The King Who Draws the Nations

Sermon Title: The King Who Draws the Nations

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

Occasion: The Lord’s Day

Date: September 7th, 2025

PRAY

O Lord,

We come before You this morning as seekers of the true King.

What we know not, teach us.

What we are not, make us.

What we have not, give us.

Reveal Christ to us through Your Word, and lead us to bow in worship before Him, for He alone is King, God, and Savior.

It’s in Christ’s powerful and merciful name we pray. Amen.

Introduction

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood on the summit of Mount Everest.

For centuries men had tried and failed.

The climb was deadly, the air was thin, the mountain almost unconquerable.

And yet, something in the human heart drove them upward—an insatiable desire to reach the highest point on earth.

But beloved, there is a quest greater than Everest.

Humanity is on a journey—not merely to conquer a mountain, but to find a King.

From the earliest days of history, we have been restless seekers.

Some search for significance in wealth or power.

Others chase meaning in philosophy, politics, or pleasure.

But deep down, every human heart is climbing, yearning, longing for a King who will give peace, stability, and hope.

Matthew 2 tells us of one such quest.

Not to Everest, but to Bethlehem.

Not led by maps, but by a star.

Not by mountaineers, but by Magi—outsiders from the East who traveled hundreds of miles because they had seen a sign of heaven and heard a word from Scripture.

Their question is the question of the ages:

Matthew 2:2 ESV

“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?

And when they found Him, they did not merely admire Him, they fell on their faces before Him.

They worshiped.

The Magi’s journey is more than history—it is theology.

It shows us that from the very beginning, Christ was not only Israel’s Messiah, but the world’s King.

Outsiders are drawn near while insiders resist.

The last become first, and the first last.

This morning, the sermon is titled:

“The King Who Draws the Nations.”

And here is the outline of the text for your notes:

The King Sought (vv. 1–6)

The King Revealed (vv. 7–10)

The King Worshiped (vv. 11–12)

And here is the heart of the message, the big idea:

Jesus is the true King who draws outsiders by grace, fulfills God’s promises, and demands our worship.

So the question is:

Where is your quest leading you?

Whom do you worship?

Transition to Point One

With that in mind, let’s step into the story.

The scene opens with tension:

A true King has been born in Bethlehem.

A false king trembles on the throne in Jerusalem.

Outsiders come searching, insiders sit unmoved.

And Matthew asks us to consider:

When the King is revealed, how will you respond?

That brings us to our first point: The King Sought.

1. The King Sought (vv. 1–6)

Matthew 2:1–6 ESV

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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

A. Outsiders Drawn In

The first characters Matthew introduces after Jesus’ birth are not Israel’s priests, prophets, or kings—but Gentile Magi, astrologers from the East.

In Jewish eyes, these men were unclean, idolatrous, even enemies of God.

They sought meaning in the stars rather than in the Scriptures.

Every other place the New Testament mentions a magos (Simon in Acts 8, Elymas in Acts 13), the word is negative—associated with sorcery and deception.

And yet—here they are, summoned by grace.

The very ones Israel would have considered furthest away are the first to come seeking the King.

This is Matthew’s point:

God’s grace crosses every barrier.

He draws those who seem least likely, least deserving, least welcome.

Outsiders become insiders by grace.

The Magi stand as a type or representatives, they are the firstfruits of the nations coming to worship Christ—this is a preview of the day when kings and peoples from every nation will bow before Him (cf. Isa. 60:3; Rev. 21:24).

What Hosea foretold is coming true:

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people’” (Hos. 2:23).

Beloved, this is good news for every sinner, every addict, every skeptic, every one of us carrying guilt and shame.

If God can draw astrologers from Babylon to Bethlehem, He can draw you.

Transition:

But if the outsiders come running, what about the insiders—the very ones who had the promises in their hands?

B. Insiders Left Unmoved

Notice the contrast.

Matthew 2:3–6 ESV

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

Herod hears of this newborn King and trembles with fear.

And here we see the clash of kings and kingdoms.

On one side stands Herod—the so-called “king of the Jews,” ruling by Rome’s authority, clinging to power with cruelty and fear.

On the other side lies a Child in Bethlehem—the true King of the Jews, the Son of David, God’s promised Messiah, who comes not with armies or palaces but with humility and sovereign authority from heaven itself.

Beloved, this is the great conflict that runs through all of history: the kingdom of man resisting the kingdom of God.

As Augustine said, history is the tale of two cities—the city of man built on self-love even to the contempt of God, and the city of God built on the love of God even to the contempt of self.

And here at the very beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, the lines are drawn:

Herod trembling, Christ reigning.

The kingdoms of this world rage, but the true King has come, and His kingdom cannot be shaken (Ps. 2; Heb. 12:28).

And notice—it’s not just Herod.

“All Jerusalem” shares his agitation (v. 3), showing how deeply the kingdom of this world resists heaven’s King.

So Herod, assembles the priests and scribes (The thread of insiders rejecting Jesus and outsiders embracing him!), and they quote Micah 5:2 word-for-word in verse 6.

They know their Bibles.

They know exactly where the Messiah was to be born.

But do they go?

Not even six miles down the road to Bethlehem!!

It is staggering:

Outsiders will travel hundreds of miles to bow before Christ, while insiders, with Scripture in hand, will not move an inch.

Those who had light sat in darkness; those who were in darkness followed the light.

And here is Matthew’s sobering warning:

it is possible to quote verses and sit unmoved.

It is possible to fill your head with truth while your heart remains cold.

It is possible to know the doctrine of Christ without ever bowing before Christ Himself.

Knowledge without worship is deadly.

Even James reminds us that “the demons believe—and shudder” (James 2:19).

They know who Christ is, they tremble at His power, but they will not worship Him.

Beloved, bare knowledge of the truth without surrendered worship leaves you no better than the enemies of God.

True saving faith moves beyond recognition to adoration, beyond information to transformation, beyond knowing about Christ to bowing before Him.

A sound theology and a true Christology will never leave you cold; they must always burst forth in doxology.

For when the mind is rightly filled with the truth of Christ, the heart cannot help but rise in worship of Christ.

Friend, don’t miss this point:

You can resist Him like Herod, or you can ignore Him like the scribes.

But if truth never moves from your head to your heart, then you are no different.

The question is not simply what you know, but whom you worship.

So let me ask you: Are you satisfied with knowing the Scriptures but never seeking the Savior?

Are you content to handle the Word of God but never be humbled by the God of the Word?

Are you near to Bethlehem in knowledge but far from Bethlehem in faith?

Transition:

Matthew shows us here that it is into this mix of outsiders coming and insiders resisting, that he fixes our eyes on the place where God’s King has come— which is of course, the promised Bethlehem.

C. Bethlehem the Least and the Greatest

Matthew highlights Bethlehem with purpose.

This obscure town was “by no means least” because from it would come the Shepherd-King just as promised (Mic. 5:2; 2 Sam. 5:2).

But the point it: God delights to bring greatness out of smallness!

The Savior of the world was not born in Rome’s palace or Jerusalem’s temple, but in Bethlehem’s humility.

This is the gospel pattern: (Paraphrase)

God exalts the humble, humbles the proud. He chooses the weak to shame the strong, the foolish to confound the wise (1 Cor. 1:27).

So when Matthew says Bethlehem is no longer the least, he’s saying:

With Jesus, no place, no person, is beyond redemption.

Illustration

During WWII, Winston Churchill described the tiny British Royal Air Force as “the few to whom so many owed so much.”

Outnumbered, underestimated, yet decisive.

Bethlehem is like that.

Small in the world’s eyes, but decisive in God’s plan.

For out of the least comes the greatest—Christ the Shepherd-King, Immanuel!

Pastoral Application

What do we learn here?

God’s grace seeks outsiders.

You may carry shame, you may feel unworthy, but you are not beyond His reach.

If He drew Magi from the East, He can draw you.

Knowledge without worship is deadly.

The scribes knew the right answer but never went to Bethlehem.

Don’t settle for knowing the truth while refusing to bow to the King.

Christ’s kingdom turns the world upside down.

Bethlehem was the least, yet from it came the greatest.

In Christ, the forgotten are remembered, the broken are restored, and the weak are made strong.

Transition to Point Two

The Magi’s quest has begun.

Outsiders have been drawn in by grace, insiders have revealed their hardness, and Bethlehem has been lifted high.

But the question remains:

How will these seekers find the King?

What will lead them all the way to Jesus?

That brings us to our second point: The King Revealed.

2. The King Revealed (vv. 7–10)

Matthew 2:7–10 ESV

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

A. Herod’s Scheming and God’s Sovereignty

Matthew highlights the secrecy of Herod’s meeting in verses 7-10.

Herod pulls the Magi aside in secret (v. 7), pretending to be a worshiper, all the while plotting Jesus’ destruction.

This is already a foreshadowing of the cross—human rulers scheming in the shadows, but God overruling for salvation.

Matthew loves to use the word “then” to draw sharp contrasts.

Here at the top of verse 7, Herod’s secret plotting stands in stark opposition to God’s open revealing.

Application:

Don’t be fooled—hypocrisy can cloak itself in religious words.

But take heart, beloved: even the schemes of men are woven by God into the fabric of His sovereign purposes, just as Joseph declared, ‘What you meant for evil, God meant for good’ (Gen. 50:20)!

Herod’s schemes will not stop God’s salvation; they will only serve to highlight God’s unstoppable purposes.

Transition:

If Herod is marked by lies and secrecy, the Magi are marked by revelation and joy.

B. The Star: Natural Wonder or Supernatural Light?

Matthew 2:9 ESV

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

What kind of star was this?

The text pushes us deeper.

Scholars say it had to meet several conditions:

It had to be something the Magi would notice, it had to be tied to Jewish hopes, it had to guide them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, and it had to rest over a single house.

In the ancient world, people believed the heavens announced events on earth.

Jupiter was the “royal planet,” associated with kingship and power.

Saturn was often linked with the Jews, partly because of their Sabbath tied to Saturn’s day.

So if Jupiter and Saturn appeared together, astrologers might take it as a sign that a king had been born among the Jews.

This explain how the Magi were stirred to begin their journey.

BUT Matthew makes it clear—the star in this account doesn’t act like any ordinary star.

It moves, it guides, it stops.

That’s not astronomy.

That’s providence!

And Matthew wants us to see this was no random event.

Centuries earlier Balaam had prophesied,

“A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17).

So at this very moment we see the heavens themselves are testifying that the promised King has come, the One who would rise to rule the nations is here.

God may have used what they were familiar with to awaken them, but it was His sovereign hand that brought them to Christ.

This is NOT about astrology but about God’s sovereign control over creation and the salvation of the nations.

Just as He ruled over genealogies in chapter 1, He now rules over the heavens in chapter 2.

Matthew wants you to see that!

Matthew is shouting to us - The stars do not govern us— rather the Christ who rules the starts does!

This account is a beautiful picture of how salvation works.

God, in His providence, takes hold of restless sinners—even outsiders who aren’t looking for Him—and begins to draw them like he Magi.

But providence alone is not enough.

General revelation can stir the heart, creation can awaken the question, but only special revelation—the word of God, specifically the gospel—can provide the answer. Romans 1:16

Romans 1:16 ESV

…. for [the gospel] is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The star could start their journey, but only the Scriptures pointed them to Bethlehem, and only Christ Himself could save their souls.

This is salvation:

Sovereign grace awakens, the Word reveals, and Christ redeems.

As Jesus later says,

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44).

The Father draws by His providence, but Christ saves by His Word.

That’s why Paul says,

Romans 10:14 ESV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Creation may awaken, but only the Word reveals what we need most- Christ!

Christ to save us!

Application:

This is why, friend, you cannot build your life on horoscopes, and zodiacs, and vague “signs from the universe” or the shifting feelings of your heart.

Creation can stir questions, but only Christ can give you the answers your looking for.

God may use circumstances, suffering, even small providences to awaken you—but He will always drive you to His Word.

Why?

Because only the Word shows you Christ crucified and risen.

Because “faith comes from hearing, hearing through the word of Christ.”

Pastoral Questions:

Friend, has God been stirring you?

Has He awakened questions in your heart?

Don’t stop short with signs or circumstances—look to the Savior, this morning.

He alone can save.

He alone can lead you all the way to the eternal shore.

Transition:

And so, the star leads them not to wonder at the sky, but to worship at the cradle.

C. Joy in the Presence of Christ

Verse 10 is emphatic:

“They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

Matthew stacks up words, almost tripping over himself, to show just how overwhelming their joy really was.

This joy is not about the star itself but about what the star points to—the nearness of the King.

One commentator named Frederick Bruner, that I read this week, said it beautifully:

“‘The uncertain stars have been replaced by the certain Word; the Magi’s temporary light gives way to the eternal Light. Reformation theologians even saw the “christocentric star” as a picture of Christian ministry—our task is to shine in such a way that people see Jesus and go away filled with joy.’”

Matthew wants us to see this is not shallow, sentimental happiness—it is lasting, end-time joy.

It is the joy of the nations being drawn to the true King, the very joy Isaiah foretold, that we read this morning for our call to worship:

Isaiah 60:1–3 ESV

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Application:

Friend, real joy is not found in following stars, chasing power, or clinging to control like Herod.

Real joy is found in being led to Jesus (to the light, the brightness of Christ’s Rising! Isa. 60:3).

That joy is deep, durable, and cannot be snatched away by anything from this world—just as Jesus promised,

John 16:22 ESV

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

That’s wonderful and comforting news to the weary heart.

Some of you are walking through crushing trials—watching a loved one suffer with illness, carrying grief after loss, or battling the anxiety and wounds that come from broken relationships, even in the church.

In those moments, happiness feels far away.

But here is the promise:

The world can take your health, it can take your peace of mind, it can even take the people you love most—but it cannot take your joy in Christ.

Because that joy is not anchored in circumstances—it is anchored in a risen Savior!

It is the joy of knowing that when everything else is stripped away, Jesus remains.

It is the joy of knowing He will wipe every tear from your eyes, and one day your sorrow will give way to everlasting gladness in His presence.

Transition to Point Three

So far we’ve seen the contrast:

Herod’s schemes versus God’s sovereignty, the deceptive words of men versus the sure Word of God, and the fleeting lights of the heavens versus the unshakable joy of seeing Christ.

But the story doesn’t end with joy on the road—it climaxes in worship at Christ’s feet.

That leads us to our final point: The King Worshiped.

3. The King Worshiped (vv. 11–12)

Matthew 2:11–12 ESV

And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

A. The Climax of Revelation

Notice how Matthew builds the story:

The star awakens, the Scriptures direct, but the sight of the Child is the climax.

The Magi do not worship the star, or the Scriptures, or Mary.

They fall prostrate before the Child.

And note this—contrary to our nativity scenes, the Magi were not there on the night of His birth.

Matthew tells us they entered a “house” (2:11), not a manger, and Herod’s command to kill boys “two years old and under” (2:16) suggests Jesus could have been several months to nearly two years old.

But here in verse 11, Matthew highlights something he does not want us to miss— Tverse first explicit act of worship is directed at Jesus!!

That’s the point Matthew wants us to see.

Later, Jesus Himself will say,

“You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve” (Matt. 4:10).

Yet here He is worshiped—for He is Immanuel, God with us.

Psalm 86:9 is happening:

Psalm 86:9 ESV

All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

And that’s the point:

When God truly reveals Himself, it never ends in curiosity or casual interest.

True revelation always leads us to fall down in worship.

The Magi didn’t stop with curiosity.

They didn’t treat Jesus like a spectacle to admire, or a mystery to dissect, or a headline to gossip about.

They bowed in worship.

That’s the difference between simply knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Him.

And isn’t this where we struggle?

We live in a culture full of curiosity about Jesus—people will Google Him, debate Him, even admire His teachings—but few will bow their hearts before Him.

Some in the church even approach the Bible this way—gathering facts, stacking knowledge, or debating theology, but never letting it bring them to their knees in worship.

Friend, God has not revealed Christ to us so we can stay at arm’s length.

He has revealed Him so we would fall down and adore Him.

Illustration:

We’ve all seen those videos on social media where a soldier returns home after a long deployment and surprises his family.

A wife looks up from a restaurant table, a child turns around in a school gym, and suddenly there he is.

Photos and stories may stir the heart, but the moment they see him face to face, curiosity gives way to tears, to embrace, to joy that can’t be contained.

That’s the difference between simply hearing about Jesus and actually encountering Him.

The Magi didn’t just learn facts about the King—they saw Him, and they fell down in worship.

Question & Exhortation:

So let me ask you—are you content to keep Jesus at the level of curiosity, like a picture on the wall, or have you truly encountered Him in such a way that your only response is worship?

Friend, don’t stop at knowing about Him.

Bow before Him.

Give Him your heart, your life, your all.

Transition: And notice this—when the Magi bowed in worship, they didn’t come empty-handed. Their worship moved from their hearts to their hands.

Love for the King always overflows in costly devotion.

That’s why Matthew takes care to tell us what they brought, because their gifts preach a message about who this Child really is.

B. The Meaning of Their Gifts

Matthew tells us they “opened their treasures” (v.11) and offered gifts, and not just any king of gifts. They gave their best!:

Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

These were costly, sacrificial gifts.

They were the best they had.

And while not every detail must be pressed this morning, the symbolism is far too striking to miss:

They lay before Him gold—because from ancient times, gold was the gift for royalty, and He is the true King of kings.

They offer frankincense—costly resin burned in the temple to honor God alone, declaring that this Child is none other than God with us.

And they place myrrh at His feet—bitter in taste and used to prepare bodies for burial, this is already pointing us to the cross, showing us that this King was born for one purpose: to die for sinners!

Do you see it?

These Gentile worshipers are preaching the gospel with their gifts before they even understand it.

The nations themselves are declaring:

This Child is King.

This Child is God.

This Child is Savior.

In this very moment, Isaiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled:

The wealth of the nations shall come to you… they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD’ (Isa. 60:5–6).

Not only Isaiah but Psalm 72:10-11,

Psalm 72:10–11 ESV

May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!

Yet it also points us forward to that final day when Paul says,

‘At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father’ (Phil. 2:10–11).

And this is no accident.

Illustration:

In the ancient world, it was customary to present gifts to kings when entering their presence (cf. Ps. 72:10–11).

But notice this—the Magi give not to gain favor, but in worshipful response to the true King.

The hymn writer John Henry Hopkins Jr. captured it beautifully in the carol , “We Three Kings”:

“Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again, King forever, ceasing never, Over us all to reign.”

Transition:

But notice this—the story doesn’t end with gifts laid down.

Their worship reshaped their lives.

Because true worship never leaves you where you are; it always sends you home a different way.

C. Transformation After Worship

Verse 12 concludes,

Matthew 2:12 ESV

And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

This is not just geography—it is theology.

Matthew is teaching us that no one meets Christ and goes away unchanged.

Worship redirects your life.

The Magi came searching, guided by a star and stirred by prophecy, but they went home by another way—not just a different road, but a changed heart.

A true encounter with Jesus Christ always leads to transformation.

True worship is never confined to an hour on Sunday—it reorients the course of your life, your obedience, your priorities, and your future.

Real-life example:

Some of you have tasted this.

You came to Christ restless, weighed down by guilt or grief, but when He opened your eyes to His mercy, you couldn’t go back to your old way of living.

Your direction changed.

Your desires changed.

You went home by another way.

Real-life example (share from the heart, no notes):

Seventeen and a half years ago, I walked into a church meeting in a high school gym—broken, restless, and desperate for my life to be put back together.

My brother was incarcerated for life.

I was about to be married with no clue how to be a husband or a dad.

I came in one way, and I left another—with hope, with direction, and most importantly, with a new heart.

No one then could have imagined I’d be standing here today, preaching Christ to you.

But that’s what happens when you meet the true King—you cannot go home the same way.

Historical example:

I can’t help but think of C.S. Lewis, the great scholar and writer.

For years he resisted the claims of Christ.

He was an Oxford scholar, a brilliant mind, but he admitted he was “the most reluctant convert in all England.”

He argued, he doubted, he wrestled.

Yet God was drawing him, step by step.

And then one ordinary day in 1931, Lewis set out on a simple walk to the zoo.

He later wrote:

“When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did.”

Just like that, everything changed.

He went out one way, and he came home by another.

From that moment on, his life could never return to its old course.

His writings, his imagination, his very direction were transformed by worshiping Christ.

The man who once mocked Christianity became one of its greatest defenders.

His book Mere Christianity has led countless souls to faith, and his Chronicles of Narnia still whisper the gospel to children and adults across the world.

Lewis met the true King, and he could never go home the same way.

Augustine said it well:

“Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”

The Magi came restless, chasing signs in the heavens, but they went home resting in the worship of the true King.

That is what worship does—it takes the restless heart and gives it rest in Christ alone.

Hymn:

Charles Wesley gave voice to this transformation in Hark!

The Herald Angels Sing:

“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail th’ incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus, our Immanuel.”

That’s what the Magi saw.

That’s why they worshiped.

And that’s why they could never go home the same way.

Conclusion

Beloved, the Magi remind us that the question of Matthew 2 is not academic, it is personal:

What will you do with Christ?

This is no ordinary child.

He is the King who rules every throne, the God who took on flesh, the Savior who was born to die.

You cannot meet Him and walk away unchanged.

This text shows us that there are only three possible responses to Christ this morning:

You can resist Him, like Herod—and find yourself hardened in hostility.

You can ignore Him, like the scribes—and miss the very salvation standing before you today.

Or you can worship Him, like the Magi—falling down before Him in repentance and faith, and rising to walk in a new way.

But one thing is certain:

You cannot remain neutral.

No response is itself a response—and your eternity hinges on what you do with Christ.

Scripture warns us that ‘the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night’ (1 Thess. 5:2), and Jesus Himself says, ‘Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake’ (Rev. 16:15).

The risen Christ Himself speaks to the churches in Revelation with that same urgency:

To Laodicea, He warns that lukewarm faith—neither hot nor cold—will be spit out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16).

To Sardis, He says, ‘Wake up, and strengthen what remains… if you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you’ (Rev. 3:2–3).

In other words, my dear friends, delay is dangerous.

Indifference is deadly.

You cannot resist Christ without consequence.

You cannot ignore Him without loss.

And you cannot remain lukewarm without judgment.

The only safe response is to bow in worship to Him, today.

All of you…to him and for him.

So I ask you:

Will you bow your life before the King today?

Will today be the day of your salvation! How glorious would that be?!

1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—

Will you bring Him your heart, your future, your all today?

For the promise is sure—every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Better to bow now in joy than to bow later in judgment.

Come and adore Him.

Come and worship.

For this Child is King, this Child is God, this Child is Savior.

To be clear: For this Jesus is King, this Jesus is God, this Jesus is Savior!

Come and worship the king!

PRAY

Lord Jesus,

We have seen in Your Word that You are the King who draws the nations.

Like the Magi, we bow before You—not in curiosity, but in worship.

Guard us from resisting You like Herod or ignoring You like the scribes.

Give us hearts that rise to walk in a new way, changed by Your grace.

And now, as we co

me to Your Table, unite us in communion with You and with one another.

May this bread and cup remind us that the King who received gold, frankincense, and myrrh is the same King who gave His body and blood for us.

Fix our eyes on the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord, to the glory of the Father.

In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

References:

Augustine. Confessions. Translated by Henry Chadwick. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.

Bruner, Frederick Dale. Matthew: A Commentary. Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1–12. Revised and expanded ed. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans, 2007.

Churchill, Winston S. Speech to the House of Commons, August 20, 1940. In The Collected Works of Winston Churchill. London: Library of Imperial History, 1974.

Lewis, C.S. Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life. London: Geoffrey Bles, 1955.

Nolland, John. The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: Wm. B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press, 2005.

Osborne, Grant R. Matthew. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.

Quarles, Charles L. Matthew. Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary. Edited by T. Desmond Alexander, Thomas R. Schreiner, and Andreas J. Köstenberger. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2022.