Jehovah Protected Jesus

In a land to the east of Israel were people who believed that the stars could guide them. One night, some men from the East saw what looked like a bright star moving in the sky, and they followed it. The “star” led them to Jerusalem. The men started asking people: ‘Where is the child who will be king of the Jews? We have come to bow down to him.’

When Herod, the king of Jerusalem, heard about a new king, he was very worried. He asked the chief priests: ‘Where is this king supposed to be born?’ They told him: ‘The prophets said that he would be born in Bethlehem.’ So Herod called the men from the East and told them: ‘Go to Bethlehem and find this child. Come back and tell me where he is. I want to bow down to him too.’ But that was a lie.

The “star” began to move again. The men followed it to Bethlehem. The “star” came to a stop above a house and the men went inside. They found Jesus with his mother, Mary. They bowed down to the child and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Had Jehovah really sent these men to find Jesus? No.

That night, Jehovah told Joseph in a dream: ‘Herod wants to kill Jesus. Take your wife and son and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you it is safe to return.’ Immediately, Joseph and his family went to Egypt.

Jehovah had told the men from the East that they should not return to Herod. When Herod realized that they were not coming back, he was furious. Since he could not find Jesus, he ordered that all little boys of Jesus’ age in Bethlehem be murdered. But Jesus was safe, far away in Egypt.

In time, Herod died. Jehovah told Joseph: ‘Now it is safe for you to go back.’ Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went back to Israel, and they made their home in the city of Nazareth.