There’s a very memorable scene in the movie The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It is when Jadis, the white witch, comes into camp after Edmund’s rescue to collect her payment. As she starts to remind Aslan of the laws, he roars and says, “Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written.” Maybe it is Liam Neeson’s voice or just the magic and nostalgia of it all, but that scene sticks with me. It is a line that I quote at least weekly.

In Matthew 2, we meet some key players in the life of Jesus. Not only do we learn of the wise men’s journey and gifts, but we see Herod and his cruelty, the chief priests and scribes, the angel of the Lord, and of course, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. This might surprise you, but I want to focus on the chief priests and the scribes.

Who are they? Well, the chief priests were religious leaders. In another time, they were appointed by God to lead His people, but over time, they became corrupt. The scribes were essentially lawyers. They knew and taught the laws of the Old Testament. These are the men who Herod the Cruel called on when the wise men did not return. These are the men who knew the prophecies of the Old Testament but did not go looking for the true King of the Jews.

These men knew, yet they did not go and worship Jesus. They did not believe. They did not have a personal relationship with God.

Remember yesterday when I said God is right here with us, wanting us to spend time with Him, and all we need to do is make time for Him? Well, these chief priests and scribes had an opportunity and wasted it.

Here’s the thing: God does not care about how much Biblical knowledge we have. Yes, I will encourage anyone to study the Bible and further their knowledge of it, but the knowledge does not save us. The knowledge that the priests and scribes had did not save them, either.

I am reminded of another verse in Matthew 7:23 where Jesus says, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Did you know that even Satan has knowledge of who Jesus and God are? Yet that does not prevent him from being the evil of our world. Similarly, back to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, Jadis knew of the deep magic, but it still did not save her or make her a friend of Aslan.

When we pursue a relationship with Christ, when we desire to be close to Him, that is when our souls are saved. That is when we develop an intimate knowledge of God’s character that aligns with the Biblical truth of who He is. The Great I Am. The Great Shepherd. Immanuel, God with us.

How do we develop a relationship with Christ? We pray. We make time for him just as we would make time for any other loved one in our life.

Pray. Talk to God. Listen to God. Listen to God like the wise men and Joseph listened when He warned them in their dreams.

Reflection:

• Take a moment to be brutally honest with yourself, and ask yourself: Are you more like the wise men who not only knew but also were paying attention, or are you more like the chief priests and scribes who knew but did nothing?
• What steps do you need to take in order to be as obedient as Joseph?
• The scribes and Pharisees knew the prophecies surrounding the birth of Jesus. How familiar are you with the prophecies surrounding his second appearance? Will we miss the signs signaling His return?

Family Application: Matthew 2

Author: Cooper Herrington

Jesus is alive. Today our story picks up with Jesus being born. After Jesus was born, some wise men came to visit him. Then things started to get a little crazy.

There was a king named Herod. Herod was very jealous of Jesus. Herod knew that Jesus was going to be a king but Herod wanted to be the only king. Herod tried to trick the wise men into telling him where Jesus was, but they would not tell Herod. Joseph and Mary might have been scared to have King Herod trying to catch them, but they still followed God and did what He told them to.

Has there ever been a time when you knew what the right thing to do was, but it was really hard or even scary? What did you do? Sometimes it can be hard, but God is always with us, and He will help us. Remember His way is always best. You can do hard things with God.

• Take some time today to feel how great God is. You could use the Venture Worship playlist on Spotify as one way to worship God and tell Him how great He is.
• Prayer: God, Your ways are the best. Thank You for helping me in hard and scary times. I know You are always with me. Thank You for protecting me like You protected Jesus and His family when King Herod was chasing them. God, help me receive all You have for me today. Amen.