Remember the story of Daniel. Daniel lived east of Israel in a land called Babylon. He lived in Babylon with many other Jews as an exile from their promised land of Israel. The Jews spoke often of their desire to return to the promised land and their desire for the coming Messiah. This left a strong impression on the people of the east. Four hundred years have passed and the Jews are back in their promised land and the Messiah has come.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.' "
Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."*
Did Herod really want to worship Jesus? No, Herod has killed his own family members in order to be king. Herod would like to put Jesus to death too, and God knows it. Yet God allows Herod to hear of Jesus' birth. For the rest of Jesus' life on earth there will be people who desperately want to put Jesus to death and there are people that want to worship Him as the Messiah. The Magi are Persian priests, wise men and possibly royalty from the east and they want to worship Jesus. Do you want to worship Jesus? You do not need to travel far. The good news is, He is just a prayer away.
Special Note: The Old Testament will refer to the descendents of Jacob who were slaves in Egypt as: My people, Hebrews, Sons of Israel, Children of Israel, Israel, Israelites and Jews.
Matthew 2:1-8 (NASB)
Lesson Questions for the Full Story:
Content: Yo!, Youth Outreach, Youth
Outreach, Children's Devotionals,
Children's Bible Devotionals, Children's Daily
Devotionals, Children's Bible Lessons, Children's
Bible Stories, Children's Missionary Stories,
Children's Bible Verses, Children's Scripture Memory,
Devotionals for Youth, Bible Devotionals for Youth,
Daily Devotionals for Youth, Bible Lessons for Youth,
Bible Stories for Youth, Missionary Stories for Youth,
Bible Verses for Youth, Scripture Memory for Youth,
The Gospel, The Good News, The Gospel of Lord Jesus
Christ, New Testament Stories, Old Testament Stories,
Jesus, God's only begotten Son, Stories of Jesus,
Jesus Parables, Born Again, The way the truth and the
life, God's love, Everlasting life, The Father the Son
and the Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace, The bright and morning
star, God so loved the world, yoroom
