I was trying to find a church. I knew it was in Lakeland, Florida, but I didn’t know where in Lakeland. So I stopped at a local convenience store to ask directions. They didn’t know, either – but they got out a map and found the street. After that – it was no problem. I drove right to the church.
The Magi didn’t know where they were going, either. They knew it was somewhere around Jerusalem – but they didn’t know exactly where. So when they got to Jerusalem, they stopped at Herod’s palace and asked directions. In Matthew 2:2, the Magi said, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
The word “where” is an adverb of place, and formally means “at what locality or place?” It is a word that asks a question, seeking to discover the location of something – “Where is it?”
Well, the story of the wise men goes like this: Back east in Babylon, the Magi had seen an unusual star and figured out they were supposed to go to Jerusalem. After all, a Jewish king would naturally be born in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. So when they got to Jerusalem they asked, “Well, where is he?” Herod didn’t know, so his scribes got out the Hebrew Scriptures and discovered from the prophet Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem – about five miles south of Jerusalem. Now, when the wise men left Herod’s palace to go to Bethlehem, the star (which they had formerly seen in Babylon) appeared again and led them to the exact location.
You see, the wise men found their directions in the Bible. That’s how they knew where to go. You and I need to go to the Scriptures for our directions, too. The Bible is our chart and compass for life… “a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet” (Psalm 119:105). It will show you where to go.
Say – Do you have questions about life? Go to the Bible – it has answers!