 In Matthew 2:1-12, wise men visit the newborn Christ. They come to Herod, asking where Jesus is supposed to be born. The Jewish leaders, upon examining Micah 5:2, point them in the direction of Bethlehem. Before long, the wise men joyfully discover Christ and give Him gifts. Then, they depart.
 Most of us are familiar with the birthplace of Christ.
“O little town of Bethlehem, / How still we see thee lie! / Above thy deep and dreamless sleep / The silent stars go by.” “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant! / O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!” “Joyful, all ye nations, rise, / join the triumph of the skies; / with th’angelic hosts proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’” Indeed, He is. And we see the significance of this location in our passage this week.  Last week, I wrote about the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1:1-17. It’s important to understand where Jesus comes from in relation to the Old Testament. But when considering the origins of Christ, something else must be said. After all, there is no origin of Christ.
 Growing up, my family always read the Christmas story before opening presents on Christmas morning. Some years, it was Matthew’s account. Other years, we read from Luke. But we never read aloud Matthew 1:1-17.
|