Wise Men Seek Jesus and Worship Him
Devotion
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”( Matthew 2:1-2).
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they came to the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt 2:11).
Do you seek Jesus to get something, command Him to do something, or to simply worship Him?
The first act of worship Jesus received is in Matt 2:11. Wise men fell down and worshiped Him. They didn’t fall down and worship Mary or Joseph. It was Jesus, it is Jesus who deserves our praise and worship. I have notice that throughout scripture when someone would bow down to an angel or anyone other than God, they would ask them to get up, Rev 22:8-9 say’s “Now I, John, saw and heard these great things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophet, and of those who keep the word of this book”….. Worship God.
I think sometimes we can put people on pedestals and worship them in a sense. They end up being an idol to us. Yes, we do need to honor people. Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine (1 Timothy 5:17). Don’t worship them. They will fail you. They’re sinners just like you and me.
The wise men brought gifts; Gold is a symbol of deity and glory. It’s also associated with royalty. Frankincense is an ointment or perfume; it suggests the fragrance of the life of sinless perfection, this perfume was costly incense; and myrrh, a prized perfume or a bitter herb; it presages the sufferings He would endure in bearing the sins of the world.
What gifts can we bring to God?
First, worship God by giving Him praise and thanksgiving. Praise is a basic way both to express our faith and strengthen it. We need to honor Him for who He is and praise Him. All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying; “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 7: 11-12).
We can give our lives to Jesus, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (Rom12:1). All the gifts we have, God has given to us, so they belong to Him all ready. We can’t out give God! The gifts that God gave, you need to give out to others. The sovereignty bestowed gifts are to be used according to the purpose of the Holy Spirit for the edification of the church.
Lord, I’m Yours. Whatever the cost may be, may Your will be done in my life. I realize I’m not here on earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory. I’m not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possession, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I’m somebody important, or to promote myself. I’m not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards. I’m here to please You.
Resource: Holy Spirit, Bible, Commentary, and 31 Days of praise.
