Matthew 2:1-12 (NRSV)
Christ revealed to the nations
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
DEVOTION
Today is Epiphany, "Three Kings Day," and the twelfth day of Christmas!
It is the wonderful day in the Christian Church when we remember the coming of the Wise Men to visit baby Jesus.
It occurs to me that some people seek Jesus because they wish to worship him. Like the wise men, some of us embark on a spiritual quest, desirous of "finding Jesus" and drawing near to him in worship and relationship.
Others of us seek Jesus for our own selfish purposes. Like King Herod he sought Jesus in order to destroy his work and cement his own power in the world.
In truth, because of the sinful nature of humanity there are times that all of us seek him for good and bad reasons, depending on the condition of our hearts.
Today, I want to invite you to allow yourself to be filled with the joy of Epiphany! If you look around you will see "signs" everywhere that God loves you and cares deeply for you.
It was out of this love that God sent Jesus into the world to live, die, and rise again all to make atonement for our sin and gift us with eternal life!
Indeed, Jesus is worth seeking! If you have never sought a personal relationship with him as your Lord and Savior, won't you pray with me today?
Oh God, thank you for sending Jesus into our world! I celebrate his birth on this day. I seek him with a heart filled with joy! Please forgive me of my sin and fill me with the Holy Spirit. I pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.
I would be honored if you would take a moment to click "YES" in answer to the survey question "Did you put all of your hope in Jesus today?" located at the top-right-hand corner of this blog.
Congratulations and Happy Re-birthday! Your salvation is our GOOD NEWS, please go and share the GOOD NEWS with others!
INVITATION
If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta
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