“We Have Come to Worship Him”
The Feast of the Epiphany: Matt 2:1–12
Introduction
Last week, we heard the troubling story of Herod’s massacre of the innocents. We heard how the king, sitting on his throne in Jerusalem, responded to the news that Israel’s true King had been born. He sacrificed the weak and vulnerable to protect his power, privilege, and position, and in doing so, he revealed what empire does when faced with the kingdom of God.
But today, we take a step back. Today’s Gospel reading actually acts as a precursor to last week’s passage. Today, we learn how Herod first discovered that the King of the Jews had been born. What we find in this passage is not just the horror of political violence—we saw that last week—but perhaps something almost, if not equally, as sinister: the use of religious language to hide political and murderous motives. Today, we see two types of worship side by side (genuine worship and false worship), and we’re prompted to ask ourselves: which kind is ours?
The Magi’s Journey: “We Have Come to Worship Him”
The story begins with these mysterious figures from the East. Matthew calls them μάγοι—magi. They’re not kings, despite what our Christmas carols say. They’re wise men, probably Persian or Babylonian astrologers and priests, skilled in reading stars and interpreting dreams. In other words, they are not the people you’d usually expect to find worshiping the King of the Jews.
But here’s what Matthew wants us to see: these Gentile astrologers, possibly influenced by the prophet Daniel, are the first people in his Gospel to worship Jesus. Before any Israelite bows the knee, before any priest, scribe, or Pharisee recognizes who this child is, foreign pagans come seeking the child.
And notice how they announce their mission:
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matt 2:2).
“We have come to worship him.” Worship isn’t just an afterthought in their journey. This visit to the Christ child isn’t something they plan to do if there’s time after running other errands in Jerusalem. Worship is the purpose. Worship is why they traveled. They saw his star, and they journeyed hundreds of miles for one reason: to fall down before the newborn King.
Matthew uses the verb προσκυνέω—to worship, to bow down, to pay homage—thirteen times in his Gospel. In contrast, Mark, Luke, and John use it only twice, three times, and six times, respectively. It’s clearly an important word for Matthew, and he places it here, at the beginning, on the lips of Gentiles who have come seeking the King of the Jews.
Herod’s Lie: Religion as Weapon
But before the magi can find Jesus, they make a disastrous mistake. They go to Jerusalem. They go to the palace and ask Herod, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”
Herod was not born as King of the Jews. He was appointed King of the Jews by the Roman Empire. Caesar Augustus placed him on the throne, and Herod kept that position through violence, paranoia, and political scheming. He murdered his own sons when he suspected them of plotting against him. He killed his favorite wife at the slightest sign of disloyalty. Just before his death, he ordered Jewish leaders imprisoned with instructions to execute them when he died, so there would be mourning in the land fitting a king’s death.
This is the man to whom the magi announce: “We’ve come to worship the one who has been born king of the Jews.”
Matthew says that Herod was troubled, and that all of Jerusalem was with him. Of course he was troubled! He’s hearing about a rival, one who is born king of the Jews!
But watch what Herod does. He doesn’t immediately send soldiers or arrest the magi. Instead, he gathers the chief priests and scribes and asks where the Messiah is to be born. They quote Micah 5:2 and answer, “Bethlehem,” and then Herod secretly calls the magi and sends them on their way with these words:
“Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him” (Matt 2:8).
“That I too may come and worship him.” Let that sink in. Herod uses the same language as the magi. He speaks of worship. He sounds pious. He appears to want to honor this newborn king. But it’s a lie. It’s worse than a lie—it’s the weaponization of religious language to hide political and murderous intent. Herod has no intention of worshiping Jesus. He intends to kill him.
This is what false worship looks like. It uses the right words, adopts the right posture, and may even fool the people nearby. But it serves a completely different master, and it will do whatever it must with Jesus to serve its own goals. Herod’s “worship” only aimed to protect his throne, keep his power, and secure his position, and it cost him nothing because it was never genuine. True worship always costs us something.
True Worship: Costly, Humble, Transforming
Now compare Herod’s false worship to what happens when the magi finally find Jesus.
The text describes how the star they saw “went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.” The star remained still; it stopped moving. Their search led to discovery. Their journey led to arrival. And when they saw the child with Mary, his mother, Matthew tells us,
“They fell down and worshiped him” (Matt 2:11).
They worshiped him. This is what authentic worship looks like. They fell down because worship demands humility. It requires us to admit that we are not the center of the universe, that our lives, kingdoms, and agendas must submit to the King of Kings.
And then Matthew adds:
Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh (Matt 2:11).
The gifts come after the worship. They flow from the worship. And notice what they bring: gold, the gift for a king; frankincense, the incense of the temple, the gift for a deity; and myrrh, the burial spice, the gift that anticipates death.
Whether the magi understood the importance of their offerings, Matthew likely did. These Gentile astrologers, in their act of worship, are foreshadowing the entire story. This child is a king—but not the kind Herod understands. This child is God in the flesh—divinity wrapped in humanity. And this child will die—the myrrh points ahead to the cross, the burial, and the tomb where his body will be laid.
From the beginning, Matthew demonstrates that the incarnation includes all of these: kingship, divinity, and suffering. The magi worship the child in the manger, but their gifts point to the one who will wear a crown of thorns, be mocked as King of the Jews, and will die, be buried, and rise again.
Genuine worship costs us something, as it did the Magi. It’s generous. It’s sacrificial. These magi didn’t bring token gifts. They opened their treasures and gave what was truly valuable. Because when you meet the true King, you can’t help but offer him everything you have.
The Warning and the Way Home
But here’s where the story gets really interesting. Matthew tells us,
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way (Matt 2:12).
God warns them. He protects them from becoming unwitting accomplices in Herod’s scheme. And they listen. They don’t go back to Herod. Instead, they go home “by another way.”
Like in the Gospel of Mark, this “way” language is significant. Jesus will later teach about the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to destruction. Here, at the start of the Gospel, we see that division taking place. The magi came one way—the way that led to Herod’s palace, to the center of power, to the place where religion and politics meet. But they return by another way. Worship has changed their course. They cannot return to Herod because worship has reoriented their entire lives.
This reorientation is always what true worship does. It transforms us, shifts the direction of our lives, and makes it impossible to go back to the powers and principalities we once served, even when those powers are masked in religious language and piety.
The Question Before Us
Here is the question this Epiphany text poses: Who does our worship resemble? Is it the worship of the magi or the pretense of Herod?
Let me be clear about this: It’s easy to use worship language while worshiping other gods. It’s easy to sing the right songs and say the right prayers when our true allegiance is to our comfort, security, political tribe, nation, wealth, or reputation. It’s easy to say, “I too will come and worship him,” when what we really mean is, “I’ll use Jesus to baptize my agenda, and if he gets in the way, I’ll do with him as I please.”
The magi show us what genuine worship requires. It requires seeking—they traveled far to find him. It requires humility—they fell down before him. It requires generosity—they opened their treasures. And it requires transformation—they went home by another way.
Herod shows us what false worship looks like. It uses religious language for political ends. It pretends piety while plotting violence. It serves power while claiming to serve God.
We live in an era where Christian language is constantly weaponized. People from all sides invoke Jesus’ name to support policies that serve their own interests and goals, with little regard for the kingdom of God. In this environment, worship has become a performance, and faith has turned into tribal identity. Especially in our own country, many Christians today are more focused on returning to Herod — that is, they are more focused on power and empire — than on finding another way home.
But God is warning us, just as he warned the magi. He’s reminding us that we can’t serve two masters. He’s calling us to genuine worship—the kind that costs us something, the kind that humbles us, the kind that changes the direction of our lives. The kind that serves Christ and his kingdom rather than the empires of this world.
The magi came to worship. And when they did, they couldn’t go back to Herod. They had to go home by another way.
I pray the same is true for us.
Amen.
Life Group Guide
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we gather together today, we ask that you open our hearts and minds to what you want to teach us through your Word. Help us to be honest about our own worship and motivations. Remove any barriers that might prevent us from hearing your voice clearly. Guide our discussion and help us to encourage one another as we seek to follow you more faithfully. We pray that our time together would draw us closer to you and to one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ice Breaker
What’s the longest distance you’ve ever traveled for something you really wanted to see or experience?
Questions
What strikes you most about the Magi’s journey to find Jesus? What does their long journey reveal about their priorities?
How do you think the Magi felt upon finally finding Jesus after their long search? Have you ever experienced a similar sense of fulfillment after seeking something important?
The sermon contrasts Herod’s false worship with the Magi’s genuine worship. What are the key differences between these two approaches?
Herod used religious language to hide his true intentions. Can you think of examples today where religious language might be used to serve other purposes?
The Magi’s worship involved seeking, humility, generosity, and transformation. Which of these aspects of worship do you find most challenging in your own life?
The Magi ‘went home by another way’ after encountering Jesus. How has encountering Jesus changed the direction or priorities in your own life?
The sermon notes that it’s easy to use Christian language while actually worshiping other things, such as comfort, security, or reputation. What are some modern ‘idols’ that might compete for our worship?
What does it mean practically for us to worship Jesus as King in our daily lives, especially when it conflicts with other loyalties or priorities?
Life Application
This week, examine your own worship and priorities. Identify one area where you might be serving your own agenda rather than Christ’s kingdom. Take a concrete step to reorient that area of your life toward genuine worship - whether through prayer, generosity, service, or making a difficult but faithful choice that demonstrates your allegiance to Jesus as King.
Key Takeaways
Genuine worship requires seeking, humility, generosity, and transformation.
False worship uses religious language to serve personal or political agendas rather than God.
True worship always costs us something and changes the direction of our lives.
We cannot serve both Christ’s kingdom and the empires of this world.
Encountering Jesus should lead us to ‘go home by another way’ - living differently than before.
Ending Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank you for the example of the Magi who sought you with genuine hearts and worshiped you as King. Help us to examine our own worship and ensure that it is authentic and costly, not just comfortable words. Give us the courage to go home by another way when our encounter with you calls us to change direction. Protect us from false worship that serves our own interests rather than your kingdom. May our lives truly reflect that you are our King, and may our worship transform us to be more like you. Guide us this week as we seek to live out what we’ve discussed today. In your precious name, Amen.