Wise Men Arriving!

For Sunday, December 26, 2021

Matthew 2:2 NLT: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose in the east, and we have come to worship him.”

Variously called “Wise Men,” “Magi” or “men who studied the stars,” we know that these were seekers of truth. It was well known that God had gone to bat for the Hebrew people rescuing them from Egypt, and that the Hebrew religion was “Jewish.”

These men from the East had been told there was a new king of these Jews, and they wanted to meet him in the flesh! Their request was quite specific – not the Pharaoh of Egypt, not the Emperor of Rome, but the “newborn king of the Jews.” They carried three valuable gifts for the new king – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

As it turns out, Jesus wasn’t just “King of the Jews.” In fact, Jesus told his followers to “make disciples of ALL nations!” The Messiah came to us through the Jews, but his mission was to redeem the world, to redeem all who would believe!

Think of Jesus as “King of the World!”

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Seekers from the East

Jan. 5, 2015 Monday Message:

Wise Men: “Where is the child born to be King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matt. 2:2 CEV

These star-gazers from far away didn’t know much about God or his chosen Hebrew people, yet they were seekers. Attempting to explain creation, divine intervention seemed to be the only answer. So when an unexpected star appeared, they took it as a sign from a higher power, perhaps God, and they followed it until they finally stood beside the baby Jesus.

But upon arriving in Israel, they first encountered Herod, an evil king with no joy. They recognized that although Herod was king of some land, he was not the king over all creation. So their search continued until they found the baby in a manger, and there they left their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Apparently they were good judges-of-character, because they returned to their homeland by a different route, never even saying goodbye to the evil Herod.

These wise men from the east found the true King they had been seeking. Nowadays, many people are still searching for the true king, and our job as Christians is to point them toward the manger.

Blessings to you as we begin our new year!

Norton Lawellin

Come - let’s worship together! Each Sunday Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers at 10 a.m. in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week, Jan. 11, we’re in Acts 13:13-22, Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Bring your Bible!