Matthew 1:18-25; ; Matthew 2:1-6
The Lord Jesus chose to enter this world in the same way as all men, that is, by birth. Joseph and Mary, objects of exceptional divine favour, were chosen to welcome and bring up the divine Child. The counsels of God are fulfilled; in accordance with the prophecies, the birth of the heir to the throne of David takes place in the royal town of Bethlehem. And you may notice that in this gospel there is no mention of the manger which served as His cradle, nor of anything which reminds us of His poverty. On the contrary, God sees to it that His Son is honoured by several noble visitors: these wise men from the east. As for the leaders of the Jews, no one was morally suitable to come and bow down before the Messiah of Israel. They do not desire His coming. We are, moreover, in one of the darkest periods of this people’s history. The cruel Herod is reigning in Jerusalem in violation of Deuteronomy 17:15, for he was an Edomite!
With the exception of a few pious souls whom Luke will introduce to us, nobody in Israel was waiting for the Christ. And today, how many among those who profess Him are truly waiting for His return?