HONORING SALVATION

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Matthew 2:7-11

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It had been a long journey for the Magi as they sought the long predicted Messiah, the one who had been said would be the King of the Jews. They had followed a star as they traveled from east to west, finally reaching Jerusalem, the place where the new royalty would most likely be.

As we saw in yesterday’s devotion, the men inquired throughout the city as to where they might find the newborn King of the Jews, unknowing that no one would understand what they were asking about. You see, no one in Jerusalem would have knowledge that Jesus had been born just to the south of them in Bethlehem. Word spread quickly around the city and so it didn’t take long for Herod, the Roman king of Judea who ruled out of Jerusalem, to be told about the Magi’s inquiry.

Alarmed at the news of a king who may rally the Jews against the Roman oppression, Herod called all his chief priests and teachers of the law to ask them about where the Messiah was to be born. They shared with him the words of the prophet Micah who had foretold the birth to be in Bethlehem. Armed with the information, Herod summoned the Magi to meet with him as we see in today’s scripture passage:

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” (Vv. 7-8)

On the surface, Herod seemed sincere in his interest of Jesus, making it appear to the Magi that he was only interested in worshiping Him as they were. But as we will see in tomorrow’s devotion, the Roman king’s intention had nothing to do with giving adoration and reverence to the Messiah.

Meanwhile, the Magi went on their way, continuing to follow the star as it led them south of Jerusalem and right to Bethlehem where Jesus was. Look again at the remaining verses of our scripture passage for today:

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  (Vv. 9-11)

Note the Magi were overjoyed when the star came to rest over Bethlehem. Imagine if you were in their place. You had covered many, many miles with no assurance you would find the one you were looking for. You thought you had finished your search in Jerusalem only to find out you weren’t quite there yet. There was still some distance to cover.

But now, now you had made it. You would be able to see the prophecies come alive in the form of this baby who had been spoken of generations prior, the babe who was born to be the King of the Jews. Anyone would be ecstatic over that.

Now imagine Mary caring for Jesus and once again receiving strangers seeking to see her son, this time bearing gifts as they honored the one through which salvation had come. For after bowing down to worship the baby Jesus, the Magi opened up the treasures they had brought and presented the Messiah with “gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh”.

The Magi brought only their best for Jesus as they gave them their fullest respect and praise. As we seek to honor the Savior through which our salvation came, we need to follow their lead and give Jesus our all, serving Him with our very finest gifts, sacrificing for Him as He would grow up to sacrifice for us.  

Amen

In Christ,

Mark
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