Worship with Great Joy!

Matthew 2:1-12

The Child Demands a Response

Herod responded with all the wrong emotions.

• Matthew 2:1-4

• Matthew 2:5-8

The Scribes and Priests responded with apathy.

• Matthew 2:4-6

• Micah 5:2

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"It gets to be mere mechanical habit to attend public worship; you become accustomed to sit through such a part of the service, to stand and sing, and to listen to the preacher with an apparent attention during the discourse; but to be really interested, to long to know what it is all about, to know especially whether you have a part in it, whether Jesus came from heaven to save you, whether he was born of a virgin, to make such personal inquiries with deep anxiety, is far from being a general practice." - Charles Spurgeon

The Magi responded with exceeding joy and worship.

• Matthew 2:1-2

• Daniel 2:48

• Numbers 24:17

• Matthew 2:9-12

• Isaiah 60:1-4

• Isaiah 60:5-6

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Worship (proskyneo) - stoop and kiss, prostrate oneself, bow to a higher authority in complete reverence and submission

Matthew 4:8-10

Application

Do you respond to Jesus with all the wrong emotions?

Is your response to Jesus indifferent or apathetic?

Is your response to Jesus filled with exceeding joy and worship?

We must respond to Jesus with worship and exceeding joy!

Warmup Question

Think of a time you received really good news—but your response didn’t match the news. What kept you from responding with joy?

Transition: Matthew 2 shows us three very different responses to the greatest news in history—the birth of the King.

Read Matthew 2:1-12

Herod: The Wrong Emotions

Read Matthew 2:3–4

What emotions does Herod experience when he hears about Jesus?

Why would the birth of a child feel like a threat to a powerful king?

Read Matthew 2:5–8

How does Herod use Scripture without submitting to it?

In what ways can fear, control, or self-preservation keep us from worship?

Insight: Herod isn’t indifferent—he’s threatened. Some people resist Jesus because they fear losing control.

The Scribes & Priests: Apathy Toward Truth

Read Matthew 2:4–6 and Micah 5:2

What’s striking about how easily the religious leaders answer Herod?

Why do you think none of them go to Bethlehem?

How can worship or church attendance slowly become a “mechanical habit”?

What warning do the scribes and priests give people who know Scripture well?

Insight: They had accurate theology but no adoration.

The Magi: Exceeding Joy and Worship

Read Matthew 2:9–11

What words describe the Magi’s emotional response?

What do their actions reveal about what they believe?

Why is it significant that Gentiles respond with joy while insiders do not?

What Is Worship? (proskyneō)

Definition:To bow low, to stoop and kiss, to submit oneself fully to a higher authority.

Read Matthew 4:8–10

How does Jesus define who or what deserves our worship?

How do the Magi model true worship—not just emotion, but submission?

Application:

Are there areas where Jesus feels like a threat to your control, comfort, or plans?

Where have you become familiar with Jesus—but less amazed by Him?

What would joyful, surrendered worship look like this week—in your home, work, or relationships?

Family Discipleship Option:

What gift could we give Jesus—not something we buy, but something we obey or surrender?

Challenge: Jesus is not just to be studied, feared, or acknowledged—He is to be worshiped with great joy.

Prayer Prompt: “Lord Jesus, we don’t want to respond with fear or indifference. Awaken our hearts to worship You with joy, humility, and obedience.”