THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Neiman Marcus, the Dallas-based department store, has offered some unusual gifts over the years in its Christmas catalog: A complementary pair of Rolls Royce limited-edition cars; A Black Angus steer (on the hoof or already dressed) with mahogany and silver barbeque cart; A custom suit of armor; A “Noah’s Ark,” complete with a selection of animals (please allow four years for delivery); His-and-her airplanes; A pair of mummy cases (and one includes a mummy); A submarine.
What started as a publicity stunt in 1959 to attract customers became an annual event. What is especially amazing is that people have actually bought many of these items! You may have received some unusual gifts from well-meaning friends, but it’s safe to assume none of them were a fully-operational submarine.
Even Jesus received some gifts as a child that we might consider unusual. But the men who brought them to Jesus thought otherwise, for their gifts were both symbolic and expressive of their great worship of the King of kings. As we observe their worship, we will see that Jesus also deserves our worship.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Matthew 2:1-6
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
Scholars have not been able to precisely identify the “wise men from the east.” The term loosely applied to a variety of men interested in dreams, astrology, and magic; and dedicated to studying books thought to contain references to the future. They likely were Gentiles of high position. Apparently, these wise men came from the East spurred on by calculations from the stars. God had given them a special revelation, probably through signs in the sky. Their understanding of the Christ child also may have come through contact with Jewish scholars who had migrated East to their country. These scholars could have had copies of Old Testament scrolls that further aided them. As a result, these men may have been well aware of Balaam’s prophecy: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17).
As this group of men entered Jerusalem, their appearance may have caused a stir, but what surely caught everyone’s attention were their words: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” These men were Gentiles, but they were seeking the Jewish king—and not just any king. Here was a King with a star that pointed to Jesus. It was one thing to bow and pay homage to a king, but this was a King they desired to worship.
“Worship” carried the idea of falling down, prostrating oneself, and kissing the feet or the hem of the garment of the one honored. Psalm 95:6 describes “worship” well: “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Jesus Himself clarified that worship is something done “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
The wise men probably came to Jerusalem because it was the capital city. Where else would you find the king besides the nation’s capital? Indeed, they did find a king—King Herod—and he “was disturbed” (Matt. 2:3) to hear that another King was in the vicinity. Not everyone shared the wise men’s desire to worship the new king. King Herod made a pretense of it, but that’s all it was: a pretense.
Herod gathered “the people’s chief priests and teachers”—all the religious leaders—“[and] asked them where the Messiah was to be born.” They referred to Micah’s eighth-century prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem.
“Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Mic. 5:2).
Matthew 2:7-8
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
“Herod called the Magi secretly.” Why was he disturbed—and why a secret meeting? Herod was not the rightful king from David’s line. He was not a descendant from the line of Jacob—Isaac’s son from whom the nation of Israel arose—but from Jacob’s twin brother, Esau.
That made Herod an Edomite, a group with whom the Jews had long-standing enmity. So if someone had rightfully been born king, Herod knew his job was in jeopardy. This private meeting allowed the king to question the men without onlookers or curiosity seekers. He may have told the wise men of his “desire” to worship the Messiah, but he didn’t want anyone else to hear it.
The wise men were not aware of the king’s real motives, but God clearly was. What appeared to be right to them was, at its very core, terribly wrong! After the wise men “saw the child with his mother Mary” and “worshiped him” in Bethlehem (v. 11), God used a dream to direct them away from King Herod. (See v. 12.) Herod’s real motive became horrifically exposed after he was out-smarted by the wise men and he ordered the slaughter of all the boys who were two years and under of age in and around the area of Bethlehem. (See v. 16.)
Superficial worship was not something new. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah centuries earlier, God said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Isa. 29:13). In Matthew 15:8, Jesus quoted Isaiah to show superficial worship was rampant during His ministry. Unfortunately, superficial worship is still among us. We don’t have to go far to hear spiritual talk and “church lingo”” that is void of real worship.
Let’s do all we can to follow the wise men’s example and learn to authentically worship Jesus.
Matthew 2:9-11
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Something was unique about this star. Some have proposed that it could have even been the glory of God, like the pillar of fire that led the Israelites through the wilderness. (See Ex. 13:21.) Now the wise men saw the star again. And “it stopped over the place where the child was.”
Modern portrayals of the Nativity often show the wise men visiting Jesus on the night of his birth. However, Herod had all male babies two years old and under in Bethlehem killed (see Matt. 2:16), indicating that up to two years had passed since the wise men saw the star—and possibly since Jesus’ birth. Furthermore, Joseph and Mary were living in a “house” by this time—and it was there that the star led them. The wise men presented their gifts to Jesus:
- A gift for His royalty. Gold is the finest and most precious metal and showed great value from the giver to the recipient.
- A gift for His Deity. Frankincense is a glittering, odorous gum obtained by making incisions in the bark of several trees. It was essentially an aromatic used in sacrificial offerings.
- A gift for His humanity. Myrrh was a much-valued spice and perfume, used in embalming and perfuming ointments.
The wise men gave lavish gifts that symbolize the wealth of all nations that one day will be given to the King. These gifts reflect the wise men’s worship. Worship must be our response to the Messiah as well.
THE POINT: Jesus is Lord and He deserves our worship.
LIVE IT OUT
As you reflect on worshiping Christ this week, consider these ideas to enrich your spiritual life.
- Look. Slow down and reflect on some aspects of God’s beauty in creation. As you see something in God’s handiwork, like a star, worship the Lord. Look for ways to continue worshiping God throughout the week.
- Invite. Invite others to join you in worshiping the King. One way to start is by bringing them to your Bible study group. Encourage their participation and help them find Christ as they meet and worship with others.
- Give. Just as the wise men gave gifts to the King, we also express our worship though giving. Make a commitment to give toward the ministry and mission of His kingdom’s work.
While there are many extravagant and even unusual ways to worship the Lord, they’re certainly not the only ways. Simple, faithful, and consistent worship can lead us all to be wise men and women.
Hope to see each of you this Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher Notes:
Teacher Notes:
Video: The Wise Men’s Worship
Matthew 2:1-11
Why Did the Wise Men Search for Jesus?
· "That's why they were called wise men!" says Ellen, 6. Thank you, Ellen. I doubt if any Bible scholar has ever said it better. The search for Jesus runs throughout the New Testament.
· The wise men sought to worship him. King Herod sought to kill him. Crowds who were miraculously fed sought to crown him. Religious leaders sought to trap him. Roman soldiers sought to arrest him.
· "They saw a different star. They just knew that since there was a new star, there must be something special," says Elizabeth, 7. Yes, the star was different, but there's something more unusual than the star's guiding light. The wise men were gentiles. Why would gentiles travel so far to worship a Jewish king? Even if they were right about his royalty, what difference would it make? The Jews were an oppressed people. Rome ruled the world.
· God made a promise to patriarch Abraham that he would be a blessing to "all the families of the Earth" (Genesis 12:3). Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, gentiles keep appearing. The Gospel starts with a genealogy that shows Jesus is descended from King David (Matthew 1:1-16). Surprisingly, however, Jesus' ancestry includes gentiles (Rahab and Ruth).
· In the midst of Jesus' ministry, a Roman centurion pleaded with Jesus to heal his servant by speaking a word. Jesus said, "I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel" (Matthew 8:10). At the end of the Gospel, Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
· The first recorded act of worship in the New Testament comes from eastern, gentile wise men. Matthew shows us that salvation comes through the Jews, but it's not exclusively for the Jews. In the Apostle Paul's epistles, Abraham is the father of all who believe. God considered Abraham righteous because of his faith, which came before he received the covenant sign of circumcision (Romans 4:9-13).
· "The wise men were scholars of the Bible who had looked at all the prophecies of the coming Messiah," says Matthew, 11. This is not as far-fetched as it sounds. When the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, they took gifted Jewish men into the king's court to train them to be advisers. The king's wise men were known as magi.
· Daniel was the most famous wise man ever to grace the courts of Babylon. He saved the entire company of magi from total destruction by interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Later, he spent the night with lions rather than worship the king of the Medes and Persians. No one before or after Daniel has ever served as prime minister of two world empires (Babylon and Medo-Persia). Serving as prime minister of just one would have put him into the Magi Hall of Fame on the first ballot. If you're in the Magi Club, do you think you might be interested in reading a book written by the most famous magi of all time? The book of Daniel predicts that 483 years would pass from the time of the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem until "Messiah the Prince" would come (Daniel 9:25). According to Bible scholar Gleason L. Archer Jr., the clock began ticking in 457 B.C., when Persian ruler Artaxerxes I issued the decree to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Ezra 9:9). Adding one year for passing from B.C. to A.D. brings us to A.D. 27, an accurate date for when Jesus began his ministry. Perhaps the wise men had done the math for themselves.
· God received worship from magi who had light from the star and possibly light from reading the book of Daniel. It was such a tiny ray compared to the bright light we have today concerning the Lord Jesus, yet, they followed it until they found the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. Wise men and women still seek him.
say?
The Point: “Jesus is Lord and He deserves our worship.”
What symbolizes worship to you?
What does it mean to worship the Lord in spirit and truth?
The idea of worshipping the Lord “in spirit and truth” comes from Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well in John 4:6-30. In the conversation, the woman was discussing places of worship with Jesus, saying that the Jews worshipped at Jerusalem, while the Samaritans worshipped at Mount Gerizim. Jesus had just revealed that He knew about her many husbands, as well as the fact that the current man she lived with was not her husband. This made her uncomfortable, so she attempted to divert His attention from her personal life to matters of religion. Jesus refused to be distracted from His lesson on true worship and got to the heart of the matter:
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him” (John 4:23).
· The overall lesson about worshipping the Lord in spirit and truth is that worship of God is not to be confined to a single geographical location or necessarily regulated by the temporary provisions of Old Testament law.
· With the coming of Christ, the separation between Jew and Gentile was no longer relevant, nor was the centrality of the temple in worship.
· With the coming of Christ, all of God’s children gained equal access to God through Him. Worship became a matter of the heart, not external actions, and directed by truth rather than ceremony.
In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses sets down for the Israelites how they are to love their God: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Our worship of God is directed by our love for Him; as we love, so we worship. Because the idea of “might” in Hebrew indicates totality, Jesus expanded this expression to “mind” and “strength” (Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). To worship God in spirit and truth necessarily involves loving Him with heart, soul, mind and strength.
True worship must be “in spirit,” that is, engaging the whole heart. Unless there’s a real passion for God, there is no worship in spirit. At the same time, worship must be “in truth,” that is, properly informed. Unless we have knowledge of the God we worship, there is no worship in truth. Both are necessary for satisfying and God-honoring worship. Spirit without truth leads to a shallow, overly emotional experience that could be compared to a high. As soon as the emotion is over, when the fervor cools, so does the worship. Truth without spirit can result in a dry, passionless encounter that can easily lead to a form of joyless legalism. The best combination of both aspects of worship results in a joyous appreciation of God informed by Scripture. The more we know about God, the more we appreciate Him. The more we appreciate, the deeper our worship. The deeper our worship, the more God is glorified.
Why do some people only pretend to know and follow Jesus?
· Superficial worship was not something new. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah centuries earlier, God said, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Isa. 29:13).
· In Matthew 15:8, Jesus quoted Isaiah to show superficial worship was rampant during His ministry. Unfortunately, superficial worship is still among us. We don’t have to go far to hear spiritual talk and “church lingo”” that is void of real worship. Let’s do all we can to follow the wise men’s example and learn to authentically worship Jesus.
I. Some oppose Jesus’ rule.
Herod had a choice to make: receive the newly-born King or reject Him as a threat.
What have you learned about authentic worship of Jesus? What are some signs that someone truly desires to worship Jesus? Who are some people who oppose Jesus’ rule today?
Why would Herod have had such an opposition to the rule of Jesus?
· Herod believed Jesus’ existence posed a credible threat to his self-made kingdom. As the true King of the Jews, Jesus had authority and jurisdiction, even over the most powerful man in Jerusalem.
Why would religious leaders oppose Jesus’ rule?
· They heard that Jesus was born yet did not even travel the five-mile journey to see if it was true. Jesus’ rule as King also opposed their self-made religious kingdom. They did not make an effort to see if the wise men’s announcement was true. Or perhaps they feared Herod’s cunning deceit and knew not to stir the pot of contention. Either way, they missed an event attended only earlier by shepherds and later by wise men—the arrival of the Messiah.
What causes people today to oppose Jesus’ rule and reign in their lives?
· Perhaps we all have a bit of Herod’s selfish ambition. We’re too busy building our kingdoms and do not want to acknowledge Jesus’ reign because it would mean changes in our lives. Or maybe we worry what others might think. Maybe we are just too apathetic to care. Or maybe, like the wise men, we are determined to encounter Jesus for ourselves.
· Not everyone responds favorably to Jesus as God’s gift.
· Obsession with self, no matter how it is expressed, is a rejection of Jesus.
· Whoever rejects Jesus will never know freedom, joy, and peace.
What are some “gifts” we might give in our worship of Jesus?
The Gifts They Brought
However, many wise men there were, and on whatever date they may have arrived, the gifts they brought were three: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matt. 2:11). These gifts are significant and symbolic. The ancient Christian writer Origen commented about the gifts (though in different order) in the first book of his Contra Celsum, written about A.D. 248: "gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God."
What Can I Give Him?
Gold, frankincense and myrrh. That's what the wise men gave the Christ child. What gifts can we give Christ?
First, remember that our gifts do not merit salvation. We cannot earn it by our good works. Having said that, though, our salvation is proven by our works. If we love God, we will want to worship, obey and serve Him out of gratitude. As James 2:17 says, "So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (MEV). If our behavior has not changed, and if we do not respond to God's grace with service to Him and to others, we should question to what degree we have truly given our lives to the Lord. Paul shows us the proper relationship of faith and works in Ephesians 2:8-10, where he reminds us, we are saved by grace, through faith, for works.
In recent years the English Christmas carol "In the Bleak Midwinter" has gained popularity. In the last verse the writer Christina Rossetti asks and answers a question: "What can I give him, poor as I am? / If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb / If I were a wise man, I would do my part / Yet what I can I give him—Give my heart."
When Scripture uses the word heart, it means far more than just our emotions. It means the very core of our being, everything we are and everything we have.
To give Jesus our heart this Christmas, we can do no better than presenting the same gifts the wise men offered to Jesus: honor, worship and sacrifice.
1) Honor (gold) — His royalty. Jesus is the King of kings, and perhaps no material is more associated with kings than gold. Yet to honor Christ as King means to obey Him and walk in the center of His will. It may be generous to spend time visiting shut-ins, but if God instead called you to devote your time to youth ministry, you are still being disobedient.
There is a dangerous teaching gaining momentum and harming many disciples of Jesus today called "hyper-grace." So great an emphasis is put on God's unconditional love that people conclude they can do whatever they like. Hyper-grace teaching is merely an attempt to rationalize away what God forbids by covering over immorality with words that sound Christian. Instead of listening to whatever teaching tickles your ears, give heed to what Jesus Himself said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). And speaking of gold, God's standard is still the tithe: 10 percent. God revealed that to His people through the prophet Malachi (3:6-12), and Jesus underscored it in His conversation with the Pharisees (Matt. 23:23).
2) Worship (frankincense) — His Deity. Take more time out of your busy schedule to devote yourself to worship. Taking in biblical teaching, receiving blessings, offering prayer concerns and serving in ministry are all important, but our chief purpose as followers of God is to worship. We are not to judge whether a time of worship was "good" based on how it made us feel. First and foremost, worship is about ministering to God. As Matt Redman reminded himself and us, the heart of worship is all about Jesus. Make sure your worship includes individual times of adoration, informal gatherings with other believers to praise and corporate worship in the fellowship of a church. Make sure your worship is addressed to God in His fullness—Father, Son and Spirit.
3) Sacrifice (myrrh) — His humanity. Thank Jesus every day for His sacrifice for us. One of the best ways to do this is to be "a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God" (Rom. 12:1). Paul ties together our bodies (v. 1) and our minds (v. 2), indicating that the living sacrifice is our entire selves.
The trouble with any sacrifice that's living, however, is that it will often try to crawl off the altar it's placed upon. To remain a sacrifice upon the altar takes discipline in refusing to yield to our fleshly desires and instead follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who will always lead us on the path to become more like Jesus. This is spiritual growth.
WHAT CAN WE GIVE GOD?
GREG LAURIE
Christmas is a time of giving, and I’ve found it to be true that it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you are like me, you can’t wait to give your gifts. When you get something for someone, you want to see the joy he or she has in receiving it.
The wise men brought gifts to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What kind of gifts are these for a child? Myrrh, after all, is an embalming element. Why give an embalming element to a baby?
I believe these wise men had insight into who Jesus was. They gave Him gold because they recognized it was a proper gift for a king. They gave him frankincense because that is what a high priest used when he went into the temple to represent the people before God. They gave Him myrrh because they recognized that this King would die for the world.
What can we give to God? What do you give to God, who has everything?
What does God want from us for Christmas?
Video: Darius Rucker
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He wants our lives. The greatest gift you can give to God this year is yourself. The greatest gift you can give to God is to say, “Lord, I give You my life. I give You my talents. I give You my abilities. I give You my dreams. I give You my future. I give You my weaknesses. I offer myself to You. Here is my gift to You.” Let’s be like these wise men and worship Him and give to Him. You will be glad you did, because you can never out give God.
