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When King Herod heard that one had
been born 'King of the Jews', he summoned the chief priests and
scribes to inquire where the Christ was to be born
(see Matthew 2:4).
They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by
the prophet" (Mt.2:5-6).
Not only did these religious leaders know the answer, but it
appears as though they knew it right away. "The Messiah?
Bethlehem is where He will be born."
Then why weren't they looking for
Him? Doesn't it seem a little unusual that foreign dignitaries
had come from the East, claiming to have been led to that very
area by some star, and were looking for one who is called the
King of the Jews?
Certainly that must have piqued their curiosity a little bit.
Yet these theological experts
could not even bother to walk a few miles to Bethlehem to find
out whether the Messiah had indeed been born.
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They knew the Word of God, yet
they did nothing in response.
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They were too busy with
themselves to be concerned about Jesus. In fact, when His
public ministry began, they were Jesus' principal
adversaries.
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They were looking for a
different kind of a Messiah.
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They were looking for someone
who would support their religious system and their chosen
way of living, someone who would cater to their whims and
conform to their wishes.
A lot of people today want Jesus,
but they want Him on their own terms. They want the kind of
Jesus who will not challenge them. These religious leaders were
like that. They knew Scripture - they could quote it verbatim.
Yet they did nothing to meet the living Savior.
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