Explore the Bible
Professor of Christian Studies, School of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
The Messiah Has Come!
Numbers 24:17; Matthew 1:16–21; 2:1, 7–11
For most adults, Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. The mood is festive. Holiday music fills the airwaves. Churches contribute significantly to the celebratory mood by emphasizing the reason for the season through cantatas, dramas and “live nativity” scenes. Believers have opportunities to tell others the amazing gospel story of Jesus the Messiah.
Messiah’s Coming: Foretold by Prophets (Num. 24:17; Matt. 1:16–17)
When the Magi arrived in Jerusalem asking about one born king of the Jews, they reported that they had seen “His star” while they were in the lands east of Israel. There is only one prophetic passage in the Old Testament that puts together a star and royalty: Numbers 24:17. The background of this passage has to do with a man named Balaam, a non-Israelite diviner who amazingly received from God a vision concerning the coming Messiah. In this vision, Balaam foresaw a future ruler arising from the family line of the Old Testament patriarch Jacob. Matthew, in his genealogy of Jesus, showed that Jesus the Messiah was born in Jacob’s family line. So Matthew confirmed what Balaam predicted.
It is also interesting that Jesus, in John 3:14–15, referred to the serpent in Numbers 21:8–9 as a foreshadowing of the salvation He would provide by His death on the cross. We today can accept with confidence what the Scriptures tell us about Jesus the Messiah because He fulfilled divinely revealed prophecies about His coming.
Messiah’s Mission: To Save Us From Sin (Matt. 1:18–21)
Joseph and Mary were betrothed (“engaged”) according to the Jewish custom of that day. This meant that, although they were legally bound to each other — even being called “husband” and “wife,” they did not live together as husband and wife until the year of their engagement ended in a wedding. It was during this period of engagement that Mary “was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.” This was a shock for Joseph; he knew the child was not his. Consequently three courses of action were open to him in this situation: 1. He could marry Mary but this was not a valid option. He would not marry her because he was a righteous man and she (so he thought) was an unrighteous woman. 2. The second option, charging her publicly with adultery, he rejected; apparently he did love her and did not want to disgrace her by publicly charging her with adultery. 3. The third alternative, the one Joseph planned to take, was to divorce Mary privately.
It was at this point that an angel of the Lord revealed that Mary’s story was true, that she would give birth to a Son who would save His people from their sin. Since we have a Savior who has entered the human race, died on a cross and been raised from the dead, we can receive God’s salvation by repenting of our sins and trusting Jesus as our Savior.
Messiah’s Rule: He’s Worthy of Worship (Matt. 2:1, 7–11)
The question of the Magi profoundly troubled King Herod. When he asked the religious leaders where the Messiah was to be born, they replied by quoting Micah 5:2. Bethlehem was the answer to his question. Pretending to want to worship the new prince, Herod sent the Magi to find the child and report back to him.
As the Magi began the five-mile trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the star they had seen when they were in the East reappeared. It had moved from east to west; now it was guiding them from north to south. Finally the moving star stopped over the precise house where the Child was. Now, at last, the Magi were able to do what they came to do: worship Jesus. They fell on their faces and gave gifts to Him; both were acts of worship. We today can demonstrate Jesus’ rightful place as the Ruler of our lives by worshiping and honoring Him in all our actions.
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