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The Birth of Jesus Christ 8: Magi visit Jesus Stock

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Jesus' family escapes to Egypt

When 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." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 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."

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. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "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."

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:12-23)

Comments

1) Joseph and family went to Egypt almost immediately after the Magi left. We see once again that Joseph did not mess around when it came to obeying God. Whatever God told him to do, he did it immediately and unquestioningly.

2) The gifts from the Magi would have provided enough money for safe passage and stay in Egypt for as long as was necessary.

3) After Herod died, it seems like Joseph was thinking to settle in Judea, maybe Bethlehem where his family was, or maybe Jerusalem. But he received specific word from the Lord not to do that. Jesus grew up in Nazareth in the region of Galilee, becoming strong and wise. (Luke 2:40,52)

4) We are sorry that we really fouled up the whole Christmas story as usually told. As we looked carefully at it, we've got no donkey for Mary to ride on to Bethlehem, no inn, no rude innkeeper, no wandering from place to place trying to find a place to stay frantically at the last minute with Mary in the midst of labor, no stable, no animals, no wooden manger, no Magi visiting Bethlehem anywhere near the time of the birth of Jesus. And if you read Christmas star and the Magi you see that we are leaning toward the idea that the Magi found Jesus in Nazareth instead of Bethlehem.

5) Nothing can thwart the plans of God. Step by step Jesus moved closer and closer to the final destiny for which He was supernaturally conceived in the womb of a virgin ?to die on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would believe in Him. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) "We have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world." (I John 4:14)

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