Special days

Two thousand years ago, winter nights in Israel. Following a new guiding star in the sky, three foreign kings – wise men – moved there. Matthew, one of the biographers of Jesus Christ, who has always remained unfading among the biographers the world has seen, wrote: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler    who will shepherd my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. Matthew 2:1-12 It is clear from the above verses that the wise men were moving by looking at the star in the east. Who were these people? There are those who think they were Babylonians, Persians, or Indians. There is a reason for that. The word magoi (Magi) is used in Greek to refer to the wise men. The word magician is derived from the word magoi. Persians and Babylonians used to consider these people as astrologers and physicians. Their opinions and advice had been taken into consideration by the kings. The famous historian Herodotus recorded that they were of Medes. In Medya, which was a part of Persia, the Magis were the teachers of the kings. They could not absorb the sacrifices without the presence of the Magi. Moreover, they were well versed in philosophy and natural sciences. It is no exaggeration to follow a bright new star in the sky. Another group claims that these kings came from the Parthian region of Babylon. They believed that the birth stars have a strong influence on the future of people. They considered the discovery of a new star as the birth of a new king. However, the Bible records that a group of eminent men who lived in the shadow of the stars, who were known in the fields of mantra tantra, karma, and astrology, saw a new star and followed it to find Jesus. That is why some people think these kings are Indians. This fiery star still guides all those who seek goodness in their hearts. When they found Jesus, they went back another way. Do you also want to find a different path in life? That birth in Bethlehem is a miraculous event in history. That miraculous life that began with the birth through a virgin did not end with the miracle of the resurrection. Even today it leads us from miracle to miracle. Who else in history became adorable as soon as they were born? From illiterate shepherds to kings, they sought out the miraculous child and knelt at his feet. The wise men who followed the star bowed down to the baby. ‘Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.’ (Matthew 2:11). Such gifts had been presented when a king used to visit another king. One of the three precious things they saw was gold. Gold, which was considered the king of metals, was given to those in Kingly position. The second offering is frankincense. This sight, which was dedicated to the priests, was an acknowledgment of Jesus’ priesthood. The third offering was Myrrh. Myrrh was used as a precious spice to anoint the bodies of the dead. As soon as they were born, God blessed them with a vision of Jesus’ future life! What is the greatest event in world history? Which is the most remembered and noted birth in history? There is only one answer, the birth of Jesus. Who was this Jesus who split time in two, divided history into AD and BC? The Holy Bible says that when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son into the world (Galatians 4:4). When Jesus grew up, he showed the world a lifestyle different from what the world had seen. Jesus taught the world about a new way of life based on divine laws. Jesus taught about life in God’s kingdom according to God’s government, how to experience God’s closeness, how to receive God’s blessing, how to survive financial bondage, how to get healing from God, how to break the bonds of demonic bondage… etc. Jesus gave hope to the weak and oppressed. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18, 19). Jesus, who was born in Judaism, revealed to the world how to be saved by putting aside religions. Religious leaders teach how to find God. But Jesus announced that those who follow him, those who obey him, have found