Strange visitors, these! ‘Magi’ – exotic wise men from the East. They have travelled a long, long way and arrive in Jerusalem, the big city 9 or 10 kilometres away from Bethlehem. Astrologer priests, they have been reading the stars and learned that a king has been born. They want to honour him, but where will they find him?

Another king, King Herod, is in Jerusalem: he is a cruel and violent man. When he hears that wise visitors are in Jerusalem looking for a new king, he is afraid that his days are numbered. And so he asks his advisors where is the best place to look for a king. They’ve read their Bibles so they know that Bethlehem is the very place where God’s king will be born.

Cruel Herod tries to outsmart the wise men from the East: he sends them to Bethlehem and says,

“When you get there, let me know exactly where this new king is – so that I can come and honour him too!”

But, of course, Herod doesn’t want to honour the king – he wants to destroy him, to get rid of him. (I told you he was cruel!)

The wise men set off on the last few kilometres of their journey, to the place indicated by the star. There they find their king, the baby Jesus, with his mother, Mary. They worshipped him and opened up the treasure chests they had brought with them. They have gifts for the little king: Gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Precious, rare, expensive things but not the most obvious presents to give to a child! The gifts are rich and fragrant with meaning:

Gold is a gift fit for a king:

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign

The aroma of Frankincense is used to worship God:

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

Myrrh can be used to bring healing, or to honour the dead:

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

The wise men are wise indeed! They have brought gifts to honour Jesus – the King who reveals God to us, and whose life and death will bring healing.

Christmas is all about gifts. But we lose out if we think only of the presents that we get and give. Today, we may think about the gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus. But the greatest Christmas gift of all is Jesus himself; God’s gift to the world he made, the world he loves, the world he longs to save.

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav’n replies.

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light.