Wonder Of Advent #33

For the World

Read: Matthew 2:1-11

Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.

Matthew 2:2

WHEN JOSEPH AND MARY took Jesus to the Temple forty days after his birth as prescribed by the law, they encountered a devout man who had been led by the Spirit to come to the Temple at the same time. Simeon had been given a promise long before that he would see the Messiah prior to his death. And, of course, God always fulfills a promise. So Simeon took the infant Messiah in his arms and blessed God—with ample references to ancient prophecies. One of those prophecies was that this child would be both a light to reveal God to Gentiles and the glory of his own people, Israel (Luke 2:32).

So in this drama God was writing, it makes perfect poetic sense for Gentile magi to follow a blazing star into Israel’s homeland. Years before the message of Jesus actually began to make inroads into other nations, sages from the East were captivated by a symbol of his glory. This light that pierced the darkness foreshadowed the conflict of the realms that would come; Herod’s reaction to the news of a newborn king was a conspicuous sign of the enmity between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world. And the gifts the magi brought—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—pointed not only toward the honor of royalty but also toward the materials of death and burial (John 19:39-40). The magi could not have known it, but their actions were prophesying the ministry, message, and adoration of a Savior for all people.

The universal mission of Jesus should not have been a surprise to Jews of the first century. It had been prophesied in Isaiah, Zechariah, and many other Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps those who looked to those prophecies thought they implied a full integration of Gentiles into Jewish law and faith. But law would never remove the curse of sin; only a radical work of grace could do that. Like a star visible across the sky, that grace transcends earthly kingdoms and cultures. God’s rescue mission into this world may have begun with a single clan that became a nation, but Israel was only the seed of things to come. The light is meant to shine into every corner of the world.

Worship the child in Bethlehem, but do more than that. Honor his global mission. Let your life point to the light that shines for all nations. Bend the knees of your heart to the universal Savior.

Prayer

Lord, I want my life to align with the direction of history—your rescue mission to all nations, including mine. Open doors for me to demonstrate your heart for the world and to support your divine plan. Amen.

REFLECTION

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke begin with the birth of Jesus, but they end with a commission to go into all the world. In what ways can you align your life with that mission?

Further reading: Luke 2:25-35

The holy star its news ablazing,

sign of hope for nations raising.

“STILL, STILL, STILL,” AUSTRIAN CAROL