Today is Day 13 of our Advent journey - thank you for joining me here!
The passage of Scripture we're reading today is Matthew 2: 1 - 12 ...
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: because out of you will come a leader who will shepherd My people Israel.'" Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen in the east! It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed beyond measure. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
There are 3 key lessons we as Believers can take from the Magi's story.
Firstly, we see that it was important to them that they pursue the Lord (v. 1). They actively sought to find Him and know Him, to the extent that they traveled a great distance (likely at great cost and some discomfort) to meet the Saviour.
They weren’t just casual Believers, seeking Jesus on their terms, as far as it was convenientor comfortable to do so. Rather, we see that they were committed to having a personal encounter with the newborn King.
Can we say the same about ourselves? Is pursuing the Lord’s presence, seeking His wisdom in His Word, and worshipping Him both individually and with fellow-Believers in our church meetings, a priority for us?
It can be a dangerous thing, when something is too easily available to us, to forget what it's real value is. Complacency can creep in to all areas of our lives if we aren't diligent to pursue what matters - even into our spiritual lives.
Secondly, we see that the Wise Men came to worship Him (v. 2). Right from the outset, they made the purpose of their journey clear: “We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
Is that our focus and priority in our personal prayer and Bible reading, as well as in our corporate gatherings? Do we truly seek the Lord’s presence in order to worship Him, first and foremost? Or do we attend Sunday services to see our friends, or meet the pastor's checklist? Do we have a quiet time to focus on Him and bring Him our praises, or is it just a time to rattle off our prayer needs and tick another box on our "good Christian list?
This is partly why I love to do an Advent Bible study each year, to bring my focus clearly onto Jesus at a time of year when it's easy to be busy and distracted by many other things instead. And thirdly, we see from our Bible passage that nothing could divert them from their mission (vs. 3-8).
When God gives us a dream to pursue, or a Kingdom task to complete, we too might encounter a “King Herod” - someone or some situation that tries to distract or derail us along the way. The magi really proved that they were “wise men” as they were able to discern that King Herod had no intention of furthering their mission, but instead was trying to drag them into his dark agenda instead.
This is where our pursuing and worshiping God stands us in good stead - the closer we are to Him, the more focused on and dedicated to the things of His Kingdom we are, the easier it is to stay focused and obedient.
Lord Jesus, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Lead me in Your truth and show me Your Way. Keep my eyes open to the opportunities You lay before me to love someone to life in Jesus. Give me the courage to act. Help me see my place in Your Kingdom and Your plan to use my life to lead others to You.
In Your holy name I pray. Amen. (Source: Chuck Mueller Jr.)