Matthew 2:7-10
7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
To set the stage, King Jesus has been born in the town of Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary have settled in with their newborn gift from God, the gift of salvation for the world, the Messiah, God in flesh, Emmanuel. Almost two years have past now as we come to our scripture today. Here, we see two different types of people, with two different motives, searching for the same thing, King Jesus.
The first seeker we find is Herod, appointed king of the Jews under Roman authority. The second is the wise men from the far east. There are many discussions on exactly who these “wise men” were and where they journeyed from, possible Babylon, which would have them traveling some 800 plus miles in search for “the one who has been born King of the Jews.”
In Matthews account, we see in chapter 2 these seekers coming together. The wise men from the east announce their purpose for coming, “We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” The wise men were seeking Jesus with pure motives of worship and rejoiceful hearts. In our focal passage today, we see Herod’s scheme to seek out this child, not with the motive to worship, but to eliminate this threat to his title and his power. Finally in verse 9-10 we see the wise men find the messiah and bow before him with worship and great joy.
When we celebrate Christmas, so many times our lives are flooded with different motivations to bring us great joy. Maybe it could be the anticipation of decorating our homes with hanging lights and tinsel, or the preparation for great family meals and our homes filled with the smells of the holiday. Maybe it is the excitement that giving and receiving gifts can bring. Ultimately, our true “great joy” should come from the motivation to worship our Messiah, Emmanuel... our Savior and Redeemer, King Jesus.
- What brings you “great joy” as we come to the Christmas season?
- When you set out to prepare for Christmas, is King Jesus the center of your search for that “great joy”?