shepherds return to their sheep, they sing to God for all they have heard and seen.

What God says, that He will most assuredly do. He never changes.

“Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.” —James 1:16–17

Become More

We should not expect God to use the methods of this world to convey His messages. He tells us, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). We have no idea as to who or what He will use to go about fulfilling His plan. What we can know is that He has a plan and it is good!

Further Reflection

“I have a great need for Christ; I have a great Christ for my need.” —Spurgeon

“This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: ‘Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,’ which means ‘God with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus.” —Matthew 1:22–25

We discover in these verses fulfilled prophecy. The Savior would be born of a virgin. God always fulfills His every word!

Jesus gives us a solemn declaration regarding this same principle later in Matthew in the Sermon on the Mount:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.” —Matthew 5:17–18

Since Matthew was writing primarily to a Jewish audience, the fulfillment of prophecy is consistently brought to the forefront. In the second chapter alone, we discover no less than four occurrences of prophecy being fulfilled through the life of Jesus. Matthew was ever pointing his audience to the fact that Jesus was indeed their long-awaited Messiah!

In our verses today, Matthew cites the prophecy from the pen of Isaiah—almost word for word:

“For this reason the LORD himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

The Savior of the world did not come from an empress or a queen. He did not appear with outward pomp or splendor. Rather, leaving His glory behind, He arrived in the womb of a poor young virgin, a reflection of spiritual purity. The highest and holiest entered this world through the most humble of doors. The name “Immanuel” assures the people of God’s continued presence. To be sure, He is a “with us” God! Isn’t that wonderful news?

The writer of Hebrews affirms this:

“Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can people do to me?’” —Hebrews 13:5–6

God’s encouraging word through the Prophet Isaiah comes to mind:

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you! Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! I strengthen you—yes, I help you—yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand!” —Isaiah 41:10

We see the faithfulness of Joseph as he is obedient to God’s commands. He did not let his earthly concerns distract him from the eternal matter of obedience to the will of God. There was no delay in his actions. God himself was Joseph’s strength and God’s presence was Joseph’s comfort and consolation. We will always discover the sufficiency of our Lord Jesus when we follow His way and rely upon His strength and wisdom. With Him, nothing lacks value—even though at first blush, as in the case of Joseph, it seems difficult, confusing, and terrifying. God’s ways are not the ways of man.

Christ left His glory in heaven and entered the earth through humble doors and he lived out His earthly life in perfect obedience to the Father. He was despised and rejected, and yet, in the end, He was exalted:

“As a result God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” —Philippians 2:9–11

Become More

“Tarry not for a convenient time. The movings of the Spirit are never convenient to the interests of the flesh, and I shall engineer your circumstances to conform to My plan and My will. You will glorify Me; for My plan for you excels all other ways, and in the center of My will is a perpetual fountain of glory. Do not doubt or hesitate, for I the Lord your God go before you. You already have My promise that the work I begin I am able to carry through to completion. Yes, there is already laid up an exceeding weight of glory for those who go through with Me and determine to seize the prize. For I have wealth beyond your fondest dreams to bestow upon those who have left all to follow Me. All the glittering enticements of this transient life are as chaff in comparison, for God’s gifts and calling never waver, and My giving is restricted only by the will and choice of the recipient.” —Frances J. Roberts

Further Reflection

“By the light of nature, we see God as a God above us; by the light of the law, we see him as a God against us; but by the light of the gospel, we see him as Immanuel, God with us, in our own nature, and in our interest. In this consists the salvation he brought about, in the bringing of God and man together; this was what he intended, to bring God to be with us, which is our great happiness, and to bring us to be with God, which is our great duty.” —Matthew Henry

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way: While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband to be, was a righteous man, and because he did not want to disgrace her, he intended to divorce her privately. When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’” —Matthew 1:18–21

The highly favored Mary and the righteous Joseph were chosen by God to be the earthly parents of Jesus. Amazing! Mary and Joseph were both faithful to the word of God in that they both believed God’s announcements to them. God spoke to Mary through an angelic visit and to Joseph through an angelic dream. Oh, that we too would be found faithful to believe the Word of God!

We find in Luke the account of Mary’s visitation and her immediate response. Keep in mind, she was a very young girl, making her actions all the more impressive:

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting. So the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! Listen: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God.’” —Luke 1:26–38

Both Mary and Joseph were blessed because they believed that what the Lord told them would be accomplished, though certainly they could not have possibly understood the fullness of the mystery of Christ’s incarnation.

“Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones form in the womb of a pregnant woman, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” —Ecclesiastes 11:5

Mary had been pledged to Joseph, betrothed for a waiting period of a year to demonstrate faithfulness and the pledge of purity. It was a binding contractual agreement arranged for individuals by their parents. It was only after the waiting period of a year that the couple consummated their marriage physically and would begin living together as husband and wife.

The marriage would be annulled if the bride were to be found with child. In such cases, the woman would be subject to public scandal and presented to the judges at the city gate. Such an act could have the result of death by stoning. Joseph’s genuine love for Mary is demonstrated by the fact that he decided to divorce her quietly and without scandal. He did not want to expose her. He was inclined to be merciful. And although Mary knew the chances were great that she would be dealt with as a prostitute, she chose to entrust herself to the One who judges justly. She kept her mind calm by committing her cause to her heavenly Father.

As Joseph ponders his next steps, God lovingly intervenes and directs His servant on precisely what to do. It is the thoughtful, not the impulsive, whom God will clearly guide. God’s instruction often comes when we are confused and at a standstill, not knowing what to do next. As we earnestly seek Him, He promises to faithfully show us the way.

“Call on me in prayer and I will answer you. I will show you great and mysterious things which you still do not know about.” —Jeremiah 33:3

Become More

God desires that we trust Him. We are not to kick against His best for our lives, but fully embrace the path he has laid out for us. Even when we cannot fully understand His plan, He always has our best interests in mind.

Further Reflections

Both Mary and Joseph were blessed because they believed what the Lord told them would be accomplished, though certainly they could not have possibly understood the fullness of the mystery of Christ’s incarnation.

God’s instruction often comes when we are confused and at a standstill, not knowing what to do next.

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:12

“After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), ‘I am thirsty!’ A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth. When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, ‘It is completed!’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” —John 19:28–30

Nearing the end of the greatest accomplishment ever to be done on behalf of mankind, our Lord proclaims, “I am thirsty!” In Psalm 22, King David prophesied what Jesus would someday experience. David’s many poetic expressions were fulfilled in the Savior’s suffering:

“My strength drains away like water; all my bones are dislocated; my heart is like wax; it melts away inside me. The roof of my mouth is as dry as a piece of pottery; my tongue sticks to my gums. You set me in the dust of death. Yes, wild dogs surround me—a gang of evil men crowd around me; like a lion they pin my hands and feet.” —Psalm 22:14–16

“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I groan in prayer, but help seems far away.” —Psalm 22:1

Having once refused the soldier’s medicinal offer of wine vinegar to dull His pain (Matthew 27:34), Jesus now readily accepts this mocking offering. The vinegar-soaked sponge on a hyssop branch would be used to free His tongue. Jesus had words left to say and He needed His mouth moistened to declare them.

Tongue freed, our Lord now offers the three greatest words of triumph ever uttered to a startled universe. Expressed with majestic simplicity, the Savior states from the cross, “It is completed.” Inexhaustible in meaning, these three words are rich and full of deep truths. Jesus had accomplished what He had come to do. He had done all that was needed to save sinners—all that was needful to satisfy the justice of God.

“The death of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in history of the very mind and intent of God. There is no place for seeing Jesus Christ as a martyr. His death was not something that happened to Him—something that might have been prevented. His death was the very reason He came.” —Oswald Chambers

Jesus had come to die as our substitute; He had come to fulfill the ceremonial law; He had come as the true sacrifice for our sin; He had come to fulfill many of the prophecies; He had come to accomplish the great work of man’s redemption. Nothing was whimsical or happenstance regarding Christ’s life or death. Not one thing in the minutest details was by accident or by chance. The cup of suffering was at last now drained. Jesus was rightfully preparing to enter back into glory—right back to His Father’s side:

“I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created.” —John 17:4–5

Become More

We can rest our souls on the finished work of Christ! We need not fear sin or Satan or the law to condemn us on the last day. Jesus has done all, paid all, and accomplished all that was necessary for our salvation. When we look at our own works, we may well be ashamed at the imperfections we see, but when we focus on the finished work of Christ, we have comfort and peace. We are made complete in Him—not lacking anything:

“For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” —Colossians 2:9–10

Further Reflection

“The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive—He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm … Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.” —Oswald Chambers