Finding Jesus

In our Children and Worship time at church during the last Sunday of Advent, we talked about the Wise Men and their journey to Bethlehem based on Matthew 2:1-12. In our discussion time, I asked the children if they thought it was easy or hard for the Magi to find Jesus. Since I was expecting someone to say “Easy! They just had to follow the star, “ I was a little taken aback when a shy girl answered, “Hard.” I asked her why she thought it would have been hard for the Wise Men to find Jesus and she said nothing. Not wanting to conversation just to end like that, I thought I would say something. But what could I say? I was prepared to talk about how easy it was. Then it hit me..... Jerusalem... Herod.

Matthew 2:1-2
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of Kind Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
 
The star had led the Magi to Israel but not to the exact location of Jesus' birth. They still had the challenge of figuring out exactly where he was. So they asked Herod who was disturbed by this question and asked the chief priests and teachers of the law. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written.” (Matt. 2:5)
 
Now the search became easy (technically) as they knew the town to go to and the star went ahead of them “until it stopped over the place where the child was.” (Matt. 2:9) but they still had the challenge of Herod. He commissioned them to “make a careful search for the child... and report to me...” (Matt. 2:8) but they were warned in a dream to not go back to him and instead returned home via another route (Matt. 2:12).
 
Why did this catch my attention today? I think it is because through this season of Advent, I've been trying to remember that although the coming of Christ is wonderful, His birth had challenges surrounding it. God's way of encountering humans was not fairytale-like or sentimental back then nor is it today. The first Christmas was awkward and messy. Why do we expect anything else in our journey of getting to know Christ? Finding Jesus takes faith, perseverance, reliance on God's Word (often taught by others), and maybe even disturbing some people.
 
The amazing thing is that God can provide us what we need in order to truly find and worship Him. Even though the road to Bethlehem may be hard, it is possible to walk it. And the joy and peace found in knowing Christ are real. I pray that your Christmas is filled with God's presence and provision.
 
In Christ,
Tracy


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