Worship Him
“And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, ‘Go and make
careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I
too may come and worship Him’” (Matthew 2:8)
Do you worship Christ the King? The word for “worship”
in Matthew 2:8, is a form of the Greek “proskuneo,”
which literally is “kiss towards,” carrying the
meaning of respect and reverence. King Herod “the Great” was speaking to a group
of “magi,” at the moment of our verse today in
Matthew. They were a group of scholars from the “East,”
which likely was Persia or the area of Babylon, in what is now Iraq. The wise
men of Babylon and subsequently the Persians and Medes had been strongly
influenced by Daniel, centuries before, a man who was God’s prophet and a
somewhat reluctant, but very effective politician in the Court of King
Nebuchadnezzar and his successors.
King Herod of Judea got as much information out of the “wise
men” as he could, and “sent them to Bethlehem,”
saying, “‘Go and make careful search for the Child; and
when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him’”
(Matthew 2:8). We know from historical accounts of Herod’s life that he was
unlikely to worship anybody or anything other than himself, and his subsequent
actions proved the historical records to be true. He was a clever man with
leadership abilities, but he was also evil and misused the gifts that God had
given him. Soon he would attempt to murder the very Child they were discussing
(Matthew 2:16). His statement about “worship” was a
lie.
There are those who complain about Christmas, telling us that the true date
of the birth of Christ was likely in August or September; and that the
beginnings of much the trappings and trimmings that we call “Christmas” are
“pagan” in nature. Surprisingly, many such criticisms are true - but they who
criticize miss the point.
As reported in a “USA Weekend” article of “December 16-18, 2005,” the true
origins of a great deal of the trimmings of “Christmas” have nothing to do with
our Savior, Jesus Christ. For instance, Christmas trees “appeared
in Medieval Germany,” they say, indicating that such trees were from a “Feast
of Adam and Eve,” featuring “an evergreen decorated
with apples.” Actually, I think the custom of trees at Christmas is much
older than the Middle Ages, stemming from before a time when Emperor
Constantine’s Roman Legions would surround a Germanic town and offer the
inhabitants an option: they could either surrender to Rome and convert to
Christianity – or die! Obviously, most surrendered and converted, but they were
not changed inside. They took the outward trappings of Christianity, but many
did not worship the Christ; they simply added Christianity to the customs
already in effect.
The article continued with information about “Sinterklaas,”
Dutch for St. Nicholas, which is the origin of the name, Santa Claus. They say
“Santa Claus” is based on the Norse “god” Odin, who purportedly rode through the
winter skies on an eight-legged horse, bringing gifts to the needy. Mistletoe
and wreaths were also mentioned in the article, concluding that most of what we
call “Christmas” has nothing whatsoever to do with the Christ who is named in
that special day. In much of the Western world, many urge that we stop saying
“Merry Christmas,” substituting “Happy Holidays” in its place. “Merry
Christmas,” it is said, offends those who do not believe in Christ. I’m sure it
does.
There has always been a strong, supernatural attempt to usurp that which is
of God and replace it with counterfeits. There are beings who operate through
people like King Herod of long ago, and they want us to forget the Lord God,
Maker of heaven and of earth, and be entertained by mere substitutes. Actually,
Herod’s concern was that ANOTHER king might have been born, and that King would
usurp his own power. Indeed He would. The whole POINT of Christ’s advent on this
earth was that we would at last stop living merely for ourselves in our own
strength and turn to the God who loves us. We are to be given His love, a
contagious way of learning what’s important in life, enabling us to love Him in
return for what He has done, and to finally love one another. Herod the “great”
has been dead for centuries and it is certain that no good thing has come from
or to him since that time. “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) and He is so close to you
right now that a prayer will bring you into His presence and His love.
After the magi, the “wise men,” left Herod, “the
star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood
over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with
exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young
Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him…” (Matthew
2:9-11). King Herod, in an extremely local context, was an important man. People
deferred to him and he liked it. The magi were also important within their own
life situation. The difference was that Herod wanted no rivals, determining he
would continue the illusion that he was supreme. The magi correctly saw they
were only people and that whatever gifts they had in life were given to them by
God. We need to see that truth also.
The wise men demonstrated their willingness to serve the living God, by what
they did next. They “fell down and worshiped Him. And when
they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold,
frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). It’s time to be like them,
recognizing that God has given us our bodies, our minds, parentage, our
situation in life – ALL is from Him, and we should be drawn to worship and give
in return.
That’s the real reason why gifts are given at Christmas: to honor the God who
has given us everything, by giving in His Name to those who are in need. The “star”
placed on the Christmas tree is a remembrance of the time when the wise men
followed a star and came to see the Child who would be the Savior of the world.
What that “star” was, we really do not know, but we
should understand that the Lord is leading US as well. Just as surely as He led
them to Christ, He is leading you and me to His Son right now.
I don’t know about your origins, but in my boyhood home, we did not pray very
often. However, at Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving, my father prayed at the
dinner table, thanking God for our food. Prayer has always been a great
opportunity for good that has been given to us all. We should be grateful for
any time we have the occasion to pray, and THANK the God who has given
everything to you and me. Let’s pray:
Father, You have sent Your Son to be the Savior of this world. Thank You,
Lord. Forgive me for not praying more often. I give up living for myself and
worship You right now. I am Yours, Lord. Thank You that You are mine. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
