Scripture:

Matthew 2:11

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

They Worshiped Him

While I think the Christmas story is beautiful, its telling may miss the details the Bible reveals.  You have heard the saying "There is more to the story."   Well, when you dig into the word of God, you will see there is always more to the story.   Today, in our portion, you might miss the connection to this mysterious group of wise men from the east and their connection to Daniel, Sadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and their potential influence on the wise men of the east. We know from their response to King Herod that they are quoting a prophecy from Micah 2, which means they had been taught the Scriptures.  But today let's focus on the gifts and what they mean; why these gifts? Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh?

• 
  Gold: Traditional gift presented to kings and monarchs. Offering gold recognized Jesus as the King of the Kings, ruler over all creation.
• 
  Frankincense: This fragrant gum resin was burned by priests in the holy temple as an offering to God. It symbolized divinity, prayer, and Jesus' role as our high priest who bridges the gap between God and humanity.
• 
  Myrrh: This bitter spice was commonly used for medicinal purposes and, most notably, for embalming bodies before burial. It foreshadowed the suffering and death that Jesus would endure to pay for human sin.

The Connection:

• Portrait of Jesus: Together, the three gifts present a complete picture of the Gospel. They declare that the baby in the manger: 
• King of Kings 
• God with Us
• Suffering Savior

Today our God-Shot is more of an act of surrender.   Let me explain: Just as the wise men brought their most valuable treasures to lay at the feet of Jesus, we too should WORSHIP HIM all our days, offering the best of our hearts, resources, and lives to Him.  

Our Greatest Gifts:

• Our Pursuit
• Our Life
• Our Hearts

His gift is priceless (gold)

His ministry is mighty (frankincense)

His sacrifice paid it all (myrrh) 

Wise men still seek Him...

Q: Will you worship Him with all that is within you? Will you bring your gifts before Him, your heart, your resources, your life?

Father, I pray we never drift from our pursuit of you, that all of our days we seek to know you, to understand your word, to apply it to our lives, to be transformed by it.  I pray that, like the wise men of that day, we would not stop until we find you, and that our goal would always be to lay our best before you, the best of our hearts, our resources, our lives.