MATTHEW 2:1-6
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 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.” 3When King Herod heard this he
was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When 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. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they
replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6“ ‘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.’”MATTHEW 2:7-11
7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the
exact time the star had appeared. 8He 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.” 9After 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.
10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 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.MATTHEW 2:12-15
12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they
returned to their country by another route. 13When they had gone, an
angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said,
“take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I
tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he
got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for
Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled
what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my
son.”MATTHEW 2:16-18
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was
furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its
vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time
he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the
prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping
and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be
comforted, because they are no more.”
1. Rejoicing and weeping sometimes happen on the same Christmas.
2. The Light of Christmas came for a dark world.
JOHN 1:1-5
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has
been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all
mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has
not overcome it.