Wise Men Worship

Wise Men Worship
Pastor Kent Munsey

Matthew 2:1-3, 8-12 NKJV
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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him ... And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 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. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

It had to have been disappointing for the wise men to follow the star as far as they did only to find a stable and a baby. They went to the palace first, but he wasn’t there. However, when they found Jesus in the stable, they bowed down and worshipped him. Wise men worship.

Have you ever followed a star but ended up in a stable, or followed a dream but ended up in a disaster? What do you do when you end up in a stable? There are three things the wise men teach us to do when we find ourself in an unexpected place:

1. Look for God in there.
When you find yourself in a place where life is not meeting your expectation, you’ve got to look for God there. Look for God in your pain, your poverty, and your lack. Jeremiah 29 promises that we will find God when we seek him with all our heart. He has not brought you to where you are just to leave you high and dry. Look for God in the stables of your life, in the unexpected places.

2. Give God your very best.
The wise men gave Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold is the gift of kings. Jesus is not just a king, he’s the King of Kings. We are to give him the honor he is worthy of. Incense symbolizes the recognition of Jesus as our high priest. He goes before God on our behalf, praying and interceding for us. Myrrh was used for the embalming the dead. This gift prophesies Jesus’ death and sacrifice. We should identify with him in his death and resurrection.

3. Leave a different way.
When the wise men left the stable, they didn’t go back to the palace to warn Herod. They left a different way than the way they came. When you encounter God, you will leave changed. There’s no going backwards in your relationship with Jesus. You will always be changing and always be moving forward.

Action Item:
Ask God where he is in the stable. What pain or lack are you currently experiencing, and how can you find and worship the King of Kings in the midst of your ordinary or undesirable circumstances?