Glad Praise of Christ

We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.
.....They bowed down and worshipped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of  gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2.2,11

David Platt:

The global purpose of God is the glad praise of Christ among the peoples of the world. 

Consider how God accomplishes His purpose in this particular text. In order to lead the wise men, He directs nature. Speaking of the star shining in the sky, John Piper says that God "wields the universe to make his Son known and worshiped". How amazing to think that God arranges the sky to announce His Son! .... God uses the stars to shout the supremacy of Jesus Christ. 

God not only directs nature to announce the glory of His Son, but also He draws nations for this purpose. Matthew's aim is to show us that Jesus is born King of the Jews, but he goes beyond that as well. Jesus has come, right in line with the promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, to bless God's people for the sake of all peoples. 

How is He directing nature and drawing nations to Himself? First, He sends the Christ. That's what we've seen so far in Matthew 1–2, and it's what we celebrate at Christmas. The invitation at the beginning of Matthew is clear: Come and see the King! God invites the magi and He invites you to see His Son and to joyfully offer your life as a worshiper. The people of God should, regardless of their personality, smile and sing and lift their hands. They should get excited, for the King has come! Worship involves joyful, affectionate, uninhibited praise. 

Like these powerful, influential men in Matthew 2, we should be overwhelmed, bowing down in homage and humble worship. We give to Christ the extravagant offering of our lives, everything we have and everything we are. We lay it down before Jesus, and we do it joyfully. He is the King, and as we see His royalty, His deity, and His humanity, we're compelled to shout and sing about His great worth.