R³ Devotional - Day 276

Matthew 2 is not just a quiet Christmas story; it is a collision of kingdoms. On one side, foreign Magi travel hundreds of miles to find the newborn King. On the other, Herod, the self-proclaimed “King of the Jews,” trembles at the news and schemes to protect his throne.

Both hear about Jesus. Both are moved by His arrival. But one group comes to worship. The other comes to destroy.

The Magi shouldn’t even be here. They were Gentiles. Outsiders to Israel’s promises. Yet God drew them in. He met them in their own language, through a star, and led them straight to the Messiah. This was no accident. Isaiah had already foretold: “Nations will come to your light” (Isaiah 60:3). The first worshipers in Matthew’s Gospel are not Israel’s leaders but foreigners. Already, God is showing that His Son has come for all people. Their gifts were no coincidence either. Gold for His kingship. Frankincense for His priesthood. Myrrh, foreshadowing His sacrificial death. Without even realizing it, they were preaching the gospel: Jesus is the King who reigns, the Priest who intercedes, and the Sacrifice who saves. And look at their posture: they bow. They lay down their treasures. They worship. Their whole journey, their sacrifice, their humility. All of it says: This child is worth everything.

Then there is Herod. He bore the title “King of the Jews,” but he was only Rome’s puppet. When he heard of the true King’s birth, he didn’t celebrate; he panicked. His heart clenched tight around his throne. And like Pharaoh before him, he turned to violence, ordering the slaughter of innocent children in a desperate attempt to kill God’s plan. Herod’s response reveals a deeper truth: Jesus is not a safe King. He cannot be managed or controlled. He doesn’t come to share power. He comes to claim it. And that threatens every false throne we build for ourselves.

And this is where Matthew 2 pierces me. Because I realize that the same choice still stands before me. Jesus demands a response. He cannot be ignored. And if I’m honest, both Herod and the Magi live in me.

There are parts of me that long to worship like the Magi. To bow low, to lay down what I treasure most, to recognize that Jesus is worth everything. But there are also parts of me that look like Herod. Parts that resist. Parts that cling to control. Parts that whisper, If I surrender this, what will it cost me? Herod is terrifying not because he’s ancient history, but because he’s a mirror. Every time I guard my pride, every time I protect my comfort, every time I resist Jesus’ reign in my life, I am Herod; clinging to my throne, refusing to bow.

And yet, the Magi remind me of the joy that surrender brings. They didn’t lose by bowing low. They gained everything! In laying down their treasures, they found a greater treasure: the presence of the true King. That’s the paradox of the gospel: what I fear losing in surrender is nothing compared to the life I find in Him.

So Matthew 2 isn’t just about a paranoid king and a few wise men. It’s about me. It’s about the kingdoms I build and the throne I protect. It’s about whether I will come to Jesus with clenched fists like Herod, or with open hands like the Magi. The truth is unavoidable: Jesus came as King. Not one king among many, but the King who confronts every false ruler and every false throne, including the ones in my own heart. I can resist Him, but resistance only breeds fear and destruction. Or I can bow, surrender, and find joy.

Herod’s way leads to death. The Magi’s way leads to worship. There is no middle ground.

The King has come. And He cannot be ignored.

Real. Relevant. Ready.

• Real: Jesus reveals what’s really in my heart, whether I’m bowing or resisting.
• Relevant: Like the Magi, I’m invited to worship. Like Herod, I’m tempted to cling to control. Which will I choose?
• Ready: Today, I open my hands. Today, I bow. Today, I choose worship over resistance.

Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You are the true King. Forgive me for the Herod-like parts of my heart that resist Your reign. I confess the pride that clings to control and fears what surrender will cost. Teach me to come like the Magi; Humbled, seeking, and ready to lay down all I have at Your feet. Break the grip of fear in me, and replace it with the joy of worship. May my life be lived with open hands, not clenched fists. Amen.