24 Jun 2014
Matthew 2:3-6
Matthew 2:3: “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”
This is really an astonishing story! The chief priests knew what the prophecies said, but they weren’t looking for the Messiah, they weren’t concerned about Him, and ultimately they had Jesus killed. They didn’t care about Him and they weren’t going to worship Him. They saw Him as a threat, not a blessing, and so He had to die. The leaders killed the prophets who prophesied about Christ, and they ultimately killed Christ as well. That is why God brought the terrible AD 70 judgment against Jerusalem.
Jesus came unto His own, and His own received Him not. He spent His earthly ministry reaching out to them, but they refused to repent and believe. Even after Jesus rose from the dead, He waited 40 days to give Israel a chance to repent – but even His resurrection refused to persuade them.