Worship of the Wise Men

 

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.'" Matthew 2:1-2

Whenever we hear the word Christmas, different images come to our minds concerning this very special time of the year. With all of the various events surrounding this most festive season, we can get so consumed with the enjoyable things that are going on around us that we forget about the best thing that we can experience, and that is the worship of our Lord and Savior. As I’ve studied again the details of the journey of the wise men to find Jesus, I see several important lessons that should impact our daily lives as believers.

I. THE TIMING OF THEIR WORSHIP

 A. A Time of Private Worship - At some point in their homeland, these magi received a unique and powerful revelation from God in the heavens concerning the birth of a new king of the Jews. Because of this revelation during private times of worship, these men embarked upon their incredible journey. Are you spending quality time in private worship? Are you investing precious moments opening the word of God and allowing Him to speak to you? Are you setting aside the necessary time to seek His will for your life, and to possess His mind for the decisions that you must make? There is no substitute for the incredible value of private worship.

B. A Time of Personal Worship - As these men began leaving their homes in Persia for the long journey to Jerusalem, how joyful they must have become as their paths began to intersect and they discovered that God had revealed to others concerning this great news of Divine activity. Now they were not alone on the journey but were part of a “family” of pilgrims determined to find this newborn king. They could now worship with each other because of their common bond of faith. Are you involved with intimate times of worship with your family in the comfort of your own home? Do you open up your home, or even your office, so that others might gather with you for worship, spiritual growth, and personal encouragement? Is your activity revealing that worship is not something that you attend, but it is a constant and consistent attitude of life?

C. A Time of Public Worship - These men finally reached their destination, and they bowed down and worshipped the Lord of Glory! Through the testimony of Joseph and Mary, they discovered that this young child was more than the Prophesied Sovereign of Israel; He was also the Precious Son of God and the Promised Savior of all mankind! The Bible says that they went home another way; and I believe spiritually, as well as physically. When you and I come to a public worship service, we too should come into the presence of the King in such a way that we all go home another way! Changed, hallelujah, by the presence of God Almighty!

II. THE TESTIMONY OF THEIR WORSHIP

A. Jesus was Worth Their Time - Scholars agree that the journey of these wise men took up to at least two years, four total if you consider their return voyage, so Jesus was worth their time. At least 1,460 days was invested by these men to find and worship the Christ child. Is Jesus worth the best of your time, or do you simply give Him some of the leftovers of your busy schedule? Do you rejoice over the game going into overtime, while griping and complaining if a church service goes a little long? Vance Havner used to say years ago that the modern church was guilty of gathering at 11 o'clock sharp and dismissing at 12 o'clock dull. Friend, is Jesus Christ worth your time?

B. Jesus was Worth Their Trouble - The wise men did not travel by jet, bus, luxury sedan, an oversized SUV, or a modern, sophisticated crossover vehicle. They did not stay in a Holiday Inn, Comfort Suite, or even a Motel 6. In fact, no one left a light on for them, other than God's brilliant star hung in the heavens overhead. The journey was a long, hard test of faith. They surely faced ridicule and laughter from the unbelievers that were encountered on the journey, as well as being misunderstood by their own family members for putting their lives at risk to travel to the Holy Land. But Friend, Jesus was worth their trouble. Is Jesus worth the trouble that you might have to face as you follow His footsteps for your life? Is He worth the ridicule that you receive from unbelievers for your willingness to be light in the midst of darkness? Is He worth the sting of rejection from family and friends who do not understand why you possess a strict code of conduct concerning your personal choices and decisions? Is He worth the heartache of being laughed at because you refuse to compromise your biblical convictions? Is Jesus worth your trouble?

C. Jesus was Worth Their Treasure - When they came into the house (not the stable) where the young child (not the babe in a manger) was, they presented unto Him gifts of gold, which speaks of His DEITY; frankincense, which speaks of His PURITY; and myrrh, which speaks of His HUMANITY. All of these were extremely expensive gifts. But Jesus was worth their treasure! Is He worth your treasure? Many say that they love Jesus, and yet they give Him little or nothing of what He has supplied to them. When I first entered into ministry, statistics revealed that the most faithful church members in America gave only 3.8% of their income to the church. Today, that number has dropped to 2.5%. Church members today are giving scraps to God and consider themselves spiritual giants! Hypocrisy is rampant in the house of God! Is Jesus worth your treasure?

III. THE TRIUMPH OF THEIR WORSHIP

A. Their Worship has been Recorded - Not everything about the life of Christ is recorded for us, and yet God so moved on the heart and mind of Matthew, that he wrote for us the worship of these wise men. What a glorious and eternal testimony for these unnamed men from the East!

B. Their Worship must be Remembered - So often we allow the Bible to become so familiar to us, that we fail to understand the significance of its truth. We should not forget the important lessons of life that are kept for us in Matthew chapter two. Friend, guard your heart so that you might remember the attitudes and actions of these wise men.

C. Their Worship should be Repeated - We should seek to worship the Lord of Glory as these men did so very long ago. After all, wise men still seek Him!

I pray that during this Christmas season, and throughout this new year, you and I will worship our wonderful Savior in spirit and truth so as to experience His life and grace in such a way, that we will never be the same again!

"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7

"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13