Scripture reading: Jeremiah 31:7-14.

Sermon text: Matthew 2:1-12.

The more I age, and the longer I study the Scriptures, the more I begin to understand the importance of worship.

Most of us have traveled a short distance to worship God at New Hope today. Only a few of us crossed any political boundaries larger than a county line (usually defined by a change in the quality of the road work). A few of us could have walked to church today. Still, we’ve come here because we know something within us tells us we need to worship the Lord our God. Just as importantly, something tells us we need to worship Him with other believers. Yes, I know we can worship God anywhere, and we should. However, you’ll find nothing in the New Testament that absolves us from the duty and privilege of corporate worship.

Today’s sermon text opens a brief window into a journey that stretched over 1,000 miles. Depending on the origin of their trip, the Wise Men could have traveled over 1,200 miles to Bethlehem. In the process, this group of travelers crossed boundaries between hostile empires and visited exotic cities. The group likely visited centers of great learning along the way. They then stood before one of the most paranoid and psychotic rulers ever to appear in history and didn’t flinch as they asked him the location of the true King. Then, the travelers — the same men who had stood up to King Herod — threw themselves on their faces before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords: The infant Jesus.

St. Matthew gives us the only record of this event. St. Matthew opened with the appearance of “wise men from the east” who entered Jerusalem, journeyed straight to the palace of King Herod, and asked him directly:  “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

We’ve read this story so many times we forget the implications of this request. We must recall that Herod had maintained a grip on power for nearly 40 years by this point. His health was failing, but even in this weakened state, Herod fought to keep his throne. Herod executed his oldest son, Antipater, only days before his own death. (In total, Herod executed 1 wife, a grandfather-in-law, a brother-in-law, and at least 3 sons when he thought they threatened his grip on the throne.) Herod knew the Jews resented his claim to the throne, especially since he was Idumean (Edomite) by ancestry and not Jewish.

Still, Herod ruled rather wisely overall. The kingdom benefited from a period of peace that contrasted with the last tumultuous days of the Hasmonean family’s civil wars. Herod rebuilt the Jewish Temple, and unlike the Roman rulers, Herod made no pretense to divinity.

Yet, Herod realized his overall unpopularity with the Jews. Now, these Persian magi appeared before him and demanded to know the location of the “king of the Jews.” Even worse for Herod, the magi implicated that a supernatural event (“His star”) had announced His birth. Then, to make the situation even worse, the magi claimed they intended to “worship Him.” This last statement doesn’t bother us because of its familiarity in the story. However, it really bothered Herod, because he knew the magi were of the priestly caste of ancient Persia. The magi didn’t worship humans. The “king” the magi sought, therefore, held a status Herod could never claim.

Given Herod’s proclivity toward violence to hold his power, you can understand Jerusalem’s “troubled” state. When Herod felt threatened, people died. The status of the magi saved them from Herod’s paranoia, but the Jewish leadership wondered who would travel to the execution site to allay Herod’s fears.

Once the Jewish leaders informed Herod of the prophets’ identification of the Messiah’s birthplace, Herod spoke “in secret” to the magi and told them to go to Bethlehem: “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

Having received this information, the wise men left Jerusalem and followed the “star” to Bethlehem. I don’t know your familiarity with astronomy. Astronomy fascinates me, so I’ve managed to read a bit on the subject. I don’t know everything about it, but I know that stars don’t stop when someone enters a city and then move south when he leaves. Stars don’t stop in place over a site, either — unless their Creator decrees it.

When the wise men went into the house, “they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” This phrase tells us a great deal about the participants in this event. We’ll begin with the wise men.

The wise men represented the priests of Zoroastrianism, the monotheistic religion of ancient Persia. Like most theologians, the magi would have read the holy texts of other religions. The magi of ancient Persia also spent a great deal of time studying the stars for signs of the future. Something in the sighting of that specific star moved these men to go beyond a simple recognition that something had occurred in the kingdom of Judea; they had to travel to see what the star represented.

The magi didn’t believe in the Hebrew God; they worshiped Ahura Mazda, the god of Zoroastrianism. However, the magi would have had access to the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament) because of the Jewish presence in Persia. When the wise men saw the Child, they recognized the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecies they had studied. They recognized this Child as more than a human prince; they saw in Him the God of Israel.

We also need to examine what this account tells us about Jesus, the Child. This small Child, no older than 2 at the most, would seem a most unlikely object of worship. However, look again at the statements of the wise men: “king of the Jews;” “come to worship Him.” St. Matthew — a Jew, by the way — opened his Gospel with a genealogy that traced Jesus’ ancestry to David, the prototypical king of Israel. The prophets of Israel had foretold that a Descendant of David would establish an eternal kingdom (cf. Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 9:6-7; Zechariah 9:9-10). The wise men recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of these prophecies; they knew He would reestablish the kingdom of David.

This Child would do more than reestablish a human kingdom. The Jews of the first century A.D. expected a king who would elevate their nation above all the Gentiles and bring holy judgment on all the nations that had oppressed them for centuries. Somehow, they missed the prophecies that revealed a larger purpose to His kingdom.

Jesus proved a most unlikely king, primarily because He came to conquer the true oppressors of Jews and hated Gentiles alike. Jesus refused to take on the Romans. Instead, Jesus suffered crucifixion at the hand of the Jewish leadership and the Romans. His followers buried Him in a borrowed tomb. Then, 3 days after His death, Jesus rose again from the dead, in the process defeating humanity’s greatest enemies: Sin and death.

The wise men didn’t know what Jesus would do in the future. The wise men didn’t know that Jesus had come to die for them, to free them from death. Still, they worshiped Him anyway.

Today, we know what Jesus did; we know the results of His resurrection, and we know the testimony of the ones who witnessed the resurrection. Given what we know, shouldn’t we worship Jesus with even more joy than the wise men demonstrated?

Since we have experienced the spiritual birth of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent into the world following His ascension, we should demonstrate more commitment to worship and praise than the wise men. True worship doesn’t begin with our arrival at the sanctuary; worship should infuse every moment of our lives. This year, I challenge you to begin each day with a time of worship. Praise God for giving you another day; praise Jesus for His resurrection; praise the Holy Spirit (yes, He, too, deserves your worship) for His guidance in your life. Then, look for times in the day when you can worship with a quiet prayer of praise and thanksgiving for the blessings you’ve received to that point of the day.

We should also demonstrate more commitment in our worship attendance for this year. These men and their entourage journeyed for months to worship Jesus. Their example should challenge us to a renewed commitment to worship attendance. If the wise men can overcome the trials they faced to worship Jesus, we can certainly commit ourselves to worship Jesus more consistently. Sunday should never bring the question of whether you should attend worship; the blessings you’ve received during the week should make worship attendance a given.

I would also like to issue one more challenge. Most of us have no problem with attending worship once a week. Our congregation also meets weekly for prayer, fellowship, and for study. As you worship each day, don’t be surprised if you want to spend more time in corporate worship and fellowship with believers. We can meet that need here at New Hope. We’d love for you to join us on Sunday evenings and Wednesday nights for prayer, fellowship, and study of God’s word.

The King of Kings has come; He has died for you, and He has risen from the dead to give victory to everyone who confesses Him as Lord and believes in His resurrection. He deserves your loyalty; He deserves your worship. Come and adore Him; worship the King.