Is Jesus worth it? This is the burning question we are looking at this Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. His birth was extraordinary. Last week we see the Magi taking time to travel 900 miles, that is 1800 round trip, based on one Bible verse and the vision of a star, leaving family and friends for a period of up to two years to see Jesus. We asked the question, “Is Jesus worth it?”

Life is a balancing act. We are always asking the question, “Is this worth it?” Some of you ask it about your jobs, about your relationships, about your mortgage payments, about your faith in God. When you ask the question, you do a balancing act, your question in one hand weighted against something in your right hand. For example, when you ask, ‘Is my job worth it?” you put that in one hand. In the other you put the money you might make at another job, the loss of stress your job is putting you under, the family time or free time that comes up in the other. And then you see how the balance is.

When it comes to relationships, we ask, “Is this person worth it?” The “it” is put in one hand, the “person” in the other. People as this before marriage. Is this person (one hand) worth sharing (my other hand) my life, my body, my heart, my time, my joys and my sorrows with? Or when it comes to a friendship we put our friend in one hand and all the drawbacks in the other. “Do I want to keep a friendship with someone who is so far away, who has hurt me, who seems to have other friends close than I am…” And we balance.

• We do the same with Jesus. We put Jesus in one hand and then we ask, “Is Jesus worth it?” with the “it” in the second hand.

Our answer to the question, “Is Jesus worth it?” brings us to the heart of worship. Worship is “worth-ship.” The one we worship we consider worthy of whatever we give him or her. The Magi answered with a resounding, “yes”. They made the trip willingly and with enthusiasm. They believed that coming to see the Jewish Messiah, the Jewish king, was well worth all their efforts. The angels in heaven, the elders who are around the throne thought Jesus was worthy of worship. They sang this song, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

I wish we could take all people at face value. It would be good if everyone could be trusted. Unfortunately this world is fallen. Why can’t people who ask, “Why can’t everyone just get along?”, get along with others themselves? Why can’t we have peace? The answer is because of the human heart. We all have sinned. None of us is immune. Sin is what is at the root of all our problems.

Today we are going to look at a liar. What is a liar? A liar is someone who lies? Have you ever met a liar who said they were a good person? Don’t believe them! The liar we are going to look at today lied about his worship of Jesus. He is a person who said out loud, “I will worship Jesus…” but had no intention of doing so. He did not think Jesus was worthy of worship, but you wouldn’t know it by what he said. This man is King Herod.

What is the lie? Verse 7 and 8 show us the lie. 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 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 too may go and worship him.”

Herod’s lie? Herod thought Jesus was worthy of worship.

At least this is what he said to the Magi. He told them he wanted to know where Jesus was so he could go and worship him. These words were probably told to Mary who told them to Matthew who wrote them down in this book. Herod wanted to come and worship Jesus. At least that is what he said. It was not true.

You ask, “How do you know it is not true?”

First, we know that Herod did not want to worship Jesus because of what happened before he told the lie.

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’”

When Herod heard that Jesus, the King of the Jews, was born, he was disturbed, he was agitated, he was troubled, he was on edge.

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 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 too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had 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. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Have you ever been agitated or seen someone who was? They pace up and down. They make nervous gestures with their hands. Herod was agitated by this news that the king of the Jews had been born in Israel.

Why was he so agitated?

Fact 1: Herod was designated King of Judea by Antony, Octavian and the senate designated him as King of Judea. To hear of a baby that would become king of the Jews was very threatening.

Fact 2: Herod was in power in part because he was so good at collecting taxes for the Roman government. This has nothing to do with the message, but is interesting, nonetheless.

Fact 3: Herod executed 45 of the wealthiest people who opposed him and took their property.

Fact 4: Every time he went someplace that might be dangerous, he ordered that his wife be killed if he did not return.

Fact 5: When his wife became bitter over his death threats, he had her put falsely on trial for adultery and had her killed.

Fact 6: Herod had his two sons put on trial and executed by strangulation because he though they wanted his throne.

Was Herod insecure about his position of power? “Yes, he was.” Was he afraid to kill people to keep anyone from getting the throne? “No, he wasn’t.” Would the news of someone who laid claim to the title, “King of the Jews” disturb or agitate him? “Yes, it would.”

It is out of this agitation that he secretly calls the Magi and lies to them. “Find the child so I can worship him.”

Second, we know that Herod did not want to worship Jesus because of what happened after he told the lie.

Mt 2:12-18 “12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.””

What happened after Herod told the lie? He went into Bethlehem and killed every boy under the age of two in hopes of killing Jesus.

Do we need to even say it: Murdering Jesus and worshiping Jesus cannot coexist together?

His thoughts condemn him before the lie, but his actions condemn him after the lie. His desire to hang on to power and control made him a very evil man. He was willing to lie and kill in order to retain power and control.

That is what worship really is: Worship is a control issue. When we ask the question, “Is Jesus worth it?” we can say, “Is having Jesus control my life worth it?”

The Magi thought so. They came to Jesus and bowed down. They submitted to Him. Herod did not think that Jesus was worth his submission. He didn’t come to bow down, he came to chop down!

Herod is an extreme example, but if I were to ask you this question, “Is Jesus more competent than you in telling you how to live your life?” would you give an honest answer? Would your heart show it? Would your actions reveal it? Or would you be like Herod, open on the outside, but inside still running the show? Would your answer be, “Jesus could do a great job, but I can do better.” So you can say to the church, “I think Jesus is worth it, but in your heart you would say, ‘But I can do better.” When you say, “I worship you almighty God” your life shows the lie on your lips.

Or it doesn’t. You may be a person here today who worships Jesus. You are struggling in a spiritual battle, but your heart is bent on serving Jesus. You believe that Jesus is Lord, that he is in control, and you bow down to him in your heart. You really want to please the Lord because he is worth it. You have put your trust in Jesus. You have obeyed him in baptism. You read your Bible because you want to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. You pray to him because you know he knows more than you, has more power than you and you love him. You fellowship with Christians because God’s love for you makes you love others. You want to see other people know Jesus because, though you may not like them, you know that God loves them and that Jesus died for them. You want to see other Christians grow because these are people that walk with you in your walk with Christ.

So when we sing the songs, they touch your heart. When you hear the word, it is heard in your heart. These are songs about Jesus. He is worthy of our praise. These are the words and teachings of Jesus. They are worth listening to. And Jesus is worthy of all we give him.

What would I have to do to turn from being like Herod to being like the wisemen?

First, you have to admit that you are like Herod. God cannot heal those who do not think they are sick. You cannot help someone who thinks they need no help. You must admit to God, your worship of Jesus goes no deeper than your lips.

Second, you must bow down to Jesus. That means that you tell Jesus that you trust him, that you believe in him, that you want him to control your life. In bowing down to Jesus, you recognize him for who he is, the King of Israel, the Messiah, the Lord of all. He is the one in control.

Third, you must obey. You know what you are holding back from God. No one needs to tell you. You know where the change needs to come. Jesus is speaking to you right now. You must obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Tell someone if you do. I would love to hear your story. Tell me what God is having you do, send an email, talk in person. Or tell a Christain friend. Tell them, “Today I decided to worship Jesus from my heart. This is where I am going to change. Pray for me.”

You will be blessed if you do. And Jesus will be truly worshiped today. Is he worth it? Is he worth it?