What Jesus Did! 'The Blessings of Worship' — Matthew 2:11-12

Saturday, January 11, 2025

[The wise men] entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

— Matthew 2:11-12 NLT

Key Thought

While Herod tried using his knowledge of Jesus' birth to kill him, the wise men used this knowledge to find him and worship him. Their worship involved giving of themselves, their time, their treasure, and their honor. Like them, when we truly come to Jesus to worship him, we must be willing to offer our time, our treasure, our honor, and ourselves; then God reveals his will to us and uses us to bless the work of Christ.

Today's Prayer

Loving God, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, I love you and thank you for sending Jesus, my Savior and the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Please receive my heartfelt worship and praise for his worthiness and glory, and use me to advance his cause in the world. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

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20 Related Resources by Heartlight

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"[The Magi] could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child..."
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Let's imitate the magi in 2015 The wise men came seeking Jesus, to worship him and bring him gifts. Modern society has turned this event. Instead of giving gifts to Jesus, we give them to one another. Instead of looking for a king to worship, we focus our attention on one another.
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What have you come to offer Jesus? The wise men brought gifts to Jesus that reflect their respect, time, thoughtfulness, and generosity -- but what kind of gifts do we give to Jesus?
Traveling
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There's still a lot of telling to do Like the Magi of old, people today will follow the signs that lead them to Jesus.
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Illustration

Illustration of Matthew 2:11-12 NLT — [The wise men] entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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