Episode 40: Christmas Ep. 4 - The Shepherds & The Wisemen
We have spent the last few weeks looking at the characters that are part of the Christmas story. We began with Mary and Joseph then moved to the Angels and last week we looked at Jesus himself. In todays episode we will be diving into the Shepherds and the Wisemen.
We discuss the shepherds encounter with the Angel that night Jesus was born and the reason God may have chose the Shepherds to be the first to know about the Messiah.
We then move to the wisemen and debunk a few misconceptions we commonly see them portray in our Christmas plays. We also discuss the meanings behind the gifts they brought.
We briefly mention Herod and his role within the Christmas story but if you would like to know more about him we have linked a great resource in the notes below.
Scripture Read:
Luke 2:8-20
Matthew 19:30
Matthew 5:5
John 10:11-18
Matthew 2:2-16
Daniel 9
Number 24:17
What’s the Purpose?
We see through the revelation from the books of Matthew and Luke that Jesus came for ALL, from the lowly shepherds to the distinguished magi. He came for ALL and that is true today. It tells us in Romans that Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. He’s not just for the poor, He’s not just for the rich; He came as a baby, took on flesh and ultimately gave His life for the sins of the world. There is no respect of persons when it comes to the gospel. The good news of Jesus is for everyone.
What’s the Challenge?
We see the obedience of the Shepherds and the Wise men throughout this story. From the Shepherds believing the angels and responding to what was said, to the Wise Men being aware and following the star but then listening to God when He gave them directions and sent them another way. They obeyed because of their FAITH. Anytime we are presented with a decision to obey God or not, we must examine our Faith. Derek preached a message Sunday about Mary’s faith and throughout this series we have seen a common theme - Faith that what God said is true and obedience to walk in Faith to accomplish His will and once again, we can learn from each of these people in our own lives. Our challenge this week is to examine your faith. Do you believe that God’s Word is true? Do you believe that Jesus is real? Do you believe that He was born of a virgin and came for all? And that whoever believes in Him will be saved? Then respond accordingly - obey His word in everything…don’t just pick and choose what you want to do or want to believe. Obey Him with your life and grow your faith.
Link to King Herod Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-you-didnt-know-about-the-bible/id1666334368?i=1000634266882
