Wise Men Believe Christ — Sight Unseen “ ‘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 2:2 What does Matthew record as the first response of those who found Jesus? Worship. As the Holy Scriptures pull back the cloak of time, with vibrant freshness, let us further consider this hallowed moment—the moment God entered time and space as an infant! In Matthew 2:1–11, Scripture records three responses to Christ which are still present today: Herod hated Him, the leaders ignored Him, and the Magi loved Him. Because the Magi “came from far away” (v. 1), it shows that they had a single-minded devotion because they kept asking everyone where King Jesus was (v. 2). In verses 3–8 Matthew paints the drama of all the possible detractors and how the wise men were not daunted in their mission by false seekers like Herod or the religious professionals. In verse 9, Matthew shows how they just kept following God’s leading until they found what they were seeking—Jesus—the King of their worship. Their emotions in finding Jesus at last were revealed by their great anticipation (v. 10). Finally, the Magi fulfilled their purpose in coming so long and so far: they came to see Jesus, to worship Him, and to give to Him. When they “had come . . . they saw, . . . fell down, . . . worshiped, . . . opened [and] presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (v. 11). The significance of these gifts is beautiful. Gold speaks of Christ as the King of Heaven, or His Deity, as a study of the tabernacle makes plain. Frankincense speaks of Christ’s role as both our Great High Priest and the Perfect Lamb of God, just as it gives forth its perfume only as it is brought into contact with fire. Myrrh speaks of Christ’s sacrificial death as myrrh is only harvested after the tree is bruised with stripes cut into the bark. Resin that flows as a healing balm to the damaged bark of the tree’s suffering, has always associated myrrh with the death and burial of our Lord. Thus these wise men, by the gifts they presented to Him, expressed first, their faith in His Deity; second, their adoration of His sinless life; and third, their anticipation of His sacrifice of Himself for the sin of the world by His death.1 What simple lessons can we draw from the wise men? God has servants in unexpected places; He gets glory from unexpected people; He is found only by hearts and not heads; finding God is costly; and true faith is unstoppable. The Magi were willing to follow God’s way anywhere in order to find the promised King and Savior. Are you seeking the King? If you want to seek and find Him, here is God’s pattern for how to do that. Come to Jesus personally. Do you see the lesson in the way these wise men gave? They did not send their gifts by another’s hand; they brought them personally to Jesus. God wants you, in person, to come to Him. Undaunted by the long and arduous journey, they must have been astonished to find a mere Baby in a stable. After the magnificence of King Herod’s palace, and his overpowering presence, it is incredible that they fell down to worship Jesus as they did. Choosing to disobey Herod’s demand that they reveal the location of Jesus indicates their faith. That choice could have cost them their lives. So, in every way, their lives were marked by a personal coming to Jesus. Have you come personally to Jesus in prayer, worship, and adoration? Have you given yourself to Jesus this Christmas season? That is the first gift He wants (2 Corinthians 8:5)! Give sacrificially of your time, freedom, and comfort for Jesus. From the two year calculation of Herod’s death-warrant on the babies of the region, we can infer that it took many months for the Magi to travel to Jerusalem. Herod added some months on each end to cover any potential birth near that time. Back then, it was difficult traveling 1,100 to 1,200 miles. From the regions of Babylon, Persia, or Media, they would have had to walk and ride across hot and arid deserts, through rivers, and cross over cold and dangerous mountain passes to get to Christ’s birthplace. Even today, that journey would be very difficult and dangerous. What are you giving to Jesus that really costs you something? Immediately present what you have to Jesus. The wise men brought prophetic gifts that pictured what Christ’s earthly work was all about. They brought what they had in their lives as wealthy rulers. And that is what God wanted; that is why He chose them. When God chose you it was not to bring their kind of gifts, but yours. Remember how the Lord accepts the gifts of each individual. None are the same; all are precious to Him. Present what you have to Him today. Give Him your mind, and let Him fill it. Give Him your hands, and let Him guide and use them. Give Him your future, and let Him plan and direct your life. Give Him your treasures—He can store them and invest them in safe places that bring everlasting rewards! Reverently offer your worship to Jesus. More than the coming and presentation of gifts is the greatest moment of all: they fell down and worshiped Him! Worship is a rare and easily lost atmosphere of devotion, adoration, sacrifice, and communion. Those wise men were overwhelmed at the sight of the One they had come so far to see, had waited so long to honor, and had paid so much to sacrifice their gifts upon. When at last they saw Him, they could do nothing less than fall down and worship Him! As you end this year and start a new one, measure your personal worship temperature. To help you do that, consider William Temple’s definition of worship: “[Worship is] to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” This is from Week 52 of the year long devotional called Living Hope: amazon/Living-Hope-End-Days-Revelation-ebook/dp/B000ZHZOA4/ref=la_B001K8Y0SE_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418407303&sr=1-5
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:03:41 +0000
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