Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men[a] 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[b] 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. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way (Matthew 2:1-12).
The story of the wise men coming to visit Christ is a well-known story of Christmas found in the Word of God. Matthew chapters 1 and 2 and Luke chapters 1 and 2 contain the whole Christmas story. A family is “wise” to take the time to read them all the way through.
Doing this, and letting the children do most of the reading, can be fun and interesting. Also, allowing them to stop and ask all the questions that they want is very fruitful. You can learn much and have a lot of fun doing this as a family.
Specifically regarding the story of the wise men, there are a number of great life lessons we can learn from looking at what they did as they sought the King.
Lesson One: The wise men knew God and it seems that they had a close relationship with Him. We too are wise to seek to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally by inviting him into our hearts to become the Lord and Savior of our lives (John 3:16 and Acts 16:31).
Lesson Two: The wise men sought God. They were apparently men of prayer who sought Him out. And they came intending to worship the Lord. As believers, we are called to seek God in prayer, praise, and worship daily (Psalm 9:1-2; Psalm 95:6; and Psalm 100).
Lesson Three: The wise men listened to God. It seems that the Lord spoke to their hearts to let them know the meaning of the bright star in the sky. It also seems that the Lord directed them to go and follow the star as it would lead them to Christ.
The gifts were prophetic and pointed to some of the great callings upon Christ. Gold is a gift you give to a king. Frankincense is a gift you give to a high priest and myrhh is a burial ointment.
So these are just a few important lessons we can learn from the wise men. We see that their story is not just a warm, touching story to be read during Christmas. It is a story that can change the life of any faithful disciple of the Lord in powerful and fruitful ways.
Finally, seeking and finding the Lord Jesus is a wise pursuit for all people of all times and places.
For Salvation:
If you would like to know Jesus Christ personally and would like to invite Him into your heart, pray this or a similar prayer in order to make that step:
Lord Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God. I recognize that I have sinned and done wrong. Forgive me for all the wrong I have done. I do believe that you died on the cross to pay for my sins, and I believe that three days later you rose from the dead, so that I could be saved. Thank you, Lord, for loving me enough to die for me. Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Become my Lord and Savior. Make me the person you want me to be. You said in your Word that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Right now, Lord, I‘m calling on your name. Lord Jesus, save me and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you, Lord, for saving me, and I now confess I am a child of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
For more information about how to come to know Christ and how to grow up in your faith as a disciple of Jesus Christ, you can email me at [email protected].
