The Sixth Day of Christmas

Halfway through Christmas, our reading is Matthew 2:6

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel'"


(For the whole passage, go here Matthew 2:1-12)


This is a direct quote from the prophet Micah, whose book was written some 700 years before Christ was born. It is very specific about where the Messiah is to be born.

Why did God pick Bethlehem?


We can't read His mind or His motives of course, but a few theories exist.


God's love for David may play a part. What better place than the city of this man after God's own heart to have his promised descendant born?


Also, Bethlehem was a small humble place. It gives us a picture that Christ is for all, not just the rich and powerful.


Bethlehem means "house of bread". One reason Christ came is to give us -- to be for us-- the living bread.


At any rate, Jesus birth in Bethlehem fulfilled prophecy.


Have a great New Year's Eve and

Merry Christmas!!

The Fifth Day of Christmas

So today our family is reading Matthew 2:5, in which the Chief Priests and teachers of the law begin to answer Herod's question about where the Messiah was to be born.


“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:"

(To see the hole passage, look at Matthew 2:1-12 )


The religious leaders knew the answer. It seems they knew right where to look for it. Micah. Of course, they would have had the incredible privilege of studying the scriptures for several hours every day. So they knew this stuff backwards and forwards.

Their answer was Bethlehem which, of course, was where Jesus had already been born.


Did the Chief Priests and teachers of the law know why Herod really wanted this information? Were his motives clear to them? Or did they just figure that he wanted to give a straight answer to the Wise Men from the East? Perhaps they were generally suspicious of Herod but figured that no harm could come from such a simple bit of information. Another thing we really can't know.


At any rate, they did give a reply. More of what they had to say tomorrow, when we read the next verse.


Merry Christmas!!

The Fourth Day of Christmas

For the fourth day of Christmas we read Matthew 2:4

When he {Herod} had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

So Herod didn't know that Bethlehem was to be the birth place of the Messiah. But he did know, or at least suspect, that the King that the Wise Men were seeking was the Messiah. The one promised by God. He may have been reciting prayers that the Messiah would come three times a day. Jews of that time did, and Herod may have held to the forms of Judaism.

So he assembled the Cheif Priests and teachers of the law for information. Did they have real respect for his office? Did they go to him under compulsion? We don't know. We have no idea what these men thought of Herod or the Romans who set him over them. All we know is that they obeyed his summons -- willingly or not.

And we know that Herod did not know the answer himself. In depth scripture study was not his thing. But he was no dummy either. He knew where to find answers.

There is not much meat in today's verse, really. But I believe that every word of scripture is there for a reason and worth meditating on.

Anyway,

Merry Christmas!!