The gifts were significant in the story of the Wisemen and Jesus. Matthew 2: 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. [1] Each of these gifts was expensive …
God can communicate in warning dreams to protect us. The evil King Herod wanted the Wisemen to find out where Jesus was and report to him. They may not have realized the danger Herod posed to Jesus, but God did and gave them a dream. Matthew 2:12 When it was time to leave, they returned to …
Soon after his birth, satan tried to kill the Messiah to destroy God’s plan to rescue humanity from their sins. When King Herod learned that the Wisemen had come to worship the newborn king of the Jews, he was deeply disturbed. He was paranoid and saw the newborn king as threatening his leadership. Earlier in …
The Magi were Gentiles but were seeking the newborn king of the Jews. The Jews were to take the light of God to the world but had failed. Yes, some people came into the Jewish faith, but there were few. With the birth of Jesus, God would do something new that would open the way …
Knowing prophecy but not following reveals the hearts of the religious leaders at the birth of Jesus. Matthew 2:1Not long after the birth of Jesus wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship …
Some people are confused because God doesn’t speak to them like He does to their friends. God speaks in a language you understand. He has created us as individuals with different gifts and knows the most effective way to communicate with each of us. I can understand this as a parent. We have three children, …
As we consider the story of the Wisemen, we see God speaks through nature. These Gentile astrologers had a question for Jerusalem: Matthew 2: Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.[1] They had observed something unusual in the skies and …
God provided a second witness to confirm Simeon’s prophecy. This came in the form of a faithful widow, Anna. Scripture doesn’t tell us what Anna said, but she joined to praise God for what Simeon said. Luke 2: 36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the …
Not everyone will accept Jesus, which was prophesied by Simeon when he held the baby Jesus in his arms. The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah, and now he was in His presence. The Holy Spirit led Simeon to the Temple, where he encountered Joseph, Mary, …
Mary and Joseph marveled at Simon’s words about baby Jesus in the Temple. This was the second time that Mary and Joseph were surprised by the insight God gave others about their son. The night Jesus was born, an angel announced his birth to Shepherds, followed by other angels praising God. Based on what the …