The Magi who visited Jesus had come from a foreign land. They were not Jewish, if anything they were most likely to be Gentile astrologers. Astrology had been classed as abhorrent to God. Yet, when they saw a sign from God, the star, they followed it to Jerusalem in search of the King. There, they were told what the Scriptures said about this King and so they acted on what God’s word said. Because of this obedience to God’s word, God continued to lead them, by the star, to Bethlehem. By obeying God and his word, they found what they were looking for and found the truth. They reached the place where Jesus was and worshipped him (and not Mary).

Is our approach to the Saviour of the world similar to that of the Magi? Whilst we do things which are displeasing to God, will we leave them? Will we seek God and consult his word to know his will? When God is revealed to us, will we worship him and trust him and thereby find what our souls desire? Or will we do something else?

This evening’s service was a typical nine lessons and carols, demonstrating how the whole Bible talks of God plan and execution of the redemption of mankind. From the first prophesy in Genesis, through the plainly Messianic prophesies of Isaiah to the birth of Christ as recorded in the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

Through the coming of the Christ, God offered sinful humanity something it did not deserve. That, through faith in the Christ, a sinner may be washed from their sin and have life in all its fulness.

To quote a well-known carol:

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Will we ask the Christ to take away ours sin this Christmas?