“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” Matthew 2:1-2, 7-12
“We three kings of orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star….” Just when you thought it we had finished all of our Christmas carols, today’s devotion will address one final aspect of the Christmas season. The arrival of the WISE MEN! The famous American carol “We three Kings of Orient Are” was written in 1857 by Rev. John Henry Hopkins, and usually is included in our consideration of what the manger scene included on the night of our Savior’s birth, however it is a common misconception that three wise men visited Jesus at the stable on the night of His birth. Keep in mind that the scriptures never identified only three kings or wise men visiting the Christ Child, but according to an old church legend, there were three kings named Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar who followed a bright star, followed it to Bethlehem and found there the Christ child. In fact, the actual wise men came days, months, or possibly even years later. That is why Matthew 2:11 says the wise men visited and worshiped Jesus in a house, not at the stable. They must have traveled several months and years to arrive in Bethlehem to worship and honor the unknown newborn king. Imagine their surprise when they found themselves facing Mary, Joseph and Jesus! They also gave extremely unusually AND extravagant gifts if you consider that one was not usually available to commoners (Gold), one was extremely valuable and only used for incenses in the priestly duties of the temple (frankincense), and the third was used for burial services to preserve a dead body (myrrh).
Lovers of Christmas carols are probably also familiar with another traditional holiday song that is historically associated with the wise men, “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, a rather lengthy and difficult memory assignment for singers to remember all the verses which are packed with golden rings, calling birds and various kinds of gentry, musicians and domestic workers. So what does this song refer to… are there 12 days of Christmas? Not just December 25? Church history shows us that for centuries church calendars in the East and the West have agreed that there are twelve days of Christmas and they begin on Christmas Day and end on January 6. Realistically we know that Jesus was probably not born on December 25th It wasn't until A.D. 440 that the church officially proclaimed December 25 as the birth of Christ. The Bible itself tells us that December 25 is an unlikely date for His birth. Palestine is very cold in December. It was much too cold to ask everyone to travel to the city of their fathers to register for taxes. Also the shepherds were in the fields (Luke 2:8-12). Shepherds were not in the fields in the winter time. They are in the fields early in March until early October. This would place Jesus' birth in the spring or early fall. It is also known that Jesus lived for 33.5 years and died at the feast of the Passover, which is at Easter time. He must therefore have been born six months the other side of Easter - making the date around the September/October time frames.
The twelve days of Christmas have traditionally ended with the Feast of Epiphany also called "The Adoration of the Magi", celebrated on January 6, and also known as the day of the Three Kings (or wise men/magi). January 6, the last of the 12 days of Christmas, comes with its own traditions, rituals and symbols. Carolers go from house to house; in many homes the Christmas tree is taken down and in some areas is burnt in a big bonfire. For the children this is an especially joyous occasion because, associated with taking down the tree goes the "plündern" (raiding) of the tree. The sweets, chocolate ornaments wrapped in foil or cookies, which have replaced the sugar plums, are the raiders' rewards. On the evening before Three Kings, traditionally there were prayers, blessed dried herbs would be burnt and their aromatic smell would fill the house. The master of the house would then write with chalk C + M + B and the year above the house and barn door. C + M + B has traditionally been translated with Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, however, according to later Latin traditions it stood for "Christus Mansionem Benedictat" (Christ bless this home).
All of this to simply say, God provided one more way to confirm the supernatural arrival of His Son, the Messiah. Jesus quietly came to this earth in the form of a tiny human baby in a tiny city named Bethlehem, and although the prophets had foretold every detail down to the very date and place, God didn’t want anyone to miss it, including the wise men of that day. Father God lined up the constellations at that pinpoint moment in time as if the very finger of God was pointing down on that location on the earth at that very moment. It brings me great peace and JOY to know that even though I may not have been there when the wise men arrived, I too can worship at the feet of Jesus and give thanks that He came. I too can present my gifts to Him even today….
My gold in offerings,
my frankincense in worship, and
my life to Him as a sacrifice.
Shalom, sister Lahoma
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