At the manger we see a variety of characters and a variety of responses to the birth of Christ. The wisemen and the shepherds rejoiced and worshipped at the sight of Jesus. King Herod, on the other hand, wanted to get rid of him. He had no interest in worshipping Christ as king because he was too obsessed with his own earthly kingdom.
However, what we don’t see at the manger is just as telling as what we do see. The fact is, few people took notice of Christ’s birth. Most people (including the religious leaders) missed the significance of Christ’s birth.
I believe this is the primary danger and temptation for most of us. Most people are not like Herod. The majority of people do not hate Christ or want to get rid of him. However, most people are not like the wisemen or shepherds either. Most people will not spend their lives in the worship of Christ. The temptation for us is to miss Christ altogether. We get caught up in the busyness of life, in what we’re doing and what we need, and we begin to miss what is most important. We forget the number one priority in life is to worship Jesus.
Because here’s the deal: the central focus of the manger scene is not the cast of characters. The nativity is not about the wisemen or the shepherds or Herod. Christ is the center. He’s the point of the whole story. This is the purpose of God. God even directs nature toward this purpose. By the placement of a star to lead the wisemen, God arranges the sky to announce His Son. The one who has sovereign authority over all the universe uses that authority to assemble the sky to make the supremacy of Christ clear to all people. This is what we celebrate during the season of Epiphany. God has revealed Jesus to us. Our Savior has come. The invitation is clear: Come and see the King! This is the King who has come to save us from our sins forever! This is good news of great joy for everyone!
So rejoice! Worship him! Make worship a priority in 2025. Receive him in the Eucharist weekly. Pray daily. Search the scriptures. Seek, ask, knock. Don’t miss what is most important. Whatever you are seeking or needing or hoping for in this next year, it is all found in the adoration and worship of Jesus. More revelation is found in Jesus. More wisdom is found in Jesus. More guidance and hope and joy and peace are found in and with Jesus.
So, like the wisemen, may we run to Christ and lay our lives before him. And not just gold, frankincense and myrrh, but everything we have and everything we are. All our struggles and resentments. All our plans and all our dreams. Lay them before Jesus, for he is the center of our story.
-Brandon