Pastor Tom
Johnson, January 4, 2015
In our Christmas program, our children sang the
song “We three kings of orient are.” We don’t know if they were royalty but
they did bring royal gifts. We don’t know if there were three but they did
bring three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Our Psalm beautifully speaks of a time when
foreign dignitaries will bow before the King of Israel. This promise began with
God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah that all the families of the earth will be
blessed through the people of Israel and their children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren. It is fulfilled, in part, when Pharaoh appoints
Joseph governor of Egypt and says there is no god like the God of Israel. This
is fulfilled in part when the Queen of Sheba travels to Israel to see and pay
homage to the greatness and wisdom of King Solomon. It is partly fulfilled when the King of Babylon
sees Daniel miraculously delivered from a den of lions. There are many stories
in the history of Israel where there is some homage, praise, or gifts given to
a king of Israel and/or the God of Israel. That is how we ought to see the wise men, magi, or
eastern kings—at part of a flow of redemptive history pointing to the time when
all kings shall bow down before the Messiah—the long awaited King of Israel.
An astronomical sign leads them to the manger where the newborn Jesus lies. They kneel before this infant King. They give him royal gifts. What is even more remarkable than the gold, frankincense, and myrrh is the fact that they bow down before this Child. As Americans, it is probably very foreign to us. If the United States were still part of the British Empire, we would know the words and be expected to sing “God Save the Queen” paying the queen homage. If we were fortunate enough to be in her presence, we would bow our heads and show our respect for her authority.
When we kneel or lie prostrate in front of another, we are saying something very profound and powerful. We are putting ourselves in a vulnerable position. We are giving the other person the upper hand. Our posture says, “If you want, you can put your heel on the back of my neck. I am under your subjection and rule.” Our bowing says, “If you choose, my head is extended, neck exposed, and am ready for your sword.” The wise men—these fully grown adults—place themselves under the newborn’s rule and dominion. They bow down before the infant King. The message is, “Even though it is not yet obvious, this baby is the eternal Son of God who is now made flesh. He is the incarnate Messiah.” God has issued his decree through heavenly angels that this is the King of heaven and earth.
This Scripture is a good reminder of the importance of posture—how we use our bodies says a lot about where our heart, mind, and words are. This in no way diminishes the importance of the words we speak and sing or the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. But whether we stand, sit, kneel, lie prostate, face toward, face away, bow our heads, keep our hats on, take them off—all of that does communicate what is hidden deep in our hearts and minds. Human beings are genius non-verbal communicators. With a high degree of accuracy, we can determine if someone is a threat by the way they walk, where they have their hands, and the look in their eyes. We know, and feel, the sadness or happiness on another persons face. We cannot not communicate with our bodies. That is why these wise men bowing down before the Christ Child is a picture that speaks a thousand words.
It is a challenge to us as well. Have we answered God’s call to go on our own journey to discover the King of Heaven and Earth? Have we questioned, wondered, and followed the smaller lights along our paths that lead to the greater Light? Have our minds, bodies, and spirits been won over by the love and grace of God? Do we believe in our hearts, confess with our mouths, and express with our bodies the love we have because he first loved us. Being bodily present was important to the wise men’s worship. Physical expression in the midst of Christ and his people mattered. The eternal Son of God became human; he became flesh and dwelt among us. So our gathering together to bow down before Christ the King should be equally important and matter in our spiritual walk. We express ourselves corporately as the Body of Christ together when we gather, sing, read, listen, receive the Christ Child in the Body and Blood with the bread and the wine, and then sent out into the world to herald the good news.
The wise men’s journey is an answer to God’s call. Their gifts are in response to the gift of God’s only begotten Son in human flesh. Their kneeling and bowing are a joyful surrender to the majesty, glory, and dominion of the Messiah King. This event of them lying prostrate before Jesus is a culmination of a long journey and fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. It also points forward to the second Advent of our King. He will not come as remotely as he did in the dark corner of the little town of Bethlehem in a humble manger. The resurrected Jesus will come in the cloud-crowned sky. He will come in great glory, power, and blinding light. At that time it will not just be several alleged royalty from the east—“every knee shall and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” “All kings shall bow down before him.” Every leader and the people they lead will be won over by the King of kings and Lord of lords.
An astronomical sign leads them to the manger where the newborn Jesus lies. They kneel before this infant King. They give him royal gifts. What is even more remarkable than the gold, frankincense, and myrrh is the fact that they bow down before this Child. As Americans, it is probably very foreign to us. If the United States were still part of the British Empire, we would know the words and be expected to sing “God Save the Queen” paying the queen homage. If we were fortunate enough to be in her presence, we would bow our heads and show our respect for her authority.
When we kneel or lie prostrate in front of another, we are saying something very profound and powerful. We are putting ourselves in a vulnerable position. We are giving the other person the upper hand. Our posture says, “If you want, you can put your heel on the back of my neck. I am under your subjection and rule.” Our bowing says, “If you choose, my head is extended, neck exposed, and am ready for your sword.” The wise men—these fully grown adults—place themselves under the newborn’s rule and dominion. They bow down before the infant King. The message is, “Even though it is not yet obvious, this baby is the eternal Son of God who is now made flesh. He is the incarnate Messiah.” God has issued his decree through heavenly angels that this is the King of heaven and earth.
This Scripture is a good reminder of the importance of posture—how we use our bodies says a lot about where our heart, mind, and words are. This in no way diminishes the importance of the words we speak and sing or the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. But whether we stand, sit, kneel, lie prostate, face toward, face away, bow our heads, keep our hats on, take them off—all of that does communicate what is hidden deep in our hearts and minds. Human beings are genius non-verbal communicators. With a high degree of accuracy, we can determine if someone is a threat by the way they walk, where they have their hands, and the look in their eyes. We know, and feel, the sadness or happiness on another persons face. We cannot not communicate with our bodies. That is why these wise men bowing down before the Christ Child is a picture that speaks a thousand words.
It is a challenge to us as well. Have we answered God’s call to go on our own journey to discover the King of Heaven and Earth? Have we questioned, wondered, and followed the smaller lights along our paths that lead to the greater Light? Have our minds, bodies, and spirits been won over by the love and grace of God? Do we believe in our hearts, confess with our mouths, and express with our bodies the love we have because he first loved us. Being bodily present was important to the wise men’s worship. Physical expression in the midst of Christ and his people mattered. The eternal Son of God became human; he became flesh and dwelt among us. So our gathering together to bow down before Christ the King should be equally important and matter in our spiritual walk. We express ourselves corporately as the Body of Christ together when we gather, sing, read, listen, receive the Christ Child in the Body and Blood with the bread and the wine, and then sent out into the world to herald the good news.
The wise men’s journey is an answer to God’s call. Their gifts are in response to the gift of God’s only begotten Son in human flesh. Their kneeling and bowing are a joyful surrender to the majesty, glory, and dominion of the Messiah King. This event of them lying prostrate before Jesus is a culmination of a long journey and fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. It also points forward to the second Advent of our King. He will not come as remotely as he did in the dark corner of the little town of Bethlehem in a humble manger. The resurrected Jesus will come in the cloud-crowned sky. He will come in great glory, power, and blinding light. At that time it will not just be several alleged royalty from the east—“every knee shall and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” “All kings shall bow down before him.” Every leader and the people they lead will be won over by the King of kings and Lord of lords.
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