{"id":1549,"date":"2021-12-26T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-26T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/?p=1549"},"modified":"2021-12-26T07:15:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-26T13:15:49","slug":"a-light-to-the-gentiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/biblicalpath.com\/index.php\/2021\/12\/26\/a-light-to-the-gentiles\/","title":{"rendered":"A Light to the Gentiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\u201cAnd the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.<\/strong>\u201d
Isaiah 60:3 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We are all familiar with the birth of Jesus that we often\nrefer to as the \u201cChristmas Story.\u201d There had been about four hundred years\nwithout a new word from God or His prophets. Suddenly, we learn the angels\nbegin to tell of the birth of Jesus that would soon be. When Jesus was born,\nthe angels declared the birth of the \u201cSaviour, which is Christ the Lord<\/strong>\u201d (Luke 2:11) to the shepherds who went to see Him. However,\nhave you thought about what happened shortly after Jesus\u2019 birth?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem,\nJesus had been born, and the shepherds had visited. \u201cNow when Jesus was born\nin <\/strong>Bethlehem<\/strong> of <\/strong>Judaea<\/strong>\nin the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to <\/strong>Jerusalem<\/strong>\u201d\n(Matthew 2:1). Notice the question these wise men asked, \u201cSaying, Where is\nhe that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and\nare come to worship him<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 2:2). They went to the obvious place to\nfind a newborn king: the palace (the king\u2019s house) in the capital city, Jerusalem.\nRemember though, that the reigning king, Herod, was an illegitimate king\nappointed by the Roman government to rule over the Jewish people. Read how he\nresponded to this news. \u201cWhen Herod the king had heard these things<\/em>,\nhe was troubled, and all <\/strong>Jerusalem<\/strong>\nwith him<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 2:3). To understand this verse better, you have to know\na little about King Herod. He built many great buildings, but he was also known\nfor his great jealousy and cruelty. He had his own wife and two sons put to\ndeath. That helps us better understand why when it was declared that a new king\nhad been born, \u201che was troubled, and all <\/strong>Jerusalem<\/strong>\nwith him.<\/strong>\u201d No one at the palace knew of a newborn king \u2013 but Herod wanted\nto find out. \u201c4. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes\nof the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5. And\nthey said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the\nprophet, 6. And thou Bethlehem, in<\/em> the land of Juda, art not the least\namong the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall\nrule my people Israel<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 2:4-6). The religious leaders had found the\nanswer in God\u2019s Word (in Micah 5:2). Notice that the chief priests and scribes\nwere the ones who knew the answer \u2013 yet we do not read that any of them even\nwent to look for this Governor, who would rule God\u2019s people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Herod called in the wise man to give\nthem the answer, he sent them to search and find the child. Herod told these\nwise men to return and tell him where this new king was found so that he too,\ncould go and worship him (see Matthew 2:7-8). When the wise men left, the star\nwent before them until it stood over where the young child was. \u201cWhen they\nsaw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 2:10). But more than that: \u201c11. And when\nthey were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother,\nand fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures,\nthey presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. 12. And being\nwarned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed\ninto their own country another way<\/strong>\u201d (Matthew 2:11-12).\nThey worshiped the child and presented Him with gifts. The Wise Men also heeded\nthe warning from God and did not return to King Herod to tell him where the new\nking had been born.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

God also warned Joseph of the pending danger\n(see Matthew 2:13-15a). Joseph obeyed\nGod, and Jesus\u2019 life was spared. And remember wicked King Herod? When he finally\nfigured out that the wise men were not returning, he was angry. He had all the\nchildren two years old and under killed (see Matthew 2:16). However, what Herod did not know was that God had\nalready moved Jesus to a safer place, protecting Him from wicked King Herod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember what Isaiah wrote hundreds of years earlier. \u201c1. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 2. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 6. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the LORD<\/strong>\u201d (Isaiah 60:1-3, 6). Remember that there were about four hundred years of silence from God before Jesus was born (\u201cdarkness shall cover the earth<\/strong>\u201d). Then angels appeared declaring Jesus, the Savior of the world, was coming (\u201chis glory shall be seen upon thee<\/strong>\u201d). Remember also that Jesus is the \u201cLight of the world<\/strong>\u201d (see John 8:12). Wise men (\u201cGentiles<\/strong>\u201d) from the east brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (\u201cthey shall bring gold and incense<\/strong>\u201d). It all happened just as God declared it would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you recognized Jesus, the Saviour, which is Christ the Lord?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to be Saved<\/a><\/blockquote>