INTRO: It is uncertain exactly when the Wise Men, or Magi, visited Jesus, but it certainly wasn’t at the same time as when the shepherds visited him, at his birth in the animal stable, as is commonly represented in Christmas scenes and Christmas Cards. Apparently, it was at sometime between a few months and two years after his birth. The Magi followed a star that miraculously guided them to Jesus, the child King.
They first presented themselves to King Herod of Judea, in Jerusalem to inform him of their purpose for visiting his kingdom, which was to visit and worship the King of the Jews. Herod did not know about this ‘king of the Jews’ and he felt threatened by this news. King Herod called a meeting with the scholars of law and the Jewish religious leaders to inform him of what knowledge they had of this event. They informed the King that the event fulfilled a Jewish prophecy told over eight hundred years earlier.
When the Magi arrived at the house where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus the child now lived, they gave gifts commonly given to honour a king, to Jesus – Gold for family wealth and as a symbol of kingship on earth, Frankincense as a precious expensive perfume and a symbol of deity and Myrrh an oil used for anointing and balming, and a symbol of death. Beverley Joy
Some time passed before the wise men arrived
Having travelled with their entourage
From an eastern kingdom to the king’s city
Asking “Where is the child born to be King?
“For we followed a star from the east afar
To come and worship the future king.”
When the King heard this news, he was troubled,
And so were all the town’s people.
The king gathered all the religious leaders
To ask them where this ‘king’ might be?
They said the prophecy in the Old Testament
Said he would be born in Bethlehem.
The King lied to the wise men “Go, search for him
And when you find Him, report back to me,
So that I too may worship this child king.”
The same star led the men from the king’s city
To the house where Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived
They bowed and worshipped the child king
Gave Him gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense.
Warned by God in a dream, to not tell the reigning King
Where the child king lived,
So, they returned to their own country
Travelling a different way east.
We continue to worship King Jesus
We bring Him gifts of obedience and service
We wait in eager anticipation
For His return and reign of our king and Saviour.
Beverley Joy © 2019 of Simply Story Poetry. All Rights Reserved.
You can listen to or read the Christmas stories Parts 1-7 which includes: The Christmas Story Part 1, Four Unusual Women Part 2, 700BC Part 3, Mary Part 4 and Mary and Elizabeth Part 5, Joseph Part 6 and The Saviour is Born Part 7.
You can listen to all my poems on several podcast platforms here
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