RUSSELL SANDERS
12-30-2025
THE CHRISTMAS SERIES PART 8
WE THREE KINGS OF ORIENT ARE –
PART 2

The Magi were excited. They would go to honor this newborn king for whom they had waited for centuries – a great king born in Israel from their Chaldean bloodline. The journey would be long. They must take a few of their servants to protect them from robbers along the way. It would be a long caravan with numerous camels, magi, and servants.

We cannot know how many Magi made the trip. The traditional number of “three” was drawn from the fact that only three of the many gifts were specifically named due to their high value and prophetic significance. Surely more than just three took the journey, and the unnamed gifts were many.

Since they did not know the exact birth location, they went to Jerusalem to inquire of King Herod. Interestingly, these wise men knew of the birth, but none of the Jewish religious leaders knew of it. They only knew that Messiah’s birth had to be in Bethlehem according to prophecy, from the “City of David.”

Herod inquired when they first saw the star they were following had appeared and then told them to go find the child in Bethlehem. When they departed Jerusalem, they saw the same star they had seen in the east. It went before them to Bethlehem, and they followed it. The star stood over where the child was now living.

As they entered the house and saw the young boy (no longer a baby in a manger) with his mother, they fell down before him, and worshipped him. [Matthew 2:11] They presented him with many gifts. Three particularly expensive ones were gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold represented the purity of the Christ child born without any original sin nature. Only with such pure blood could He become our Redeemer King. Frankincense showed an offering of worship to the King.

Burning Incense has always been used to show a sweet-smelling odor of sacrifice in worship. Even Jewish priests burned incense to God in the Tabernacle, and later in the Temple.

Myrrh was an expensive spice often used in burials. It signified the death and burial of Jesus prophetically. Yes, they even brought His burial spice.

These three particular gifts were pre-ordained by God to further show who this special child was to be. There would have also been other gifts given to honor the newborn king.

You could say that even the heavens celebrated the birth of Christ. It is so appropriate that we should also do so – in a very reverent manner.