NOT ALL CAME

 NOT ALL CAME

  Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

  John 1:9-13 He [Jesus] was the true Light; He enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name, who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.

  Is it reasonable to think that more people than the gentile Magi saw the star? I believe so. If a candle or match flame can be seen at great distance, what of a brilliant star?

  Especially without the light pollution we have today, wouldn’t multitudes have seen the star? And wouldn’t there be others that had studied and understood the meaning? I believe so.

  What of all the Jews that had been discussing and eagerly awaiting the coming of Messiah? Is it far-fetched to think of some of them as mindful . . . but not acting upon what they told others they believed . . . or, believing about the light, were preoccupied with the day’s problems or entertainment?

  Fast forward thousands of years from Bethlehem until now, considering in all of the elapsed time and yet active presently . . .  Jesus has and currently is enlightening every person born, lived, and died (Jn.1:9b) . . . and yet so few have come to The Light.

  Jesus clearly explains the present and eternal condemnation; that the Light has come into the world, but people love darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds are evil. “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life…. I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes on Me should not remain in darkness.” (Jn.3:19; 8:12; 12:46)

  Christmas has never lacked sufficient Light, and never will. The problem lies not with sentimentally thinking of Jesus as a babe in a manger, but in the preference of multitudes to choose continuance in darkness. 

EBB4