Good morning! These wisemen were overjoyed at seeing the Child, their King. These men travelled anywhere from 800-900 miles from Persia (modern-day Iran). Daniel (yes, that Daniel the prophet) served as a seer for the Babylonian/Persian government during Israel’s exile. In Daniel 9:24-27, these wise men (Magi) knew of the prophecies and the timeline by which the Savior would come. This star (Matthew 2:2) led them to Bethlehem and they were overjoyed that God kept His promises.

The gifts they gave mattered as well.

Gold: A gift for a king.

Frankincense: This is obviously an incense, the burning of which represents prayer. It is used by priests, and indicates the priestly nature of the Messiah.

Myrrh: A fragrant perfume, used in embalming bodies. The inclusion of this gift can be seen as prophetic of the death of the Messiah.

The three gifts together also underline the Messiah’s offices as prophet (the Giver of God’s words), priest (our intercessor for prayer and confession of sin), and king (our Ruler and Messiah).

All these Wise Men had were 500 year old prophecies and a star by which to travel. We live on this side of the cross and resurrection and have God’s full revelation compiled in Scripture. Do we seek Him with the same ferocity as those Wise Men?