Shepherds & Wise Men

When God sends His light into the darkness, some people respond with excitement and enthusiasm.

The shepherds were startled by the angels showing up in their fields, the glory of the Lord shining brightly around them. Their reaction to this was to run, joyfully and see for themselves what they had been told. They didn’t have far to go. They were in the region of Bethlehem.

The wise men were considerably farther away, somewhere in the east. They saw the unusually bright star, and investigated further, trying to understand why it had appeared. They concluded a new King had been born, the new King of the Jews. They set out on a trip to find Him and worship Him.

 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2 ESV

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and … sent them to Bethlehem, … After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
from Matthew 2:7-11 ESV

The Magi’s reaction to this revelation was to seek more knowledge and understanding, and like the shepherds, to go and see this King for themselves. The Magi took quite a while to find Jesus. They had to continue seeking knowledge even as they traveled and made their best guesses as to where Jesus would be. They didn’t give up.

Consider:

It takes a bigger journey for some people to find Jesus.

Remember:

When you see stars—in the sky or as decorations—remember God reveals Himself to those both near and far, giving everyone a chance to welcome the Prince of Peace.

Share:

Did you have far to travel to find Jesus?