So the Wise men saw a star in the East and came to Jerusalem and inquired where the Christ was to born. Then after being told that he was prophesied to be born in Bethlehmen the star led them again to the place where Jesus was. “Hows Come?” as my old Pastor used to say. Martin Luther gives an interesting answer. This is obviously the days when he was heavy into analogy……………
Here we ask, why did not Christ lead these wise men to Bethlehem by the star
instead of allowing his birth, which was now known, to be learned from the
Scriptures? This was done that he might teach us to adhere to the Scriptures and
not depend on our own wisdom nor the teaching of any man. The Scriptures have
been given for a purpose. In them he desires to be found, and nowhere else.
Whoever despises and rejects these shall and will never find him.
We have also heard, in Luke 2, 12, that the angel also gave the shepherds a sign,
but not to Mary nor to Joseph nor to any other men, no matter how pious they
were, but gave to them only the swaddling clothes and the manger in which he was
wrapped and laid; that is, the writings of the prophets and the law; in these he
is wrapped, they contain him, they speak only of him and bear witness of him;
they are his sure sign, as he says himself. “Ye search the Scriptures because ye
think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness
of me.” John 5, 39. And Paul says: “A righteousness of God hath been manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Rom. 3, 21. Furthermore, we have
also heard that Simeon and Anna represent the Scriptures, which manifest Christ
and bear him in their arms. And according to Luke 16, 29-31, Abraham would not
grant the request of Dives in hell that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, but
points to tile Scriptures, saying: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them. If they bear not Moses andthe prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead.”
