SEEKING JESUS
FRIDAY JANUARY 6
EPIPHANY DAY
Matthew 2 : 1-12
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
2 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.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 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.
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘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.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
8 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.”
9 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.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Often times, those who live far from the means of grace, seem to appreciate the source of grace better than those who live near it. Such as the case of the wise men from the East. They were far away in the East, yet they were able to see the star, notice its uniqueness, and followed it to Jerusalem. Their inquiry was simple, "where is He who has been born the King of the Jews"? Their sole purpose was to discover His whereabouts, so they could worship Him.
Today we don't need any astrological experience to see the light of Christ. If we must learn of Christ, we must do so by attending to the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister the truth of that light that shines in a dark place. And those in whose heart the day-star is risen make every effort to worship Him as the wise men did. today we do not need any star, however bright, to direct us to Christ. Everything we need is already written down for us in the Scriptures. They that sincerely come to Christ must come with the sole intention of worshiping Him, just as the wise men did, not because of what the will receive from Him as many today are in the habit of doing
Thought: Why do you seeK God?