The Magi were following the star, and the star did
not fail them, ”the star they had seen in the east went
ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.”[1] It was not a fixed object in the sky, but
moved. It was not shining during the day, but as all stars do, it shined in the
dark. It went ahead of them, allowing them to travel in the cool of the night
and leading them to the very house they sought, “On coming to the house, they saw the
child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.”[2]
That this is a period of
time after Christ’s birth is clear – Mary and her child are now in a house
instead of a stable. That it wasn’t long after Christ’s birth is also clear –
Joseph and Mary had started their journey in Nazareth (see Luke 2:4), but they
are still in Bethlehem. Whose house they are at we are not told. We are
however, told that the Magi found it by God’s miraculous grace to them. We are
also party to what they did when they saw Mary and Jesus. They bowed down, and
worshipped Him. They had come to God’s elect – the real king of God’s people.
Recognizing that, they humble themselves by bowing down, and they lift up their
souls in worship of Him.
This is the first time in
Scripture we read of anyone worshipping Jesus. One would’ve thought that Jesus’
first worshippers would be from His own people group – the Jews. But they are not– they are men from the east.
The fact that the worshippers are Gentile is highly significant. Jesus is – as
Don Richardson once pointed out – a Messiah for all people, not only the Jewish
nation. Exactly how many nations the Magi represented is unknown, for we are
never told specifically that they are all from the same ethnic region, nor are
we even told how many of them there were. Everyone only assumes it was three
because of the three different types of gifts mentioned in verse 11. It matters
not. He was promised long before the Hebrew nation was even founded (see Gen
3:9, 16). He was spoken about as a light for all nations hundreds of years
before His physical entry on the world stage (see Ps 2). Now here He is – and a
light actually guided them to His birthplace!
One thing is sure. Jesus is
worthy of worship from all people. Even before He dies on a cross, even before
He completes His ministry, even before He speaks a single word. He is God’s own Son. Born into our world to welcome
all – from every people group – to become God’s children!
· Jesus was born
for you, wherever you are from, no matter your ethnicity. Bow before Him, and
worship!
· In light of
Christ’s worthiness to be worshipped by all, how will you represent Him to
those different than yourself today?
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