Title: Happy Birthday to Jesus
Contents
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14. Sing, O daughter of Zion; sing for joy, Israel; Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice with all your heart.
15. The LORD has taken away your punishment, and you have cast out your enemies; the LORD, the king of Israel, is among you; you will never fear woe again.
16. On that day no man shall come to Jerusalem, Fear not, O Zion, do not let your hand hang down.
17. The LORD your God is in your midst, the Almighty who will save you; he will rejoice over you with joy; he will quietly love you, and will rejoice over you with singing and rejoicing.
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1. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,
2. Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and came to worship him.
3. When King Herod and all Jerusalem heard it, they were moved.
4. The king gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together and asked where the Christ was born.
5. And he said, Bethlehem of Judea, as it is written by the prophet:
6. And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are not the least among the towns of Judea, for it was said that out of you a ruler will come out to be the shepherd of my people Israel.
7. Then Herod quietly called the wise men and inquired in detail when the star appeared.
8. And sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go, find out more about the child, and when you find it, tell me, so that I too may go and worship him.
9. As the wise men heard the king's words, they went, and the star they had seen from the east suddenly led them ahead, and stood still over the place where the child was.
10. And when they saw the stars, they rejoiced greatly and rejoiced
11. And when he entered the house, he saw the child and his mother Mary with him, and fell down and worshiped the child, and opened the jewelery and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12. They were instructed in a dream not to return to Herod, and they returned to their homeland by a different route.
Content
Subject: Happy Birthday of Jesus
Text: Zeb 3:14-17, Matthew 2:1-12
Christmas is the birthday and celebration of Jesus. Of course, the main character of the birthday party is Jesus. Celebration is a ceremony that expresses our welcome and joy in what has happened. Why should we welcome and rejoice in the birth of Jesus? Even though it happened 2,000 years ago. The angel who appeared in the night sky of Bethlehem called his birth “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). “All the people” here transcends time and space. ‘Good news of great joy’ also transcends time and space. Just as Immanuel, the presence of God, transcends time and space (Matthew 1:23). The writer of Hebrews said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (13:8).
The prophet Zephaniah was a prophet during the reign of King Josiah (640-609 B.C.) at the end of the 7th century BC. He condemns the syncretism that prevailed during the reign of the previous king, Manasseh. We emphasize that Jehovah God is not only a sinner who condones and passes away, but also a holy One who hates sin. Judah, along with all the nations, cry out that they will be judged for their sins. In the midst of such history, you will leave your people (Zep 3:12,13), and you will be with them, exalting and comforting them, and promising them overflowing joy. “The LORD your God is in your midst, the Almighty who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy; he will keep you in his love, he will rejoice over you with singing and rejoicing over you” (verse 17). The joy of heaven is transmitted to earth.
It makes us feel God's passionate love for us. It is the love of God that cannot endure without love. The birth of the Messiah is the realization of this promise. At the time of creation, God made human beings to resemble His image, and at the time of redemption, He came to this earth in our image. Birth and growth, ministry and resurrection, ascension, and the descent of the Holy Spirit are all such works of love. The Magi's worship of the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12) makes this love even more real. It is thought that the ‘East’ is probably ‘Babylon’. One night, the ‘Star of the Messiah’ appeared to those who had been waiting for the birth of the Messiah after hearing the prophecies of the Messiah from the Diaspora Jews who did not return. The wise men cause a commotion in Jerusalem, and Herod turns the heads of politicians. It reveals the trick (奸計).
The ‘star of the Messiah’ reappears to the wise men leaving Jerusalem and heading to Bethlehem. “Suddenly he led them ahead, and stopped over where the child was” (verse 9). This is the reaction of the doctors who witnessed this mystery. “When they saw the stars, they rejoiced the most and rejoiced” (verse 10). ‘Family’ (spodra) is ‘a state of being full and overflowing’ (Isaiah 66:10; Matt 28:8). This is the message given in Darakbang Ganghwa. From the parable of the true vine. “I name these things to you, that my joy may be in you, that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). Transition of heavenly joy. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. He is the Lord of joy (Philippians 4:4-7). When he entered the house, he bowed down and worshiped the child, and offered gifts of gold, brimstone, and myrrh. He protected the returning steps of the wise men (Matthew 2:12)