The Gift to the Magi

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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And 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. (Matthew 2:1-11 ESV).

The reading today is a bit longer than usual; however, the context is important. When we think of the wise men who visited Jesus, we normally picture the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that they brought. But if you look closer, you will realize that the real story of the wise men is not found in what they gave, but in what they received. Look at what happened after they acknowledged the star that would lead them to Jesus: Matthew writes, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly!” They were filled with joy and emotion because they were going to do what all of us are created to do. They were able to worship the Son of God who came to reestablish their relationship with their Creator and heavenly Father. Of course each of the gifts had a dual meaning. They were certainly valuable in their own right, but there was more symbolism in each. Gold was a symbol of kingship on earth; frankincense, which was incense, was a symbol of deity; and, myrrh, which was used as embalming oil, as a symbol of death. The latter is of great importance to us today. It is that death which is the great gift to both the Magi and men throughout the ages. This Christmas season, if you’ve never encountered Christ, the good news today is that He waits for you, desiring to give you a life of deep joy and satisfaction and an eternity with Him. That’s the good news of Christmas. But if you do know Christ, rejoice that every day you have the privilege of worshiping the King. And one day we will join the everlasting, eternal song that will never end as we see Him crowned the King of Kings and Lord of all!