God Knows…When I Feel All Alone – Part 2
One night, a long time ago, the promised Savior of the world was born. God had sent His own Son down to Earth! But were people watching and waiting to welcome Him? Was He royally received?
A Wise Search
Far to the East, perhaps 400 miles (650 km) away, were some men who had been waiting for the birth of Jesus. They were Magi, very wise and very rich men. They learned about God’s promise of a Savior from the Holy Scriptures and knew it was time for the Savior to be born. One night they discovered a new star in the sky. It was the sign they had been waiting for! They prepared rich gifts and embarked on a trip to find the new King. Because they were following a star, they traveled at night.
Finally they reached Jerusalem. “Where is He? Where is the King of the Jews?” they asked. “We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” But the local people were puzzled. They didn’t know what these strangers were talking about. The Magi went to the Temple. Surely the priests would know. But the priests did not answer their question, either.
When King Herod heard about the Magi, he became agitated. He was the king and he did not want anyone taking over. He sent for the priests and scribes from the Temple and demanded that they tell him what they knew about a new king. They hated the wicked Herod but didn’t dare disobey him. So they finally admitted that the prophet Micah had indicated that Bethlehem would be the place of Christ’s birth.
Then Herod summoned the Magi. Though he was outraged, he treated the strangers with courtesy. He pretended to be happy about their venture. He even asked them to go ahead and find the child king, and then let him know so he could worship Him, too.
The Magi left for Bethlehem. How happy they were to see the star as it led them the last 5-6 miles (8-10 km) from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. It led them right to Jesus.
What a sight the wise men must have made, clad in their rich robes and bowing low to worship baby Jesus. They did not mind His poor and humble family; they knew that Jesus had left heaven in order to come to earth. The wise men gave Jesus gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, expensive gifts fit for a king. But more important, they gave Him their hearts, just as the poor shepherds had. And that was the best gift of all.
Danger
“Now,” the Wise Men planned, “we can go tell Herod of the wonderful baby.” During the night, though, God sent them a dream of warning: “Stay away from Herod. Don’t tell him you saw the baby.” So the Magi took a different route home.
In the same way, an angel warned Joseph. “Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to look for the Child to destroy Him.” Joseph acted immediately. “Mary, Mary!” he called to his wife. “We must leave at once for Egypt. King Herod wants to kill Jesus.” Their few things were soon packed. How thankful they were for the baby gifts from the Wise Men. Now they could afford the trip and their stay in Egypt.
Herod was waiting for word from the Wise Men, but finally he decided to check up on them. When he discovered they had already gone home, he was furious. Maybe there WAS a plot to set up a new king. “I’ll fix that,” he determined. “Go to Bethlehem,” he shouted at his soldiers, “and kill every baby boy less than two years of age.”
What a terrible time it was! So many babies and toddlers murdered. Satan came close to spoiling God’s plan, but God and His “secret service” angels and won again. Jesus was more than 100 miles (160 km) away from the murderous king.
Not long after, Herod himself died, and then an angel brought a new message to Joseph. “You may take Mary and Jesus back home now. It’s safe again.” So they went to the little mountain village of Nazareth, and Jesus lived there for nearly thirty years.
. . .
When I feel all alone, I can remember that Jesus loves me, and we can be friends. Since Jesus came to this earth and lived as a human, He understands me and my problems and He wants to help me solve them. That’s why He came! He’s back in heaven now so His help and love can reach everyone, everywhere, all the time! I am never alone. Somebody always cares and loves. Jesus came to Planet Earth to show me this.
Where to find the story: Matthew 1-2, and Luke 1-2
Your Story Hour
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