Why is it significant that the Magi worshiped Jesus as a child? Setting the Scene “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, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11) Prophecy Fulfilled in Real Time • Isaiah 60:6 anticipated Gentiles bringing “gold and frankincense” to Israel’s light. • Psalm 72:10-11 foretold kings bowing before the Messiah. • Numbers 24:17 promised that a star would rise out of Jacob—just what guided the Magi. When the Magi bowed, centuries-old promises were literally and visibly kept. Recognition of Deity from His Earliest Days • Worship belongs to God alone (Exodus 20:3-5). By receiving worship, the Child is declared God-in-flesh (John 1:14). • Philippians 2:10-11 pictures every knee bowing to Jesus; the Magi demonstrate the first earthly fulfillment of that eternal reality. The Gospel Reaches the Nations from the Crib • These visitors were Gentiles—outsiders—yet they were the first recorded to worship the newborn King. • Luke 2:32 calls Jesus “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” Matthew opens with foreign worshipers and closes with the command, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The mission to the nations is embedded in the birth narrative itself. Foreshadowing the Cross and Crown • Gold—royalty. • Frankincense—priestly intercession (Exodus 30:34-38). • Myrrh—burial spice, hinting at His sacrificial death (John 19:39-40). The gifts preach the gospel: King, Priest, and Sacrifice. Contrast with Herod and the Religious Elite • Herod, the reigning king, sought to kill the Child he should have honored. • The chief priests and scribes knew Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:2) yet stayed in Jerusalem. The Magi’s journey underscores that proximity to Scripture without obedience leads to hardness, while hunger for truth leads to worship. Assurance of Scripture’s Accuracy Every detail—Bethlehem, the star, the gifts, the Gentiles—matches the prophetic record, reinforcing confidence that the Bible is historically and spiritually trustworthy. Implications for Believers • Jesus is worthy of worship from the very start of His earthly life; no stage of His incarnation was “less divine.” • Worship involves tangible surrender—time, treasure, posture. • God draws seekers from every background; no one is beyond the reach of His revelation. |
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