Matthew 2:2-3 English Standard Version

² saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

We heard the events that followed in that Herod ordered the murder of every male child in Bethlehem and the surrounding region that were two years old and younger. His actions fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy and Herod’s attempt to change history failed.

When reading these passages to we understand why all of Jerusalem would have been troubled? It is written in God’s Word and given its proximity to Herod’s hearing about the birth of Christ, it might be important. We can only suspect what troubled them about the coming Christ. So often in these passages we can only place ourselves in their place and search out our own understanding and ask ourselves what troubles us.

Israel had been waiting 490 years for their salvation. They were conquered by Rome and had Herod appointed tetrarch over them. In order to remain in power Herod had to be ruthless and cruel. Crossing Herod was a dangerous thing to do. The people knew Herod was capable of the very thing he did. That might have troubled them. That might be just cause to be troubled.

What if they feared that Herod might be successful in killing the Christ child? That would mean that their 490 year wait had been in vain. They might miss their opportunity for salvation. If they were to be troubled by man’s effort to defeat God’s plan, they would see salvation as controlled by man, not God.

Let us take those thoughts and transport ourselves back to our present time and examine our own present circumstance? Have we heard of Christ and the salvation He has promised? Do we seek Him but see those in authority over us as being in control of our ability to come to Christ? Who or what is keeping us from coming to Christ today?

Psalm 23:3 English Standard Version (ESV) He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness^{[right paths]} for his name’s sake.

This is a bible truth largely ignored.

Allan Bloom, in The Closing of the American Mind, wrote “To thine own self be true” has become the “life verse” for millions of people who are ignorant of what the Bible says or don’t think it’s true anyway.

At this point the lyrics by Fleetwood Mac come to mind. “Go your own way.” That is exactly the way we act when we refuse to accept God’s plan for a better life. I am speaking about more than an eternal life that is after our natural death. I am referring to the eternal life that begins when we become born again in Christ.

The beginning of eternal life does not start with our natural death, it begins when we are born again. When we are in Christ the paths of righteousness are for our sake because we have taken on this life in Christ. Being a follower of Christ, a disciple, is more than reading a few passages and telling ourselves this is how we should live.

Having this life in Christ is not a reading assignment, homework and a test. That would be like adopting a child then showing them the adoption papers every day and telling them this is the only reason they were in our lives. The adoption relationship, becoming a child of God, is a real loving relationship which is so much more than words on paper.

If we were to rewrite that quote from Hamlet, it might sound more like this; “Discover who you are in Christ!” We became a new creation, the old life is left behind, we become dead to the world and alive in Christ.

Romans 6:4 English Standard Version (ESV) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

That is a discoverable truth.