After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
Matthew 2:1-10
The Magi were a tribe of priests from neighboring Midian in the south. They were gentiles but had similar duties to the Levite Priests of Israel. They were learned men who studied medicine, science and philosophy and would have known the prophecy in Numbers 24:17 from the Old Testament.
“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.
In the New Testament, Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus says;
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:16-21
It matters who you follow. The wise men followed the light and it didn’t lead to a manmade place, but the person whom God proclaimed was His Son. How often we follow what looks like light, but in fact it leads us to ruin. Maybe alcohol, money, fame, power and riches. If these become your guiding light, you might consider you’re going in the wrong direction. The light which is unchanging is the light you want to follow. Will what you are hoping on today be there tomorrow? Will it stand the test of time? So many things in this world are truly fleeting, and we devote endless energy into owning them. Sometimes we feel like we’ll die without them. But you know what? You may die with them and miss the light from heaven which is calling your name.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:16-18
Following the Light,
Laurie
Print this post by clicking on the green ‘printer friendly’ bar below, and write your answers to these questions.
Question (feel free to journal your answer here) Can you list a couple of things you are following right now that may lead nowhere? How might following the light of Christ bring you joy like the Magi when they saw the star to follow?
Your prayer (feel free to write your prayer here)
Bethlehem Star Jewelry can be found at shop.livedan330.com