Remembering the REASON for the Season...

Thursday, 11 December 2003 @ 11:18 am SGT

Contributed by: Gatekeeper

As we enter the season of Christmas once again, we need to go back to the scriptures to remember why we are celebrating the birth of Christ.

As I read Matthew 2, the scriptures point out to me that there were four categories of people who were aware of the coming Messiah:

1. the wise men and the shepherds,
2. the king,
3. the chief priests and scribes, and
4. those who slept right through the whole phenomenon

Taking a closer look at them, we are told that the wise men and the shepherds (in Luke 2) acted upon the call and followed the star that led them to the Messiah. Matthew 2 and Luke 2 tell us that they traveled far and wide in order to "come and worship Him" bearing gifts with them.

Matthew tells us of King Herod who also sought the Messiah, not with the same intent of the first group, but that he was troubled by the news of the wise men. He sent for the chief priests and the scribes to ask of them where this Messiah will come from. He then secretly called for the wise men to report back to him when they have found the Christ.

Finally, there were the chief priests and the scribes who studied the scriptures and who knew of the prophecies of the coming King. Yet, they were more caught up with discharging their duty of directing and teaching others about the Messiah than being seekers themselves.

This Christmas, amidst the bright lights and merrymaking, may we be reminded that we can fall in the same traps. Let us be still to remember the reason for the season.