The Message of Good News is Before All Peoples

The message of good news of great joy is for all the peoples. There is nothing surprising about the inclusion of all the nations of the world when Christ is worthy to be praised by every tongue, except that this was the expected King of the Jews. This invitation has always been for the nations, but prophesies of a Kingdom that will one day invite all peoples into the Promised One’s work of redemption have now been made fully realized in Christ coming as a baby. 

The wise men came eager to worship the Christ, because they knew He was born for them, but there could not have been anyone less suitable to come before the King. 

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother,
and they fell down and worshiped him” (Matthew:2:10-11 [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. [11] And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
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These pagan magi from the east represent those who live in spiritual darkness. They were Gentiles and of those who were most unlikely to be welcomed in. And yet maybe that is exactly why Matthew rejoices to proclaim that on them the light has shone! The Lord’s desire for the nations is woven throughout the narrative of Scripture and displayed specifically in the story of the incarnation.  

—Missionary on a foreign field (name and nation withheld due to a “sensitive” area)