This chest could contain anything…
Today is Epiphany. It’s the day when the church officially recognizes the visit of the Three Wise Men or the Magi. Have you ever wondered just who these guys were and why they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh?
The Magi were from somewhere in the far east like Persia or Arabia, no one knows for sure, but they traveled a long way to worship Baby Jesus. The scripture doesn’t say how many there were, but the assumption has been that there were three because they brought three gifts.
They would have been very well-educated and had obviously read Old Testament prophecy, possibly written by Daniel. They would have likely been born into being Magi and would have counseled kings on what they knew of the stars. They were very well-respected by all people, including kings, for the special knowledge and wisdom they possessed.
The gifts they brought were very expensive and traditional for kings. The deeper spiritual meaning is that gold represented his kingship and divinity. The pagans often used gold to make idols. By presenting Jesus with gold, they were acknowledging that he was from God. Frankincense was used was often used in worship and with burnt offerings. It would have been symbolic of Jesus having a priestly role. Myrrh was used for embalming and the myrrh foreshadowed Jesus’ death.
Jesus was probably not a baby when they arrived. The scripture says he was a child. Theologians guess he was between one and two years old. When King Herod learned they were in his country, he requested a meeting with them. They told him they had come looking for the King of the Jews in order to worship him. Herod told them to come back to him when they found the child, so he could worship him too.
They continued to follow the star until it stopped over the place where the child was. (By the way, no one can explain the star. It was a supernatural gift from God.) “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother Mary, and bowed down and worshipped him.” Matthew 2:10-11.
When it was time for them to go, they went home another way, because God warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. Ever notice how God has his hands all over the place, when you really look? These guys were the first on record to worship Jesus. They were the first to acknowledge his divinity and kingship and God protected them by telling them to go home another way. They were the first to seek and were rewarded with God’s protection.
Like the Magi, when we seek Jesus, we will always find him. The question then becomes: What do we seek from him? Do we seek forgiveness, healing, guidance, peace? Do we seek to worship?
I’m asking myself this Epiphany what it is I’m hoping to find on this quest for more Jesus. Maybe you would like to join me? Feel free to share.
Have an Awesome Day!
Wendy 🙂