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.
Matthew 2:11 NIV
We often associate the wise men with the gifts they presented the Christ child: gold, frankincense and myrrh. And although that is wonderful and true, that is not the main reason why they came, or the only gifts they gave. A closer look at the account reveals that these men were indeed wise because they knew who this child was and what He was worthy of.
Throughout the chapter the Magi remind us of the purpose of their search to find the Christ and only one word stands out – worship.
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 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.” (vv. 1-2). Even Herod promised to worship Him too (v. 8), but we know that he wouldn’t and he didn’t.
“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 (v. 11). Matthew is careful to note that upon meeting the Child, these men first worshipped and then presented Him with their other gifts. We, on the other hand, give Him our gifts before our worship. But the only gift He asks of us is the one the wise would give – worship.
Many of us are like the characters in the Christmas story. After spending many years pursuing the Christ through the prophecies that were written about Him and finally finding Him, we either choose to worship Him or not. Herod knew about the prophecies, but it only made him fear a threat to the throne. The wise men who were connected to royalty themselves, chose to bow down and worship the true King. Which one are you? I pray that you will be wise enough to give Him the gift of worship.
Rising with the Son 