So what did you get for Christmas? This is the question we will hear over and over again for the next few days. The question “Did you have a nice Christmas?” will become about what we received from others. But we can purposefully change that focus. Christmas can become about how we worshiped our King, how we spent time seeking Him and entering into His presence to give Him praise.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “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.”– Matthew 2:1-2

We have come to worship him. What a great reminder for me this morning to check my intent when I enter into my quiet time or go to a service at Church. I think there are a lot of times when I am going through the motions instead of sincerely entering into His presence to worship Him. When I wake up, grab a cup of coffee, turn on the fireplace, and open my Bible, it would be helpful to pause and consider that this time is not about me but about Him. When I walk into the Church, it is not about who I get to see or whether or not I am going to like the song selection, I am there to worship God.

But it is so easy to be distracted by everything else going on – my own thoughts wander or I am distracted by focusing on people instead of the Savior. I am distracted by the chaos of Christmas – the shopping, the parties, getting the Christmas cards mailed, the baking…

The wisemen could have easily been distracted as well. The wisemen came to Jerusalem intently looking for the King of the Jews. This was not something they were doing halfheartedly. They had spent years studying for this journey and their hearts were committed to this search. But there was one who tried hard to distract them – to make this search about him instead of about the newborn King.

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I may go and worship him.” – Matthew 2:3-8

This was the moment when their purpose for their search could have changed. This is the person who could have distracted them from their calling. This is time in which their quest could have become about earthly success or acclaim, but the wisemen stayed focused on their original purpose – to find and worship the King of all Kings.

After they heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. – Matthew 2:9-11a

The Message describes their reaction as “They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him.” The NLT says they were “filled with joy.”

When we enter into God’s house or enter into His presence during our daily quiet time, if we have truly come to worship Him and if we block out distractions and focus on Him, we can be overcome with joy. We can bow before Jesus, open up our hearts to Him, and sincerely worship Him. Then we can empty ourselves and offer Him everything we have to give.

Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. – Matthew 2:11b

Have you picked out your gift for Jesus this year? It’s not too late. I can tell you what He wants from you this year. He wants YOU – all of you, focused on Him and entering into His presence sincerely intent on worshiping Him. So, are you having a nice Christmas? What did you get for Christmas? Did you receive all that Jesus had for you? Did you give all of yourself to Him this year? Let’s enter into His presence and allow Jesus to make this Christmas exactly what He wants it to be.