The Wise Men and the Shepherds 

“But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. …But we all… are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NKJV)

Have you ever wondered what happened to the wise men who came to worship the child Jesus? After presenting him with special gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, they departed back to their own country and nothing more is mentioned of them in the scriptures.

What about the shepherds who witnessed the new-born Jesus? Although scripture does not tell us what became of them, one could speculate that maybe they became part of those who followed Jesus. I suspect that, having encountered the miracle of the birth of Christ, the lives of both the shepherds and the wise men were never the same again.

As the scripture above says, when one turns to the Lord, we are being transformed into His image.  Once encountering Jesus’ love and grace, we are changed and begin a new Christian life, with a new mind of love and compassion, with new values of honesty, diligence and generosity, with a new goal of serving and emulating our Saviour.  Paul said in Romans 12:1-2 (NLT), “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

2000 years on, Jesus is still alive and he welcomes you and me to come and celebrate new life in him. He is no longer a child, but is now the risen Lord and Saviour of all mankind.

Prayer
Gracious Father, may the knowledge of Jesus be a transforming event that changes how we live our lives as we become more like our Saviour.
Amen

Study by John Magowan

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About the Author:
John Magowan is a member of the Pastoral Council at Grace Community Church, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Local Congregation:
Grace Communion Lisburn (www.grace-ni.org)
Ballymacbrennan School Hall
129A Saintfield Road
LISBURN BT27 5PG

Meeting Time:
Sunday 11am

Local Congregational Contact:
lisburngracecom@gmail.com
Phone: 07764336760
Email:  bobbeggs@hotmail.com