The Promise Revealed & Communion

Matthew 2:1-12

We have spent the last four weeks talking about promise. The promise foretold by the prophets. The promise conceived in Mary. The promise fulfilled in Bethlehem.

Today, we arrive at the final movement of the Christmas story: the promise revealed.

Matthew 2:1–12 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.’ ” 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. 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.

Matthew tells us that Magi from the east arrive in Jerusalem, asking a dangerous question, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” That question alone rattles the palace. Herod is threatened, the city is disturbed, and religious leaders scramble to quote Scripture without truly believing it.

Here is the irony. The people closest to the prophecy miss the promise. The people furthest away recognize the King.

The Magi were outsiders. Gentiles. Scholars of the stars, not students of the synagogue. Yet God uses a sign they understand to draw them to a Savior they did not expect. This has always been how God works. He meets people where they are, but He never leaves them there.

When they finally arrive, Matthew says they are overwhelmed with joy. They do not debate. They do not delay. They fall down and worship. Then they open their treasures.

Gold for a King. Frankincense for a Priest. Myrrh for a Savior who would suffer.

This moment does more than close the Christmas story. It reveals its purpose. Jesus did not come to be admired. He came to be worshiped. He did not come only to be celebrated. He came to be surrendered to.

This is where our series comes full circle.

The promise of Christmas was never just about a baby in a manger. It was about God keeping His word. It was about God stepping into human history to do what we could never do for ourselves. Every prophecy pointed forward. Every promise leaned toward this moment. Emmanuel, God with us.

But the story does not stop at the manger. It moves forward to a cross.

The same child the Magi worship would grow up to carry wood on His shoulders. The same hands that received gifts would be pierced with nails. The same body laid in a feeding trough would one day be laid in a borrowed tomb.

Christmas already knows where it is going.

That is why the Lord’s Supper fits so naturally here. Communion reminds us that the promise revealed at Christmas was entirely fulfilled at the cross.

On the night before His death, Jesus took the bread, broke it, and said, “This is My body, given for you.” He took the cup and said, “This is My blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.” In other words, the promise did not end with His arrival. It was completed through His sacrifice.

The bread tells us that God came near. The cup tells us what it cost Him.

As we prepare to receive Communion today, this is not a ritual we rush through. It is a moment we step into. We remember that the King the Magi worshiped is the Savior who gave Himself for us.

Communion invites us to respond the same way the Magi did. With humility. With surrender. With worship.

You may feel unworthy today. The Magi were outsiders too. You may feel far from God. They traveled a long way. You may feel like your faith is imperfect. They followed a star, unsure of their destination.

And yet, they were welcomed.

The table of the Lord is not reserved for the perfect. It is offered to the humble. It is a reminder that Jesus did not come for those who have it all together, but for those who know they need grace.

As you hold the bread, remember that God kept His promise to come for you. As you take the cup, remember that God kept His promise to redeem you.

This is the promise of Christmas. God with us. God for us. God giving Himself to us.

Today, we do not simply celebrate a season. We receive the promised Savior.