When Jesus Christ was born, the wise men came from the East to worship Him.  These wise men were true astronomers.  They were not flippant in reading the horoscope, as many do today, for guidance and instruction.  How foolish to rely on man’s assumptions instead of God’s eternal Word.  These wise men knew from their true studying of the stars what and where they were going.  When the wise men visited Jesus, he was almost 2 years of age, living in a rented house with his parents.  The wise men entered into the home, knelt down, and worshipped the Child Jesus.  This child they came to worship was and is the King of kings and Lord of lord’s.  The wise men knew this.  Their worship was a direct result of knowing the Christ child’s worth.  The word worship means, worthship.  Jesus Christ is worthy of worship because of who he is!

As the scene unfolds in Matthew 2, the wise men presented gifts to Jesus.  These gifts were Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. Each gift had a direct meaning in regards to who Christ is and why He came to this world.

Gold represented Purity.  Jesus Christ is Holy, without Sin, the spotless Lamb of God, who came to seek and to save that which is lost.  This gift of gold  was for a Mighty Potentate.  King Of kings.

The next gift the wise men presented was Frankincense.  This was a white powder and very fragrant.  The meaning of this gift speaks to us of the purity and fragrance of the life and ministry of our great High Priest.  It was a gift for a Ministering Priest.

The third and final gift was Myrrh. This was a costly spice which was used in the preparation of a body for burial.  Myrrh speaks to us of His great sacrifice and death on the cross. J.W. Peterson wrote a book called, Born To Die.   He wrote, “We cannot look at the cradle of Bethlehem without seeing the Cross of Golgotha. We cannot focus upon the innocency and humility of His birth, without seeing the agony of His death, and we cannot witness these wise men bowing down to Him, without hearing the crowd crying, Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”

What truly made these wise men wise?   They recognized Jesus’s worth!  To truly be wise,  people today, we need to first realize that we are sinners in need of a Savior.  Jesus Christ is that Savior!  Second, repent of your sin,s ask God for forgiveness.  Third, yield your new life to Him on a daily basis.  True Wisdom is from above.  Be wise this Christmas by coming to the King Of kings and Lord of Lords.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!