Matthew: Chapters 1 and 2

Matthew chapters 1 and 2 can be condensed into these segments,

• The Genealogy of Jesus
• The Birth of Jesus Christ
• The Visit of the Magi
• The Escape to Egypt
• The Return to Nazareth

The genealogy, runs from Abraham to Jesus, marking the fulfilment of the promises the LORD made with the patriarchs and David, where he promised a savior in their lineage. The birth of Jesus Christ is well known, and it fulfils specific prophecies on the birth itself. The name Jesus, meaning "the LORD saves" and Immanuel, meaning "LORD with us" instills hope.

Adoration of the Magi

The Magi, wise men from east, showed diligence and reverence, having travelled from afar just to look at the "one who has been born king". Led by a star, the found and presented gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. However, their arrival also caused the then ruler, who saw the child as a threat to himself, to kill the children (boys) two years and under, in Bethlehem and its vicinity. Warned by an angel, Joseph took the mother and child and fled to Egypt, and eventually returned and settled in Nazareth. With all these, prophecies uttered through the prophets Isaiah, Micah, Hosea and Jeremiah were fulfilled.

Upon careful reading of the passage, and meditating on it time and again, a lot of things would come in our mind. And with each subsequent reading we might learn something new. I'll summarize few of the things which were profound in our discussions.

Character of the LORD

The Bible, on the whole, is about the LORD, and his dealings with us humans. In essence, this makes the LORD the main character of the Bible. Evidently, we can see the nature of the LORD in these first two chapters as well.

The LORD, always fulfils his words. Be it something he told to individual people or a whole nation, he stands by it and fulfils it. Thus, we see the fulfilment of the promises and prophecies in the birth of Jesus.

The LORD, accepts and transforms us. Going back to the genealogy mentioned in chapter 1, we can see that not everyone listed was a great king, or someone of inherent importance. But, they played a key role in the birth of Jesus, which in hindsight made them significant. The reason for this, is mainly due to their obedience to the LORD, and their wish to seek the LORD. When they sought out the LORD, they were accepted and transformed to be the best version themselves.

The LORD, guides and protects. As seen in the events mentioned above, the LORD was there to always guide and show a way to the ones who seek him, to protect them. And he does the same even now. All we have to do is seek the LORD.

The LORD, is with us. There is no better comfort in this world, than for us to know that there is an all powerful one to look after us. 

The LORD, loves everyone. The fact that Jesus came for us, solidifies this.

Obedience

This is the only thing which the LORD, expects from us. The bible has plenty of promises, but almost always has an if-clause, which is to obey the LORD. So what does obeying the LORD mean? Obeying here would be to follow the word of the LORD, and live in a way the LORD expects. While this is often easier said than done, its the constant effort from our part to be good, that counts. Nevertheless, we are not alone in this, we have help from above to strengthen us. All we have to do is, ask in Jesus' name.

These are some of the things which I wanted to share from our discussions. See you in the next post. Take care of yourself and each other!

Matthew: Chapters 3 and 4

The Gospel of Matthew