When they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

Matthew chapter two opens by telling us, “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 have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’”

Notice that we are not told how many wise men came. Many have assumed there were three because of the three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11)—but the Bible does not specify their number. We are not told their names, their means of travel, or even exactly which countries they came from. What we are told is that they were wise men. The Greek word used in Matthew 2:1, 7, and 16 is magos (plural magi).

They saw “His star” and came to worship Him—not at a stable, but in a house. This indicates that the visit took place sometime after the birth of the Lord Jesus. Some suggest this may have been anywhere from a few months to as much as two years later.

But what star did they see, and how did they know its significance? Most likely, the magi were familiar with the writings of the prophet Daniel, who had previously served as chief of the wise men in Persia. Daniel 9:24–27 includes a prophecy that provides a timeline related to the coming of the Messiah. In addition, the magi may have known of the prophecy of Balaam—who came from Pethor near the Euphrates River, close to Persia—in Numbers 24:17, which speaks of “a star coming out of Jacob.”

These magi were men who read and believed God’s Word. They sought the Lord Jesus, recognizing His worth. They humbled themselves to worship Him and brought gifts fit for a King.

In verses 7–8, we read of Herod’s deception, as he instructed the wise men, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” However, in verse 12, we see that the wise men obeyed God rather than man. They truly were wise men.

At this time of year, it is easy to lose sight of the true reason Christ came into the world. We can become busy and distracted with many things. But these wise men would not be deterred from the purpose of their journey. They came, they fell down, and they worshiped Him. May we do the same in our hearts.

Anchor For Today:
Lord Jesus, we love Thee, and joyfully pour
The praises of worshipping hearts at Thy feet;
Lord Jesus, we love Thee; we love and adore
The name that to God and to us is so sweet.
~ Miss Catherine Helene von Poseck