The Way - Day 234 (Matthew 2)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
Matthew 2:1-23
Matthew has already provided details concerning Jesus' ancestry (1:1-17) and the events surrounding His birth (1:18-25) in an effort to uphold Him as the promised Messiah of history and the One sent to deliver people from sin (1:21).  In the second chapter, Matthew continues tracing the early years of Jesus by recounting the visit of the wise men (2:1-12), Jesus' family fleeing to Egypt (2:13-15), Herod's attempt to kill Jesus (2:16-18), and Jesus' family returning to Nazareth after the death of Herod (2:19-23).

Following the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and during the rule of Herod, wise men (known also as Magi, who were possibly magicians or astrologers) from the East visited Jerusalem inquiring about the birthplace of the king of the Jews (2:1-2).  These men had seen the star in the East and were coming to worship this newborn king; however, when Herod found out about the so-called birth of the Messiah, he attempted to find out where He was so that He could eliminate this threat to his kingship (2:3-6).  In an effort to destroy Jesus, Herod secretly asked the wise men to reveal the Child's location so that he could "worship Him also" (3:7-8).  The wise men departed and found the place of the young child and worshiped Him as the long-awaited Messiah (2:9-11). They presented Him with gifts fit for a king - gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Before they departed, they were warned in a dream not to reveal to Herod the location of the Child, which was God's divine intervention in protecting His only Son who would save people from their sin (2:12).  Joseph, Jesus' legal father, also received a dream which informed him to take his family and flee to Egypt because Herod was seeking to destroy Him (2:13).  Joseph obeyed and they escaped to Egypt (2:14).  The wise men never returned to Herod to reveal the Child's location, so he decided to take matters into his own hands by demanding that all male children two and under be put to death (2:16-18).  Ultimately, Herod's plan did not work because Jesus experienced divine protection and eventually, Herod died (2:19).  Following Herod's death, Joseph received another dream informing him to return with his family to Israel and they settled down in a place called Nazareth (2:20-23).
 
Dear God, it is amazing to read about Your protection over the One who would eventually pay for the sins of the world.  May I worship Him as the chosen One of God!