Let Us Worship the King

Matthew 2:1-12
December 25, 2020
Abraham Hong

Sermon Script

Praise be to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we wait for his return, Jesus loves us and he helps us to remember him. He wants us to remember who he is and what he has done for us. And so that is why we have the Bible. That is why we have the opening chapters of the book of Matthew.

In the genealogy of our Lord, we see that he is the one who was promised to us throughout the generations. He is called Christ, the Anointed One. In the story about his birth, about his incarnation, we learn that he came to save us from our sins and that he came to be with us. He is called Jesus. His name is Immanuel. And here in today’s passage, we rejoice in knowing that he is our king. A king who is our ruler and shepherd. A king whom we worship.

Dear Highland, as you wait for Jesus’ return, do you look like a wise person who serves and worships the King? When you go through each and every month of December, do you look like a pilgrim traveler who is happy to have the King? I hope so. Christian life is really not that complicated. Today’s passage in the book of Matthew is a wonderful gift for us as we wait for Jesus’ return.

Let us look at the beautiful story of the wise men who came to worship Jesus. These men were people from lands far away. They were not Jews. But they knew about the birth of Jesus. They saw the supernatural rising of a star. Perhaps they were aware of the Old Testament and the prophecy in Numbers 24:17, which says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel….” They were, after all, scholars and counselors who dedicated their lives to knowledge and truth. We don’t know for sure. But what we do know is that they walked toward Jesus. They searched for their King. Their ruler. Their shepherd. They wanted to worship Jesus. They wanted salvation.

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ. With his star, Jesus led the wise men to him. Jesus shepherded these men from the east. They were not Jewish. They were, in the eyes of the Jews, outsiders. But the Lord is King over all the nations. His banqueting table is very big. He loved these wise men. He loved them well before they packed up their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh and set off to find him. And his rule and his shepherding is for them. This is who our King is. What a beautiful story.

Sadly, not everyone accepted Jesus’ invitation to come to him. The wise men came to the city of Jerusalem and asked Herod where they could find the King of the Jews. The awkward thing was that Herod was the king of the Jews at the time. You can imagine how troubled he was to hear that kind of question from the wise men. But he should have known about Jesus. All of the chief priests and scribes knew about the prophecy that the King would be born in Bethlehem. And Herod should have known. Herod should have done the same as the wise men. Herod was not the ultimate king. Jesus was. But Herod was not a wise man. Instead, Herod secretly plotted to kill Jesus. He lied when he said that he wanted to worship like the wise men would. This is so sad. Why would anyone want to go against the King who would live and die for sinners? Herod rejected Jesus’ invitation of salvation. Herod rebelled against his King.

Dear Highland, let us for a moment examine ourselves with a sober heart and mind. If you were to take your life and write it all down as a story in a book, would there be a king in it? And if there is, then who is that king? Is that king actually you? Are you like another Herod? Or is that king Jesus and Jesus alone? Are you spending your life waiting for the King? Or are you living your life without him? This passage shows us a clear contrast between the wise men and Herod. This passage teaches us what is looks like to be wise.

The wise men in this story were probably very old. But they had child-like faith. They just wanted to let Jesus know that he was the best and that he meant everything to them. They just wanted to see him. They just wanted to be happy with him. They just wanted to give their treasures to him. They just wanted to worship him.

But I’m sure they were not the only ones who had joy. I’m sure that Mary had joy. I’m sure that Joseph had joy. And I’m sure that our Lord Jesus Christ had joy too. He was just a little baby or toddler when the wise men saw him. And few things are better than seeing a little baby or toddler smile at you. There is nothing better than having the King smile before you. Because of you. It was Jesus’ joy to live and then die and then rise again for these wise men. The greatest joy was his. For according to Hebrews 12:2, there was a joy that was set before Jesus. And for this joy that was set before him, he endured the cross. Herod failed to kill Jesus here in Matthew 2. But that is because Jesus was not supposed to die until Matthew 27. Jesus’ suffering and humiliation and blood and death was real. But it was all for the sake of his love for us. Highland, you are his joy. The church is Jesus’ great joy. He rejoices exceedingly with great joy because of you. This is who your King is. A King who suffered and died with great joy for you. A King who smiles upon you now. This is who your King is. Gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh? They are nothing compared to the gifts that we receive from the Lord: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the new heavens and new earth, and a face-to-face fellowship with him. This is who your King is.

And as we wait for him, he rules us by his grace. He shepherds us with his love. As our rulers, he has conquered sin and death and the devil. As our shepherd, he laid down his life for us, his sheep. As our ruler, he sovereignly controls all things in our lives. As our shepherd, he guides us home. As our ruler, he belongs to us and we belong to him. As our shepherd, he know us and cares for us. As our ruler, he protects us. As our shepherd, he is patient with us. This is what our King does.

Let us therefore wait well. Let us wait well each and every December. Let us wait well as we look forward to the end of this pandemic. Let us wait well as we suffer, as we study and work, as we raise our kids, as we weep, as we fight sin, as we grow old, as we travel to our final home. You have a King. You can do this. You must do this. Let us worship the King.

Soli Deo Gloria