As we set up our Christmas decorations, nestled under the Christmas tree or perhaps on a prominent shelf, we place the Three Magi, bowing before the manger, bearing their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Unfortunately for those who love this inclusion, the Magi were probably not at the Nativity. The star which appeared on the night of the birth of Jesus led them for over a year before they reached Bethlehem. By then, the family of Joseph and Mary had found shelter in a house, according to the gospel of Mathew. This date can also be verified by the historical account of Herod’s massacre of the boy children under the age of two, a tragedy set off by the arrival of the Magi in Jerusalem and based on the time the star first appeared in the eastern sky. Another question arises concerning the “three” Magi – determined solely by the number of gifts – and of their calling, probably not kings as the famous carol would have us believe, but Astronomers.
However, to not include them in the Christmas account denies us of the complete picture of the Nativity by restricting it to a single night of glory. The Magi connect us to the story of Daniel who introduced the wise men in the court of King Nebuchadnezzar to Jewish scriptures and to prophesy of the coming King. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, brought as homage to the Christ, indicate their recognition of the significance of the birth of this Child.
So, as we look toward Christmas Day, we invite you to a study of “Gifts of the Magi,” understanding that, in giving our lives to the King of Kings, we too become the Magi.