The Opportunities We Miss Series

We opened by singing the first verse and chorus of “We three kings of Orient are”

“We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star. CHORUS: O, star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.”

It was a star of wonder, a star of night, a star with royal beauty bright - and when the Wisemen saw that star FROM the East they went… and they stopped at Jerusalem to ask for directions. What is interesting is what we read in Matthew 2:3 - “When Herod the king heard this, he was TROUBLED, and all Jerusalem with him.”

Wait a minute! Israel had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah for centuries. Alfred Edersheim (a prominent source of information on Jewish life in the days of Jesus) states that the Jews yearned for the return of kingdom. And the Jewish Talmud speaks of the coming Messiah who would rebuild the Temple, and the gather back the scattered people of Israel (https://www.foi.org/2021/04/01/the-messiah-who-was-israel-expecting/). In fact, there were several false Messiahs that popped up around the time of Jesus as had been predicted by the prophecies of the book of Daniel - and these false Messiahs were followed because of this dream that the coming Messiah who would lead them to greatness.

So now, there’s this entourage from the East, looking for the Newborn Messiah. And this is not some rag-tag band of travelers. There probably way more than just 3 wisemen knocking at the gates of Jerusalem. Because of the dangers of travel in those days, one man speculated that “at a minimum they would have brought a full military escort along with their servants. And the total party could have amounted to more than 300 people.” (Bill Brian)

Here at the gates of Jerusalem is an impressive and powerful foreign delegation. And they’ve come bringing what they thought was good news. "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." Matthew 2:2

And the reaction from the King - and everyone else was - they were troubled. They knew of the prophecies of the Messiah. In fact they EVEN knew where he was to be born. We’re told that when King Herod gathered the chief priests and the teachers of the Law and asked them where the Christ was to be born, they replied, “In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet has written: ‘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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:4-6

They knew! And yet they couldn’t be bothered to travel the 8 miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to check it out.

And it’s not as if they’d not heard rumors of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. About 2 years before this we’re told that “there were in the same country… shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. (Luke 2:8-17)

It was only 8 miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. Surely, SOMEBODY in the city would have been curious! Surely, SOMEBODY would have gone and checked it out! But NOBODY bothered to make the trip. Why not? Why didn’t somebody just go to Bethlehem after the angels appeared to the Shepherds? Why did everybody miss that opportunity to go and find Jesus?

And then, why did they miss that same opportunity 2 years later when the Wisemen appeared at their front door? Well… John 1:11 tells us – “(Jesus) came unto his own, and his own received him not.”