Read Matthew 2:1-11
Key verse: In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” Matthew 2:1-2.
The visit of the wise men from the East establishes the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Also referred to as the Magi, these men were astrologers and interpreted the star’s rising as evidence of the new king’s birth. They assumed the royal city Jerusalem was the proper place to seek the new king. When they learned that prophecy indicated the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, they set out to follow the star to that town. We can imagine the fear that gripped King Herod when he heard this threat to his power; he played it cool and asked for them to return and tell him where the child was so he too could worship him.
Tradition lists the wise men as three in number, probably because of the three gifts they brought to the new king: gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each of these gifts was symbolic of the future of this child. Gold symbolizes the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense, an aromatic gum-resin from trees in southern Arabia, produces a sweet fragrance when burned. It was used with other aromatics to produce incense for offerings to Yahweh in ancient Israel’s worship. Myrrh, another aromatic gum-resin, was mixed with aloes and used to anoint the body before burial.
Prayer: Dear Lord, may we be wise people, and seek Christ, hailing him as King, offering ourselves as gifts to his service. Amen.
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