Saturday, January 10, 2009
Matthew 2:1-2, 10 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." . . . And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him."
ALLELUIAS TO OUR KING . . .
In the heavenly country bright Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down.
There forever may we sing Alleluias to our King!
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 127:5)
It would have been impossible for those Magi to know there was a king born if God had not revealed it to them through that special "star in the East" (Matthew 2:2). In a similar way it would be impossible for us to know the way to God if the Lord had not revealed it to us in His Word.
The Bible term for this is "mystery" -- something we would not know if God had not revealed it to us. As Paul writes, "[God has] made known to us the mystery of His will . . . that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth -- in Him . . ." (Ephesians 1:9-10).
What a wonderful day that will be when all which God has revealed to us about eternal life in heaven will be brought to fulfillment before our very own eyes! It will be a place as John speaks in Revelation: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God" (21:3).
There forever we will sing Alleluias to our King!
