The Magi Visit the Messiah

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route." Matthew 2:1-12

As the saying goes, wise men and wise women still seek Him.

All who are called, seek Him -- Him who gives eternal life, real peace and real joy.

Today, like Peter, James and John, we may not have gold, frankencense and myrrh to give Him, but what we do have we offer to the Lord and to others who need Christ.

We might not just be aware but what we do have are far more important than any material thing.

Each one of us have our own individual passions and experiences, the good and the bad, specific education, influences and unique personality and backgrounds, including life lessons we have learned the easy and the hard way.

These, and our time, along with our material treasures are what we truly offer to Jesus. All of the above, for really, it is a little weird to come to the presence of the King of Kings empty handed.

All of us coming together, comprises what Jesus calls the church and together we will be able to accomplish His purpose for our lives and for others around us.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

'When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Luke 2:22-24


The Jews of old were devoutly religious people and as such they followed their customs and traditions, and their laws as specified in their Scriptures.

This involves circumcision and purification and specific offerings they need to perform.

And as the bible tells us, even Mary, Joseph and Jesus Himself followed these practices. [Jesus was to later on be baptised by His older cousin, John the Baptist and He went to their meeting places or their temples on sabbath days].

Luke gives us much of the details of these things Mary and Joseph did and significantly they travelled from Bethlehem to Jerusalem (which is very much in the news as of late) to present themselves and their newborn to the temple there.

It is also worthy to note that Mary and Joseph offered two turtle doves, yes as in the song '12 Days of Christmas' and that this offering was an allowance made to people who cannot afford to offer a lamb, as written in their leviticus laws.

Now if we continue to read this passage, we will read about a righteous and devout man named Simeon who went to the temple at the same time to see the baby Jesus because it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the messiah.

And also we will read about a prophet named Anna who never left the temple and who worshiped there night and day (fasting and praying), who along with Simeon praised God because of the birth of the messiah and blessed the baby Jesus.

Today, these traditions are still very much alive, as we continue to dedicate our newborns to our Heavenly Father and to meet with the Lord Jesus when we come together at least once a week, worshipping God, blessing one another and offering a sacrifice of praise and our gifts to the Lord on Sundays.

Angels Announced the Birth of Jesus

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:8-15

One of the stories, or parables as they are known, that Jesus narrated was about a king who sent out invitations to his son's wedding banquet. Now, the story tells us that those who were invited went about their normal day and did not pay attention to the invite.

The king then sent his servants out again and this time, inviting everyone they could find -- the blind, the lame, the deaf, the mute, the poor, the sick, the downtrodded, and the good for nothing.

In the time of Jesus, shepherds were one of the lowliest of occupations and social status. But the Lord seemed it best to send His angels to a group of shepherds, to tell them of the good news of the birth of the messiah. And like the blind, the deaf and the lame, they heeded the invite and told themselves "we need to go to Bethlehem" (the House of Bread), and we need to see the Savior of the Lord".

Today, all of us called to be God's children are like these angels -- called to tell everyone of the good news of the messiah, and also like the lowly shepherds -- called to give time to come see Him, spend time with Him and worship Him.

"O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord"

The Birth of Jesus

"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:1-7


Luke gave us an historical timeline of when the baby Jesus was born. Now even though scholars and theologians disagree on when Jesus was actually born, Augustus was Rome's first emperor and credited for what is known as Pax Romana, Quirinius actually was appointed governor over Syria (twice) and that there were in fact mandated censuses done in all the Roman held provinces around that tme.

But because all the prophecies about the messiah have to be fulfilled, these historical events have to take place and were written down for us, so that even thousand of years later we could still see how the Lord caused these things to happen to fulfill all of the ancient prophesies.

Lastly it is important to note that even on the day of His birth, the world was too busy to give time, much less room for Him. The messiah came into the world and was placed in a manger, which is an open box used to feed animals.

This was because there was no room for any human to spend the night in. Joseph and Mary probably eventually camped out where animals were housed. And significantly, there was no other alternative crib to place the baby Jesus in. They had to use a box which was used to feed animals. Little did they know, that the baby would grow up and call Himself the Bread of Life -- spiritual nourishment for humankind (who rejected Him then, and still rejecting Him today).


"Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day." John 6:35-39

Mary Visits Elizabeth

"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home." Luke 1:39-45,56

When the angel visited Mary, the angel told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, advanced in age and barren is already with child by the power of God, six months in the family way.

Here, it narrates how Mary then visited her. And although it wasn't mentioned, we can presume that she wanted to come visit her cousin to rejoice with her, see how she can help during her pregnancy, ask her questions, exchange and compare notes on how it feels to be carrying a baby by God's power and really, also to confirm what the angel said was true. Wouldn't anyone?

And yes, it was true and Mary stayed with her cousin for three months and most probably until after Elizabeth's baby was born -- the one who was to grow up to be John the Baptist.

Now the problem with unbelievers and even new believers is that they are staunchly "to see is to believe", not believing even when they are face to face with the truth of Jesus Christ.

Now interestingly, when the baby John, still inside his mother's womb, first heard Mary's voice, he leapt inside his mom with joy -- the same joy which the Lord blessed us with when we first accept Him as our Savior and the same joy the Holy Spirit is keeping alive inside every believer.

And the same joy which sustains all those who believe and put their trust in Him.

Real believers know about this joy and others see it in them. Some are skeptical by it, some envious, some cannot put a finger on it. But this joy that comes from within and is not dependent on anything happening on the outside is evidence both for the believer and others who are able to notice them.

"The LORD strengthens and protects me; I trust in him with all my heart. I am rescued and my heart is full of joy; I will sing to him in gratitude." A psalm of David, Psalm 28:7

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

"This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus." Matthew 1:18-25


The Jewish people who follow their messianic prophesies are well aware that so many things have to fall into place for the prophecies to be fulfilled. And truly, it was almost impossible for all of them to actually happen, that was so even when all the prophesies were being fulfilled in their midst, many of them still would not believe.

Prior to the events described by Matthew above, we read that Mary already accepted to carry the baby Jesus. Now, Joseph also had to accept being Mary's husband plus being the father to a baby that was not his own.

Again an angel appeared to Joseph, but this time in a dream.

So yes, the Lord speaks to us in our dreams. So it is a good thing to ask Him to speak to us in our dreams. But the question really, is how do we respond when He does.

And hopefully, yes and Amen.

Conceived by the Holy Spirit

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:34-38


The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary telling her that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God.

Obviously, Mary was shaken and responded with fear, confusion and questions.

The angel, being God's messenger, gave her the answer that she needed to hear, one to calm her down and two, for her to believe -- including pointing out another miracle that is already happening by the power of God to her own cousin Elizabeth who was barren and advanced in age but who was already conceiving a baby supernaturally and on her sixth month of pregnancy. One which she can easily verify, and which she will eventually do. Our Father in heaven knows us so well. He knows of our fears, our doubts and our weaknesses. And at any time, He knows just what to say and do for us. And He does it, because we are the apple of His eyes, His children, and He loves us so.

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:26-33

Luke, being a believer, a companion of Paul in his missionary trips and a physician by trade, found it wise to investigate eye witness accounts of how the gospel as they know of came to be, and started off writing how it all began, starting with the birth of the baby Jesus.

Here, he tells us how the angel Gabriel, showed himself to a Galilean woman, a virgin with the name of Mary and gave her the good news that she have found God's favor and that she will conceive and give birth to the Son of God.

Gabriel told Mary that "the Lord was with her."

And to "not be afraid."

And again, that she "have found favor with God." In the bible, once it is repeated, it must be something important to note.

Now, throughout Scriptures, the angel Gabriel has always been one who acted as God's messenger, entrusted to deliver important messages in His behalf.

What I found interesting is that with the Lord moving in our lives, (with or without an angel's visitation of course) it is quite normal to be surprised, or to even be afraid and particularly afraid to do the seemingly impossible.

And not that we are to just blindly follow. For the Lord does allow our limited human understanding to recognize what's going on and to trust in Him. Which we could see more clearly when we continue reading the next verses in Luke's historical account. And remember, with God everything is possible.

Sidebar: It is also interesting to note that all the names of angels as recorded in Scriptures are all masculine names. Or that they are always presented in masculine terms all throughout the bible.

Outside of the bible though, we see angels being presented in ways that may not be biblical. Some people ascribe to angels God-like powers to be venerated or worshipped or saint-like status to be revered and prayed to. And most are depicted as feminine and I am not completely sure of their origins or for any biblical basis for that matter, just food for thought and a cautionary word.

The First Christmas

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. (This first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and was pregnant. And it happened that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace
    among people with whom he is pleased!”

And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!” And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. And all who heard it were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them."  Luke 2:1-20

That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown.

It's not about Cyber Monday, it's not about who has the most toys or the latest gadgets. It's not about who has the best ham or the most perfect decorations.

It's about LOVE coming down from heaven not worrying where He would land in, no Holiday Inn, no Hilton, not in the Hamptons, not a problem. No three kings and no three precious gifts to welcome Him either.

It's just a manger, some livestock, a few shepherds, and a symphony of angels singing praises. Indeed the prophecy has been fulfilled and there was no better response than what the lowly shepherds did after they heard of it and after they saw it fulfilled with their very eyes.

No Room In The Inn

Luke 2:1-7


In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

It's funny but I actually wrote much "musings" before this but then again, there was "no room" for them in my busy schedule to post it here. And many of them are just going to be late. That is my official excuse.

Anyway Christmas Day 2011 may have come and gone but still having no room for the Christ is still very much in fashion. We may have given out gifts (at least those of us who can still afford to buy gifts) and we may still be at the malls buying more or exchanging and returning some but today there is still time to stop and remember the real reason for the season. Christ is the reason and if there is still no room for him in our hearts, we still have missed what all these gift-giving is all about.

So today let us pause and stop giving gifts for a few minutes (or returning or exchanging them). But let us instead accept the best gift we could possibly receive--heaven's gift.

Linus said it best watch it below.

Now you can go back to your busy schedule or to your after holiday shopping spree... have a great day!