One of the recommendations for our world in 2020 is not to gather in large groups. Although people have disobeyed the orders, many people have adjusted and adapted their lives to not gather in large groups. As we enter this Christmas week, I was reminded of those who visited Jesus. Some of them broke rules. Maybe all of them did. When people come to Jesus, they may have a journey that is not a sweet Sunday School lesson, but one that changes their lives forever.
The first visitors to witness baby Jesus were the shepherds. They were at work. They were taking care of their sheep at night in the middle of a field. Then, an angel came and spoke to them. At first, they were afraid, but the angel told them not to be afraid for he had good news for them. He told them about Jesus being born and that he was the Messiah, a Savior for all people. The angels told them that they would find the baby in Bethlehem and in a manger, so we know that this was right after Jesus was born.
The angels did not tell the shepherds to go to Jesus. They just told them where they would find Him. The shepherds decided to go at that very moment. So, being the student, I have questions. What about their sheep? What about their job? Did they take the sheep with them? Did they quit their jobs? Did they just leave for a few hours and come back? Were they fired? We don’t know. We do know that they took a risk to go see Jesus, but the risk was worth it. After they saw Jesus they began glorifying and praising God and they told everyone what had happened with the angels and meeting Jesus. Mary treasured and pondered all of this in her heart.
The shepherds were not the only visitors. Some Magi from the East came to see Jesus. There are many words to describe these men. For years, some scholars decided to call them kings, which was wrong. Others, called them wise men, which could be close to what they were. They were of the priestly caste of ancient Persia, or also known as sorcerers. Yes, sorcerers came to Jesus. They heard that the King of the Jews was born and that a star was placed in the sky for him. They were asking people about this new king. King Herod heard about their questions and became disturbed. So, he sent the Magi to find Jesus.
Herod did not appreciate that a new king was born, so he actually sent the Magi to find Jesus so he could kill Him. God had other plans, and in His plans, he used the Magi also known as sorcerers. The Magi went to Bethlehem and the star they had seen went ahead of them and stopped at the house where Jesus was. This was not at the manger scene. Jesus was at a house, so Jesus was older and not a newborn. The Magi brought gifts to Jesus. They brought gold for a king. They brought frankincense, which was a healing oil and myrrh, which was also used for health benefits and a burying oil. The gifts were significant as Jesus would heal and conquer death, as the King Eternal.
The best part of the Magi is that they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, as he wanted to kill Jesus, so they returned home another way. See, when people come to Jesus, he changes them and they return home in a different route because they are changed. Jesus changes lives. He can change any life. Even as a baby he was changing lives. My friend said that Satan had a plan to use the Magi, but we can see that Satan’s plans were foiled. The Magi didn’t just visit Jesus; they worshipped Him when they came to Him, and they returned home using a different route obeying an angel in a dream over King Herod. They were changed.
May we this Christmas season come to Jesus and leave the Christmas season changed. May we not just visit Jesus, but allow Him to enter into our lives and change us that we cannot return to our old ways, and that we are so overjoyed that we cannot contain ourselves from telling others about Him. May we have a Merry Christmas as we gather with Jesus and understand that with Jesus, we are never alone.
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