Imagine how the citizens of Jerusalem must have felt when a few foreign visitors show up asking, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews?” That sure set the town to gossiping for a few days. Finally, the visitors with the funny accents worked their way up to the castle where they were invited in for an audience with murderous King Herod himself.
Imagine how the religious leaders in Jerusalem must have felt. Herod asked them about the birth of one called “King of the Jews.” They told him what the Prophet Micah had said—this One “whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity” was to be born in Bethlehem—and that seemed to satisfy him (Micah 5:2). But did any of them ever think of actually walking the five miles to Bethlehem to see for themselves? Were they too busy with their religious careers, self-advancement issues, vocational interests, to do anything so simple and blessed such as dropping everything to worship the newborn King?
Something you may have wondered…
You have perhaps wondered what you would have done had you been alive when Jesus was born, in the crowd when He ministered, in the throngs when He walked the dusty trails of Galilee. How would you have responded when He preached to the crowds on the seashore, when He was nailed to the cross, when you heard that He was risen from the dead?
We have all wondered, “What would I have done?”
—Would you have come to Him? Would you have worshiped and followed, listened to His every word and given your heart to Him?
—Would you have opposed Him as some did? Banded together with other opponents and worked up schemes to trap Him, made plans to arrest Him, schemed to still His voice and stop His work lest He stir up Rome and cause more trouble?
—Or would you have gone on your way, too busy to be bothered by another religious charlatan with yet another scheme for ending Rome’s oppression?
We know the answer.
You and I would have done exactly as we are doing now.
Exactly. As. We. Are. Doing. Now.
If you are worshiping and loving and obeying Jesus now, you’d have done so then. And your faithfulness would have provoked the gratitude of millions of Christians ever since.
If you are resisting and fighting Him now, it’s safe to say you would have joined the Herodians and Pharisees and been among the rabble at the foot of the cross. And made the greatest mistake of your life.
If you are too busy now, you’d have ignored Jesus then. And missed the blessing of the ages.
So, what are you doing with Jesus? God bless you in making this decision for the ages.
“O Come Let Us Adore Him. Christ the Lord.”
