Lord’s Day, Vol. 4 No. 52

The Christmas Story

-The Star In the East (…Continued)

 Matthew 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

What a beautiful picture of God’s grace guiding the wise men to worship the Saviour of the world.

Consider the gifts that these wise men brought to worship the King – gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

We all know that gold is the most precious gift fit for kings. But what is frankincense? And do you know that frankincense is more expensive than gold by gram?

Frankincense was one of the consecrated incenses fitted and used for the worship of God in the tabernacle.

 The people in Israel were not allowed to make incense for themselves. It is only to be used for the worship of God.

When incense is used, it makes one’s mind very clear, alert, and helps in improving one’s concentration, making the person calm and able to think well so that he can pray properly.

Myrrh is also very expensive. The Egyptian Pharaohs who were mummified were wrapped in myrrh to prolong decomposition from setting in.

The wise men understood that Jesus was no ordinary child. They worshipped Him and presented those precious gifts to Him.

God did not reveal the coming of His Son to the wise men first but to shepherds, illiterate men who were little versed in learning from men’s perspective.

The angels’ choral song made known the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord, and the shepherds hastened to Bethlehem to see the great sight.

There was no occupation more lowly than being a shepherd in those days. A thousand years earlier, David, the youngest of Jesse’s eight children, was assigned that humble and dangerous task by his father (cf. 1 Sam. 16:10, 11). It involved sleepless hours during cold nights on a grassy hillside, sometimes threatened by wild animals.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds nearby responded to the heavenly announcement:

Luke 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

The shepherds were humble and obedient servants of God! But that was not the end of their response to the angelic proclamation.

Luke 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

Indeed, the shepherds became the first missionaries of the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10:11).

Being a shepherd, he had time at night to look up into the starry sky and wonder at God’s creation. God created the sun, the moon and stars to serve as “signs” of His glory for us (Gen. 1:14).

Like the wise men and the shepherds, may we too experience the joy of making known to those around us the incomparable message of salvation through Christ the Lord:

Luke 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Blessed Christmas.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee