The Magi Worship

As far as the Gospel record is concerned, the Magi, the kings who came from the east, are the first ones to fall at the feet of Jesus and to worship Him. Now, I don’t doubt that the shepherds fell at His feet and worshipped Him, but the record doesn’t tell us so.

We’re looking at Matthew 2, and we’re meeting these mysterious Magi, these men who came to see the Lord Jesus Christ and to worship Him. I’ve already pointed out that they were not kings; they were Oriental priest-scientists. They were astronomers, astrologers, who studied the stars and who sought to determine the will of God as far as the world is concerned.

We don’t know how many there were; there may have been three, there may have been thirty. We don’t know. Probably there was a great train of people that travelled to Jerusalem. They would have had to have guards and food supplies because their trip would take a long time. And we don’t know their names, and we don’t know what happened to them after they left. There’s a great deal about these mysterious Magi that we do not know, but we do know this: they are an example to those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior.

Let me read the text from Matthew 2. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men, Magi, from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw 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 exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way."

Now, in what ways are these men examples to us as believers today? Well, to begin with, they were willing to obey God’s call. God spoke to them in a way that they could understand. These were men who studied the heavens. And it’s possible they knew about the Old Testament prophecy that is found in Numbers 24:17, when Balaam said that a star would arise out of Jacob. We don’t know just exactly how God convinced them of this decision, but they were willing to obey when God called.

Now, keep in mind that they could not call up their travel agent and get reservations on a jet plane. They had to get supplies together. They had to put together a train of camels and other beasts. They had to have guards to go along with them. Travelling was difficult and dangerous in those days.

I suppose that their trip would take perhaps eight months to a year, perhaps more, depending on what happened along the way. And yet, here you have men saying, "We are willing to make this trip because God has called us."

You know, the amount of love we have for the Lord is shown in the sacrifices we’re willing to make for Him. I don’t doubt that these men did not have a great deal of light when it came to spiritual things. They did not have the understanding surely that we have today because we have a completed Bible and the work of redemption has been completed.

But these men were willing to obey God’s call. They sacrificed time, and energy, and money, and effort. They risked danger. They put themselves through a great deal of discomfort to go to see the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sometimes pastors have a hard time getting folks out of their easy chairs just to make a visit. Sometimes people can’t wake up and get themselves ready even to go to church. Oh, we talk about our love for the Lord, and we talk about how much He has done for us. Well, what have we done for Him lately?

I say that these Magi in Matthew 2 are examples to us in their willingness to obey God’s call regardless of sacrifice, regardless of time, regardless of danger. And by the way, they finished what God called them to do. They got there and they worshipped the Lord Jesus.

Secondly, these men are a good example to us because they got their guidance from the Word of God. I’ve already pointed out that God began to speak to them through creation. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. The star appeared, and this is what got their attention.

They said, "Something very special is going on. It’s going to happen in Jerusalem. We’ll go to Jerusalem." That was the logical place to go. When they got to Jerusalem, they found out that that was not the place of the divine activity. The Word of God directed them to Bethlehem.

Now, I know there are those who tell us that we cannot get direct guidance from the Word of God, and I know what they’re saying. They’re saying don’t use the Word of God like a magic book, just open it someplace and point to a verse and God will show you His will. I don’t agree with that use of the Bible at all. But my wife and I in our ministry and in our married life have discovered that whenever we’ve had to make a decision, God has had some special word for us from His Word.

I can recall many years ago when I was invited to become pastor of a church. I was studying in seminary, and the church that I was a member of did not have a pastor. And so the deacons of the church had a great deal of faith and love, and they said to me, "Well, would you sort of fill in until we find someone?"

And so I did. I was happy for the experience, and they were a very loving group of people. Well, after a while they said, "Would you like to become pastor?" And that frightened me. But I can remember in my daily devotional time at seminary reading the Word of God and God speaking to me from His Word and telling me yes, this is the decision that I should make. I should accept the church.

Now down through the years, we have discovered that there’s a principle or a promise, perhaps a warning, perhaps some precept in the Word of God that God has used to guide us. I believe that God has a personal will for our lives. I believe that I am at Back to the Bible broadcast in the will of God. I believe that when I pastored the three churches I pastored, I was there in the will of God.

Had I not believed that, it would have been very, very difficult. I believe God has a direct personal will for our lives. Ephesians 2:10 tells us we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. These wise men got their guidance from the Word of God and they obeyed it.

There’s a third way in which they are a good example to us as believers: they stopped at the Lord Jesus Christ. They did not go beyond Him. They did not worship Joseph or Mary. They didn’t worship the star. When they got to Jesus Christ, they stopped there and they worshipped Him. You cannot go beyond Jesus Christ. Now, whatever means God may use to bring you to the Savior, don’t go beyond the Savior.

The Word of God warns us that when you go beyond Jesus Christ, you’re going beyond what God has for you. After all, to whom else shall we go? Our Lord Jesus in John 6 asked His disciples, "Will ye also go away?" when He saw the great crowd leaving Him.

And they answered and said, "To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." Don’t go beyond Jesus Christ. It’s not Jesus plus Moses. It’s not Jesus plus John the Baptist or some pastor or some religious leader. You simply stop at the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fourth, they worshipped Him. I would remind you now that these men represented the intelligentsia of their day. They would be looked upon in their day as we would look upon great scientists today, people who have won the Nobel Prize for science. These men were brilliant men. They studied history, they studied the stars.

True, a great deal of superstition was wrapped up in what they believed, but be that as it may, they were intelligent men who were respected for their scientific knowledge and achievement. And yet they worshipped the Lord Jesus.

I wish that science today would worship the Lord Jesus. I wish men would bring their brains, their hearts, and lay them at the feet of Jesus. After all, He’s the Creator. Everything was created by Him and for Him, and by Him all things hold together. And all of creation was made for His pleasure, not for our pleasure, but for His pleasure. And we need to use what He has given to us for His glory. They worshipped Him.

What a desperate need there is today to pause and worship God. We’re so busy. We don’t have time at the beginning of the day to meet with the Lord and worship Him. During the day we’re so frantic in our efforts to get things done, we can’t pause to worship Him, to be like Mary of Bethany and just sit at the feet of Jesus and worship Him.

What a desperate need there is today to pause and worship God. We’re so busy. We don’t have time at the beginning of the day to meet with the Lord and worship Him. During the day we’re so frantic in our efforts to get things done, we can’t pause to worship Him, to be like Mary of Bethany and just sit at the feet of Jesus and worship Him. There’s a great deal about these mysterious Magi that we do not know, but we do know this: they are an example to those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior.

A fifth item comes to my attention: they gave Him their very best. They brought gold, which is gift for a king. They brought frankincense, which is gift for a priest. And they brought myrrh, which speaks of the suffering, the bitterness of suffering, the cross.

Jesus would die on the cross as our Savior. They brought to Him gifts to express their love and their worship. By the way, this is one reason, among many others, why we receive an offering in the church. You go to God’s house and you want to present to the Lord your best.

Malachi the prophet denounced the priests of his day because they were not giving God their best. He said you’re bringing to the Lord sacrifices, animals that are blind and sick and they’re not your very best. He said take those same animals and give them to your governor as a gift, see if he’ll accept them.

Suppose you gave to your wife a gift equivalent to what you give to the Lord? Suppose you celebrate your anniversary or a birthday and you say, "Well, I’m going to give you exactly what I give the Lord." Would you be embarrassed? Would she be embarrassed? They gave their very best to the Lord.

I notice something else about these wise men: they obeyed God and not man. Herod the king was a tyrant. He was a liar and a murderer, and he was trying to get them to believe that he really wanted to worship the Lord. But they found out from God that Herod was dangerous, and therefore they obeyed God and not man.

God spoke to them and said now don’t you go back to Herod, even though he got from you a promise that you would tell him about the child. Someone said that Herod stole the throne like a fox, ruled like a tiger, and died like a dog. And that’s true.

Will Durant, the well-known historian, has said that Herod was a man with intellect without morals, ability without scruples, courage without honor. He knew every good fortune but happiness. He’d had ten wives, he’d murdered some of them, he’d murdered some of his own children. He was guilty of being a shrewd politician who would stoop to nothing to get his own way. Herod the tyrant.

You see, you and I are not obligated to obey men when men are out to disobey God. We must be very clear about God’s leading now. We mustn’t take every little twinge of conscience or guidance from our feelings as though God is telling us to be rebels. As much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men, is what the Scriptures tell us. But we ought to obey God rather than man. The fear of man brings a snare, and yet these men were not snared; they obeyed the Lord.

I notice something else about these wise men that is good for us to follow. We are told that they went to their own country another way. They did not return home the way they had planned. If they had done that, they would have had to face Herod again, and God warned them, don’t go back to Herod.

So they went home another way. I’m going to spiritualize that if I may. You know, when you meet the Lord Jesus and you bow at His feet, you’re bound to go away another way. You can’t come away the same way you went. You cannot meet the Lord Jesus Christ and be the same.

Wise men always obey the Lord and not man, and wise men are willing to go another way. I think that sometimes our Christian lives can get into a rut. Now, I know I’m spiritualizing this passage, and this is the very thing I told my ministerial students not to do when I was teaching in seminary. But I think there’s a point here to be made and it’s this: be willing for God to open up something new to you. Don’t be caught in a rut.

Let God open up some new way for you in your Sunday school class, in your family devotions, in your home, in your church, in your Christian life. Be willing to go home another way. Let God do something new for you.

I suppose one of the great lessons that we learn from these men is simply this: God’s great concern for the Gentiles. Here at the very beginning of a book written by Matthew, a Jew, about the Lord Jesus, a Jew, for Jewish readers, here at the very beginning we meet Gentiles.

In fact, you meet a couple of Gentiles in Matthew 1 where you have the genealogy of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 1:5 you have Ruth. Isn’t that interesting? Here we have Ruth all the way back at the beginning there. Ruth comes into the picture. And Rahab comes into the picture. Here are two Gentiles. Ruth was a Gentile, and Rahab, they were outsiders.

And then here in Matthew 2 we have outsiders. We have Gentile astrologers coming to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s great concern for the Gentiles. You know, when you read the four Gospels, you discover that the Jewish people did not have a concern for the Gentiles.

And here is the Lord Jesus who came, yes, for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but He also came for the Gentiles. He came to gather together the people of God into one flock, that there might be one flock and there might be one shepherd. The Word of God makes it very clear that God is going to reach out across the world.

I wonder, are you concerned about others? Is your church concerned about a whole world, or are you only concerned about your building program and your youth program and your ministry? Are you interested in reaching out to others?

From the very beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, we are taught that Jesus Christ came that he might be able to call the Gentiles to salvation. He’s interested in every tribe and nation. He’s interested in all people around the world. Yes, these men are an example to us, and may the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified as we follow this example and bow at the feet of Jesus.

Gracious Father, thank you for the meaning of the birth of our Savior. That there is salvation for all who will believe. Help us to share this good message, this good news, with the whole world. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.