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They
had come from a land far to the east. They were men of great learning and
wisdom, and had spent many years studying the stars and the mysteries of the
world. One night they had seen a new and magnificent star shining in the
sky. They knew what it meant that a great king was born in the world and
that the star would lead them to the newborn king. The
Wise Men decided to follow the star, so they might see this king and learn
what He meant to the world. Their journey was long and hard. At last they
came to the land of Judea. Thinking that everyone in the land would know of
the new king, they asked, "Where is He that is born the king of the
Jews? In the east we have seen His star; and we have come to worship
Him." But no one they met had heard anything about a new king; they
knew only that Herod still ruled the land under the Roman governor. Word
came to Herod that these three impressive visitors were asking about a new
king. He was worried, for he knew that he was not popular with his people.
He called the priests and scribes, the men who studied and taught the things
that were predicted in the Bible, and asked them what the prophets had
predicted about a new king coming to Israel. They told Herod that it was
predicted that "out of Bethlehem in the land of Judah shall come forth
one who shall rule my people." Herod
was frightened. He called for the three Wise Men and told them to find the
child, so that he might also come and worship Him. But, of course, Herod was
lying; he wanted to find the baby in order to destroy Him. The
Wise Men set out, and soon found the star again, shining high in the heavens
above the road to Bethlehem. They followed it to the stable where Jesus was
born. When they saw the child they knew at once that this was the one they
had sought. They knelt before Him and presented gifts of gold and of rare
perfumes called frankincense and myrrh, which were used at that time in
religious ceremonies. That
same night, God warned the Wise Men in a dream not to return to Herod but to
go back to their own land by a different road. Thus Herod did not find out
where Jesus was. The
coming of Christ had long been predicted among the Jews, but they believed
He would be the Savior only of His own nation. The three Wise Men were the
first men outside of Israel to know that Jesus had come for all men, and
they were the first to see Him.
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After
Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary stayed on in Bethlehem, for they did not
want to travel with the newborn baby. One night, soon after the birth, three
strangers appeared in the little town. They were richly dressed and it was
clear they did not come from anywhere near Judea. 