Where is the King? – Week of January 5, 2026
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
Where is the King?
My dad and I used to go deer hunting in Mason County, Texas. We stayed on a ranch far away from any city. I remember getting up in the middle of the night to look at the stars, and I thought, “Aha! This is where they wrote the song that says, ‘The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas!” The stars were brilliant and countless as the sky stretched on for miles above the ranch.
I wonder what the night sky looked like to the Magi (sometimes called “the wise men”) when they traveled to find Jesus. How long had they been studying the sky and stars? Were they waiting long for a special sign? We don’t know how God allowed the Magi to know that the star was the key to finding our Savior, but they knew that the star was special and that it would lead them to the Savior. So, they wanted to go and worship the King.
What king do we worship? Do we worship our spouse and children and make family a higher priority than God? Do we worship ourselves and chase money or status in order to think that we are in control? When we act like we or our families are more important than Jesus, we are not worshiping the one who is really King.
The Magi show us some godly ways to worship Jesus as the King. To show their love and respect, they brought exquisite gifts to Jesus, such as gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
We don’t bring Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but we can offer the best of ourselves to our Savior. We give our gift of time when we volunteer for efforts in our church and school that will help reach others with God’s Word. We give our talents when we share a hobby in a classroom or at an event, or a talent that can beautify our worship services. And we give our money to support ministry in our church, school, and world.
The next time you look up at the stars, remember that special star long ago. Remember our King, and the promises he fulfilled. God saved us from our biggest problem of all when he sent that tiny baby in a manger. We thank God for this gift!
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you for the beautiful stars that you made, including the special star that you made to show the Magi to the Savior. As we remember the birth of Jesus, we also remember our need for a Savior and how you provided for our greatest need by sending him to die in our place. Help us to worship our true King by living lives of service to him. Amen.
