Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people,
He inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

My brothers and sisters in Christ

Does this statement strike you as odd?  Herod didn’t even know what he should have —“ where the Christ was to be born.  The king of Judea did not know.  He had to check his reference library.

Not only did he not know, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Not only did he not know, he was oblivious to the signs all around him.

Why?

Maybe he thought it wouldn’t happen.  Maybe he thought it would be different.  Certainly all of Jerusalem (except perhaps Simeon and Anna) thought it would be different.

How like people today!

And like people today, they held onto their expectations while they nailed Him to a tree.  They held unto their expectations even though they saw the signs and heard the Word.  They held on in the face of the fire of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent teaching of the Apostles.  They are still holding on today.

But what about us.  We, the gentiles.  The outsiders.  Paul tells us exactly:

We are coheirs,
members of the same body,
and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus
through the gospel.

My family in Christ,

Through the preaching of the Gospel, our baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit we are the adopted sons and daughters.

Adoption, it has been said, is an act of knowing love.  You cannot really rush into an adoption.  You have to plan, prepare, be interviewed, wait and wait, and the wait some more. 

We, the gentile community, waited a long time.  We had no foreknowledge, and very little preparation for our Savior.  We didn’t have an expectation of anything.  But we are adopted.  We are grafted onto the vine.  We are co-heirs, members, and co-partners.  And God did this by an act of knowing love.  Love for you and me.

We are not accidental family members, in-laws, or a distant cousin.  We are the sons and daughters of God.

No, the king did not know.  The people did not know.  The scholars only knew the technical details.  The gift of knowing was given to the magi by the Holy Spirit.  They were given the gift of a seeing heart.  Like O Henry’s —Gift of the Magi—, their hearts were motivated by love. 

The Magi had no foreknowledge, but they saw the signs.  They had no ancient gift of faith, but fell on their knees before Jesus, presenting their gifts.

You are here, you see the signs, the child, the manger, the mother and father, shepherds and magi.  You are here to be forgiven your sins, to hear the Word, and to feast on His body and blood.  You are here to present your gifts, not of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but the gift of yourselves.  You are here each week and work very hard to bring others to Christ.

By your adoption you are made part of the one Body of Jesus Christ.  Because of your adoption you are motivated by the love of God.  Because of your adoption you wish to include everyone.  All because of His sacrifice offered for you and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Come, children of the King, kneel before Him! O come let us adore Him!