Matthew 2:10-11
We know very little about the wise men, but their visit was of such significance that it has been endlessly repeated and often embellished. We have often been told that there were three of them, that they were kings and that they rode on camels and endless Christmas cards confirm the impression. But, of course, all of that is artistic licence. However, what we do know is that, however many of them there were, they presented three very significant gifts as they worshipped the baby.
The wise men brought gold, the king of metals, to recognise the kingship of Jesus. Only the best would do. When we worship the Lord, we should never think that we are coming to someone who is equal to us. He is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. When we worship, we need to go out of our way to acknowledge his greatness and to do so with the conviction that only the best will do. A casual approach might be ideal if we were meeting with another human being, but not when we are bringing our worship to Jesus our Lord.
Frankincense was a gift for a priest. The Latin word for priest is pontifex, which literally means ‘bridge builder’. That perfectly describes what Jesus would do. Because he was fully human and fully God, he was able to do what no one else could do and form a bridge between humankind and God.


Myrrh was a gift for someone who was going to die. It was used for embalming dead bodies. It might seem strange to introduce the subject of death when you are worshipping a baby, but this was supremely the reason why Jesus came to this earth. Only through his death on the cross could he defeat the power of sin and death.
The wise men brought precisely the right gifts. They must have been the result of long study and reflection. Their act of worship is a helpful challenge to the worship that we bring. We dare not come thoughtlessly or hastily to worship. We need to ensure that we bring our best, to the one who only ever gave his best to us.




QUESTION
In what ways do the wise men’s gifts challenge your own worship?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for the privilege of worship. Help me always to bring my best to you. Amen

Released on 7 Jan 2023