A4 | THE BIBLE TIMES - GOD’S WORD FOR TODAYoNEWSEastern astronomers bring gifts to baby showerAstronomers unwittinglyinvolved in King Herod’splot to kill the MessiahMATTHEW ALPHAEUSSTAFF REPORTERNow when Jesus was born inBethlehem of Judea in the daysof King Herod, behold, wise menfrom the east came to Jerusalem,saying, “Where is he who is bornKing of the Jews? For we saw hisstar in the east, and have cometo worship him.” When KingHerod heard it, he was troubled,and all Jerusalem with him.Gathering together all the chiefpriests and scribes of the people,he asked them where the Christwould be born. They said to him,“In Bethlehem of Judea, for thisis written through the prophet,‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah,are in no way least among theprinces of Judah:for out of you shall come agovernor, who shall shepherdmy people, Israel.’”Then Herod secretly called thewise men, and learned fromthem exactly what time thestar appeared. He sent them toBethlehem, and said, “Go andsearch diligently for the youngchild. When you have foundhim, bring me word, so thatI also may come and worshiphim.”They, having heard the king,went their way; and behold,the star, which they saw in theeast, went before them, untilit came and stood over wherethe young child was. Whenthey saw the star, they rejoicedwith exceedingly great joy. Theycame into the house and sawthe young child with Mary, hismother, and they fell down andworshiped him. Opening theirtreasures, they offered to himgifts: gold, frankincense, andmyrrh. Being warned in a dreamthat they shouldn’t return toHerod, they went back to theirown country another way.Now when they had departed,behold, an angel of the Lordappeared to Joseph in a dream,saying, “Arise and take theyoung child and his mother, andflee into Egypt, and stay thereuntil I tell you, for Herod willseek the young child to destroyhim.”He arose and took the youngchild and his mother by night,and departed into Egypt, andwas there until the death ofHerod; that it might be fulfilledwhich was spoken by the Lordthrough the prophet, saying,“Out of Egypt I called my son.”Then Herod, when he saw thathe was mocked by the wise men,was exceedingly angry, andsent out, and killed all the malechildren who were in Bethlehemand in all the surroundingcountryside, from two yearsThe wise men fell down and worshipedJesus. Opening their treasures, theyoffered to him gifts.old and under, according to theexact time which he had learnedfrom the wise men. Then thatwhich was spoken by Jeremiahthe prophet was fulfilled, saying,“A voice was heard in Ramah,lamentation, weeping and greatmourning,Rachel weeping for her children;she wouldn’t be comforted,because they are no more.”But when Herod was dead,behold, an angel of the Lordappeared in a dream to Josephin Egypt, saying, “Arise and takethe young child and his mother,and go into the land of Israel,for those who sought the youngchild’s life are dead.”He arose and took the youngchild and his mother, and cameinto the land of Israel. But whenhe heard that Archelaus wasreigning over Judea in the placeof his father, Herod, he wasafraid to go there. Being warnedin a dream, he withdrew into theregion of Galilee, and came andlived in a city called Nazareth;that it might be fulfilled whichwas spoken through theprophets: “He will be called aNazarene.”Matthew AlphaeusReporter“King of theJews” put todeath outsideJerusalemAs the soldiers came out, they found aman of Cyrene, Simon by name, andthey compelled him to go with them,that he might carry his cross. They cameto a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say,“The place of a skull.” They gave him sourwine to drink mixed with gall. When hehad tasted it, he would not drink. Whenthey had crucified him, they divided hisclothing among them, casting lots, andthey sat and watched him there. They setup over his head the accusation againsthim written, “THIS IS JESUS, THEKING OF THE JEWS.”Then there were two robbers crucifiedwith him, one on his right hand and oneon the left. Those who passed by blasphemedhim, wagging their heads, andsaying, “You who destroy the temple,and build it in three days, save yourself!If you are the Son of God, come downfrom the cross!”Likewise the chief priests also mocking,with the scribes, the Pharisees, andthe elders, said, “He saved others, buthe can’t save himself. If he is the Kingof Israel, let him come down from thecross now, and we will believe in him.He trusts in God. Let God deliver himnow, if he wants him; for he said, ‘I amthe Son of God.’” The robbers also whowere crucified with him cast on him thesame reproach.Now from the sixth hour there wasdarkness over all the land until the ninthJesus went out to the place called “the place of a skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”.hour. About the ninth hour Jesus criedwith a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, limasabachthani?” That is, “My God, myGod, why have you forsaken me?”Some of them who stood there, whenthey heard it, said, “This man is callingElijah.”Immediately one of them ran, and tooka sponge, and filled it with vinegar, andput it on a reed, and gave him a drink.The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s seewhether Elijah comes to save him.”Jesus cried again with a loud voice, andyielded up his spirit. Behold, the veil ofthe temple was torn in two from the topto the bottom. The earth quaked and therocks were split. The tombs were opened,and many bodies of the saints who hadfallen asleep were raised; and comingout of the tombs after his resurrection,they entered into the holy city and appearedto many. Now the centurion, andthose who were with him watching Jesus,when they saw the earthquake, andthe things that were done, feared exceedingly,saying, “Truly this was the Son ofGod.”Many women were there watching fromafar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee,serving him. Among them wereMary Magdalene, Mary the mother ofJames and Joses, and the mother of thesons of Zebedee.The Lord’s Prayer Intercession for all of usTHE TIP JAR“When you pray, you shall notbe as the hypocrites, for theylove to stand and pray in thesynagogues and in the cornersof the streets, that they may beseen by men. Most certainly, Itell you, they have received theirreward. But you, when you pray,enter into your inner room, andhaving shut your door, pray toyour Father who is in secret, andyour Father who sees in secretwill reward you openly. In praying,don’t use vain repetitions,as the Gentiles do; for they thinkthat they will be heard for theirmuch speaking. Therefore don’tbe like them, for your Fatherknows what things you need,before you ask him. Pray likethis: ‘Our Father in heaven, mayyour name be kept holy. Let yourKingdom come. Let your will bedone, as in heaven, so on earth.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts, as we alsoforgive our debtors. Bring usnot into temptation, but deliverus from the evil one. For yoursis the Kingdom, the power, andthe glory forever. Amen.’SUFFERING SERVANT from A1But he was pierced for ourtransgressions. He wascrushed for our iniquities. Thepunishment that brought ourpeace was on him; and by hiswounds we are healed. All welike sheep have gone astray.Everyone has turned to his ownway; and the Lord has laid onhim the iniquity of us all. Hewas oppressed, yet when hewas afflicted he didn’t open hismouth. As a lamb that is led tothe slaughter, and as a sheepthat before its shearers is silent,so he didn’t open his mouth. Hewas taken away by oppressionand judgment; and as for hisgeneration, who considered thathe was cut off out of the landof the living and stricken forthe disobedience of my people?They made his grave with thewicked, and with a rich man inhis death; although he had doneno violence, nor was any deceitin his mouth. Yet it pleased theLord to bruise him. He hascaused him to suffer. When youmake his soul an offering for sin,he will see his offspring. He willprolong his days, and the Lord’spleasure will prosper in his hand.After the suffering of his soul, hewill see the light and be satisfied.My righteous servant will justifymany by the knowledge ofhimself; and he will bear theiriniquities. Therefore will I givehim a portion with the great,and he will divide the plunderwith the strong; because hepoured out his soul to death,and was numbered with thetransgressors; yet he bore the sinof many, and made intercessionfor the transgressors.Jesus suffered and died for our sinsto take our guilt before God away.
GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY - THE BIBLE TIMES | A5MY GRACEIS SUFFICIENTFOR YOUFOR MYIS MADEPerfectIN WEAKNESS2 Corinthians 12:9Jesus is speaking these wordsof comfort to you. Listen to Him.
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