For He Alone is Worthy
"And when they had come into 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." - Matthew 2:11
QUESTION: What would compel a group of wise men to set out from such a far away land and make such a difficult pilgrimage to come and see the Child born in Bethlehem?
ANSWER: They believed that He was no ordinary child being born. They discerned correctly the prophecies that were left behind by Jewish men such as Daniel when he served the king as a wise man. These wise men were used to seeing the signs and seasons of the stars and knew that God was declaring His glory in the heavens. They were among those who searched for meaning and purpose in life and believed they would find it as they followed His star. They had been around royalty and had seen many extraordinary things in their lives but this was one event they knew they could not miss.
They came to WORSHIP THE CHRIST - the Savior King who was promised to come to save the world of their sins.
The prophecies concerning Jesus were all throughout the Scriptures...
Numbers 24:12 declares: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel"
Micah 5:2 states: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
Isaiah 7:14 promises: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."
The Psalms are filled with Messianic promises and hints of what was to come...
Psalm 21:5 speaks concerning the King: "His glory is great in Your salvation; Honor and majesty You have placed upon him."
Psalm 72:10-11 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts. Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.
Psalm 145:3,7 "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.
...but one must truly take serious the words of God if they are going to act out on them and change the course of their lives.
These wise men did just that. They came bearing gifts but it was their hearts of worship that would cause the God of heaven and earth to take notice.
And after they found the Child, they bowed down and worshipped Him and opened their treasuries and presented their gifts to Him:
GOLD fit for a king, the divine King of all kings
FRANKINCENSE for the priest who would mediate for us to reconcile us with God
MYRRH for the death that Jesus would accomplish to save us all from our sins.
These wise men would never be the same because the greatest gift was actually before them. Not only would they depart to their own country another way, but they would depart with a whole new heart as well.
HEART WORK:
- Do you take seriously the words spoken about Jesus and the words that come directly from Him? Are you living in light of the future promises concerning His second coming?
- What are the evidences that you are a true worshipper of God?
- How can you better show Jesus just how worthy He is of your worship?
Contemplate what the world would be like if Jesus never came.
Consider why HE ALONE is worthy.