Christmas 2018 Born in Bethlehem (Part 3-Where is the Child)
Hello this is Eric again. A friend asked me, “How can I know that the Bible is true?” So, I am taking some time to answer my friends question and to do this I am looking at one of the evidences the Bible gives to answer this question, Prophecy.
(Read the previous blogs here)
The front end of the Magi’s story is filled with wonder and amazing faith. But, there is a part of the story that the Bible spills much ink over, and yet, we by-pass it as quickly as we can—probably because we can too easily relate (if we were honest with ourselves). Jealousy and hatred, lying and violence, pain and fear. A king who’s insecurity drives him to madness. Why is this included in the story of Christmas? Because our lives are marred by these very things.
How many of us find Christmas to be a season where instead of joy and family, we find ourselves stirred up with jealousy because we cannot have what someone else has? How often do we nurse anger over old hurts, or allow insignificant inconveniences at the store to turn into a seething anger? If someone insults us, (whether actively, passively—or we perceive it so) why is it that the Christmas season seems to foster a soil where deep roots of bitterness can grow instead of the gift of forgiveness and the love that covers a multitude of sin?
We have expectations, don’t we?! (Have you ever watched people compete during the Christmas season…) We expect people to meet these expectations—and when they don’t—well, now we have an issue. The problem isn’t the people. The problem isn’t even our expectations—even though they are marred and stained and need to be cleaned up. The problem is the source of our expectations. We are told, and we tell ourselves that we need, “X” in order to be happy. Then we are told, or we tell ourselves, “that ‘X’ must happen like this…and look like this…” And we script out the storyline and somehow we expect the right people to read our minds, and act it out. When they don’t, well, that is not good. We busy ourselves to facilitate the perfect environment to foster the fruition of our dreams, and ‘Woe’ to the person who get’s in our way. We have our agenda, and our goals, and they must happen. Why? Because, we have been told, and we tell ourselves that if these expectations are met, they will make us happy, give us significance, and define our meaning, and show us our purpose in life. The problem is—they won’t. Why? Because they can’t. Only God can, and instead we have chosen to worship idols and set them up in our lives to be our gods.
When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem, and asked Herod where the Child born to be King was, Herod’s idol was challenged, and I can only begin to imagine the turmoil that the Bible talks about in Matthew 2:2-3,
“‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.’ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.”
Herod was not a good man. He was wicked, and violent, and jealous, and insecure; and he had lots of power. People were going to bow to his expectations, or he would make them. He had used violence before, and wasn’t afraid to use it again. So, if Herod was upset…it makes sense to hear the Bible say that all Jerusalem was disturbed. This was not good for Jerusalem. Oh yes, Herod was upset—“Another ruler—not on my watch.” So, Herod hatched a plan, and found the right people to give the Magi the information that they were seeking.
Matthew 2:4-6 says,
He [Herod] called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” (Micah 5:2; 2 Samuel 5:2.)
God used Herod to facilitate the direction and fulfillment of His prophecy. Really…why?
The passage goes on to say in verses 7 and 8,
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
Herod worship the Christ child, no— but Herod would worship his idol.
Herod was playing the game. Biding his time. Manipulating, scheming; nursing hatred birthed out of the fear of losing—losing what? His idol.
Herod had convinced himself, and was convinced that ruling was the thing that identified him. He was told that this would bring him joy, satisfaction, purpose and meaning in life; And if someone were to challenge that, they would meet with a terrible fate. Oh, he put on his best game-face to convince the Magi, but the plan was to kill the child who was born King. Nothing came between he and his idol—not even God.
Are you beginning to see it? From the beginning of Jesus’ life the reality that He is King would cause not only Herod, but all of us, to have to decide what to do with Jesus. We find ourselves back in the garden of Eden. Will we choose God, or the lie that the enemy is telling us—that something else will satisfy, bring joy, and give us meaning and purpose more than God?
I’m amazed at how quickly Herod dissolves into fear. His reaction of lying, using manipulation, and planning violence betrays the panic in his heart. If an idol is supposed to bring us the kind of security it promises, why is it so fleeting? If the idol is so powerful why would we need to protect it, lie for it? If the idol is so satisfying, why would we become jealous if someone else had something good? Why would we be threatened by God?
An idol is anything (even a good thing) that we make an ultimate thing and put it before God in hopes that it will give us meaning, joy, purpose, and satisfaction. Idols can be things or people or dreams, or anything we make fill that spot in our hearts that God is supposed to fill. The reality of an idol is—when we set up an idol we do it in such a way that we can ultimately control and manipulate it on our terms—to try and get our way.
In doing so we misunderstand the reality of our need and expose the truth in our hearts. We need someone bigger than us, better than us, more awesome than us to bring us the joy, satisfaction, purpose and meaning that our hearts need—and we can’t do it ourselves. The moment we try to use a controllable idol to satiate our souls, is the moment reality hits, and our greatest disappointment begins. Idols won’t work, ever. They will always let us down. Only God can bring the satisfaction, joy, meaning, purpose, identity, and love that our hearts are longing for.
When we pursue an idol; it will, and we will ultimately unravel. Idols are the true oxymoronic pursuit. I have a hole in my heart bigger than me that needs to be satisfied—so I will choose something that I can control—thereby small enough for me to manage; in hopes that it will fill me up. Nope, it won’t work—and yet, when it doesn’t work, we violently and vehemently react. We are shattered with despair causing us to wonder why it failed us, and if life has any meaning, or purpose, or satisfaction, or joy at all. The Bible describes this pursuit of idolatry as foolishness.
God knew that this was the trap we would find ourselves in. God created us to worship Him. Only in God will we find our joy, satisfaction, meaning, and purpose—but we chose the foolish pursuit of idols. God knew that we needed this addressed in our lives—we needed to see the light of hope and truth. And that light needs to be bigger than our idols. That light needs to meet us in the darkness and meet our need. The only way for the light to do that was to step into the dark-mess that we and our idolatry have made, and meet us there.
So Jesus is born in the midst of this mess, and God does somethings amazing—He fulfills the prophecy from Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2, through Herod and his foolish pursuit at self-preservation and idolatry. Why would God do this? 1 Corinthians 1:25 says,
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
God comes in weakness, and as a baby. Yet the holiness of God, the power and authority of God, the goodness of God, the love of God exposes Herod’s idol for what it is—when Jesus was a baby. A Baby. Helpless, weak, and yet, more powerful than the idol. Light drives out darkness. God is stronger than evil, even the evil wickedness in our hearts that we use to protect our idols.
Matthew 2:9,10 says,
“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.”
My prayer is that through God’s grace we will see the futility of the idols that we try to put in God’s place, and instead; we will recognize by faith, the goodness of God and the gift of joy, satisfaction, purpose, and meaning that offers us through Jesus Christ. May God’s Gospel light lead us to worship Him, as we were made to do, and in Jesus Christ may we find peace.
I want to invite you to walk on this journey with us!
Subscribe here
(Read the previous blogs here)
The front end of the Magi’s story is filled with wonder and amazing faith. But, there is a part of the story that the Bible spills much ink over, and yet, we by-pass it as quickly as we can—probably because we can too easily relate (if we were honest with ourselves). Jealousy and hatred, lying and violence, pain and fear. A king who’s insecurity drives him to madness. Why is this included in the story of Christmas? Because our lives are marred by these very things.
How many of us find Christmas to be a season where instead of joy and family, we find ourselves stirred up with jealousy because we cannot have what someone else has? How often do we nurse anger over old hurts, or allow insignificant inconveniences at the store to turn into a seething anger? If someone insults us, (whether actively, passively—or we perceive it so) why is it that the Christmas season seems to foster a soil where deep roots of bitterness can grow instead of the gift of forgiveness and the love that covers a multitude of sin?
We have expectations, don’t we?! (Have you ever watched people compete during the Christmas season…) We expect people to meet these expectations—and when they don’t—well, now we have an issue. The problem isn’t the people. The problem isn’t even our expectations—even though they are marred and stained and need to be cleaned up. The problem is the source of our expectations. We are told, and we tell ourselves that we need, “X” in order to be happy. Then we are told, or we tell ourselves, “that ‘X’ must happen like this…and look like this…” And we script out the storyline and somehow we expect the right people to read our minds, and act it out. When they don’t, well, that is not good. We busy ourselves to facilitate the perfect environment to foster the fruition of our dreams, and ‘Woe’ to the person who get’s in our way. We have our agenda, and our goals, and they must happen. Why? Because, we have been told, and we tell ourselves that if these expectations are met, they will make us happy, give us significance, and define our meaning, and show us our purpose in life. The problem is—they won’t. Why? Because they can’t. Only God can, and instead we have chosen to worship idols and set them up in our lives to be our gods.
When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem, and asked Herod where the Child born to be King was, Herod’s idol was challenged, and I can only begin to imagine the turmoil that the Bible talks about in Matthew 2:2-3,
“‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.’ King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.”
Herod was not a good man. He was wicked, and violent, and jealous, and insecure; and he had lots of power. People were going to bow to his expectations, or he would make them. He had used violence before, and wasn’t afraid to use it again. So, if Herod was upset…it makes sense to hear the Bible say that all Jerusalem was disturbed. This was not good for Jerusalem. Oh yes, Herod was upset—“Another ruler—not on my watch.” So, Herod hatched a plan, and found the right people to give the Magi the information that they were seeking.
Matthew 2:4-6 says,
He [Herod] called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” (Micah 5:2; 2 Samuel 5:2.)
God used Herod to facilitate the direction and fulfillment of His prophecy. Really…why?
The passage goes on to say in verses 7 and 8,
Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
Herod worship the Christ child, no— but Herod would worship his idol.
Herod was playing the game. Biding his time. Manipulating, scheming; nursing hatred birthed out of the fear of losing—losing what? His idol.
Herod had convinced himself, and was convinced that ruling was the thing that identified him. He was told that this would bring him joy, satisfaction, purpose and meaning in life; And if someone were to challenge that, they would meet with a terrible fate. Oh, he put on his best game-face to convince the Magi, but the plan was to kill the child who was born King. Nothing came between he and his idol—not even God.
Are you beginning to see it? From the beginning of Jesus’ life the reality that He is King would cause not only Herod, but all of us, to have to decide what to do with Jesus. We find ourselves back in the garden of Eden. Will we choose God, or the lie that the enemy is telling us—that something else will satisfy, bring joy, and give us meaning and purpose more than God?
I’m amazed at how quickly Herod dissolves into fear. His reaction of lying, using manipulation, and planning violence betrays the panic in his heart. If an idol is supposed to bring us the kind of security it promises, why is it so fleeting? If the idol is so powerful why would we need to protect it, lie for it? If the idol is so satisfying, why would we become jealous if someone else had something good? Why would we be threatened by God?
An idol is anything (even a good thing) that we make an ultimate thing and put it before God in hopes that it will give us meaning, joy, purpose, and satisfaction. Idols can be things or people or dreams, or anything we make fill that spot in our hearts that God is supposed to fill. The reality of an idol is—when we set up an idol we do it in such a way that we can ultimately control and manipulate it on our terms—to try and get our way.
In doing so we misunderstand the reality of our need and expose the truth in our hearts. We need someone bigger than us, better than us, more awesome than us to bring us the joy, satisfaction, purpose and meaning that our hearts need—and we can’t do it ourselves. The moment we try to use a controllable idol to satiate our souls, is the moment reality hits, and our greatest disappointment begins. Idols won’t work, ever. They will always let us down. Only God can bring the satisfaction, joy, meaning, purpose, identity, and love that our hearts are longing for.
When we pursue an idol; it will, and we will ultimately unravel. Idols are the true oxymoronic pursuit. I have a hole in my heart bigger than me that needs to be satisfied—so I will choose something that I can control—thereby small enough for me to manage; in hopes that it will fill me up. Nope, it won’t work—and yet, when it doesn’t work, we violently and vehemently react. We are shattered with despair causing us to wonder why it failed us, and if life has any meaning, or purpose, or satisfaction, or joy at all. The Bible describes this pursuit of idolatry as foolishness.
God knew that this was the trap we would find ourselves in. God created us to worship Him. Only in God will we find our joy, satisfaction, meaning, and purpose—but we chose the foolish pursuit of idols. God knew that we needed this addressed in our lives—we needed to see the light of hope and truth. And that light needs to be bigger than our idols. That light needs to meet us in the darkness and meet our need. The only way for the light to do that was to step into the dark-mess that we and our idolatry have made, and meet us there.
So Jesus is born in the midst of this mess, and God does somethings amazing—He fulfills the prophecy from Micah 5:2 and 2 Samuel 5:2, through Herod and his foolish pursuit at self-preservation and idolatry. Why would God do this? 1 Corinthians 1:25 says,
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
God comes in weakness, and as a baby. Yet the holiness of God, the power and authority of God, the goodness of God, the love of God exposes Herod’s idol for what it is—when Jesus was a baby. A Baby. Helpless, weak, and yet, more powerful than the idol. Light drives out darkness. God is stronger than evil, even the evil wickedness in our hearts that we use to protect our idols.
Matthew 2:9,10 says,
“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.”
My prayer is that through God’s grace we will see the futility of the idols that we try to put in God’s place, and instead; we will recognize by faith, the goodness of God and the gift of joy, satisfaction, purpose, and meaning that offers us through Jesus Christ. May God’s Gospel light lead us to worship Him, as we were made to do, and in Jesus Christ may we find peace.
I want to invite you to walk on this journey with us!
Subscribe here
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