The Messiah Has Come
Numbers 24:17; Matthew 1:16-21; 2:1, 7-11
When Alaska became the 49th state in 1959, I promised myself that one day I would visit that great state. I could hardly contain my excitement as my flight landed in Anchorage and my wife and I prepared to take a cruise down the inner passage. It had taken me 40 years to fulfill that promise to myself. During all that time, I never let go of that anticipation. It is a long distance from Woodruff, S.C., to Anchorage, Alaska.
We don’t really know how far the wise men traveled to pay homage to the newborn king, but their anticipation must have been immense. They had followed the star not knowing where it would lead. With every new vista, their anticipation grew. They were intrigued by the ancient prophecies. When the king heard of their mission, he sent for them. He stated that he wanted to worship the new baby and that they should tell him where to find the baby after they found him. The wise men resumed their journey, and the star led them to Bethlehem. When the star rested over the house where Jesus was, the wise men worshiped him and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men were warned in a dream not to tell the king of the baby’s location, and they went home by another road.
Joseph had also received a vision. He was engaged to Mary and did not want to see her disgraced by her pregnancy. The angel told him that Mary was to give birth to the Messiah, whose mission is to save the world from its sins. Joseph was faithful to God’s instructions. Of all the people in the Bible, I would like to have a conversation with Joseph. We know how carefully God selected Mary to be the mother of his son. I am sure that there was the same judicious selection of Joseph. With the birth of Jesus, the old prophecy was fulfilled.
We know the story, and yet our familiarity with it does not extinguish our anticipation of Christmas. Every year, that excitement of it stirs our hearts and souls. On Christmas Eve, I will join with other members of our congregation as we go out into the midnight air with candles lighted and singing “Joy to the World. The Lord has come.”
The Scriptures tell us that the wise men returned by a different way. In our reading, we tend to glide over those words, but they contain the heart of the Christmas message. When we experience an encounter with the Christ, we all return a different way. Once we encounter Jesus, we are never the same again. It is more than a story. It is the secret for living an abundant life. On this Christmas morning, let your voice join with millions of joyful Christians around the world as we sing and affirm, “Joy to the World. The Lord has come.”
Carnell– Lessons in the ETB series for the winter quarter are being written by Mitch Carnell, member of First Baptist Church, Charleston.