Christmas | The Supporting Cast

Part 4: The Magi: Sacrifice and Investment

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Summary

The Magi traveled over 1,600 miles to be with Jesus. Their joy, generosity, and sacrifice still inspire us today. The Magi realized that even though they were wealthy in a worldly sense, they knew there was still more to life. They longed to experience what God was doing in the world. In the process of meeting Jesus, they worshiped Him. We are the supporting cast today. Will we meet and worship Jesus this Christmas? Will we bring Him our best? O, come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

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We Saw the Star…

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2

In this passage, here's how the series of events went:

  1. The Magi saw the star.
  2. They found out where Jesus was, and they went.
  3. They worshiped.

They saw, they went, and they worshiped. We don't read of them making excuses for why they can't go. We don't read of them waiting until they finished what they were doing. We don't even read of them stopping and hesitating at all. They simply saw and went.

That begs the question: when we see Jesus, when we meet Him, will our response be to simply go and worship? Will we stop and listen to what Jesus is calling us to? Will we rest in His faithfulness and praise Him for all that He is? This Christmas, make it all about Jesus. Make it all about how our lives can reflect and praise Him. And that starts with us remembering what this season is all about. 

What the Bible Says in Matthew 2

As many of us probably know or have heard before, in Christmas carols or from growing up in the church, Jesus was born in a little town called Bethlehem, and this was to fulfill what was prophesied of in the Scriptures. Jesus was born, then a star appeared above where he was born – and this was how the Magi were able to know where the one “born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-2) would be located. 

The Magi would be one of two groups that came to visit Him: the Magi and the Shepherds. It wasn’t the religious leaders of the day who showed up to see Jesus; it was two groups that most would not guess would be the ones who would be first to worship Him, to see Him, and to witness a miracle, the promise fulfilled. And that was the first thing they did when they saw Him: they worshipped. They saw the king, the Messiah, and all they wanted to do was to worship. Along with that, they provided gifts for Him – gifts that they had brought on their long journey. Each gift that they brought, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, indicated the type of Messiah that Jesus was. Gold is intended for a king; frankincense for a priest; myrrh for a death. Our Jesus was the king, He was our great High Priest, and He was our sacrificial lamb who died a sinner’s death for us.

The Magi traveled over 1,600 miles to be with Jesus, to simply rest at His feet and worship. The joy, sacrifice, and generosity that they showed was something that should inspire and challenge us even today. Though these Magi were wealthy from a worldly standpoint, they realized that there was much, much more to life, and His name is Jesus. They longed to see the Savior and to experience what God was doing through Him and in the world. 

What gift will you bring to Jesus this Christmas?

Let’s admit it: sometimes we get caught up in things that simply don’t matter long-term. We get frustrated with our routines being interrupted, we get upset by a comment said, we get angry at the morning traffic. Sure, those things can cause disturbances in our day, but sometimes those things can take our attention away from seeing what’s really happening right in front of us – from what God is doing right here, right now.

What if the Magi had done that? What if there eyes were down, looking at the issues of their day, rather than looking up and noticing the star? What if they had waited when they did see the star, thinking that their plans were more important than going and seeing Jesus?

That gives us a little perspective, right? The Magi had their minds set on the things that mattered most in life, and that’s why they were ready and willing to go when they saw the star. Their chief aim was to find the Savior and worship Him. They wanted to see the Scriptures be fulfilled, and they trusted that God was leading them where they needed to go.

So, like the Magi, will we meet and worship Jesus this Christmas? Will we bring Him our best? Our King Jesus, our Promised Savior, our Messiah deserves our worship and our attention. Let’s make today, and each day to come, all about Him.

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