A Cool Welcome

When they arrived in Jerusalem the wise men must have been shocked. The whole city should have been worshiping their newborn King, but no one had a clue He had even been born. Even King Herod was totally ignorant of this fact and had to consult the religious leaders--the chief priests and scribes--to learn the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Herod was not happy to hear the news that a new king had been born. He was a foreigner himself; an Idumean, a descendant of Jacob's brother Esau. He owed his kingship over the Jews to the fact he had been at the right place at the right time--befriending a Roman leader some 35 years earlier. Despite the great architectural and engineering feats he had accomplished, Herod was a deeply troubled man who jealously guarded His power and suspected everyone of plotting to take his kingdom from him. So he secretly gathered what information he could from the wise men on the false pretext "that I too may come and worship Him."

Interestingly, the Jews and Gentiles had separate pieces of the same puzzle. The Jews knew from the Old Testament where the Christ was to be born but not when. The Gentiles knew when from the star, but not where. Piecing this information together, the Gentiles were able to seek and find God's Son, while most Jews were content to go on living without Him.

You have heard the whole story of Jesus' birth to save us from our sins. What difference will this Christmas make in your life? - Lutheran Hour Ministries, 2010