When Christmas is over, I tend to breathe a huge sigh of relief because everything seems to exhale and move into recovery mode. Around our house, we clean up all the wrapping paper, labels, empty boxes, dirty dishes, pots and pans, take our gifts to our rooms, forage leftovers, unload the dishwasher and generally laze about the house. To me, the day after Christmas always seems to be a recovery day with time to just be.
I also think it’s interesting to consider from the Bible what happened after various people found Jesus, the newborn King, laying in a manger. In thinking about people who set out to find Jesus, there were three main seekers: the shepherds, Herod and the wise men.
When we think about these seekers, let’s focus on what happened when they finished their search. When we read about the shepherds finding Jesus, Luke 2:17-18 tells us what the shepherds did, “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” Upon finding Him, the shepherds told everyone about finding Jesus, along with the angelic announcement about Jesus. The shepherds spread the word, and all who heard their news were curious and wondered about this supernatural visitation.
As a horrific contrast, when Herod didn’t find Jesus (from trying to use the wise men), he spun into a murderous rage. Consider what we read in Matthew 2:16, “Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.” His actions reveal that he never intended to worship the newborn King. Instead, Herod wanted to manipulate and control the situation to his own advantage by eradicating any competition to his kingship in Israel.
Finally, the last group of seekers who extensively looked for Jesus were the wise men from the East. We know that their search took at least one to two years, and in Matthew 2:11-12, we read what they did when they finally found Jesus. “After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.” Consider that the wise men had been carrying their gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh—for at least a year. And when they finally found Jesus, they left their gifts with Him as an expression of worship. Thus, they returned to their homeland less burdened and highly fulfilled.
Now that we’ve concluded Christmas, let’s employ the lessons from the shepherds, Herod and the wise men after their search for Jesus. In learning from the shepherds, let’s be like them in how they spread the word about Jesus and His supernatural arrival into human existence. As for Herod, let’s be clear that we don’t look for Jesus for the sole purpose of using Him for our own benefit or advantage. Finally, let’s be like the wise men who not only worshipped Jesus but also gave Him their gifts, treasures and burdens. As we begin to think about starting a new year, let’s continue to give Jesus our cares and burdens while worshipping Him for who He truly is!
