Jesus is Born - They Must Flee
As you being this walk through today, take a moment in this first room to soak up the atmosphere. Place yourself in the room with Joseph and Mary. The story of Jesus being born is over and a year has already passed and now Jesus is fast approaching his second birthday.
They are still living in Bethlehem and more than likely no longer in the stable like you remember from the birth of Christ. They have started the process of taking care of normal life. And then one day their comes a knock on the door.
Women – What is your reaction to royalty arriving at your door unannounced? Is it panic? Joy? Oh my the house is a disaster! I clean on Thursday not Tuesday! Or are you just confused and wondering who these fancy folk are.
Men – What is your reaction to royalty arriving at your door unannounced? Do you also panic? Do you quickly go splash some water on your face? Do you answer the door with a slew of questions for these fancy men? After all you are living in an occupied country? So knocks on the door are not always a welcome surprise.
Nonetheless, the door is answered and the in comes three magi or wise men. And these men are from the East. So, this is as far as Persia, India, or even the Orient. But no time to waste, they are here for the little boy playing in the room.
Matthew 2:1-12 CSB
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east[a] and have come to worship Him.”[b]
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:
because out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd My people Israel.”[c]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”[d]
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![e] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.[f] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
The story of the wise men is something most Christians know all too well. But ponder this as you begin the rest of this journey.
The Wise Men brought gifts for a king, not a boy. They came to honor more than just a king of the Jews. They came to honor the KING. They had no care if their was an existing king and although they showed respect to king Herod, they knew why they were there. It was Jesus that they had traveled so far for. It was Jesus that they brought these strange gifts. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, gifts for a king. All gifts that would help them on their next steps, and gifts that were a suggestion to Joseph and Mary that Jesus’ life was far more important than their humble beginnings would suggest.
Then the Wise men left. And the day came to an end. You could imagine as Joseph and Mary laid down to sleep all the buzz that they chattered about with the guests and the gifts. They fall asleep and sometime in the middle of the night Joseph had a dream. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him…
Matthew 2:13-15 CSB
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.
So what started as a wonderful day turned into a mad scramble, as they packed as fast as they could and left in the middle of the night heading toward Egypt.
And they left in perfect timing… For them.
As you being this walk through today, take a moment in this first room to soak up the atmosphere. Place yourself in the room with Joseph and Mary. The story of Jesus being born is over and a year has already passed and now Jesus is fast approaching his second birthday.
They are still living in Bethlehem and more than likely no longer in the stable like you remember from the birth of Christ. They have started the process of taking care of normal life. And then one day their comes a knock on the door.
Women – What is your reaction to royalty arriving at your door unannounced? Is it panic? Joy? Oh my the house is a disaster! I clean on Thursday not Tuesday! Or are you just confused and wondering who these fancy folk are.
Men – What is your reaction to royalty arriving at your door unannounced? Do you also panic? Do you quickly go splash some water on your face? Do you answer the door with a slew of questions for these fancy men? After all you are living in an occupied country? So knocks on the door are not always a welcome surprise.
Nonetheless, the door is answered and the in comes three magi or wise men. And these men are from the East. So, this is as far as Persia, India, or even the Orient. But no time to waste, they are here for the little boy playing in the room.
Matthew 2:1-12 CSB
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east[a] and have come to worship Him.”[b]
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the leaders of Judah:
because out of you will come a leader
who will shepherd My people Israel.”[c]
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”[d]
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east![e] It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.[f] Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
The story of the wise men is something most Christians know all too well. But ponder this as you begin the rest of this journey.
The Wise Men brought gifts for a king, not a boy. They came to honor more than just a king of the Jews. They came to honor the KING. They had no care if their was an existing king and although they showed respect to king Herod, they knew why they were there. It was Jesus that they had traveled so far for. It was Jesus that they brought these strange gifts. Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh, gifts for a king. All gifts that would help them on their next steps, and gifts that were a suggestion to Joseph and Mary that Jesus’ life was far more important than their humble beginnings would suggest.
Then the Wise men left. And the day came to an end. You could imagine as Joseph and Mary laid down to sleep all the buzz that they chattered about with the guests and the gifts. They fall asleep and sometime in the middle of the night Joseph had a dream. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him…
Matthew 2:13-15 CSB
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.
So what started as a wonderful day turned into a mad scramble, as they packed as fast as they could and left in the middle of the night heading toward Egypt.
And they left in perfect timing… For them.