Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Matthew 2:1-12 NLT
The wise men came to visit Jesus, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Jesus is king (gold), priest (incense), and sacrificial lamb (myrrh, used for embalming). The magi not only brought gifts, but they also bowed down and worshiped Jesus. They were not Israelites, yet their worship shows they were drawn by God to worship Jesus (who at this point is 6-24 months old). Jesus is God in the flesh, and He deserves our worship. Every good Jewish person knew that a human being was NOT to be worshiped (very different than our culture). Yet throughout the Gospel, Jesus was constantly worshiped. He did not stop people because He is God. When we bring our gifts and worship to God, our hearts are set free.
God is working in every person's life. Too often we confine our spiritual conversations to those who are already in church. We mistakenly believe that only church people pray, think about God, or make choices because of faith. This story should shake that false belief. The Lord spoke to non-believers, drawing them to the King of the world. God is constantly working in people’s hearts to reveal Himself; He wants to be known. He calls us to join Him in the work of love.
Jesus is the greatest gift. How can you accept His love and grace today? How can you respond in worship to Him? In what way can you see the Lord working in the hearts of those outside of the church? How can you join Him?
