Wise Men Visit the King
Open Your Bible
Matthew 2:1-23, Jeremiah 31:15-17
BY Melanie Rainer
Section 3: The Light Dawns
Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-23, Jeremiah 31:15-17
The wise men have always been, at least to me, some of the most perplexing parts of the traditional Christmas story. They appear in nativity sets, kids always play them in pageants, and we even sing traditional hymns about them. The perplexing piece is, however, that Scripture doesn’t really lead us to include them at Christmas time. And yet, their story reflects an unavoidable and beautiful truth about Jesus: you don’t have to fit a script to worship Him.
The magi came to Jesus after His birth; scholars suggest even up to two years after He was born. Magi were non-Jewish mystics who studied astrology and had a special relationship, they believed, with the stars. These magi heard whispers of a king born and saw an unusual star, which they felt compelled to follow. So they set off with gifts to see who the star portended.
When the magi arrived, though, Scripture is clear about what happened. These men of magic and stars fell immediately to their knees in the presence of Jesus. They worshiped Him. They gave Him fine gifts, of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And even though the wicked King Herod had instructed them to tell him where this baby King was, they fled in another direction. They worshiped and they believed. They were changed.
This is the gift of our King Jesus. No matter why or when or how you come to Him, His majesty and glory are undeniable. His presence commands us to fall to our knees and worship; He is that great, that awesome, that good. The magi left home following a hunch and a burning ball of gas in the night sky; they left Mary and Joseph’s home with a newfound knowledge of what was good and true. They, the first Gentiles to worship the Messiah, show us in their story how powerful the love of Christ is.
And so even if they don’t exactly fit in the Christmas story chronologically, the magi show us what it means to be in the presence of Jesus, God incarnate. God with us. May we soak in the goodness and presence of our Lord this season, no matter where we’ve been or what brought us to this place. May we fall on our knees and worship Him.
Written by Melanie Rainer
77 thoughts on "Wise Men Visit the King"
-
❤️
-
Thank you all for your words. It truly has helped me. I was so peaceful at first. I’m not sure what happened. Lack of sleep can make you crazy. I know that it was Tanner’s time. He had so much decline from Cystinosis that if not now, it would have been soon.
-
May I fall to my knees and worship you Lord
-
Myrrh… I spelled it wrong. I hate that! Prayers for you and your youngest, as well, CORAL.
-
Oh, TRACI, don’t listen to the enemy! I can’t even imagine how you must feel. You must keep your eyes on Jesus through your grief. And KATIE… prayers for your interview. Keep us posted. I have never thought of the significance of myrh before, LISA and KASSIE. Thank you for sharing that.
-
Traci, I am praying that God floods you with His peace and that you are able to rest in him. Covid has been so difficult for so many of us. There are so many different perspectives and sometimes it is hard to know what to think. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must be for you right now. I’m sure you did all that you could. I do know this, that only God is in control.
-
Praying so hard for peace for you, Traci.
-
AZ Walker , Jennifer Anapol, Claire B, and all who prayed thank you. Feeling good still, praying to remain that way! Traci Gendron I can see why you would ask yourself those questions but please know that God is in control. As a physician the entire COVID situation has been difficult for me as well and I have had to constantly turn it over to God. I am praying so hard for your peace right now. Katie praying for your interview.
Post Comments (77)