THE WISE MEN AND THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM

TEXT:

MATTHEW 2:1-12

1. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;

For from you will come forth a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on ahead of them until it came to a stop over the place where the Child was to be found. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 

11 And after they came into the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary; and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And after being warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

WORD OF LIFE, PART 13: "SWEETER THAN HONEY"

It is more than possible for a new Christian to hurry up and surpass the one "who" taught him/her the ways and wonders of the Lord. It happens all the time. For instance, say a new baby Christian is born (again) and as often happens, this person is immediately more fired up and passionate about the Kingdom and Kingdom work and seems unstoppable. They are an asset to the Body of Christ as long as this energy is directed in a measured and meaningful way.

There was such a man like that in the New Testament. His name was Saul. Later on in his writings, as Paul, he called himself "a Jew of Jews". In other words, he had already surpassed his great teacher - Gamaliel, the famous Jewish Rabbi of Bible days - in both passion, zeal and maybe even the thirst for knowledge. Now as with those whose zeal exceed their knowledge, Gamaliel had more wisdom than Saul when he tried to restrain his student Saul and all the other pharisees from hunting down John and Peter in Acts Chapter 5 (click here). 
Psalm 119:97-104
Mem.
97    O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98    Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.
99    I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.
100  I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts.
101  I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.
102  I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.
103  How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104  From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

This is precisely what is meant by Psalm 119:99, when taken at face value. Saul/Paul WAS more gifted knowledge-wise than Gamiliel, his rabbi. Later on, in the Book of Acts, when he became a Christian after encountering Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus, he also became a whole lot wiser than all the descendants put together, of the Great Jewish Rabbis from the Exodus to Jesus Christ (about 1500 years). It is also possible that Saul, now Paul, ended up privately witnessing to Gamiliel on one of his many visits back to Jerusalem. But that is another story, as there is no evidence of Gamiliel ever becoming a follower of Christ.

While Psalm 119:97-100...or in fact, this entire portion from verses 97-104 could be about the Apostle Paul and his life's work, it is more about how the Holy Spirit wants us to live and function as Children of the Cross. We are supposed to be become more equipped and wiser in the word than our pastor/teachers. If we spend more time meditating in the Word of God, going to good Bible conferences and walking out our Faith in the market place of ideas, where the rubber meets the road, it is entirely probably to have a complete Christian life than most preachers. Faith in Action- from study to service- will give us an edge over even a seminary president, who may know the entire Bible in Greek, yet could not share the gospel with the girl who cuts his hair, even if his life depended on it! Consider, or think on these things.

Because such a one has solid and growing Faith, which functions mightily with an unction, we instinctively know to stay away from all evil. Not just blatantly evil things like the obvious, but even the things which once captured our attention (Verse 101). Some of the TV programs or movies which we would not dare miss because "we just had to see them" or a series with some popular (yet completely lost) actor or actress which celebrates sin, all of a sudden have absolutely NO appeal to us. This is not only a sign of spiritual growth and becoming sanctified in the Lord, but is also a direct result of the "ordinances" of the Lord (verse 102) taking hold in our spirits and in our lives!

Such a development is terrific because we fall more in love with not just Abba Father, and the Savior, but His Words - His living breathing Words of Life in every page of the Bible (verse 103). The sweetest therein flows from each page like honey from the honeycomb. We become like beekeepers without all the beekeeper hazmat looking suits on, because the honey of the Word of God only stings if we violate it. Apart from that, it is the sweetener in our tea, the sugar in your coffee! There is nothing more delicious than pure natural honey or a honeycomb purchased directly from the Farmer's Market or one of our local apple orchards. There is nothing more satisfying to the soul, than the truth found in God's Word, in which no false way can be found (verse 104). There is nothing more amazing than being completely committed to Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter and Creator all things. Amen.

THE DECK WAS STACKED - 6 ILLEGAL TRIALS IN 6 HOURS

Everything done in western courtrooms had its origins in the Bible.  The system of Justice practiced in most civilized countries of the West for almost 2000 years, came from the Book of Deuteronomy and the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20. From the swearing on the Bible to the calling of witnesses- all were given by God for our current Judeo/Christian paradigm.

Still when the religious authorities, who were persecuting Jesus for allegedly violating the same Law (Torah) that HE gave, brought Him up on the night before they killed Him, they violated every single letter of the Law they claimed to uphold! In less than 24 hours, there were, therefore, six (6) illegal trials conducting against the Messiah by evil men, bent on temporarily getting rid of the Man Who had threatened their corrupt lifestyle.

The deck was stacked against Jesus. Although He went willingly to the Cross to pay the penalty of sin for us, was nonetheless, railroad through a corrupt system. There were six illegal trials under both Jewish and Roman law:

RELIGIOUS TRIALS (BEFORE TEMPLE PRIESTS):
Illegal Religious Trial #1: TRIALS WERE ILLEGAL (AT NIGHT/NO CHARGES): Jesus was arrested at night after being betrayed by Judas and immediately taken to trial in front of a man who had no legal right to question anybody, far less some arrested by the official Temple Guard. Annas was the former high priest with no legal standing AND he was also questioning a man, under this illegal authority, who was not charged with anything.

Illegal Religious Trial #2: FALSE WITNESSES: The second trial, less than two hours after the first corrupt one in front of Annas, was before the real Jewish High Priest - Caiaphas, who was appointed by his father-in-law Annas. It is against ANY law to have false witnesses (Commandment #9). We know from John 8:6 that the religious authorities were looking for something they could use against Jesus to bring a charge against Him. Still the Gospels showed that many of their pharisee priests lied openly about Jesus' teaching even though He did so openly in the Temple for three years.

Illegal Religious Trial #3: PASSOVER: Apart from the fact that the "trials" were conducted at 2 am (night) with no charges and false witnesses, it was against the Law of the Hebrews to conduct a trial on a Feast Day! To wit, it was Passover, the most sacred of days on the Jewish Calendar and which God had instituted into perpetuity for them.  But powerful men, full of hate and acting irrationally, cared nothing about breaking the same Law they claimed to be standing up for.

SECULAR (ROMAN) TRIALS BEFORE PILATE:
Illegal Roman Trial #1:  CHARGES CHANGED: When the Temple priests brought Jesus to Pilate the first time, they had by that time "cooked the books" and changed the charge from "Blasphemy" against God to "treason" because they knew Pilate would not prosecute a religious charge which he knew or cared nothing about.
Illegal Roman Trial #2: FALSE IMPRISONMENT: Pilate violated supposedly civilized European (Roman) law when he kept Jesus under arrest, knowing he was innocent. Jesus did not absolve him of that sin, in fact He told Pilate that those who handed Him over to Pilate had the greater sin. This too will be closed one day, on Judgment Day before the Great White Throne of Judgment when death and hades will be cast into hell forever.
Illegal Roman Trial #3: KANGAROO COURT JUSTICE: This final one was the kicker. Pilate knowingly let an innocent Man be killed. He could wash his hands with all the water in all the oceans, the Blood stains will never come off as the stain was on his soul. He did the bidding of evil "religious" men to save his own temporary powerful status and lost his soul. There was no proof of anything, no evidence presented and still, Pilate allowed Jesus to be sent to the Cross to die. The thing is - He knew the Truth and put it in writing at the top of the Cross for all History to note "Jesus, King of the Jews". What Pilate meant for mocking, God used for the facts of the matter.

VERDICT OF ALL SIX ILLEGAL TRIALS: GUILTY 
Even the verdict was illegal (apart from Pilate's) for the following reasons:
- The Law said the Sanhedrin council should have been polled (like a real jury). This did not happen.
- The Law said that Jesus was supposed to have a defense counsel. None was allowed.
- The Law said there should have been 24 hours before any verdict and sentence and that if the sentence was execution, there was to be a period of waiting of three (3) days before execution, so that the Sanhedrin- the Jewish religious "supreme court" could pray and fast to see if they made the right decision! NONE OF THIS WAS DONE!

Jesus was rushed through this ENTIRE six trial process in less than six hours and was executed by the priests and Pilate in less than 12 hours. But He turned those three (3) days of waiting upside down on its head. He rose from the Dead on the Third Day and has been turning this world upside down for almost 2000 years now!!! As for these illegal trials, all of this will be addressed in God's Courtroom on Judgment Day when the Chief Judge of the Universe will be the same Jesus Whom they did all this to, on that fateful day for Mankind, on Passover, 33 AD.

THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT.

GOSPEL REFERENCES FOR THE SIX ILLEGAL TRIALS OF CHRIST:

"Judge"	Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
1.     Annas	Matt 26:57-58	Mark 14:53-54	Luke 22:54-55	John 18:12-23
2. Caiaphas	Matt 26:59-75	Mark 14:55-65	Luke 22:56-65	John 18:24
3. Sanhedrin	Matt 27:1	Mark 15:1	Luke 22:66-71
4.     Pilate	Matt 27:2-14	Mark 15:2-5	Luke 23:1-6	John 18:28-38
5.     Herod			Luke 23:7-12
6.     Pilate	Matt 27:15-26	Mark 15:6-15	Luke 23:13-25	John 18:39/19:16

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