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Jesus Is Worth the Journey
Read Matthew 2:1.
Searching for truth isn’t a part-time job. It takes everything you have. The Wise Men teach us this in the Christmas story.
The Wise Men were willing to go to any length to find truth. Matthew 2:1 says, “When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (NCV). We can assume that the Wise Men traveled many miles from the Far East to the Middle East at great expense to find Jesus.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is just six miles from Jerusalem. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jerusalem was the spiritual center of the world. All kinds of spiritual activity was taking place in Jerusalem. All of the major religious leaders of the world were in Jerusalem, but none of them were seeking Jesus. Only people on the outside — the Wise Men from a completely different culture — were looking for Jesus.
King Herod missed baby Jesus. So did the business leaders of Bethlehem. You, too, can have Jesus right in your midst and still miss him if you’re not looking for him.
But the Wise Men looked for Jesus. They were willing to make a four to five-month trip across a scorching hot desert to find Jesus. They were serious about seeking God. They were willing to do whatever it took to find him.
That’s wise. It’s what we need to do as well. We can’t let anything get in the way of our search for God. It’s the most important achievement in the world.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so valuable we will sell everything we have to get it. It seems the Wise Men from the East understood this long before Jesus ever spoke the parable.
The Wise Men were willing to give up everything they had to worship Jesus. They were willing to give up the comforts of their homes for a long, tough journey because they had the right motive in searching for Jesus. They wanted to worship him.
What would you give up in order to worship Jesus?
Read Matthew 2:1.
Searching for truth isn’t a part-time job. It takes everything you have. The Wise Men teach us this in the Christmas story.
The Wise Men were willing to go to any length to find truth. Matthew 2:1 says, “When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (NCV). We can assume that the Wise Men traveled many miles from the Far East to the Middle East at great expense to find Jesus.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is just six miles from Jerusalem. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jerusalem was the spiritual center of the world. All kinds of spiritual activity was taking place in Jerusalem. All of the major religious leaders of the world were in Jerusalem, but none of them were seeking Jesus. Only people on the outside — the Wise Men from a completely different culture — were looking for Jesus.
King Herod missed baby Jesus. So did the business leaders of Bethlehem. You, too, can have Jesus right in your midst and still miss him if you’re not looking for him.
But the Wise Men looked for Jesus. They were willing to make a four to five-month trip across a scorching hot desert to find Jesus. They were serious about seeking God. They were willing to do whatever it took to find him.
That’s wise. It’s what we need to do as well. We can’t let anything get in the way of our search for God. It’s the most important achievement in the world.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so valuable we will sell everything we have to get it. It seems the Wise Men from the East understood this long before Jesus ever spoke the parable.
The Wise Men were willing to give up everything they had to worship Jesus. They were willing to give up the comforts of their homes for a long, tough journey because they had the right motive in searching for Jesus. They wanted to worship him.
What would you give up in order to worship Jesus?
Scripture
About this Plan
For too many people, Christmas has become a long to-do list that leaves them weary and wishing for Dec. 26. In this series of messages, Pastor Rick wants to help you remember the reason you celebrate Christmas and why it should change not just the way you celebrate the holidays but the rest of your life as well.
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This devotional © 2014 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
