Day 4 — Wise Men Worship

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

— Matthew 2:10–11 (BSB)

Far away in the east, some very wise and learned men, called Magi, noticed a special star in the sky. They believed it meant a great King had been born. So they packed up and began a long journey, probably hundreds of miles, to find Him.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they asked, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Wicked King Herod heard about it and got very worried. He didn’t want anyone else to be king!

But the Magi kept searching. The star went ahead of them and stopped over the place where Jesus was. By now, Jesus was no longer a newborn in a manger. He was a young child living in a house with Mary and Joseph.

Look at how the wise men reacted: “They rejoiced with great delight.” They had traveled so far, and at last they found Him! Then these important, educated men did something amazing. They “fell down and worshiped Him.” They bowed low before a little child, because they knew He was the King.

Then they gave Him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were expensive, precious gifts. Many Christians have seen special meaning in them. Gold is a gift for a king. Frankincense was burned in worship to God. Myrrh was used when someone died. Together, they point to who Jesus is: the King, God Himself, and the Savior who would die for us.

The wise men teach us three things about following Jesus:

Seek Him. They didn’t give up until they found Him.

Worship Him. They knew He deserved to be honored.

Give Him your best. They didn’t bring leftovers. They brought treasure.

You probably don’t have gold to give Jesus. But you can give Him something even more precious: your heart, your time and your whole life.

Think about it: What is the best thing you could give to Jesus?

Try this: Think of one “treasure” you can give Jesus today: your time, your kindness, a talent, or something you own that could help someone else. Then give it.

Dear Jesus, You are the King, and You deserve my worship. Like the wise men, help me seek You until I find You. Help me give You my very best, not my leftovers. I give You my heart today. In Your name, Amen.