The Story of Rescue
4th Sunday of Advent

[Note: This is Part 4 of “The Story of Rescue,” an Advent series exploring the biblical narrative of God’s rescue plan through Jesus Christ. Read Part 1: Longing and Anticipation | Part 2: The Unexpected Announcement | Part 3: The Humble Arrival.]

Imagine receiving news that changes everything. Not just good news—life-altering, world-shaking news. News that addresses your deepest need and answers your longest-held longing. How would you respond?

This is the situation the shepherds, the wise men, and Mary faced. The rescue humanity had been waiting for since Genesis 3 had finally arrived. The promised deliverer was here. God himself had taken on flesh and entered our world. This wasn’t theoretical theology or distant prophecy—this was reality breaking into their everyday lives in the most tangible way possible.

And each of them responded. Not with passive observation or casual interest, but with worship that moved them to action, cost them something, and transformed how they lived. Their responses reveal what appropriate worship looks like when we truly grasp the magnitude of the incarnation.

This is the final week of Advent, and the question before us is simple but profound: How will we respond to the story of rescue?

The shepherds: From witness to worship to proclamation

When the angels announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds, they didn’t merely receive interesting information. They encountered reality that demanded response:

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. (Luke 2:15-16)

Notice the progression. First, they made a decision: “Let us go.” Then they acted on it immediately: “they went with haste.” Faith that doesn’t lead to action isn’t really faith at all—it’s merely intellectual agreement. The shepherds believed the angel’s message enough to interrupt their work, leave their flocks, and go searching for a baby in a feeding trough.

The discovery that confirms faith

When they arrived, they found exactly what the angel had described. The sign was accurate. The promise was true. God had indeed done what he said he would do. And their response was worship:

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2:17-18)

The shepherds couldn’t keep this to themselves. Worship that encounters the living God naturally overflows into witness. They had seen something—someone—that changed everything, and they had to tell others. This wasn’t calculated evangelism strategy or reluctant obedience to a command. It was the natural response of hearts that had encountered the Savior.

Then comes the summary statement: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them” (Luke 2:20). They returned to their ordinary work. They went back to watching sheep in fields. But they returned different. They returned glorifying and praising God. The encounter with Christ didn’t remove them from their ordinary responsibilities—it transformed how they carried them out. Their daily work became an arena for worship.

What the shepherds teach us about worship

The shepherds’ response reveals several crucial truths about genuine worship. First, worship requires action. They had to go, to seek, to search. We can’t worship from a distance or by proxy. We must come ourselves.

Second, worship leads to witness. What we’ve truly encountered, we can’t help but share. If we’re silent about Christ, it suggests we haven’t really grasped who he is and what he’s done.

Third, worship transforms the ordinary. The shepherds didn’t quit their jobs to become professional religious people. They returned to their fields, but now their work was infused with praise. Every aspect of life becomes an opportunity to glorify God when we’ve truly encountered him.

The wise men: Costly worship from afar

While the shepherds were local, immediate, and from the lowest social class, the wise men were distant, delayed, and educated. Yet they, too, responded with worship:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matt. 2:1-2)

These men weren’t Jews. They had no cultural or religious obligation to seek out this newborn king. Yet they had seen his star, understood its significance, and embarked on a long, costly journey specifically to worship him. This wasn’t casual curiosity—it was determined pursuit.

The obstacles don’t deter true seekers

The journey was difficult. They traveled hundreds of miles through dangerous territory. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they faced Herod’s jealous rage and the religious establishment’s indifference. The chief priests and scribes could tell them where the Messiah would be born—Bethlehem, according to Micah 5:2—but they themselves didn’t bother to make the short trip to investigate.

Think about that. The religious experts knew the prophecies. They could quote the Scriptures. But they didn’t go. Meanwhile, foreign Gentiles traveled for months because they were genuinely seeking the King.

This reveals something important: Knowledge about Christ isn’t the same as worship of Christ. The scribes had more biblical knowledge than the wise men, but the wise men had something the scribes lacked—hearts that were actually seeking God. When the wise men finally reached Bethlehem and found the child, their response was immediate and unambiguous:

Going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matt. 2:11)

The gifts that reveal recognition

Notice what they did first: they fell down and worshiped. The posture of worship is surrender. Before they gave their gifts, they gave themselves. They acknowledged who this child was—not just a special baby, but one worthy of complete submission.

Then they opened their treasures. Gold for a king. Frankincense for a priest. Myrrh for burial—a prophetic acknowledgment that this king would die. These weren’t token gifts or convenient offerings. These were costly treasures, carefully chosen, representing significant sacrifice.

True worship always costs us something. It might cost time—hours in prayer, study, and service. It might cost treasure—generous giving that requires sacrifice. It might cost comfort—choosing obedience when it’s inconvenient. It might cost control—surrendering our plans to God’s purposes. But worship that costs us nothing is worth exactly that—nothing.

What the wise men teach us about worship

The wise men’s response reveals that worship requires persistence. They didn’t give up when the journey was long or obstacles arose. They kept seeking until they found him.

Worship also requires humility. These were educated, wealthy men falling down before a peasant child. They recognized that true greatness isn’t measured by worldly standards.

And worship requires sacrifice. They brought their best, their most valuable possessions, as expressions of honor and submission. What are we holding back from God that we consider too costly to offer?

Mary: The contemplative worshiper

While the shepherds proclaimed and the wise men journeyed, Mary responded in a different but equally important way:

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

This is contemplative worship. Mary didn’t immediately understand everything that was happening. The angels’ announcements, the shepherds’ visit, the extraordinary circumstances—all of it was more than she could fully process in the moment. So she treasured these things and pondered them.

The depth that comes from meditation

The word “pondered” suggests deep, careful consideration. Mary wasn’t just remembering events—she was meditating on their meaning, connecting them to Scripture, asking what God was doing through all of this. She was letting truth sink from her head into her heart, allowing it to reshape her understanding of God and his purposes.

This kind of worship is often missing in our fast-paced culture. We consume information rapidly but rarely meditate deeply. We collect experiences but don’t ponder their significance. We move quickly from one thing to the next without letting truth marinate in our souls.

But transformation doesn’t happen through rapid consumption—it happens through deep meditation. Mary’s example teaches us that worship includes contemplation, reflection, and allowing God’s truth to do its slow, thorough work in our hearts.

What Mary teaches us about worship

Mary’s response reveals that worship includes meditation. We need to slow down, treasure what God has done, and ponder its implications for our lives.

Worship also embraces mystery. Mary didn’t understand everything, but she didn’t let confusion prevent worship. She held questions and certainty together, trusting that God’s purposes would become clearer over time.

And worship recognizes that some of the deepest work happens internally. Not all worship is expressed in external action. Sometimes the most important worship happens in the quiet pondering of our hearts.

The incarnation demands our adoration

Paul would later explain the theological significance of what the shepherds, wise men, and Mary were responding to:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5-11)

The baby in the manger would grow up to die on a cross. The humble arrival would culminate in a humiliating execution. But through that death, he would accomplish the rescue humanity desperately needed. And because of what he accomplished, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The universal acknowledgment that’s coming

This is crucial: Everyone will eventually worship Jesus. The question isn’t whether we’ll acknowledge him—it’s when and how. Will we bow now in grateful worship, or will we bow later in terrified recognition? Will we confess him as Lord and Savior now, or will we confess him as Lord and Judge then?

The shepherds, wise men, and Mary chose to worship when Christ came in humility. They recognized who he was and responded appropriately. They didn’t wait until his power was obvious or his authority undeniable. They worshiped in faith, trusting that this child in a manger was indeed God with us.

This is what Advent calls us to do. Not to wait for more proof or better circumstances, but to worship now—when the claims of Christ still require faith, when following him still costs something, when obedience still demands sacrifice.

Worship that transforms living

But worship isn’t just about what we do in moments of spiritual encounter or on Sunday mornings. True worship transforms all of life. Paul makes this explicit: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).

The passage about Christ’s humiliation and exaltation isn’t just theology to admire—it’s an example to follow. Just as Christ didn’t grasp at his rights and privileges but emptied himself to serve, we’re called to the same pattern of humble service.

Worship shapes character

When we truly worship Christ—when we bow before him as the shepherds, wise men, and Mary did—it changes how we relate to others. We can’t worship the God who emptied himself and then grasp for status and power in our relationships. We can’t bow before the King who became a servant and then refuse to serve those around us.

Worship that doesn’t transform how we treat people isn’t biblical worship. It’s just religious performance. John makes this point forcefully: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

The incarnation reveals that God didn’t remain distant from us. He entered into our condition, experienced our struggles, and served us at infinite cost to himself. Therefore, we who worship this God are called to incarnational living—entering into others’ struggles, serving at cost to ourselves, and displaying the character of Christ in every relationship.

Worship reorients priorities

When the wise men returned home, they went “by another way” (Matt. 2:12). This was initially to avoid Herod, but it’s also symbolic. Encountering Christ changes our direction. We can’t go back to living the same way we did before.

Worship reorients what we value. The things that seemed so important before—status, wealth, comfort, control—lose their grip on us. We begin to value what God values: humility, service, love, truth, justice, mercy. Our treasures shift from earth to heaven. Our ambitions change from self-advancement to God’s glory.

This doesn’t mean we all quit our jobs and become missionaries. Remember, the shepherds returned to their fields. But it does mean that everything we do becomes an expression of worship. Our work, our relationships, our leisure, our resources—all of it is brought under the lordship of Christ and used for his purposes.

Application points

Move from observation to worship: Consider whether you’re merely familiar with the Christmas narrative or whether it has moved you to genuine worship—surrender, praise, and transformed living. Knowledge about Christ isn’t the same as worship of Christ.

Offer your costly gifts: Reflect on what worship is actually costing you. The wise men brought treasures that required significant sacrifice. True worship always requires something of us—time, treasure, comfort, control, or reputation.

Let worship reshape your priorities: The incarnation reveals what God values—humility, service, sacrifice, love. Think about how your daily choices would change if you truly ordered your life around these values rather than around worldly measures of success.

Share what you’ve seen: The shepherds couldn’t keep silent about what they’d encountered. Consider who needs to hear your story of what Christ has done in your life. Worship naturally overflows into witness when it’s genuine.

Live out the mind of Christ: Philippians 2 isn’t just about admiring Jesus’ humility—it’s about imitating it. Identify where in your life God is calling you to empty yourself, serve others, and follow Christ’s example of sacrificial love.

For reflection this week

• The shepherds, wise men, and Mary each worshiped differently—through proclamation, costly journey and gifts, and contemplative pondering. Which expression of worship comes most naturally to you, and which do you need to cultivate more intentionally?
• Everyone will eventually bow before Christ and confess him as Lord. Are you worshiping him now in humble gratitude, or are you waiting for circumstances that would make faith unnecessary? What would it look like to worship him fully today?
• True worship transforms how we live—our relationships, priorities, and daily choices. In what specific areas of your life is there a disconnect between your Sunday worship and your Monday living? What needs to change?
• The wise men brought costly gifts, but worship can cost us in many ways—time, treasure, comfort, control, or reputation. What is God asking you to sacrifice as an act of worship this Advent season? What are you holding back?
• Philippians 2 calls us to have the same mind as Christ—to embrace humility, serve sacrificially, and empty ourselves for others. Where is God specifically calling you to follow Christ’s example of servant leadership? Who is he asking you to serve at cost to yourself?