Characters at the Cradle: The Wise Men, Guided to God’s Perfect Light

by David Chadwick

Matthew 2:19-23 is how we will wrap up our study of the Wise Men. Today also completes our eight-week series where we have looked at the many characters who found themselves connected to the cradle of Jesus.

Herod finally died in 4 A.D. While in Egypt, an angel of the Lord appeared once again to Joseph in a dream. He told Joseph that it was now safe to return to Israel. Joseph rose and went back to Nazareth in Israel.

As I have heard my daughter say to her children, obedience brings blessing, and disobedience brings discipline. Thankfully, once again, Joseph obeyed. Immediately. Fully. Completely. At this point in Joseph’s life, he was very skilled in hearing the Lord and responding with both obedience and faith.

Joseph heard that Archelaus, Herod’s son, was now ruling over Judea, and he was not a good guy either. So, Joseph was afraid to go back to Bethlehem. Then it appears in verse 22 that Joseph may have had another dream with a warning that caused him to go to the district of Galilee. Back they went, specifically to Nazareth, the town where Mary and Joseph lived before Jesus’s birth.

You know there must have been some hesitation with this decision. Mary and Joseph had to live among many whispers that this child had been conceived before marriage. Others may have wondered if Mary had committed adultery.

These rumors and shadows would always be there in Jesus’s life and upbringing. But at least they had familiarity there, a carpentry business, something they most assuredly did not have in Egypt. And in spite of knowing the whispers surrounding them, they still obeyed! Perhaps this return to Nazareth would, in part, fulfill the prophecy that said that the Messiah would be despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3).

We also know that Nazareth was despised in the time of Jesus (John 1:46). But this part of the story shows, once again, that God can take the most despised, broken, insignificant people and places and use them for his glory. He does not need ability, but availability.

Mary and Joseph were available. The Wise Men were available. And most of all, Jesus was available. And through all of these characters’ availability, the world was forever and positively changed through a baby in a cradle. And from that moment on, the ministry of Jesus was ready to begin! Explore it further in your own study as you come face to face with the MAIN character at the cradle… Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior of the world.

Characters at the Cradle: The Wise Men, Herod’s Demonic Wrath

by David Chadwick

Herod came to the realization that he had been tricked by the Wise Men. He found out that they had departed and gone home instead of coming back to tell him where the new baby king was located. Now, Herod did not know fully who this baby was, but he knew enough to make him afraid. His paranoia heightened as he knew his throne was threatened. Fear makes people do crazy things!

The most devastating part of this biblical account is that Herod, in his fury, sent out an edict to kill all male children in Bethlehem who were two years old or under. Herod’s genocide fulfilled the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 about the groaning of Rahab. Imagine the tears, sadness, laments, and broken hearts of parents.

The horror of Herod’s actions is incomprehensible. He calculated from the Wise Men’s arrival to the time of the child’s birth and landed at the age of two years. This was a Satanic act. Demonic to the core! Again, Herod’s actions were an attempt to destroy the seed of the woman who would crush Satan’s head, as prophesied in Genesis 3:15 after the Fall of humanity.

All evil in this world finds its ultimate source in Satan. Every child that dies, every genocide that occurs—especially against the Jews—but ALL EVIL, is caused by Satan. He tempts our fallen, selfish hearts by filling us with things like envy, jealousy, and selfish ambition. When we obey his temptations, anyone can be vulnerable to sinning in the worst possible ways.

These are the kinds of terrible situations that cause many people to step back and wonder how a “good God” could ever let such bad things to happen. Especially to innocent children! I fully empathize with this question.

We must go back to the reality of sin in these moments of questioning. When sin entered the world, brokenness became normal. Evil was unleashed on all of us. Outside of the grace and mercy of Jesus, there would be no hope for any of us. The moment sin came on the scene, destruction became everyone’s destiny, and nothing could be worked for good.

But God, rich in mercy, created a hope through Jesus (Ephesians 2:4). Now, for those who love Jesus, everything works together for good (Romans 8:28). Yes, even bad, horrific, catastrophic things. As you’ve heard me say many times, I looked up “all” in the dictionary, and guess what it means? It means ALL!

And always remember this as well: Jesus came as a baby to grow up, die on a cross, be raised from the dead to defeat the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). In you. In the world. Forever.

This baby born at a cradle would carry a message and live a life that would permanently alter Satan’s previously existing narrative that destruction is the end of the story! While we live in a broken world, believe that Jesus is coming back to permanently make all things new! Hallelujah!

The Wise Men, The Dream That Followed

by David Chadwick

Yesterday, we looked at the part in the story where the Wise Men found Jesus. Did you know that the three gifts from the Wise Men do NOT mean there were only three wise men? The Magi most likely traveled with a large number of attendants. There could have been numerous Magi who followed the star and found themselves with the Christ child.

Today, let’s look at Matthew 2:13-15.

After the Magi departed to their home, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. While described as an angel of the Lord, could it have been Gabriel again? Biblically, Gabriel is always sent from God to give messages about the Messiah. This dream that followed the Wise Men’s visit came with a message that was very clear and intended to protect the Messiah.

Notice how God uses dreams throughout the Bible as a powerful tool to warn, encourage, and share insights that a human mind, in its awake state, might otherwise miss.

The angel warned Joseph to “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13).

Herod was motivated by Satan, who wanted the “seed” of Genesis 3:15 completely destroyed. Throughout biblical history, this has been Satan's consistent attempt to thwart God’s plan of sending his Son, the “seed” into the world. But it never works. It always backfires. Anything he kills ALWAYS rises up stronger.

Joseph obeyed. Immediately. Fully. Completely. There is really no other way to obey! By night, he took Mary and Jesus, departed, and went to Egypt. Egypt was a part of the Roman Empire. There were no borders. They were no immigrants. They remained there until the death of Herod.

This part of the story fulfills the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 that says, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Israel was called out of Egypt with Moses to go to the Promised Land. And this time, God called his Savior back into Egypt to be protected for two years.

Egypt provided safety for them because it was outside Herod’s jurisdiction. Don’t you wonder where they stayed? Who did they meet? How did God provide for them in Egypt? Was there something that happened there to help sow seeds for the gospel to come to Egypt years later? So many questions!

In everything, Mary and Joseph experienced the protection of their Father in heaven. God is our safe place. He is our shelter. He is our protector from life’s storms. And an ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1-3).