The Magi: We have come to worship him

December 29, 2024

I hope you had a good Christmas!

Today what I want to do is talk to you about worshipping God. In the Christmas story, the magi say, “We have come to worship him.” They want to show reverence to Jesus. What I love about them is they didn’t come to get something from God, they came to offer Jesus their worship!

Because there can be this idea that worship is a bargain we make with God. I’ll go to church, read my Bible, say a prayer, and put a Christian bumper sticker on my car. And if I do this, God will answer my prayer. I do for God, and then God does for me.

We see something very different in the Magi. They really have a heart to find the baby king just for the opportunity to worship him.

The story goes like this: The magi came from the East. They travel very far to see Jesus, maybe hundreds of miles! They aren’t Jewish. And you may wonder, then why do they care about finding the king of the Jews? Well, the magi study the stars and believe that a king of the Jews has been born. Back then, if you’re not Jewish, you probably worship the gods, and you also worship kings and emperors, because many believed kings were gods! The Roman emperor was supposed to be worshipped! There’s a little bit of that worship and reverence to kings in some places today. Megan Markle, the American who married Prince Harry, she said when she was about to meet his grandmother, the Queen of England for the first time, Harry asked her, “Do you know how to curtsy?” And she thought he was kidding. “But she’s your grandmother!” She was just meeting the Queen privately. Megan thought she wouldn’t have to curtsy. But she had to learn quickly!

Sometimes, worshipping God can seem different, right? There are many ways to worship. And even if you regularly worship God, when you see someone worshipping, and it’s not your tradition, not your way of worshipping, it can seem weird. There are churches where you kneel for part of the worship service, although you don’t have to if you have bad knees. If kneeling at church isn’t your tradition, it can seem awkward to put the kneeler up and down and kneel. There was a church I went to, it was Catholic and somewhat Pentecostal, where I experienced something different. The choir sang a song. After they finished, one choir member kept saying, “Thank you Jesus” over and over. Then, he went down to the floor. I wondered if he was alright. But nobody called an ambulance. He was ok. Just caught up in the excitement of God, he was slain in the spirit. The Holy Spirit had him flat on the floor!

Worshipping God means doing something that’s deeply meaningful and real to you. It’s kind of like when you watch other people worship you see their inmost feelings. It can seem like you’re watching something private: more than you feel like you should see! Worship is being very honest, not holding back, and giving worth to God. Worship is saying, God, less of me, and more of you.

What we have with these magi is some guys who are very caught up in joy at having found and being able to finally worship this new king and savior. They bow and offer their expensive treasures to this new king.

We picture Jesus as a newborn baby. But scholars think Jesus was probably two years old at this point. How many of you have, or have had a two-year-old? How many of you have been around a two-year-old?

I used to judge parents with unruly 2 year olds until I had one. Before I had kids, I knew more about parenting than anybody. I’d see your 2-year-old throwing things off the high chair, pounding on the table and running away from you. I think, when I’m a parent I’ll do so much better.

But when I had a two-year-old, everything changed. I’d try to stick to the rules and do time outs. But two-year-olds wear you down! Finally, I caved in and became like those other parents: I’ll do whatever you want, give you candy, a race car. Just be quiet!

When one of our kids was 2, we left this big, industrial sized metal spoon on the kitchen table. We left Ian in the room, but not for long. He took this spoon and pounded on the kitchen table. Whack, whack, whack! It was a glass top table. He shattered it! In seconds he destroyed our table! He was only 2!

When the magi were bowing down, they were bowing down to a 2 year old! I worship you. That’s ok with the magi. They are here to worship! They are saying to this 2-year-old, less of us, and more of you!

The magi didn’t know the God of Israel when they set out on their journey to find the newborn king. But they knew life was about more. They studied the stars, and looking at them, they knew there was something bigger than them in the world, worthy of worship. They dedicated many months to a long journey. When they got to Jesus, they didn’t say, “This is just not worth it!” No, they were humble before Jesus. They bowed, they gave their gifts, and they worshipped!

They came with an attitude of, “Less of me, God, and more of you!” But I believe they did get something from coming to worship Jesus. They were part of something bigger than themselves: they saw a savior and followed a star. They focused on God, and not themselves, not on their worries and agenda. When there’s less of me and more of God, I feel better. They knew that. They gave their gifts and stored up treasures in heaven, not here on earth. They are a witness to this day that they loved God more than anything! They loved God more than the things of the world and more than the famous people of the world, like King Herod.

There’s definitely a benefit to worshipping God. The Scripture James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” We find God when we worship. We get a closer relationship with Him, when we worship. We get more peace, joy, and humility.

My challenge for you this week is to think about how you could worship God beyond church. It’s great to worship on Sunday. But think about the rest of the week. Could you look up at the stars and give God thanks? Praise God as you start the day? Thank God as you end the day? Get on your knees or bow to God in prayer?

The magi went on a long journey to worship Jesus. They didn’t come to get something from him. They came to give him their gifts, and to humbly bow in worship. They journeyed with the goal of finding the baby, give him all the glory, and to honor him with their worship. When we worship God, with the attitude, more of you, God, and less of me, it goes against culture. Why are we willing to bow down? But it’s not crazy! We actually do gain something: we grow closer to God. Worship offered the magi, and offers us, great joy and a closer walk with our Lord and Savior. Amen.