Carols and LessonsChikamu
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We Three Kings
And they fell down and worshiped him. (v. 11)
The first line of this familiar carol makes three claims about the magi, and of the three only one is certainly true: they were from the Orient. This doesn’t mean they came from China or Japan; the Latin word oriens is literally “the place of the sun’s rising,” meaning coming from the east. But Matthew doesn’t say how many of them there were, and they definitely weren’t kings—magi were scholars who were a cross between astronomers and astrologers, and were especially numerous in Babylon and Persia.
The magi understood the heavens, so the Lord spoke to them in their own idiom and led them by a star. In our work at Words of Hope, we have seen the way that God still reaches people in all sorts of places and in ways that we wouldn’t expect him to use. He’ll spark an interest in Jesus through a conversation or a dream, and then he’ll lead them to his Word, the way he led the magi to the Bible scholars in Jerusalem, so they can meet God and come to know him personally.
The magi were gentiles. Jesus was born, as they themselves said, the king of the Jews. But his kingship was not intended just for one people. The blessings of his reign—peace, joy, and hope—are meant for everyone. Jesus is the light of the whole world, and the magi were a preview of the nations who have come, and who continue to come, to worship Christ the Lord.
As you pray, ask God to bring all nations to worship him.
Rugwaro
About this Plan
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What would Christmas be without carols to sing? This 6-day series tells the stories behind many of our most beloved Christmas carols and links them with Scripture lessons to illuminate the messages they have for you today. Modeled after the traditional Christmas service of Carols and Lessons, this series takes you through the story of Jesus using Bible readings and songs.
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