December 20 – Wisemen
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.
5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”
9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route. Matthew 2:1-12
Wisemen (December 20)
Did you know that astronomers say this year (2020) we will see a phenomenon in the heavens that will look just like the Star of David that led the Wise Men to the Messiah? Saturn and Jupiter will align, significantly increasing their light, which will splay out in the traditional Christmas star shape. How cool is that?
This “star” can be a reminder to us to be like the wise men.
10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11
Many lessons can be learned from the actions of the wisemen. They studied the Word of God and took action on it. They looked for the work of God in their world and engaged in it. They sought after Jesus. After their encounter with the Messiah, they followed God’s leading to change their direction.
When they saw the Christ child…
But I think some of the best lessons from the wisemen come when we take a closer look at the actions of the wisemen when they meet Jesus.
1. They are filled with joy. Overwhelmed with it, in fact. They don’t focus on the smelly camels, their exhaustion from their journey, the lowly circumstances of the Promised One – no, they choose joy in the middle of it all.
2. They fall to their knees and worship Jesus. They choose to worship. The destination they were led to by the star might not have been what they were expecting, but they make the choice to believe and worship.
3. They bring their best gifts to the Son of God. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh – gifts of wealth and great value.
December 20 Devotional Action Step:
Are we choosing joy this season in the middle of exhaustion and discomfort? Are we choosing to worship the Prince of Peace even when we don’t experience what we expected? Do we bring our best to the Son of God?
Let’s choose to follow the examples of the wise men this season.
1. Choose joy.
2. Worship the King.
3. Bring your best.
Prayer:
Dear God, fill our hearts with joy and our mouths with worship at the advent of Your Son this year. Help us to give our best for Him to our family and loved ones. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Access to the other posts in this series and the free printables for this December can be found at the Series Overview page. Come join me as I pursue the peace and joy on the Savior’s birth throughout the month of December!