Sunday, June 22, 2025

Matthew 2:2

Letters to the Faithful - Matthew 2:2

Berean Standard Bible
asking, “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.”

King James Bible
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

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To the saints of God scattered among the nations, to the seekers of truth and bearers of light, to those who hunger for righteousness and live as pilgrims in a dark and weary world—grace, peace, and wisdom be multiplied to you in the name of Jesus Christ, the King eternal, the Word made flesh, the Bright Morning Star who has risen over all creation with healing in His wings. May the eyes of your heart be opened wide to behold His glory, and may your lives be aligned to the call of the Kingdom.

Let us turn our hearts and attention to the testimony of the wise men from the East, recorded in the Gospel: “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.” These words are simple, yet they echo with eternal weight. They do not merely tell us of a journey across deserts—they reveal a posture of the heart, a holy pursuit, and a confession that resounds with prophetic clarity for every generation.

These wise men, Gentiles by birth and astrologers by profession, saw something that stirred them from the comfort of their homeland and sent them on a journey marked by uncertainty, hardship, and longing. They did not come with religious background or covenantal heritage. They came because they saw a sign—an uncommon star that bore witness to a royal birth not of this world. They interpreted that sign rightly: not as a political event, not as a cultural novelty, but as a divine visitation. And having seen the sign, they were not content to marvel from a distance. They arose and set their course to find the One who had been born King—not one who would become King, but One who was born with kingship already upon Him.

Herein lies a deep revelation: these men had seen many kings, but none like this. Earthly kings rise by inheritance or conquest. They rule by law, force, or popularity. But this Child, this Christ, was born King—not by human declaration but by divine ordination. His throne was not crafted by men, but established before the foundation of the world. His scepter was not made of gold, but of righteousness and truth. And they, having discerned the truth, sought not only to see Him, but to worship Him.

Their journey is a mirror to us all. How many of us have seen signs—moments of clarity, divine appointments, encounters with truth—and yet remain unmoved? How often have we recognized something sacred, but chosen to stay in our place of familiarity rather than embark on the costly path of worship? These wise men teach us that revelation demands response. To see His star is not enough—we must seek the King. To perceive the truth intellectually is not sufficient—we must pursue it sacrificially.

The Church today must recover this pilgrim spirit. We must be a people who do not simply study the light, admire the light, or talk about the light—we must walk in it. We must follow it wherever it leads, even if it leads us away from comfort, from consensus, from crowds. The call of the King demands our movement, our worship, our very lives. These men traveled across great distances, bearing costly gifts, in pursuit of a child not born in a palace but in obscurity. And still they came. They bowed. They gave. They rejoiced.

In contrast, when they arrived in Jerusalem and asked their question, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” the religious establishment was troubled. Herod was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. The scribes and priests could quote the prophecy, but they did not move their feet. They knew the Scripture, but they had no hunger for its fulfillment. They had access to truth, but no affection for the Truth Himself.

Beloved, let this not be said of us. Let it not be said that outsiders came searching for Christ while the people of God slumbered in apathy. Let it not be said that those far off responded more fervently to the signs of heaven than those near the altar. Let us not be the ones who can recite Scripture yet refuse to kneel when the King arrives. Let us not be content with theological correctness while failing to offer our hearts in surrender.

The question asked by the wise men still reverberates today: Where is He? Not because He is lost, but because many have lost sight of Him. Not because He is absent, but because we have filled our temples with many other things. The question is not only geographical—it is spiritual. Where is He in our lives? Where is He in our churches, our homes, our priorities, our worship? Is He central, or have we pushed Him to the margins while preserving a form of godliness that denies His lordship?

Practical application begins here: if we truly believe the King has been born, if we have truly seen His star—then let us arise. Let us seek Him not once, but continually. Let us orient our lives toward Him daily. Let our worship cost us something. Let our gifts not be leftovers, but treasures from the heart. Let us kneel before Him with joy, not obligation. Let us walk as those who have seen the light—not in pride, but in wonder. And let us, like those wise men, defy the Herods of our time—the systems of power and fear that try to suppress the rule of Christ—and return by another way, transformed by our encounter.

This is not the hour for passive religion. This is not the day for casual Christianity. This is the hour for worshipers to rise, for seekers to journey, for disciples to sacrifice, for kingship to be proclaimed. The world is still asking—where is hope, where is truth, where is meaning? And we must answer not with theory, but with testimony: “We have seen His star. We have found the King. Come and behold Him.”

To the King who was born not only to rule but to redeem, to the One whom heaven announced and whom earth must worship, to Jesus Christ—be all glory, honor, and dominion forever. May His light guide our path until the day we see Him face to face and cast every crown at His feet.

Amen.

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O Sovereign and Majestic God, eternal in glory, radiant in holiness, and infinite in wisdom, we lift our voices to You, the One who sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, whose voice shakes the heavens, whose light pierces the darkness, and whose mercy endures forever. You are the God of wonders, the God of signs, the God of divine appointments. You are the God who sets stars in motion and guides seekers to truth. You are the One who ordained the birth of the King—not in grandeur by worldly measure, but in humble glory, wrapped in swaddling cloths, yet robed in divine authority. We praise You, Father, for You have not hidden Yourself from those who seek, but have written the testimony of Your Son across the sky and in the hearts of men.

We come to You, stirred by the words once uttered by the wise men from afar: “Where is He who has been born King?” And even now, our hearts ask the same—not from confusion, but from holy longing. Where is the One who is worthy of our worship? Where is the One whose birth changed the course of history? Where is the King, born not by human will but by divine purpose? And we know, Lord, You have answered that cry—not with silence, but with revelation. You have made Him known. You have lifted the veil. You have sent the star to rise, the Spirit to draw, and the Word to speak.

But still, O God, we confess—many have seen the light and stayed behind. Many have observed the signs and made no journey. Many have read the Scriptures and not bowed the knee. Many have sung the songs and yet never found the Christ. So we cry out to You now, Lord—give us the heart of true seekers. Give us the courage to arise, the hunger to pursue, and the humility to worship. Let us not be those who speak of the King with our mouths while clinging to our own thrones. Let us not be content to remain in distant lands when You are drawing us nearer. Let us not trade comfort for calling, or apathy for adoration.

Father, grant us spiritual eyes like those wise men of old—eyes that see past politics, past religion, past culture, past fear—eyes that perceive the sign and obey the call. Let us not follow You only when it is easy or when others cheer us on, but let us follow because the King is worthy, because the glory of the Son compels us, and because the hope of nations rests in Him alone. Kindle in us a longing that no earthly thing can satisfy—a longing that will lead us through wilderness, inconvenience, uncertainty, and cost, until we find ourselves bowed low at the feet of Jesus, offering Him the treasure of our lives.

O God, we remember how those men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh—gifts fit for a King, a Priest, and a Lamb. And we bring our offerings now—not just with hands, but with hearts. We bring You our time, our strength, our possessions, our dreams. We bring You our praise in the midst of sorrow, our faith in the face of delay, our trust in the tension between promise and fulfillment. We bring You our wounds for healing, our sins for cleansing, our anxieties for peace. We lay these at Your feet because we know who You are: the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Child born of a virgin and the Savior raised in power.

Let the Church be a people of the rising star—a people who seek Your face more than Your gifts, who pursue presence more than prestige, who are not content with mere knowledge but who live in worship. Let us become the signposts that point others to the King. Let our lives provoke the question, “Where is He?” Let our devotion stir a hunger in others. Let our joy in Your presence become a magnet that draws the weary and the lost.

And we pray for those who, like Herod, fear the coming of the King. For those whose hearts are hardened, whose power feels threatened by Your Lordship, who resist the light because it exposes their darkness—we ask for mercy. We ask that You would soften hearts, break through pride, and reveal that the King has not come to destroy, but to save. That the rule of Christ is not tyranny but truth, not oppression but freedom, not bondage but blessing. Let every Herod in our own hearts be dethroned. Let every rival to Jesus be cast down. Let every illusion of control be surrendered.

You, O Lord, are the One we seek. You are the Light of the world, the Desire of the nations, the King who reigns in justice and peace. You are not a distant monarch, but a present Savior. You are not merely an idea, but the incarnate Word. You are not waiting to be discovered—you have revealed Yourself to all who will bow. And so we bow now, with awe, with reverence, and with joy. We declare that You are our King. We confess that You alone are worthy. We offer all that we are, all that we have, all that we hope to become.

Let the cry of our lives be as theirs was: “We have seen His star, and we have come to worship Him.” And let the testimony of our journey be that we found Him, and in finding Him, we were never the same again.

In the matchless, majestic, marvelous name of Jesus Christ, the newborn King and eternal Lord, we pray.

Amen.

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