Fact is Stranger than Fiction
Matthew 2:1-2 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked people, "Where is the child that has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him."
I tell you, the satellite navigation on my smartphone is just the most awesome invention. It doesn’t matter where I am, or where I want to go, I really can never get lost. How did we ever live without it? Seriously!!
So, imagine if satellite navigation had been invented two thousand years ago. It would have made the wise men’s journey so much easier, don’t you think? Drop a pin at where you are (Babylon) another one at where you’re going (Bethlehem) … let the phone give you the directions and off you go, sweet!
Now at this point, you’re no doubt thinking – Berni’s off with the fairies here. He’s losing it. Satellite navigation in the 1st century AD! What’s he thinking? Where’s he going with this?!
Yeah, well maybe. But fact, as they say, is stranger than fiction. Here’s what really happened:
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked people, “Where is the child that has been born to be the king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows he was born. We saw it rise in the sky in the east and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)
So, God invited these wise men, these Maggi from the east, to come and worship Jesus around the time of His birth. Now remember, these guys were into soothsaying and astrology – things that were an abomination to God and strictly forbidden in the Law of Moses. And on top of that, they came from the east, in other words from Babylon. So as far as the average, God-fearing, first century Jew was concerned, they were the astrologers from hell!
If you or I had been God, we probably wouldn’t even have invited them to the party. And yet, God did. He invited these abominable sinners to worship His Son.
And what did He send them to bring them to Jesus? A guy with a hand-drawn map? A prophet? A guide? No! To these astrologers, God sent a moving star. Do you get it?! A sign that spoke deliberately and directly into their sinful mindset.
It seemed that this God who sent His Son into this lost world, loved these terrible sinners so much more, than He hated their sin.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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