Listen to what the Scriptures say. Wise men from the East came seeking for Jesus.
• Through the study of the stars and the revelation of the Holy Spirit, they were enlightened to know that the Messiah, King of the Jews was born, in Israel.
• They came seeking and inquiring, and was told to go to Bethlehem. God showed them the way to Jesus, through a moving star.
The Wise Men asked, “Where is the ONE who has been born king of the Jews?” – that’s the REASON for their visit.
• They said they “have come to worship him” (2:2) – that’s the PURPOSE of their visit.
• The reason for their visit is JESUS. The purpose of their visit is to WORSHIP Him.
No wonder the Scriptures called them Magi, or Wise Men. They were wise not just for the knowledge they have.
• They were wise because they sought Jesus, and for the RIGHT reason – worship Him.
• They worship Him because He is worthy, He is the Messiah, the Son of God. He is no ordinary child.
WORSHIP IS ABOUT WHO, NOT WHAT
Worship is all about WHO and not WHAT. They came to see and worship Jesus.
• It is not about WHAT Jesus has done or can do for them, not at this point of time.
• We know that Jesus would eventually, as His name indicates, “save His people from their sins”. (Mt 1:21) And for that, we worship Him. No question about that.
• But at this point of time, the wise men came only for WHO He is. They worship Jesus because He is God. Period.
Herod too, claimed that he wanted to worship Jesus. He said, “As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” (2:8)
• But we know from passage he has no intention to worship Jesus. He wants to KILL Jesus. His worship was just a talk, a disguise. His “worship” is fake.
The wise men came to WORSHIP Jesus for WHO He is. Not for what Jesus can OFFER them or the BENEFITS they can get.
• When they arrived at the house, Jesus was probably a young boy, maybe two years old or younger.
• He couldn’t even hold a conversation with them. He was incapable of giving them anything, not counsel or help of any kind.
• It would look more like the other way around, Jesus needing help from the adults.
The traditional picture of the wise men coming into a stable to see the infant Jesus in a manger is not accurate. 2:11 “On coming to the house…” not a stable.
2:7 “Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.”
2:16 “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
To make sure that he got it covered, Herod killed all boys 2 years and younger.
Jesus was likely 2 years old or younger, not a baby lying in a manger. And the wise men came to worship JESUS.
WORSHIP IS ABOUT GIVING, NOT GETTING
The wise men did not come to GET something but GIVE. They were prepared to GIVE.
• The moment they decided to make this long and arduous journey, they had already started giving – their time, their efforts, their comfort, their treasures.
• They did not come to seek blessings but to GIVE homage to the Messiah King.
• The Bible says they brought “their treasures” – the gifts of gold, incense and myrrh – considered the gifts fit for a royalty in those days. They were HEAVY gifts!
To worship God is to GIVE to Him what is due Him – praise, honour, glory, and even our material offerings.
• WHO He is – that alone is reason enough to travel the long distance, carry the treasures and take the risks.
• To worship is to proclaim the WORTH of God. Psalm 96:7-9 “7Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9Worship the LORD in the splendour of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.”
We praise and worship Him, of course, for WHAT He has done or given us, surely.
• But this is shallow worship; entry-level worship. It is the acknowledgement of the good we received, which is good, but not enough.
• We have to move beyond that. We worship Him for WHO He is – He is our God, He is good, kind, faithful, righteous and just.
• We worship Him for WHO He is and not just for WHAT He has given us or what we can get out of Him.
We worship Him because He is God. Period. Not just because He met our needs and answered our prayers. Think about this:
• Would you worship Him if things are not going well with you?
• Is God any less worthy of our praise because we are suffering?
• Is our worship completely dependent upon His blessings in our lives?
• Do you only worship God for what He can do for you?
I think we know the answer. Our WORSHIP of God is built upon the CHARACTER of God.
• He is JESUS, and therefore we have come to worship Him! May the Lord help us see His awesomeness!
• Let’s focus our worship on the worthiness of God and not His usefulness.
WORSHIP IS ABOUT ENCOUNTER, NOT RITUAL
The wise men met Him. Worship took place that day because they encountered Jesus.
• No fanfare, no lightings, and likely no music or instruments. None of these things can manufacture worship, nor can they replace worship.
• Worship is an encounter with God, with the King of the Jews, the Christ, the Messiah.
• The reason and the purpose of their visit was fulfilled – they worshipped Jesus!
Take Jesus away, and no worship would have taken place. If there’s only Joseph and Mary, nothing would have happened.
• All the supporting aids of worship that we know today are good and helpful, but they cannot make worship happens.
• You can have all of these and no worship. You can have none of these and yet a worship of Jesus takes place in the room, as we see here.
Let’s tune our hearts to Jesus when we come to worship. Focus on His presence and long to hear from Him when we gather here.
• Set our hearts right and we will sure encounter Jesus.
• God says to Jeremiah, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,' declares the LORD…” (Jer 29:13-14)
Look at the anticipation of these wise men. When they saw the star, they were OVERJOYED (2:10). They knew they are going to find Jesus.
• Picture with me this scene – they came in and saw the young boy, they bowed down and worshipped Him. They opened the treasures and presented their gifts.
• It’s a scene of celebration and joy, and yet with great dignity and reverence. That’s worship of Jesus – the divine-man.
And if we missed that, we missed everything. Encounter with God is what makes worship, worship. Agree?
• If not, what is this? A concert? A speech? A party? What exactly has taken place?
Worship is an encounter with God. Jesus says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:20)
• Those who seek God with all their heart will find Him. If it takes a star in the sky to bring you to Jesus, God will do that.
• Look at the Roman Centurion CORNELIUS in Acts 10 - a pious man but little chance of knowing Christ. God did a miracle and made it happened.
• He showed Peter a vision, prepared him and sent him to Cornelius’ house.
• Peter preached and the Holy Spirit fell upon them all. God stamped His presence in a miraculous way.
• Worship took place that day. They encountered Jesus. They encountered God.
WORSHIP IS ABOUT WHO, NOT WHAT
WORSHIP IS ABOUT GIVING, NOT GETTING
WORSHIP IS ABOUT ENCOUNTER, NOT RITUAL
Let’s seek Him with all our hearts and WORSHIP HIM.
• Take away all the trappings or distractions of Christmas and take some quiet moments and WORSHIP Him. He is worthy. He alone is worthy.
• Be counted among the WISE. Wise men still seek Him and worship Him.
Don’t be religious. The religious ones were the foolish ones. They knew the answer and did nothing with it.
• They were so close to Bethlehem, but yet so far. Their hearts are far from God.
• The only thing that can stop us from coming to Jesus is an unbelieving heart and a stubborn will.
• It’s not about the distance, the harsh terrains, or the heavy goods.
If we seek Him, we will find Him. The Lord says, “I will be found by you…” (Jer 29:14)
• Put your trust in Jesus Christ today. He is our only Saviour in life.
SING: O Come Let Us Adore Him – Matt Redman
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
For You alone are worthy
For You alone are worthy
For You alone are worthy
Christ the Lord
We'll give You all the glory
We'll give You all the glory
We'll give You all the glory
Christ the Lord
We'll praise your name forever
We’ll praise your name forever
We'll praise your name forever
Christ the Lord
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
