Friday, January 7, 2011
Matthew 2:4-6 When he [Herod] had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
DRAW US TO YOU, LORD: BY YOUR MIGHTY WORD
There are any number of ways that the God could have chosen to lead us to Him, but He chose the word -- the medium of printed page and human voice -- the medium of a MESSAGE. Thus it says in Romans 10:17, "Faith comes from hearing the message."
Consider the wise men whose visit to the Christ we celebrate this week. They saw a star in the east and it got their attention, but it wasn't the star that ultimately drew them to the Lord Jesus. A close reading of the text, in fact, indicates that the star apparently disappeared from their sight until the very end. It was the message about the Christ that drew them. It was words of prophecy (Micah 5:2) that led them to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. It was words like Isaiah's (perhaps even Isaiah 53) that had taught them what this Child would be.
The wise men wouldn't have traveled west to see just any baby -- star or no star. But they left to go see this one because the message concerning this Child was special. This was the one who meant salvation for all people through the forgiveness of their sins. This was the Baby whose life made eternal life a reality.
It is no different for us. People are drawn to Jesus today by the mighty word. Yes, sometimes God might use something to get one's attention like he used the star to alert the Magi to the birth, but it is not the attention-grabbers that ultimately draw people to Christ. It is the message of sins forgiven and peace with God through Jesus that does it. It is the glorious truth of heaven opened that leads the heart to the Baby at Bethlehem.
Draw us to You, Lord, by Your mighty word. Draw us in our homes and in our churches. Lead us to share Your mighty word with others.
