December 4, 2023

Matthew 2: 1, 2 . . . Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? . . .” (NIV)

The Bible was written to bear witness to Christ.*

Wise men, who were not Jews, knew the signs that pointed to the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies. How much more they knew is not included in the story, but clearly they knew more than the very people to whom the prophecies had been announced and entrusted. If we follow Jesus’ life and ministry in the gospels, we see how the Jews couldn’t see the forest for the trees. They couldn’t see what was right in front of them. And other clichés.

When I first began researching for this passage, I was feeling some sympathy for the Jews as they witnessed Jesus’ march to messiahship. After all, Jesus was not the King David-ish person they were expecting. David was a victorious warrior and they believed that the Messiah would be the same, and that he would liberate them from their oppressors and make them a world power. Understandable, I thought. Until I checked out the prophecies from the Old Testament. In II Samuel 7: 16, God promises David, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever . . . your throne will be established forever.” And David alludes to that promise in Psalm 89: 3 and 4. It seems that the reference to an eternal kingdom should be a clue that it would not be an earthly one. Beyond this, the prophecies predicted a messiah who was very clearly fulfilled in Jesus. And the Jews didn’t see it because they didn’t want to see it.

And who are we to look down on the Jews for their short-sightedness? Do we see Jesus as the Messiah who came to establish the Kingdom of God or as a wish-granting fairy who makes our dreams come true? Do we understand that we need the whole Bible to paint the “big picture” for us, or do we pick passages of scripture, take them out of their context, and turn them into mottos? Do we seek God’s will for our lives, or do we make our plans and ask him to bless them as we move forward with them? Do we want to see Jesus the Messiah, or would we prefer to remake him in our own image?

If I’m free to ignore the larger context, then it becomes easier to read the Bible like a narcissist.*