Overview of: MatthewToday's Reading:
Matt. 2:1-23
"The Wise Men"
Focus Verses: Matthew 2:3-6
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 Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Insight:
When the visiting wise men from the east came looking for the "one who had been born king of the Jews," Herod had his advisers search the scriptures for clues to the birthplace of the Christ. They pointed him to the words, "in Bethlehem in Judea," from the prophet Micah. The words of Micah’s prophecy also seem especially appropriate to the story of the visiting magi as they describe Christ’s greatness “reaching to the ends of the earth, and he will be their peace."
The Wise Men were seekers of the Christ. The priority they gave to finding Jesus, the way God led them in dreams, the worship they offered, and the gifts they presented all suggest to me that they were people who knew and believed God's covenant promise to Abraham: "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Gen. 12:3).
Response and Action:
I believe the scriptures are reliable, that Jesus is the Christ, and that the peace he brings is for all people. I will search the scriptures in order to be wise. I will seek Christ in order to find peace. I will trust God to keep his promises and to lead me.
O God, show me your ways. Thank you for the scriptures. Guide me in your truth and teach me. Give me the wisdom to seek you above all else. Help me to love, worship, and follow Christ wherever he leads. Amen.
Old Testament for Today: Micah 5:4-5
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And he will be their peace.
In Context: Micah 5:1-5
Proverb for Today: Prov. 1:32-33
"For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."
Recommended Reading:
Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ
by Robert H. Stein
