One theme in Scripture that strikes me every Christmas is the worship of the Christ-child. The account of the Magi stands out as the height of this theme in Matthew 2:1-12. The opening verses in chapter two states, “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." These strangers appear on the scene suddenly, declaring that they have seen “His” star in the East and desiring to worship the One “born King of the Jews”. They have come a great distance to follow after a star they call “His star” that “went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was” (v.9b). Just imagine the terrain and time that it took to make this journey. This is not a whimsical decision to present valuable gifts to the King. No, no—this was a sacrifice of great proportions. All of this—to worship! Think about that. This was the greatest of honors to be in the presence of the King and give Him homage through their gifts. God was calling them, that much is sure. The star and the prophecy from Micah gave them the directions to find the Messiah but they had to make the commitment to follow and worship. Fast forward to today: we are still called to follow the revelation of God in the Bible and worship the Lord Jesus. This time of year is a great reminder of the highest calling for believers to worship the King. This is what the Lord put into the heart of Abraham, David, and the Magi—to follow and worship. I want to encourage you this Christmas to set your heart’s desire upon worshipping the Lord everyday. There is so much joy and grace in kneeling before the Lord Jesus and giving Him the treasures of your heart—I promise you will never regret it!
Blessings, Pastor George
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