Christ, the fulfillment.

Michael Scaman

If these news sources were around then we might see the following headlines 1. **The Bethlehem Star Mystery Captivates the World as Wise Men's Journey Unfolds** *CNN* 2. **Herod's Secret Plot Unveiled: Wise Men on a Mission to Find the Child** *BBC News* 3. **Global Excitement as Star Guides Wise Men to Bethlehem's Miracle Child** *The New York Times* 4. **Herod's Deceptive Intentions Exposed: Hunt for the Child Sparks Tension** *The Guardian* 5. **Magical Encounter in Bethlehem: Wise Men Present Precious Gifts to Holy Child** *National Geographic* 6. **Divine Intervention: Wise Men Defy Herod's Orders, Return Home via Miraculous Route** *Reuters* and for celebrities, they seem man centered not God centered in their predicted views based on thier statements and writings 1. Beyoncé: "The Bethlehem Star story is a testament to the power of faith and destiny. May we all find our guiding star in times of uncertainty and rejoice in the journey." 2. Elon Musk: "The celestial navigation skills of the wise men are truly remarkable. It's like an ancient GPS system. Imagine what we could accomplish if we had star-guided Teslas!" 3. Oprah Winfrey: "The tale of the Wise Men is a reminder that true wisdom lies in seeking goodness and embracing the joy of giving. Let's all be 'wise' in our actions and choices." 4. Kanye West: "Yo, the Wise Men knew what's up! They followed the star and found the divine. We should all follow our own stars, you know? It's all about that journey, that revelation." 5. Malala Yousafzai: "In the story of the Wise Men, courage and conviction prevailed. Let's be inspired by their dedicationc to justice and peace, even in the face of adversity." 6. Barack Obama: "The journey of the Wise Men teaches us about humility, the pursuit of truth, and the power of collective goodwill. May we all find our way to a better world through compassion and understanding." chatGPT's take on what 6 major news sources might say about MATTHEW 2:7–12 and 6 major celebrities, but all seem to miss the mark in the direction of man-ward not God-ward

Hugh Stephenson

Dear friends - a special request today. Please pray for the family of my friend Calvin Mummert. His wife has been my administrative assistant for many years. He fell Wednesday morning and sustained a brain injury. He will be taken off life support early Friday morning. He loved and cherished The Journey. He has been reading it for many years. It made a huge difference in his daily life. Thank you. ——————————— Good morning, Hannah. Thank you for your contrasts between the fear of Herod and the worship of the Gentile wise men. Links to more info on the Magi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magi Several articles at GQs- https://www.gotquestions.org/search.php?zoom_sort=0&zoom_query=magi Q1. FOR- study, prayer, journaling, worship music, serving, discipling. AGAINST - I still want to jump in the front seat and drive. Way, way too often. Joy awaits me in the back seat where all I do is trust the driver. Q2. As noted, I was recently in a class that used John 15:5 as a teaching tool. If I am the branch and He is the vine then it is only through HIM that I can bear fruit. The branch doesn’t DO anything. It absorbs light and water. Then the vine can be the SOURCE of the fruit that the branch ”produces”. And it all happens via the work of the Spirit. Q3. Personally- worship music with Christ’s advent as the subject. Corporately- With friends, CG, and the 12/24 service. [SIDEBAR] Constable has some amazing detail on this chapter with extended comments and insights about the magi, Herod, etc. go to https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/nt/matthew/matthew.htm. Scroll down to chapter 2. I’m confident it will be worth the time spent. [END]

Hugh Stephenson

For virtually all of my youth I waited for two championships: NCAA Football for my UGA Bulldogs and a World Series championship for my beloved Atlanta Braves. The torment was that there was always a possibility as there were some very good teams. There were interim conference/division championships but there was always a failure at the end. For UGA we had to be satisfied with beating the hated Florida Gators. For the Braves it was not losing 100 games and not finishing last in the division. Then came 1980 and Herschel Walker. Then came 1991 and John Smoltz. Both years were actually or nearly “worst to first” versus prior year. The excitement each week as the season went on was palpable. After the 1980 Championship and the 1995 World Series wins there was a long drought/famine. Then came 2021 where both teams won the Championship. 40 years. Sound familiar? No one ever prophesied these championships. And God never promised them to me or anyone else. I never prayed for them. But boy did I want them to happen. I had way too much of my identity wrapped up in “my teams.” Over time it became unhealthy. That said…If you seldom have a winning team and have never enjoyed a championship team it’s really, really sweet when it happens. I still have and display all kinds of memorabilia from my beloved teams. But here’s the core of my problem. For all of my youth and the majority of my adult life I was a “fan” of Jesus but not really a follower in the way we understand at Watermark. What that really means is that I was a “foe”- because there is no such thing as a “fan”. Only follower or foe. Only child of God or child of wrath. Sobering. Thankfully, in contrast to my teams’ championships, God did promise me a Messiah. And He fulfilled it.   However, like the Jews, I didn’t see it and embrace it. I was way, way too attached to the things of the world (1 John 2:15-17).. Eventually I got it.

Hugh Stephenson

Here’s two short summaries of the whole section and of chapter 2. , ESV SB Matt. 1:1–2:23 The Arrival in History of Jesus the Messiah. Matthew’s introduction echoes the language of Genesis. The word rendered “genealogy” (1:1) is Greek genesis (“beginning, origin, birth, genealogy”), and this is also the title of the Greek translation of Genesis, implying that it is a book of “beginnings.” “The book of the genealogy” appears to function not only as a heading for the genealogy itself (1:2–17) but also as a title for the entire story to follow: a new beginning with the arrival of Jesus the Messiah and the kingdom of God (cf. note on Gen. 2:4). Matt. 2:1 Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem of Judea, about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Jerusalem, marks him as being from the tribe of Judah and from the city that produced the Davidic kings (Ruth 1:1, 19; 2:4; 1 Sam. 17:12, 15; see note on Luke 2:4). Constable There is nothing in chapter 2 that describes Jesus Himself. Therefore Matthew's purpose was not simply to give the reader information about Jesus' childhood. Rather, he stressed the reception that the Messiah received having entered the world. The rulers were hostile, the Jewish religious leaders were indifferent, but the Gentiles welcomed and worshipped Him. These proved to be typical responses throughout Jesus' ministry, as Matthew's Gospel reveals. This literary device of presenting implication and then realization is common in the first Gospel. Also, in this chapter, there are several references to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (vv. 5-6, 15, 17-18, 23). Matthew wanted to continue to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah who fulfilled what the prophets had predicted. In chapter 1, the emphasis is more on how Jesus' identity fulfilled prophecy, but in chapter 2, it is more on how Jesus' geographical connections fulfilled prophecy. To prove that Jesus was the Christ, Matthew had to show that Jesus was born where the Old Testament said Messiah would be born. Another purpose of this chapter was to show God's providential care of His Son. Lastly - Constable’s final comments- Matthew chapter 2 advances the writer's argument significantly by making three major points: -"The first relates to the Gentiles. The Magi come from the East and worship the King of the Jews. A glimmering foreview of all the nations of the earth being blessed in Abraham is seen in this act. ... -The second point Matthew makes concerns the Jews. They are shown to be unconcerned and indifferent to any report concerning Him. -Finally, Matthew, by his use of the Old Testament, proves that Jesus is the promised Messiah. He is the fulfillment of all that is anticipated in their Scriptures. These three things form the basis of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus is presented as the Messiah prophesied and promised in the Old Testament. The Jews reject Him. Because of this rejection the King turns to the Gentiles and the earthly kingdom program for the Jews is postponed. Chapter one declares the theanthropic character of the person of the Messiah. The reception which is to be given the claims of the Messiah is set forth in chapter two. Matthew three begins the narrative of the historical account of the presentation of Israel's Messiah to that nation."[247] "Matthew 1—2 serves as a finely wrought prologue for every major theme in the Gospel."[248] Chapters 1 and 2 show the reader who Jesus was, His identity, including the reactions of various groups of people. The rest of the book continues to clarify Jesus' identity and shows what Jesus said and did, and the reactions of various groups of people to Him. The reactions of these groups and individuals become instructive for us readers in knowing how to respond to Jesus and how not to respond to Him.

Sue Bohlin

Super devo, Hannah, thank you! I was struck by the beauty of the magi's response to seeing Jesus: "they fell down and worshiped him," followed by opening their treasures to give him major gifts. (No stocking stuffers here!) Instead of breezing past this account as I always have, this time it struck me how beautiful and appropriate their worship is because of how it contrasts with how often we hear "Jesus Christ!" as an expletive--these days, even on TV or internet videos. And it also contrasts with the way our culture ignores Him. (See also holiday movies that celebrate "the season" or winter weather in Northern climates and completely misses the marvelous miracle of God becoming human.) There's no way the magi could have known or understood that they were literally gazing on the face of God . . . but we can. And we, like they, can fall down (in our hearts) and worship Him. Especially when we hear the awesome theology of Christmas carols!

greg jones

Thought this was a great point in the deeper dive. In the same way, we should bring hearts of worship with gifts. The difference today is our gifts aren't gold, frankincense, and myrrh but our very lives. Romans 12:1 challenges us "to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." The gift now is you. Does your life reflect a posture of worship? Herod-a pretty fascinating person. Early in life he has a pretty remarkable political career. Later in life he becomes a total mess. Among other things besides the slaughter of the innocence he was also known for disowning and killing his own first born son Antipater. But before all of that Judea has a pretty peaceful existence during his reign. He rebuilt the temple and added to the temple complex. He fortified Jerusalem and cleaned up some of the surrounding cities. Before Jesus, had Herod been born in Bethlehem, you could have made a case that by all his accomplishments he looks more like the one Micah 5 speaks of than Jesus does. Jesus and his first followers, the disciples, teach that when you worship at the temple and you bring your sacrifice to the alter, if you have something against your brother stop worshiping. You are to leave your sacrifice at the alter, make things right with your brother, then return to the temple and worship by presenting your sacrifice at the alter Matthew 5:23-24. These first Jewish Christ followers will have to implement a new way to worship just as Jews who were not followers of Jesus after the destruction of the temple in CE70. Prayers for the family of Calvin Mummert.

Amy Lowther

1. I show my love and worship for God in every aspect of my life. If I need to learn something which improves how I love and worship God, I do that as well. 2. I am always trying to do what is right. If someone needs help, I try to help them. I also encourage anyone and everyone to do their best. 3. One way is to say thank you to good workers who help you in the holiday season and compliment them for their performance and their efforts. It could help them identify and encourage them to use their strengths like Jesus does for everyone He encountered. Hannah - Thank you for sharing your ideas. Congratulations on being in the Watermark Institute. I am glad it has helped you in your love for God and the local church. I am also glad you made the point, “the gift now is you.” We are all gifts from God and should look to Him so we do our best with what is available.

Michael Sisson

Re: Mt 2:7 Matthew 2:7 (NASB) Then Herod secretly called the magi and >>>determined from them the exact time the star appeared.<<< At this point, the narrative has jumped ahead roughly two years from the time of Jesus’ birth, as is apparent from the magi’s account. Herod’s sole purpose for learning when the star appeared was so he could slaughter the rival to his throne the star heralded (cf. Mt 2:16). As with Moses (Dt 18:15), it should be noted the enemy sought to snuff out the life of Israel’s Deliverer…the Despised Messiah (i.e. Yeshua, Jesus) from birth. Re: Mt 2:9 Matthew 2:9 (NASB) After hearing the king, they went their way; and >>>the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.<<< Whatever the “star” was, it discernibly moved before coming rest over a single Judean town. It’s difficult to understand how anything outside Earth’s atmosphere could meet that description of perceptible movement and stationary position. Re: Mt 2:11 Note, the holy family was no longer inhabiting a stable at the time.