January 4, 2022

There's Only One Right Response to The King: Worship

Matthew 2

Lori Stewart
Tuesday's Devo

January 4, 2022

Tuesday's Devo

January 4, 2022

Central Truth

The promised Messiah is here. 

Key Verse | Matthew 2:6

"And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel."

Matthew 2

The Visit of the Wise Men

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men 1 2:1 Greek magi; also verses 7, 16 from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose 2 2:2 Or in the east; also verse 9 and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

The Flight to Egypt

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Herod Kills the Children

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18  “A voice was heard in Ramah,
    weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

The Return to Nazareth

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Footnotes

[1] 2:1 Greek magi; also verses 7, 16
[2] 2:2 Or in the east; also verse 9

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Dive Deeper | Matthew 2

The Magi knew. They saw His star, and they came to worship. They traveled far. It doesn't say how far, but "we saw his star in the east" indicates far.

Traveling to worship looks different for me. Geography isn't a factor. It's my heart. At times, my heart is far away because I'm annoyed at the traffic, bothered by a co-worker's actions that I'm still hanging on to, or I'm simply "too tired."

Herod knew, too. He was threatened by this King of the Jews. Herod liked his own status, and he wasn't going to be overthrown. He devised a plan to get rid of the threat. His plans wouldn't succeed. The Magi took note of their dream and obeyed instruction. If you research Herod, you'll find he was beyond prideful. He was what we'd call a narcissist. I'm not sure I'd kill someone to take out the competition, but the Lord has convicted me of how I have previously spoken ill of someone to make myself feel better.

Herod was furious and unleashed his fury on the infant children of Israel, fulfilling another prophecy. Yet Jesus was protected. Joseph paid attention to a dream and followed instruction. And after Herod died, Joseph again paid attention to a dream and heeded the warning, fulfilling yet another prophecy. I haven't been spoken to in a dream (that I'm aware of). I do read my Bible, though. I know that when I let God's Word into my heart and mind and follow His words, then I and the people around me are protected because my words are used for "building up" and not "tearing down."

Discussion Questions

1. How far am I willing to travel (to change my heart and thoughts) to worship Christ?

2. How am I doing at following God's instructions and letting Jesus shepherd my heart?

3. How are we doing at Watermark in using our words for "building up" and not "tearing down"?