We will now review some of the things that we learned from the book of Matthew.  As we approach the celebration Christmas, the birth of Christ, some of the first things we learn are about the miraculous birth of Jesus,  He was of the lineage of David.  The promised Messiah was to be a descendant of David, and Jesus was.  Also, the birth of Jesus was miraculous because Mary was a virgin, which was also prophesied in the book of Isaiah.  We also have to acknowledge the faith of Joseph.  He was ready to put Mary aside quietly, but when the angel told him not to, he believed and obeyed.  That first Christmas was not about trees, presents, and decorations, but about the Savior of the world being born in a difficult situation in a difficult time.  We still face difficult times today when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord.  This is especially true in some parts of the world.  Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem right before Jesus was born.  This was not an easy journey and was not to a luxurious hotel.  Though Matthew does not tell us all the conditions of the birth of Jesus, we know from Luke that there was no room for Jesus in the inns, so he was born in a barn, basically.  There is still no room for Jesus in many homes today.  We are told that the wise men came to see Jesus after following a star to where He was.  Wise men and women today still seek Jesus.  These wise men first went to the rulers to attempt to find exactly where Jesus was, but this was not successful.  I believe that we can say that in order to find Jesus in our life, we must come to Him by the call and direction of God.  The world will never lead us to Jesus.  Only faith in God's call will.  We often call them kings, some even name them, and we have them there that first night with the shepherds, though none of this is from the Bible.  Even the fact that their were three wise men is not stated.  As we celebrate Christmas, we need to make sure that the emphasis is on the birth of Christ, and not simply on all the traditions that may have grown up around it.  We can say that all wise men, and women, will seek Jesus and bring Him gifts when they find Him.  We can also say that God, and not earthly rulers, will lead us to God, and that there will always be those who want to destroy the message of Jesus.