Seeking The Lord

Introduction

Matthew 2:1–11 NKJV

1 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, 2 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.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 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.

What Does the Text Say?

The Wise Men

These men were not likely kings, but court counselors, similar to those in the days of Joseph and the prophet Daniel. They were advisors to kings.

These men of the court checked in with Herod.

Many scholars assert that they were from Babylon.

These men followed a supernatural, celestial phenomenon to the location of the Messiah.

These Gentile wise men worshiped Him.

They opened their treasures to Him.

They listened to the Lord (in a dream) and did not return to Herod.

Herod

He was a puppet king of Rome.

He was already a violent man and did not want to worship the Messiah; rather, he wanted to protect his place of power.

What Does It Mean?

The Magi came from the East—Jesus is the Savior of the world, not just Israel. The Magi are the first Gentiles to see and worship Jesus.

Their visit served as a confirmation to Joseph and Mary.

Their visit is also a confirmation that Jesus is the Christ for the careful reader, because it is an external witness.

As is the case with all of us, these men worshiped Jesus. They may not have fully grasped who they were worshiping, but they worshiped Him nonetheless.

After worshiping, they opened their treasures to Him.

The treasures they presented likely funded Mary, Joseph, and Jesus’ escape from Herod’s persecution.

How Do We Apply This?

We Seek the Lord

Matthew 6:33 NKJV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Proverbs 16:3 NKJV

3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

James 4:8 NKJV

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

We Worship Him

We Open Our Treasures to Him

And in turn, those treasures often become someone else’s answered prayer.