Matthew 2:1-23

👉 The Wise Men:

• from the east
• came to Jerusalem
• called Jesus “King of the Jews”
• knew that it was “his star”
• came to worship
• rejoiced exceedingly with great joy
• fell down and worshiped
• offered him their treasures
• warned to not return to Herod
• went back to their own country

👉 Herod:

• troubled by the birth of Jesus
• summoned the wise men secretly
• wanted information on Jesus’ location
• furious when tricked by the wise men
• killed all male children under 2 yo in Bethlehem

👉 Joseph, Mary, Jesus:

• leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt
• leave Egypt and go to Nazareth

I’ve always loved this chapter. The wise men packed up their treasures, traveled far from home, and went to see Jesus. They were exceedingly glad when they arrived and I imagine the giddiness of the journey as they knew what awaited them. The joy and the worship and the offerings. What a scene it must have been.

Herod only saw Jesus as a threat to his power and his position. The same event that brought the wise men such joy troubled Herod greatly.

Then there are the scribes and priests in Jerusalem who, when asked, knew the prophesies regarding the coming Messiah but did not recognize that they had been fulfilled.

The wise men had learned the prophesies – but were also looking for the fulfillment of them. They knew about the coming Messiah and they also were also eager to encounter him.

👉 Are we only interested in learning about Jesus or are we eager to encounter him?

Matthew 1:1-25

👉 The genealogy of Jesus contains a liar, harlot, and murderer. And those are just the sins that made the pages. They were human – like us – and so they would have struggled with envy, worry, and addictions. Ordinary people who were a part of an amazing story.

The coming of Christ was a promise thousands of years in the making. The sins and the struggles of the people could not stop it. The enemy could not stop it.

👉 Mary

• betrothed to Joseph
• Virgin
• with child from the Holy Spirit

👉 Joseph

• a just man
• unwilling to shame Mary
• decided to divorce her quietly
• believed and obeyed the angel of the Lord

👉 Jesus

• conceived from the Holy Spirit
• will save his people from their sins
• Immanuel – God with us

👉 I hope you’ll join me as I journal my way through Matthew’s gospel!

You are loved.

Jonah 4:1-11

This closing chapter of Jonah reveals the heart of the issue. And – if we look closely – it reveals our own hearts as well.

Many of us probably knew portions of the story of Jonah. We knew he ran from the Lord and was swallowed by a big fish. How many of us, however, read far enough to find out why he ran?

We see here that “it” displeased Jonah exceedingly and made him angry. What was “it”? The nation repenting and God relenting.

In fact, Jonah said, “This is why I fled.”

Jonah refused to go to Ninevah because he knew God to be:

• gracious
• merciful
• slow to anger
• abounding in steadfast love
• willing to relent from disaster

The people of Ninevah were the enemy and Jonah did not want them to repent and receive mercy.

When Jonah received mercy – he was exceedingly happy.

When Jonah’s enemy received mercy – he was exceedingly angry.

The heart of the issue was that Jonah had a heart issue.

👉 Are we as quick to offer grace as we are to accept grace?

👉 Do we want forgiveness for our own sins but want others to be be punished for their sins?

Happy Saturday, friends!

Jonah 2:1-10

👉 “Then” Jonah prayed. ( v 1)

Not when he receives a Word he didn’t like. Not when he was running from the Lord. Not when he was in the midst of a terrible storm.

It took the belly of a great fish to get his attention. Only then, out of distress and darkness, did Jonah turn to the Lord.

God will do whatever he has to do to get our attention.

👉 “You cast me into the deep.” (v 3)

Jonah knew that – though it was the hands of the sailors that hurled him into the sea – it was God at work. God had cast him into the deep. But God had also already provided the great fish.

Later, in verse 6, Jonah said, “I went down but God brought me up.” And isn’t that all of our stories.

👉 When my life was fainting away (v 7)…

What do we do when all hope seems lost? We do what Jonah did. We remember the Lord and we pray.

👉 Salvation belongs to the Lord (v 9).

The theme of the book of Jonah. ♥️

You are loved.

Jonah 1:1-17

👉 Jonah’s Assignment

• arise
• go to Nineveh
• call out against that city

👉 Jonah’s Actions

• rose
• went to Joppa
• got on a ship bound for Tarshish
• paid the fair
• went down into the ship

I often wake up my kids by saying, “Rise and shine.” And they often reply with, “I’ll rise but I’m not shining.” That’s what I thought of when I read this chapter.

“I’ll arise, but I’m not going to Ninevah.”

The ignorance that makes us think we can outsmart or outrun God.

👉 Disobedience is always a downward spiral.

• went down to Joppa
• went down into the ship
• had gone down into the inner ship

👉 Hurled

• the Lord hurled a great wind
• they hurled the cargo
• they hurled him into the sea

👉 What Jonah requested – Death

“Hurl me into the sea.”

👉 What Jonah received – Deliverance

“The Lord provided a great fish.”

Aren’t we glad the Lord doesn’t always give us what we think we want or need?!

👉 The storm and the fish were sent by God to save Jonah from himself and his own disobedience and to bring him back to the Lord.