20260114 [새벽묵상] 왕중왕, 예수님을 경배하라 | Worship Jesus, the King of Kings (마/Mt 2:1~12)

2:1 헤롯 왕 때에 예수께서 유대 베들레헴에서 나시매 동방으로부터 박사들이 예루살렘에 이르러 말하되

2:2 유대인의 왕으로 나신 이가 어디 계시냐 우리가 동방에서 그의 별을 보고 그에게 경배하러 왔노라 하니

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

2:3 헤롯 왕과 온 예루살렘이 듣고 소동한지라

2:4 왕이 모든 대제사장과 백성의 서기관들을 모아 그리스도가 어디서 나겠느냐 물으니

2:5 이르되 유대 베들레헴이오니 이는 선지자로 이렇게 기록된 바

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 Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

2:6 또 유대 땅 베들레헴아 너는 유대 고을 중에서 가장 작지 아니하도다 네게서 한 다스리는 자가 나와서 내 백성 이스라엘의 목자가 되리라 하였음이니이다

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 shepherd my people Israel.’”

2:7 이에 헤롯이 가만히 박사들을 불러 별이 나타난 때를 자세히 묻고

2:8 베들레헴으로 보내며 이르되 가서 아기에 대하여 자세히 알아보고 찾거든 내게 고하여 나도 가서 그에게 경배하게 하라

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 search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

2:9 박사들이 왕의 말을 듣고 갈새 동방에서 보던 그 별이 문득 앞서 인도하여 가다가 아기 있는 곳 위에 머물러 서 있는지라

2:10 그들이 별을 보고 매우 크게 기뻐하고 기뻐하더라

2:11 집에 들어가 아기와 그의 어머니 마리아가 함께 있는 것을 보고 엎드려 아기께 경배하고 보배합을 열어 황금과 유향과 몰약을 예물로 드리니라

2:12 그들은 꿈에 헤롯에게로 돌아가지 말라 지시하심을 받아 다른 길로 고국에 돌아가니라

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

                  오늘 말씀에 출연하는 사람들은 크게 동방박사들과, 헤롯왕, 유대 종교 지도자들과 아기 예수님으로 볼 수 있겠습니다. 이 인물들의 모습을 통하여 왕들의 모습을 비교하고 그들을 예배하는 예배자의 모습들을 비교해보기 원합니다. 그래서 오늘은 왕 중 왕, 예수님을 경배하라 라는 제목으로 말씀을 간략하게 나누어보겠습니다.

[Introduction]

In today’s passage, we encounter four main groups: the Magi (Wise Men), King Herod, the Jewish religious leaders, and the infant Jesus. By observing these figures, I want us to compare the different types of "kings" and the different hearts of the "worshippers."

Today, I would like to share a brief message titled: "Worship Jesus, the King of Kings."

                  먼저 헤롯왕을 살펴보겠습니다. 헤롯왕은 이두메아 사람, 즉 에서의 자손인 에돔 사람으로 유대인이 아니었지만 로마제국이 유대의 왕으로 세운 사람이었습니다. 정통성이 없었던 그는 철혈통치를 통하여 자신의 권력을 굳건히 하였지요. 권력을 위해서는 자신의 아내도 심지어는 자신의 아들들 조차도 처형하였던 폭군이었습니다. 2절에서 동방박사들이 “유대인의 왕으로 나신이가 어디 계시냐?” 고 물을 때에 3절은 원문에 보면 “헤롯왕이 이 말을 듣고 “심히 동요했다”고 표현하고 있습니다. 그리고 온 예루살렘 또한 그러하였다” 라고 적고 있지요. 그가 4절에서 유대 종교 지도자들에게 그리스도가 어디서 나겠느냐 묻는 모습이나 7-8절에서 몰래 박사들을 불러 그 별이 나타난 때를 집요하게 캐묻고 아기에 대해서도 치밀하게 정보를 얻으려 하는 모습은 그가 자신의 권력을 잃을까봐 얼마나 초조했는지를 그대로 보여주고 있습니다. 우리는 내일 말씀에서 그 결과를 볼 수 있지요. 세상의 지도자들은 힘을 가지려 하고, 또 자신이 가진 힘을 잃지 않으려 모든 수단과 방법을 가리지 않습니다. 힘의 논리가 그들의 언어이기 때문이지요. 그러나 진정한 왕이신 예수님에 대해서 6절은 어떻게 말하고 있습니까? 가장 작은 자의 모습, 겸손한 자의 모습으로 오셔서 다스리는 자, 통치자가 되시는데 그분의 통치는 힘의 논리가 아닌 목자의 논리라고 하십니다. 자신의 백성을 긍휼히 여기시는 목자, 양들을 살리기 위해 대신 죽는 목자, 나를 섬겨라라고 명령하는 통치자가 아닌, 스스로 낮아지시는 목자, 그래서 흩어진 양들을 다시 모으는 목자가 바로 예수님이신 것입니다. 유대인의 왕이셨을 뿐만 아니라 동방 박사들과 같이 열방의 경배를 받으시는 만왕의 왕, 그분이 바로 우리 예수님이신 것입니다.

1. The Two Kings: Herod vs. Jesus

First, let us look at King Herod. Herod was an Idumean—a descendant of Esau, not a natural-born Jew. He was appointed king of the Jews by the Roman Empire. Lacking legitimate royal blood, he ruled with an iron fist to solidify his power. He was a tyrant who executed his own wife and even his sons to protect his throne.

When the Magi asked in verse 2, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" verse 3 tells us that "King Herod was deeply disturbed." And not only him, but "all Jerusalem with him."

His actions—assembling the religious leaders to ask where the Messiah was (v. 4), secretly calling the Magi to obsessively pinpoint when the star appeared (v. 7), and trying to gather detailed information about the child—reveal how paranoid he was about losing his power.

Worldly leaders strive to gain power and will use any means necessary to keep it. Their language is the "logic of power." However, how does verse 6 describe Jesus, the true King? He came in the lowliest form, yet He is the Ruler who governs not by the logic of power, but by the "logic of a Shepherd." A shepherd has compassion for his flock; he is a shepherd who dies to save his sheep. He is not a ruler who commands, "Serve me!" but a shepherd who humbles himself to gather his scattered sheep. Jesus is not only the King of the Jews but the King of kings who deserves the worship of all nations.

                  그렇다면 우리는 만왕의 왕이신 예수님을 어떻게 경배하여야 할까요? 오늘 말씀은 유대인의 진정한 왕이신 예수님이 이 땅에 나셨는데 정작 유대인들이 아니라 이방인인 동방박사들이 먼저 그 사실을 알고 예루살렘으로 경배하러 오는 아이러니를 보여줍니다. 동방박사들은 당시 예루살렘에서 먼 동쪽, 바빌로니아나 페르시아 지방에서 온 현자들입니다. 만약 이들이 바빌론에서 왔다고 한다면 대략 800마일, 약 1300킬로미터의 여정을 했을 것이라 볼 수 있습니다. 이렇게 장거리를 여행하여 왔다면 아마도 안전을 위해서라도 많은 사환을 거느리고 왔을 것입니다. 이들이 이렇게 긴 시간과 에너지, 또 재정을 들여 예루살렘으로 온 이유는  무엇입니까? 경배하기 위해서입니다. 2절에 “우리가 동방에서 그의 별을 보고 그에게 경배하러 왔노라” 라고 하지 않습니까? 그런데 이 소식을 들은 예루살렘은 헤롯왕과 같이 심히 동요하였습니다. 이 소식을 가장 기뻐하여야 할 이들이 오히려 그 소식을 두려워하였습니다. 4-6절에서 “왕이 모든 대제사장과 백성의 서기관들을 모아” 물었을 때에 그들은 예수님께서 어디서 나실지 너무나 잘 알고 있었습니다. 그러나 그들의 지식은 그들의 행동으로 이어지지 않았습니다. 베들레헴은 예루살렘으로부터 고작 6마일, 약 10킬로미터 남쪽에 위치해있는데도 그들 중 어느 누구도 아기 예수님을 경배하러 가지 않았습니다. 그러나 정작 이방인들인 동방박사들은 그들을 이끌었던 별이 예수님의 계신 곳 위에 머무르자 10절 말씀에 “별을 보고 매우 크게 기뻐하고 기뻐하더라”라고 전하고 있습니다. 그들이 예수님을 경배하였던 방식은 바로 예수님을 기뻐한 것입니다. 그 기뻐하는 마음에 그들은 아기께 경배하고 황금과 유향과 몰약을 예물로 드렸던 것입니다. 그리고 그들은 예수님을 경배한 가장 첫번째 사람들이며 이방인들이었습니다.

2. The Two Responses: Indifference vs. Rejoicing

How, then, should we worship this King of kings? Today’s word shows a striking irony: when the true King was born, it was not the Jews who recognized Him, but the Magi—Gentile outsiders—who traveled from afar to worship Him.

The Magi were sages from the East, likely from Babylon or Persia. If they came from Babylon, they would have traveled roughly 800 miles (1,300 km). To undertake such a long and dangerous journey, they would have invested immense time, energy, and finances. Why did they do this?

Verse 2 gives us the answer: "We have come to worship him."

In contrast, look at the people in Jerusalem. When they heard the news, they were "disturbed" like Herod. Those who should have been the most joyful were instead afraid. When the chief priests and teachers of the law were asked where the Messiah was to be born (vv. 4-6), they knew the answer perfectly. They had the theological knowledge.

However, their knowledge did not lead to action. Bethlehem was only about 6 miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem. It was a short walk away. Yet, not a single religious leader went to worship the infant Jesus.

But look at the Magi. When the star led them to the place where Jesus was, verse 10 says, "When they saw the star, they were overjoyed." Their worship began with genuine joy. Out of that joy, they bowed down, worshipped the child, and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These Gentiles were the very first people to truly worship Jesus.

                  말씀을 맺습니다. 예수님은 왕 중의 왕이십니다. 세상의 통치자들은 자신의 힘을 위하여 자기 백성들을 억압하지만 예수님께서는 자신의 양을 위해 생명을 내려놓으시는 목자이십니다. 우리가 예수님께서 행하신 일들을 기억할 때에 우리의 신앙은 지식으로 굳어지는 것이 아니라 예수님을 진정으로 기뻐하는 경배가 되어야 할 것입니다. 왕 중 왕이신 예수님께 우리의 경배는 어떠한 것인지 다시 한 번 돌아보기 원합니다.

[Conclusion]

Jesus is the King of kings. While worldly rulers oppress their people for their own gain, Jesus is the Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.

As we reflect on what Jesus has done, our faith must not remain as cold, hardened knowledge. It must become a worship that truly rejoices in Him. I invite you to look at your own heart today: What does your worship look like before Jesus, the King of kings?