This post is “Christmas – Day 21”, if you haven’t already read Day 1, please click here.

Please comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, please do that today (the form is at the bottom of the page).

Christmas – Day 21

Matthew 2:1-2

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Jesus’ birth wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”

The Thought

After Jesus’ birth wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. Sadly they went to the wrong place to look for Him, assuming wrongly that a king would be born in a palace. The result of that was disastrous for many families, and hundreds of babies were killed.

I cannot imagine anyone today setting off on a long perilous journey because they had seen a message in the stars! Can you? But these wise men were totally convinced, and it was their custom to honour the birth of a new king. Sadly they went to the wrong place to look for Him, assuming wrongly that a king would be born in a palace. The result of that was disastrous for many families, and hundreds of babies were killed (Matthew 2:16-17).

Watching the stars today is considered by many, as a very unchristian activity, and many christians have stories to tell about the conviction that the Lord did not want them to read horoscopes. But there are also serious Christians who believe that the Lord still speaks through the signs in Heaven.

Joel in his short prophecy says that there will be signs of the Lord’s coming in the heavens (Joel 2:30-31). Do you think this was just for the first coming, or the second one as well?

Action

Read Mark 13:24-26 and ask yourself what it will look like when “the stars fall from the sky”!

Can you think of a time when you have made an assumption that was wrong? I am sure the consequences wouldn’t be as disastrous as those of these kings going to see Herod.

Pray for the Lord to prevent you from making assumptions that could be wrong.

We should also pray that we will be ready for whatever the Lord wants us to be doing at His return. Pray too for many more to turn to Him before that day.