Advent to Advent

Artist: Greg Olsen

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 in the east and have come to worship him."

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On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. [Mt 2:1-2, 11]

The story doesn't end in the manger. The birth story continues. Read on through Luke 2:25-40. Worship was to be the undeniable response of those that encountered the Christ child.

The events that follow the birth of Jesus are no less miraculous. The worship response of the angels, shepherds, and magi, was uncontainable ~ and rightfully so.

Mary and Joseph presented the Lord to God in His temple at the appropriate time. He was brought to His Father's House as required by the Law for Mary's purification and Jesus's consecration and redemption [see also Ex 13:2,12-13; Lv 12:8]. The Sacrifice for Purification brought to offer a sacrifice for purification. Brought to be redeemed under the law in order to redeem man from the requrements of the law (but that's another lesson).

While there the Holy Spirit revealed God's truth in the coming of the Messiah to both Simeon and Anna, faithful elders that held on to their hope were blessed with a word from God.

All of the people depicted in the Gospel accounts exhibited qualities God desires of us:

• The Angels glorified God and joyfully shared news of the Christ


• The shepherds responded immediately in faith and action. They obeyed the direction given, worshipped Jesus, then went about praising God


• The Magi diligently searched for the Christ and sacrificially gave of themselves as an act of worship


• The consecrated of God remained faithful and hopeful and spoke of the Lord's salvation at the leading of the Holy Spirit

They searched
They followed
They found
They worshipped


We search
We find
We follow
We worship

The thousands of years that separate us does not change the experience. God promises that when we seek Him with all our heart we'll find Him [Jer 29:13]. And when we encounter the Christ He touches our heart in the most incredible way. The choice is then ours to worship and follow. God has come near, now shall we?

Daily Christmas advent worship has primed my heart to desire more of Him. May it lead to daily advent worship for the Coming our hearts long for.

Glorious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ we bow our hearts in worship and praise the King of Glory. May He reign in our hearts as we await His Coming. In Christ, Amen.

Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD :

"The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,

to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death."

So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem

when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD.
[Ps 102:18-22]