Gifts of the Magi: Worship, Follow, and Sacrifice

Devotional

Day 1: Outsiders Welcomed, a King Revealed to the Nations

Matthew’s opening tells a story where outsiders are counted in—women and Gentiles are included, and star-watchers from a distant land come seeking a newborn King. Herod trembles, but heaven is undeterred; the promise moves forward toward Bethlehem. This is good news for anyone who has felt far, stained, or overlooked: the door is open and the light is still rising. You are not asked to impress, only to seek and to come. The King is not hiding; he is revealing himself in ways that meet you where you are. Take the step toward him today, trusting that the One who drew the magi can draw your heart home [03:40].

Matthew 2:1-6: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, travelers from the east came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is the one born King of the Jews? We saw his star rise and came to honor him.” Herod was shaken and called the chief priests and scribes to learn where the Messiah would be born. They replied, “In Bethlehem of Judea,” recalling the prophets’ promise that a ruler would come from Bethlehem to shepherd Israel.

Reflection: Where do you feel most “outside” right now, and what is one simple move you can make this week—like a prayer, a conversation, or a visit—to step toward Jesus in that very place?

Day 2: The Gifts That Preach the Gospel

The three treasures whisper a full confession about Jesus: gold for the true King, frankincense for God-with-us, myrrh for the One who would die. Their worship was not polite admiration; it was kneeling, opening, and surrendering. When Jesus is seen for who he is, giving becomes joy, not pressure. Your prayer, your song, your generosity, and your obedience can carry the same confession into your week. Let your life say, “You are my King, my God, my Savior,” and watch how joy rises as you offer him your best [04:18].

Matthew 2:9-11: The star they had seen moved ahead of them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. Seeing it, their hearts overflowed with joy. They entered the house, saw the child with Mary his mother, bowed down in worship, and opened their treasures—presenting gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Reflection: Which meaning of the gifts—King, God-with-us, or Saving Sacrifice—speaks most to your heart today, and what specific act of worship will you practice this week to reflect it?

Day 3: Born to Die, Born to Save

The child’s very name declares his mission: he came to save his people from their sins. Myrrh foretold it; the cross fulfilled it; the empty tomb announced it to the world. You do not have to clean yourself up to be received—only fall on his mercy and hope for his grace. Bring him the guilt that lingers and the patterns that bind; he knows how to break chains. Let the assurance of his saving love quiet accusation and renew courage to walk in freedom today [05:57].

Matthew 1:21-23: The messenger said, “Name him Jesus, because he will rescue his people from their sins.” All this happened to fulfill what God promised through the prophet: a virgin would bear a son, and he would be called Immanuel—God present with us.

Reflection: What is one specific sin, regret, or wound you will entrust to Jesus this week, and how will you tangibly remember his mercy—perhaps by journaling a prayer or sharing with a trusted friend?

Day 4: Following Jesus Means We Go

The wise men traveled far, and the disciples left their nets; following Jesus always involves movement. He leads from one glimpse of glory to the next, inviting trust more than comfort. Staying put in old routines cannot carry you into new obedience. Ask him where he is going in your life, and be ready to take the next faithful step. Even a small act of going—an apology, a phone call, a new rhythm of prayer—can mark a different road home with him [06:57].

Matthew 4:18-22: Walking along the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw Simon and Andrew casting a net and said, “Follow me, and I will teach you to gather people.” They left their nets at once and followed. He then called James and John, who left the boat and their father to go with him.

Reflection: Which “net” of comfort, habit, or fear is Jesus inviting you to lay down this week, and what first step will you put on your calendar to follow him?

Day 5: Offer Your Treasures—Time, Ability, Compassion, Truth

The greatest gift at Christmas is not what we bring, but who he is—yet love always gives. Your time, abilities, experience, compassion, acceptance, and stand for truth can be treasures opened before the King. As you offer them, you will find that worship spills into ordinary moments and neighbors become holy opportunities. Do not despise small offerings; given to Jesus, they carry eternal weight. Ask him whom to bless and how to bless, and go your way rejoicing by a different road of obedience [09:43].

Matthew 25:37-40: The righteous will ask, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or without clothing or sick or in prison and care for you?” The King will reply, “When you did it for the least important of my brothers and sisters, you did it for me.”

Reflection: Who is one person you can serve this week, and what concrete gift—an hour of help, a needed skill, or a word of encouragement—will you offer to honor Jesus the King?

Sermon Summary

Matthew wants us to see Jesus not as an inspirational baby but as the long-promised Messiah. That’s why he reaches back into Israel’s story and shows Gentile magi kneeling in a Jewish home. Their journey is laced with Scripture and sovereign guidance: a star, a prophecy, a troubled king, and a child who draws worship from the nations. When they arrive, they don’t give advice; they give gifts. Gold for a king. Frankincense for God. Myrrh for burial. Even at the cradle, the cross is in view. Jesus is King to be obeyed, God to be adored, and the Savior who was born to die for our sins.

The magi also teach us how to respond. They traveled far, left what was familiar, and changed their route when God redirected them. That’s what “follow” means. We can’t cling to comfortable routines and truly go where Jesus goes. The disciples left their nets; the magi left their maps. Faith is not a hobby we add to our life; it’s a path that reorders our steps, our loyalties, and our loves.

And we do have gifts to bring—not merely money, but time, abilities, experience, compassion, acceptance, and a courageous stand for truth. These become worship when they are laid down, not leveraged; offered in adoration, not used for control. The journey of faith isn’t measured by how much we know but by where obedience takes us. God keeps leading us to new vistas of his glory—Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth; shorelines to storms to mountaintops—each step inviting deeper trust. The greatest gift exchanged at Christmas is not what we hand to Jesus but who he gives to us: himself, King of the Jews, God with us, the One who saves his people from their sins. So we rise, leave our “far country,” and follow.

Key Takeaways

1. Gifts that proclaim who He is The magi’s gifts interpret the child: gold for a true King, frankincense for God’s presence, myrrh for a sacrificial death. They refuse to sentimentalize the manger; they read it through the lens of the cross. Real worship names Jesus as he is, not as we prefer him to be. Let your adoration be as specific and costly as their gifts. [64:18]
2. Following Jesus means leaving comfort The wise men traveled far and then changed course when warned—movement and surrender marked their faith. If we follow, we cannot stay where we are; discipleship unties our habits and relocates our security. Comfort is a fine servant but a terrible master. Obedience begins at the point of departure. [66:41]
3. Worship that moves us to obedience They didn’t just admire; they bowed, opened, and offered. True worship spills into choices—routes altered, schedules surrendered, resources released. If adoration costs us nothing, it may be sentiment, not worship. Reverence that changes nothing hasn’t yet touched the heart. [66:57]
4. Your gifts for the King God has woven into you time, skills, tenderness, and courage; placed on the altar, they become incense. Offered to control outcomes, they sour; offered to honor Christ, they become joy. The point is not impressing Jesus, but participating in his mission. Hold nothing back that love requires. [67:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[62:24] - Matthew’s aim: Jesus the Messiah
[62:56] - Herod’s fear and the prophecy
[63:40] - “Search diligently for the child”
[64:18] - The gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh
[65:12] - Myrrh and the shadow of the cross
[65:39] - King, Creator, God in flesh
[65:57] - Born to save from sins
[66:20] - Why the magi understood the star
[66:41] - Following means we go
[66:57] - Leaving comfort to follow Jesus
[67:31] - Disciples drop their nets
[67:59] - Journey of faith, not mere knowledge
[68:35] - Your gifts to the King
[69:04] - Prayer and invitation
[73:46] - Gratitude for the team
[74:02] - Christmas Eve invite and dismissal

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Matthew 2:1-12

Observation questions (3–4)

What three gifts did the magi bring, and what did each gift communicate about the child they found? [01:04:18]
Where did the magi go first, and how did Herod and the religious leaders respond when they heard about a newborn “King of the Jews”? [01:02:56]
How did the star guide the magi, and what did they do when it “came to rest” over the place where the child was? [01:04:18]
How did God warn the magi to avoid returning to Herod, and what practical detail does Matthew give about their response? [01:04:18]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

What does the combination of gold, frankincense, and myrrh suggest about the layered identity of Jesus as King, God, and a Savior who will suffer? [01:04:18]
How does the magi’s immediate change of route when warned help interpret the meaning of “follow” as movement and surrender rather than mere agreement? [01:06:41]
In what way does reading the manger “through the lens of the cross” reshape common sentimental pictures of Christmas and of Jesus’ infancy? [01:05:39]
What does the statement that Jesus was “born to save his people from their sins” indicate about the connection between the incarnation and the purpose of his death? [01:05:57]

Application questions (4–7)

The magi offered costly, specific gifts that named who Jesus is. What concrete gift (time, skill, money, hospitality, a difficult conversation for truth) will you lay before Jesus this week, and how will you actually give it? [01:04:18]
Following Jesus means leaving comfort and familiar routines. What one habit, place, or source of security do you need to loosen your grip on, and what is the first practical step you will take to move? [01:06:41]
True worship spills into obedience. What schedule, plan, or practical choice will you surrender in the next month as an act of worship, and who will help keep you accountable? [01:06:57]
The magi were willing to be redirected by God. When God warns or redirects you, how do you usually respond? Name one small practice (prayer, pause before deciding, ask a wise friend) you will adopt to be more open to God’s redirection. [01:06:41]
Gifts offered to control outcomes sour; gifts laid down become incense. Which gift(s) of yours are you tempted to use for control, and what would it look like to offer them instead to honor Christ and join his mission? [01:07:59]
The greatest gift at Christmas is Christ himself. Who in your life would most benefit from encountering Jesus this season, and what concrete step will you take this week to invite, serve, or speak with them about him? [01:08:35]

(Use the Bible reading as your shared text for the group. Let the observation questions anchor the passage; use the interpretation questions to help the group think through meaning; use the application questions to help each person name one concrete next step.)

Sermon Clips

``So their gift of frankincense proclaims him a deity, God.But myrrh is the strangest of all.Myrrh was used as an embalming agent for the Jewish ritual of wrapping the dead in cloth and rubbing myrrh on their body so that the stench of death could be countered by this perfume of the myrrh.It's a gift that says, this child was born to die. [01:05:08] (24 seconds) #BornToDie

A line from a song says the nets left at the shore's edge told a story that few could understand and none could explain.They left it all because Jesus said the words, follow me.But if you follow him, he'll send you on journeys.Journeys of faith that will lead you to one place where you'll behold the wonder of who God is. [01:07:17] (24 seconds) #LeftItAllForHim

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Gifts of the Magi: Worship, Follow, and Sacrifice

Devotional

Day 1: Outsiders Welcomed, a King Revealed to the Nations

Day 2: The Gifts That Preach the Gospel

Day 3: Born to Die, Born to Save

Day 4: Following Jesus Means We Go

Day 5: Offer Your Treasures—Time, Ability, Compassion, Truth

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Gifts of the Magi: Worship, Follow, and Sacrifice

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