By Lisa Wilmore
Scripture: Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him (Matthew 2:1-2).
In the days of King Herod, Jesus, our Savior was born in the town of Bethlehem of Judaea to a virgin named Mary. Wise men traveled thousands of miles to see the new baby, King of the Jews. Upon their arrival, they shared with Herod and others that they had seen his star in the east, and they had come to worship him. Nevertheless, this news was not well received by Herod or the people of Jerusalem. So, Herod called a meeting with all the leading priests and scribes of the law, and asked them where the Christ would be born? And they said, “In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet. And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel” (Matthew 2:5-6).
Without a doubt, the information that was given by the priests and scribes troubled Herod. Therefore, he met with the wise men privately and enquired of them the exact time they saw the star. He instructed them to inform him of the baby’s whereabouts, so he could worship him also. However, he did not wish to worship Jesus, but to kill him. The wise men journeyed to Bethlehem and followed the star they saw in the east. When the star stood over where the young child was located, they were filled with joy. As they entered the house where the star hovered, they saw the child with his mother, Mary. At this time, they fell down and worshipped him. They also opened their treasures and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to him.
The wise men followed the star that God placed in the sky to tell the world that the Savior is born. They were focused on following the star in order to see the King of the Jews. When they found the Christ-child, they gave him the best they had. It is vital that we focus on following the star and commit to giving God our best. God purposefully placed a special star in the sky to announce the arrival of his son, which is the brightest star ever known.
