Wise Men Worship Jesus

12/28/2025

Elijah McSwain, Sr. 

Matthew 2:1-11 NKJV — Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 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.

The Christmas season is a time of excitement, wonder, and awe, centered on a variety of festive things that stir within us a sense of delight. During this time of year, many people attend Christmas festivals, gather for family traditions, watch their favorite holiday movies, enjoy the scenery of Christmas décor, and attend church services as a way of honoring the holiday. To sum it up, as one songwriter put it, “it is the most wonderful time of the year.” It is indeed one of the most highlighted parts of our annual calendar as humanity reflects on the narrative of Jesus’ birth.

The narrative of Jesus’ birth is what should stand out to us most. His arrival was the gateway to the world’s eventual liberation and freedom through death.

Great emphasis should be placed on His entry into the world, far above worldly traditions, Christmas pursuits, and holiday festivals that seek to overshadow the true meaning of the season. Christmas is about Christ. There is no true Christmas celebration without Christ. During this season and every season of the year, it would be wise for us to seek Jesus above all else. We should possess the mentality of the wise men in Matthew Chapter 2 who sought after the One deemed as King of the Jews. The wise men were inquisitive about the biblical prophecies and news about Jesus, which moved them to behold Him with their own eyes.

Therefore, they set out on a journey from the East to Jerusalem to pay homage to the King foretold in the sacred writings of Scripture, as an act of worship. The wise men inquired about Jesus’ location as they followed the star. King Herod summoned them to find Jesus because their inquiry had caused a stir among the people. As they departed from King Herod’s presence, they came unto Bethlehem, where they beheld Jesus. From this summation, there are two essential components in understanding how Wise Men Worship Jesus. First, wise men seek Jesus for worship, and secondly, worship is offertory.

Wise Men Seek Jesus For Worship 

In verse ten and the first part of verse eleven, the star led the wise men to Bethlehem. When the wise men saw the star over the place where Jesus was, they rejoiced. As they entered the house where Jesus was, they fell down to worship Him. Verse eleven is the culmination of the wise men's desire from verse two. In verse two, upon the arrival of the wise men in Jerusalem, they inquired from the citizens, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Now, in verse ten, they saw the star and began to rejoice. In verse eleven, their rejoicing was directed toward the object of worship, Jesus. Therefore, their action of falling down to worship Him indicates this.

Adoration for Jesus was the overflowing state of the wise men’s consciousness that led to the proper response, worship.

The wise men were filled with reverence for the Child, and their reverence for Him caused them to bow down and exalt Him.

The outward actions of the wise men were determined by their inward conviction.

The wise men were convinced about Jesus; therefore, their convictions turned into worship. They were persuaded about His Person and His purpose; otherwise, they would not have worshipped Him. If they were not convinced, how could they direct worship to the One in whom they were not persuaded?

Persuasion about Christ leads to genuine worship.

Their act of bowing down indicated that the Child was the King they sought. It denoted that He was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It revealed that He was God, incarcerated (made flesh) as Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.” The very moment they experienced meant that this Child was the One who would save His people from their sins. As it relates to us today, are we seeking Jesus so that we may worship Him because we are persuaded?

As it pertains to worship, how do you approach Jesus when you come into His house? With exceedingly great joy or exceedingly great sorrow?

The manner in which a person comes to the habitation of Jesus determines their posture of worship or lack thereof.

We must maintain the proper perspective concerning Jesus because it will either hinder our worship or allow us to worship Him freely. There are valid questions that need to be considered. Are you rejoicing over God’s sign, Jesus, that was given and displayed to the world? Does mentioning Jesus bring about joy? Does the thought of Jesus stir your heart to rejoice and to worship Him? H.B. Charles, Jr., in his book entitled On Worship, said, “Proper worship requires divine revelation. You must see God as He truly is to worship Him as He deserves and demands. Your view of God is everything.” ₁

Coming face to face with the truth found in Jesus demands a response.

The only appropriate reaction that is pleasing to God is worshipping Him through the gateway of faith. The wise men were filled with great wonder about Jesus, and their worship was made manifest through the avenue of their wonder. This was contingent upon the wise men being open to receiving the truth about the King of the Jews. Is the heart of your mind open to receiving the truth about Jesus so you may worship Him? It is said that worship arises from amazement. G.K. Chesterton stated, “We are perishing for lack of wonder, not for lack of wonders.” ₂ Jesus is the manifestation of great wonders. There is no shortage of wonders performed by Him. People who lack wonder for Him don’t seek to worship Him. Barron Wilson, in a statement, alluded to the idea that a proper perspective prevents poor worship or lack of worship. ₃

When we have the proper perspective about Jesus, we will seek Him and desire to worship Him. Our worship should be grounded in the reality that Jesus is God’s gift to the world.

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV) reveals the prophetic message about Jesus. “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Let the divine revelation of Jesus be the foundation of our worship.

Psalm 95:6 (NKJV) declares, “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 29:1-2 is written “Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” When we have a high view of God, worship will spring forth from our being to lift up Jesus.

Worship Is Offertory

In the latter part of verse eleven, the wise men understood that worship was offertory. They presented their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as an act of worship. Traditionally, people assume there were three wise men based on the number of gifts, but the Bible does not specify exactly how many wise men visited Jesus. The number of wise men could very well have been a caravan of wise men. However, they elected to offer Jesus gifts. Customarily, a person would come into the presence of an eminent person or a high official of royalty, such as a king, and it was proper and fitting to bestow gifts upon them. The wise men gave these costly gifts as a way of acknowledging the kingship and eminence of Christ. Some scholars emphasize that the gifts presented to Jesus symbolized the connection between Jesus’ identity and what He was destined to accomplish by the hand of God.

Gold was a gift for royalty. Frankincense was a gift associated with the priesthood. Myrrh was a spice used to anoint a body for burial. These gifts embodied the Person, the deity, the priestly nature, and the redemptive work of Jesus.

Obviously, God placed such significant gifts upon the wise men to give unto Jesus that aligned with His life and purpose. God used these gifts from the wise men as a means of further affirming the kingship of Jesus. The yearning of the wise men to offer these gifts was no doubt the orchestration of the hand of God. Before their arrival in Jerusalem and then in Bethlehem, they left home, bearing in mind which gifts were suitable to give unto Jesus, King of the Jews. The presentation of the gifts to Jesus further affirmed their belief in His position and authority, which had been declared in their worship of Him. James Burton Coffman mentioned, “Those who worship Christ GIVE. Those who do not or will not GIVE do not worship either! True worship simply does not exist apart from sacrifice.” ₄

How relatable is the wise men’s act of giving to us today? What can we offer Jesus? We may not have gold, frankincense, and myrrh to give to Jesus, but we do have something valuable to offer unto Him. We can simply give ourselves to Him willingly and freely. We can offer Jesus our bodies, minds, souls, time, devotion, loyalty, reverence, respect, and service. This can be accomplished through the words of Romans 12:1 (ESV). “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” 1 Peter 2:5 (NKJV) reveals “you also as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Spiritual service is what we can offer to God. We can offer ourselves for His glory and exaltation.

The Lord expects our spiritual worship to be marked by a posture of submission, as we fall before Him in praise, lift Him up in reverence, and willingly magnify Him for who He is.

Like the wise men, our means of giving unto God as an act of worship must be suitable and in alignment with who He is. We must recognize that what God has given us to offer is for the King above all kings, the Ruler among rulers, the only Potentate, the Most High God, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the Promised One, and the Holy One.

Therefore, let our worship, as an offering, be given sincerely to honor the King.

Notes

1. H.B. Charles, Jr. On Worship. A Short Guide To Understanding, Participating In, And Leading Corporate Worship. 2022. Moody Publishers.

2. https://mediashout.com/inspiring-worship-quotes/

3. Barron Wilson Insert from a Statement.

4. Coffman, James Burton. “Commentary on Matthew 2:11”. “Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible”.