The Treasure of the King | Resources
Discussion Questions
1. In our text this week, there are several positions or titles mentioned. Take a few moments to identify and define them. Why are these interesting?
2. The phrase “king of the Jews” is mentioned in verse 2. Why is this phrase important, and why would this have frustrated King Herod?
3. In the Old Testament passage mentioned in verse 6, Jesus is described as a ruler and a shepherd. Compare and contrast these two different descriptions of the role Christ would play.
4. Why is King Herod secretly looking for Jesus? Is he really looking to worship him like verse 8 says?
Memory Verse
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (CSB)
Devotional
Matthew 2 1-6 recounts the story of the “learned” men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ. They came from the east to Jerusalem searching for the newborn King of the Jews. Their arrival created quite a stir as they asked King Herod about the whereabouts of the child who had been born King of the Jews. The news troubled Herod and all of Jerusalem, as Herod saw this child as a potential threat to his reign. In his zeal to protect his kingdom, Herod called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law to inquire about where the Messiah was to be born.
The Chief Priest knew enough of the prophecies that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. So, even though the greatest event in human history was happening in their backyard, they didn’t drop what they were doing and join the search. Contrast that with the magi, who traveled at great expense to find the prophesied Messiah.
Sometimes, our greatest God experiences happen at the most inconvenient times. I can imagine the conversations the wise men had with their spouses. “Honey, you’re not going to believe this, but you know we’ve been staying out late and looking at the stars. Well, we believe it’s leading us to the King of the Jews. We’re putting together a caravan to go and see if we can find Him.”
“You’re what?! And I suppose you want to take the family spices to offer him as a gift.”
Despite the opposition, the wise men stuck to their guns; they made the sacrifice, and as a result, they got a front-row seat on history. The Scriptures are full of examples of people making sacrifices and experiencing God in significant ways. Consider Noah giving decades of his life to build the ark, or the boy with five loaves and two fish who gave his all, proving that sometimes, following God is just inconvenient.
This holiday season, don’t let the little sacrifices and inconvenience rob you of joy.