“And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” -Matthew 2:9-11
The Christmas story is not about one family only, or one town, or one country. The story of Jesus’s birth reaches across the borders of nations and culture. The shepherds were strangers to Mary and Joseph, but they were fellow countrymen—they spoke Hebrew and lived nearby. Mary and Joseph were Hebrew people. The story of Christmas takes place in their country, in the city their ancestors had come from: Bethlehem.
The Wisemen, however, were different.
There were so many other people living in the region of Galilee who missed the arrival of the promised Messiah. Jesus was born in a crowded town filled with people from all over Galilee who had come for the census. They were there, but they were not looking for a savior. And yet, a group of Wisemen (possibly three, although we do not know for certain) from a foreign country were drawn by God through a star in the sky to behold the Son of God for themselves.
The Wisemen were seeking Jesus. They were on a mission: to follow the star, find the King beneath, and worship Him. There is a principle throughout the Bible that you’ll find over and over again, and that is when we truly seek after God, we will find Him. Jesus was not hidden away, kept secret from the world. Yet, there were many who, even as He grew into a man, did not see Him for who He truly was: their Messiah, their Savior.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the savior of the world! The fact that God put a star in the sky to draw a group of foreign men to come and worship Jesus shines such a clear and beautiful light on this truth! His coming meant salvation for all people: Jew, Greek, slave, free, men, women. Those who seek Him, who call Him their King, and who worship Him as God: Jesus came to show us that He loves us all.
I pray that we never miss the wonderful things God is doing around us, but like the Wisemen, we can go to whatever lengths necessary to seek Him! Remember that no matter where you may be coming from, God will always guide you to His Son if you’re seeking Him.
If you are enjoying this Advent Devotional, you can pick up a copy of the book at our Sunday Services during the month of December or purchase your own keepsake copy of this published book by clicking below. We would also love to have you join us for our Christmas series at Redemption Church on Sunday mornings at 10am! For more information, click the links below.
