Pre-Christmas Series: The Star of Bethlehem

Matthew 2:9 New Living Translation

“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was.”

             This star that scripture speaks of is the Star of Bethlehem.  There have been several theories as to what exactly this star was.  Some scientific scholars came up with 3 different scenarios that would take out the miraculous and make it an explainable event.  Some said it was a comet, but records of comet sightings do not correspond with the estimated time of Christ’s birth.

             When a cluster of planets intersect in the night sky it is called ‘a conjunction’.   Some scientists maintain that this may have been the case; however, this type of scenario doesn’t replicate the light produced by one single source.  Planets do intersect fairly frequently, but this cannot be considered a viable option due to the single source of light theory.

             Lastly, an exploding star or ‘supernova’ may have explained the bright light, but there is no record of a supernova taking place at that time in history.  

             There are a couple details about the scriptural account that should be mentioned.  The Magi and the Shepherds were the only ones who saw the star.  The example listed above would have been seen by everyone and surely would have been chronicled somewhere in the journals of history.

             The star led the Magi 6 miles to the North of their position from when they first saw it.  Stars move from East to West due to the earth’s rotation.  While this look at the star of Bethlehem certainly isn’t exhaustive, it makes a solid case that the star was a miraculous light sent by Almighty God to lead the 3 Wise Men to the place where he wished them to be to see and worship the Lord Jesus. 

             During the Advent Season we need to realize that everything that took place on that night so long ago was orchestrated from start to finish by the hand of God.  It’s no different than how his hand orchestrates our own lives as well if we allow him to.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resource:  www.christiananswers.net

Pre-Christmas Series: The Manger

Luke 2:7 New Living Translation

“(Mary) gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”

             There has been much speculation regarding the location where Jesus was born. He wasn’t born in a manger, but rather laid in a manger after birth.  Just what is a manger? A manger is a food trough for animals.  Luke’s Gospel is the only one of the four gospels that goes into detail about the birth of the Christ child.

             I’ve come across 3 scenarios for the location of the animal food trough where Christ was laid.  1) It could have been just as it has been depicted in film, on Christmas cards and in our imaginations.  A barn with stalls and a wooden food trough with animals all about and all the rich fragrances that come with that type of environment.  2) An early church tradition places the food trough in a cave where owners place their animals to protect them from the elements. It would very possibly have been cold, dank, and dirty.  3) Lastly, since Luke doesn’t use the words ‘inn’ or ‘innkeeper’, but rather the word ‘lodging’, Joseph and Mary could have been looking to stay at his family’s home.  Joseph came from Bethlehem, so he and Mary went there for the census.

             The interesting fact here is that people dwelled upstairs on the 2nd floor of their dwelling. They ate and slept there, while the animals and tools of their trade stayed downstairs.  That is where the food trough would have been.  The statement that there was no lodging for them simply meant that with family members coming to Bethlehem at the same time for the census there was no place for Joseph and Mary to stay upstairs.  So they stayed among the beasts and the tools. It’s very possible that this is where the baby Jesus spent his first night. 

             In reality it matters not where he was born. More importantly, it is the fact that he was born that changes the trajectory of history.  We can seem to agree that Jesus was laid in a hay filled food trough, not the most sterile of atmospheres. But God protected him so that he might fulfill that which he was sent to do.  God offers us that same protection throughout our lives if we will only surrender to his will for our life.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resources: The Life Application Study Bible; www.gotanswers.org; www.christiananswers.net

Pre-Christmas Series: The Three Wise Men

Matthew 2:12 New Living Translation

“When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.”

             The Wise Men or Magi as they were also called, came to the manger where Jesus lay to give him gifts and worship him.  Where did they come from? What were their names? We don’t know a whole lot about them, but I believe we know enough.  There’s no record from whence they came, but historic tradition tells us that their names were Gaspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.  Magi were typically highly educated men of noble birth who were wealthy and prestigious within their own sphere of influence.  They could have been philosophers or counselors of rulers, learned in the wisdom of the ancient East.  Magi were men of high integrity, so their visit to see the Christ child had the most upright of intentions.  There is speculation that others may have come to worship the infant King, based on Isaiah 60:3 which says, “All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”

             Like the Shepherds, the Magi saw a bright star in the sky the night of Jesus’ birth.  Believing it to be important, they turned to sacred scrolls they carried with them.  Their study of the scrolls led them to a determination to go in search of this infant King who would be Israel’s Messiah.  Like Abraham in the Old Testament, the three men had no idea where to go, but they followed the star which led them to where the child lay.

             God had his hand in all of this in that he supplied the star as a guiding light and spoke to them in a dream warning them not to return to Herod.  God’s plans shall never be thwarted.  Nothing is impossible for the Lord, and nothing can impede his plans from coming to fruition.  He led the people he wanted to see the Christ child and kept those who would do him harm far from him.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resource: http://www.bibleinfo.com.

Pre-Christmas Series: Herod the Great

Matthew 2:3 New Living Translation

“King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.”

             What about Jesus birth was disturbing to King Herod?  People like Herod become paranoid, ever waiting for the other shoe to drop or worse still, an assassination plot to unfold.  It was because he was a bad man who had done very bad things that he was disturbed by the events that were taking place in Bethlehem. 

             Herod the Great, as he was called, was an Edomite, who were “descendants of Esau, the firstborn son of Isaac and the twin brother of Jacob” ^[1].  Herod came from a family of manipulators who worked their way into political office with the assistance of the Roman Government, whom they supported.  Once in power, his reign was marked by harsh and bloody cruelty. It was understandable that the people would welcome a change in leadership. When the Magi came thru the area speaking of visiting the newborn King of the Jews you can imagine why Herod would be disturbed.  Other translations use words like “deeply troubled” and “alarmed”.  Suffice it to say Herod was not at all pleased by these developments. This is why he had all Jewish boys 2 years old and younger murdered. ^[2]

             Herod was nearing the end of his reign which only served to heighten his paranoia toward anyone he might suspect to usurp his throne. Whenever there is a change in leadership there is tension among the people.  You never really know ones intentions until they are in office and begin to rule over you.  The Jewish people looked upon the newborn Christ child with cautious optimism.

             The birth of Christ would bring hope to a people who were seeking some semblance of encouragement, some sign that God hadn’t forgotten them.  God sent his Son to fulfill the prophecy regarding the coming of a deliverer (Messiah) for the Jewish people.  Once born Christ’s life would be a long, eventful walk from a manger to a cross.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resources: http://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org;http://biblehub.com/matthew/2-3.htm;

http://www.biblestudytools.com.

^[1] https://www.gotquestions.org/Edomites.html

^[2] Matthew 2:16 “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance.”

Pre-Christmas Series: The Reason Jesus Came

Matthew 5:17 New Living Translation

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”

    Why did Jesus come?  His purpose for coming has been documented throughout scripture and even the Lord himself states above that he came to fulfill the purpose of the Mosaic Law and the Old Testament prophetic writings. The Law was divided into three categories: Ceremonial Law, Civil Law and Moral Law. Ceremonial Law has to do with worshipping God.  Once Jesus came these Laws were no longer necessary; therefore they no longer were binding to man. Jesus taught us about worshipping and loving God, so that was one purpose for his coming.

    Civil Law applied to daily living by the Jews.  Our society today is very much different from the society when the Laws were first given. They are guidelines that are to be followed to show us how we are to act as ambassadors of Christ. Jesus was our living example of these principles; ones we are to emulate each day.

             Moral Law would be, as an example, the Ten Commandments. The Jews were required to follow these Laws in strict obedience, for they came directly from the mouth of God. These Moral Laws shine a light on the nature and will of Almighty God and they still apply today. They do not bind us; however, as we live in the spirit we end up abiding by them as a result. 

     So the reason Jesus came was to fulfill the demands of the Ceremonial, Civil and Moral Laws that God had laid down for man to follow, as well as the prophetic verses that pointed to his being the Messiah Israel sought. The Laws were designed to reveal to man their sinfulness. Christ forgives sin.  Man must kneel before the Lord and seek forgiveness for this is necessary to achieve heaven. Believing is a start but is not nearly enough. A changed life needs to be the result of the forgiveness received.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Pre-Christmas Series: Christ Came to Die for Us All

1 Timothy 1:15 New Living Translation

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all.”

             The Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy, his “true son in the faith”. The nature of Paul’s letter was to encourage and instruct the young disciple, who had served as a leader in the church at Ephesus. Judaizers were infiltrating the church, pushing gentile converts to follow Jewish customs and practices. Such peripheral issues were not to be given credence. Gentiles were being asked to practice Judaism at man’s request, not God’s. 

             In Paul’s letter he accentuated the fact that Jesus came to save sinners. Jesus himself said: “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” When Christ came he came for a very specific purpose, to minister to all those who knew they were leading a sinful life. These were the people in need of attention. Those who believe they were just fine spiritually speaking find it difficult to envision themselves as sinners in need of saving. People are really no different today. 

             This Advent Season is a time of reflection on whom the infant born in Bethlehem truly was and who we are in relation to him. Have you faced your sinful past head on and received forgiveness from God thru the blood of Christ or are you stuck in the delusion that mere belief is more than enough to secure your place in your eternal home? Christ came for a reason; he came to die for the sins of man. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! 

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

 

Resource:  The Life Application Study Bible.

Pre-Christmas Series: Freedom Thru Christ

Galatians 4:4-5 New Living Translation

“… when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.”

             The Jews had been waiting for a very long time, wondering when their Messiah would come.  A messiah is a savior or liberator by definition.  The Jews were seeking liberation from their Roman oppressors at the time of Jesus.  Little did they realize that when their Messiah came they would reject him because their limited understanding would not allow them to see God’s plan.  Their shortsightedness was our gain, which is what the Lord knew would happen all along.  God set the time for Christ’s arrival.  It was a time when his promises would be fully realized.

             Christ was born under the Law and thus was obligated to fulfill it.  He could then identify with sinners of whom he was sent to save.  The liberation that the Messiah would provide was from the curse of sin.  The problem of Rome would correct itself over the course of time.  The much bigger problem was sin, not oppression.  Once a soul is rescued from its’ sinful state then the spirit is set free.  It is no different than healing a body of a physical ailment only to leave that same body under the bondage of sin.  That only means that a healthy body with an entombed soul would be cast into hell.  It is the spirit set free that enjoys true freedom and is open to enter heaven for all eternity.

             Because Christ came we are set free if we accept God’s gracious gift purchased for us thru His blood shed on our behalf.  We are not set free just because we believe, we must be changed or like a pig that returns to its muddy pen, we will go right back to our sinful ways.  The Advent Season is a season of freedom, joy, and hope for our eternity.  We have been blood bought and just like God’s everlasting, unconditional love for us, that fact will never, ever change.  It’s what we do with that news that makes all the difference in the world.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

 

In His Name & for His Glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries.

 

Resources: The Reformation Study Bible, the Life Application Study Bible, and the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.