The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 2:1-10, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from

the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,

2 “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship

Him.”

3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ

was to be born.

5 And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet,

6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come

forth a Ruler, Who will shepherd My people Israel.'”

7 Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found

Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him.”

9 And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before

them, until it came and stood over where the Child was.

10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

Where do you get directions when you enter a strange city? Probably, a police station is the best. The nearest authority for the men from the east was apparently the King’s palace. The Scriptures identify the men as “magi.” They were men who studied astrology, medicine and natural science. Astrology, however, differs significantly from astronomy! Astronomy is a study of stars and heavenly bodies. Astrology is mysticism and embraces magical aspects of various things, including the mysterious movements of heavenly bodies. Where the magi obtained the concept of the star, is not known. It may be a distortion of some true spiritual studies from as far back as the time of Daniel.

We should always read the magi’s words as “…we in the east saw His star…,” rather than “we saw His star in the east.” For had they seen and followed a star in an easterly direction, they would have travelled away from Israel instead of toward it.

In any event, the magi’s inquiry regarding the birth of the Messiah was upsetting to King Herod. The search of historical records revealed the prophecy of Micah 5:2, which located the Child as in Bethlehem. Interestingly, Herod believed the prophecy but rejected the Child and His ultimate purpose. A lot of people are guilty of the same thing today. They “believe” the Bible, but neglect to believe in the Christ of the Bible. I trust you are one who believes both the Scriptures and the LORD Jesus Christ! For Jesus said,

“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these

that bear witness of Me” (Jn. 5:39).

Herod ultimately sent the magi to Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph then lived with the young Child (Luke 2:39). Herod was insanely jealous and always fearful of losing his position as king; therefore, the directions he gave to the magi concealed his intention to slay the Child, when once He had been specifically located.

The star itself must be viewed as a miracle of God. The Child Himself was a miracle of God, why would it be difficult to view the star as miraculous? It was the star that ultimately led the magi to the very house where the Child lived with His mother and Joseph.

Miracles have not ceased in our current lifetime. It’s simply that we have so many scientific “answers” to things we don’t otherwise understand, that we too often substitute science for miracles. That does not make us “wise men!” For it’s “The fool (who) has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psa. 14;1). Oh, He is there! Some are just not located where He is! Are you one of those? You reverence the Scriptures, but have yet to truly believe and receive the Christ! Time grows shorter by the day. “”Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart…” (Heb. 3:7-8). Commit yourself to Him in serious prayer. Then, study His Word and see how alive you have become!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Lukr 2:21-22, 25-32, “And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the

angel before He was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to

the Lord…

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of

Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law,

28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

29 “Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bond-servant depart In peace, according to Thy word;

30 For my eyes have seen Thy salvation,

31 Which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 A light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Thy people Israel.”

Has it ever occurred to you that there are some things that are infinitely more important than others? Of course, it has! We make judgments

every day that replace things that are of lesser value. To those who have trusted Christ as their LORD and Savior, such choices are not accidental; they are the direction of the Holy Spirit of God. Such was true of Joseph and Mary. Their presentation of their first-born Child was simply following the Old Testament Law as they had been trained from their youth. And in this process, they encountered Simeon.

Exactly who this Simeon was, we are not told, except that he was looking for the preservation of Israel, and understood the Child Jesus to be the Heavenly Father’s provision for the whole world, Jews and the Gentiles alike. All he had wanted was confirmation of the LORD’s promise, and he was ready to die physically and be with the LORD.

If all of this generates some meaning in your heart and life, then you are spiritually related to Simeon and to the LORD Jesus Himself. Our current world is in a mess! Evil and treachery abound and surround us all. Humanity has turned away from the LORD and is heartily practicing the very things that the LORD has forbidden. We kill babies in the womb, denying them the life we ourselves have been granted. We treat sex as if there is no difference between male and female. We ignore true worship of the LORD in the beauty of His holiness! We consciously depart from the clear teachings of His Word, leading others away from Him in the process. Perhaps we should rejoice at the Heavenly Home-going of believers, as they are being spared the viewing of our blatant transgressions against the clear teaching of Holy Scripture.

Yet, the Light of our blessed LORD burns brightly through His Word, touching the lives of both Jew and Gentile. He is the Light that reveals the way of righteousness and glory to all who will hear His Voice. Have you seen His Light? Have you heard His Voice? What Simeon saw, we all can see: Jesus alone is our salvation. Put your faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone. There is no other salvation!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:15-20, “And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds

began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which

the Lord has made known to us.”

16 And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

17 And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.

18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been

told them.”

It is one of the unfortunate aspects of humanity, but every known civilization has a socio-economic scale that ranks some at the highest level and some at the lowest. Shepherds suffered the lowest level in Israel. Yet, the LORD’s angels had shared with them the greatest news ever: “…today in the city of David there has been born for you all (???? dative plural) a Savior (the Deliverer, the Messiah), who is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). The shepherds immediately forgot their sheep! The angelic message was of far greater importance. Why are we not more like the shepherds? Why do we not calculate some things as more important than others and attend to them first? I fight that battle every day!

How long it took the shepherds to discover the newborn Baby (??????), we do not know. Yet, when we follow our LORD’s instructions, we accomplish His purpose much more quickly. That the shepards adored Him is evident in that “they made known the statement which had been told them” by the angels. Why are we not more aggressive in sharing the Good News of Him?

Every Christian organization seems to have my mailing address! They all appeal to me for money by which they can enlarge the scope of their witness! There’s nothing wrong with that; they are sharing His Gospel where I cannot. However, it’s the personal witness that Christ longs for us to share! If you know Him, be lovingly bold in sharing Him with others. If you don’t know Him, please commit your life to Him right now! Believe me, when I say that there’s no life like the Life which He will give you!

Mothers have a special memory trove. They view the tender things that we men too often take for granted. Mary “treasured” every single aspect of her wonderful life! Someone has well written the verse:

A Mother’s Heart is a special place

Where children have a home;

It waits for them throughout the years

No matter where they roam.

We each have our God-given responsibility. Surely it is to glorify and praise the LORD for His unspeakable gift of the Savior!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:8-14, “And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping

watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;

and they were terribly frightened.

10 And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which

shall be for all the people;

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12 “’And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.’

13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and

saying,

14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”

Were you ever really afraid? I’ve spent some time thinking about that. There were numerous times when I was tasked with doing something I was unsure of doing well; but, really afraid? scared out of my mind? I can’t recall anything quite like that. Hopefully, you can’t either. Fear is a terrible thing! It beclouds our faith and trust and everything in life. Shepherds often encountered dangerous situations. David recounted such situations in his life when he told Saul that he had killed both a lion and a bear (1 Sam. 17:36). Being a shepherd and protecting a herd of sheep truly had its dangers.

The shepherds in our verses were no ordinary shepherds. The sheep they were guarding were sheep intended for sacrifice in the Temple. Thus, the connection between “the shepherds” and “The Shepherd” was as appropriate as the fear they encountered from the angel. Good news should always dispel fear. And this was an historic moment –a moment for which all Israel had for centuries looked! Perhaps, this angelic pronouncement has come just now to you to dispel some fear you are encountering. “…there has been born for you…a Savior…Christ the LORD!”

Without specific directions, locating a small baby in such a large population would not be easy. So, the angel gave the shepherds a distinguishing mark as to where the Baby was to be found. The Baby was “wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger.” While the shepherds were considering what the angel had said, a multitude of angels suddenly appeared, saying, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

What an appropriate angelic declaration for the times in which we live! If my understanding of this note of praise is correct, we are simply to put our full faith and trust in the LORD Jesus Christ, who alone can dispel the terrors of our time and give us peace. Do you wonder if that is truly possible? There is but one way to find out: trust Him and see! It certainly is less difficult than following the angel’s directive to the shepherds.

“If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching,

whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself” (Jn. 7:17).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Luke 2:1-7, “Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a

census be taken of all the inhabited earth.

2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which

is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

5 in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.

6 And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

7 And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.”

“At one time opponents of biblical infallibility criticized the accuracy of Luke’s historical notations in this paragraph, but a careful study of ancient history and archeological discoveries has overwhelmingly vindicated his reliability. Objections to Luke’s accuracy have pertained particularly to the dating of Quirinius’ governsorship in Syria, but wth further research, satisfactory answers to these have surfaced (A Harmony of the Gospels, Thomas & Gundry).

The census was undoubtedly taken for the purpose of taxation. Just how wealthy or how poor Joseph was, we do not know. But his compliance with the order demonstrated him to be an honorable and righteous man. Since Mary’s time for the delivery of her Child was drawing very near, she accompanied her husband from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea, a distance of some 70 miles. Providentially, it was there in Bethlehem that Mary gave birth to Jesus.

Understandably, the “little town of Bethlehem” was overly crowded with people, who had come there to register in compliance with the governmental directive. When no room was available for the couple, they settled in a cattle stall. And it was there om an animal’s “eating trough” (???’?? (phatne) that the King of Kings and LORD of Lords made His humble entrance into the world.

It was the LORD’s command from much earlier times that said, “Sanctify to Me every first-born, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel…” (Exodus 13:2). Thus, “At childbirth, the navel cord was cut, the baby was bathed in water, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in ‘swaddling clothes,’ a square of cloth that was wrapped around the Child and tied with a strap” (Gaylin’s Hygiene).

What a contrast with some in every generation, who bask themselves in pride, yet claim to be followers of the lowly Nazarene. May the LORD help us to die to ourselves and ever grow to be more like Him.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom