The Visit of the Magi

Here we are the Sunday before Christmas, in a couple days we will celebrate our Candlelight service here on Christmas Eve, 5pm. I want to encourage you and your family to come and be with us that afternoon.

It is a beautiful time, we will take the Lord’s supper during this time, it will indeed be a special time my friends.

And today at the end of the service, we have treat bags for you curiosity, of the Men’s Sunday school class, be sure to get one as you leave this morning.

And as we think about receiving gifts today, please take your Bibles and lets go to Matthew chapter 2 and lets look at the first 12 verses....

Matthew 2 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:1–12 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

----------------------------------------------

A beautiful passage my friends, just a blessing to see the continued story of the birth of Christ and the things that continued to happen after His birth.

So from this text we know we are focusing upon the visit of these Gentiles from a distant land, men who are considered men of great influence, and they have traveled to see the one they have heard about....

And so lets walk through the text and consider what the Lord is saying to us today.

Now we know from the testimony of the Scriptures that all these things happened after the birth of Jesus, which we looked at last week. This truth is the testimony of Matthew chapter 2, verse 1.

And it is in this same verse that we are enabled to see that something out of the ordinary happened, Magi, wise men from the east came seeking the child born King which the y had been led to see through the witness of a star.

Matthew 2:1–2 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

So who were these Wise men, or Magi as they are called here in Matthew as well.

The Magi or wise men are just that, they are not Kings necessarily in the sense that we know or understand it, but men of prestige, of influence who were considered both Wise men and priests, probably from the courts of Persia. They combined astronomical observation with astrological speculation. They played both political and religious roles there in their home land.

They combined astronomical observation with astrological speculation. They played both political and religious roles and were figures of some prominence in their land.

In truth these are powerful men and we know their temples still exist today.

They have ties all the way back to the Babylonians and Medo-Persian Kingdoms of the Old Testament. We that even Nebuchadnezzar sought their advise when he could not interpret his dream in Daniel chapter 2.

And according to the Scriptures, a star has lead them to this place, (they being observers of the heavens along with other materials have paid attention to these things closely).

So they have been around for a very long time...

Now there is one more piece of information I will share with you about these men.. In 600 AD we know that the Armenians listed these three Magi as

Melkon, Balthasar and Gaspar. Three kings who brought three gifts.

This truth is certain, Wise men came from the east in search of the child born king.

You have heard me tell the story before of George Brasswell, the last IMB missionary in Iran before the govt collapsed to religious radicals in the late 70’s. He came across a Magi temple there in Iran and inquired if the story held significant for them. They told Him yes, their records indicated that 3 of their Preexists did go in search of a child born King.

So from our Scriptures to their records we know the story is accurate, they went in search of and found a child born King and His name is Jesus.

You know you might be here today in search of something, something that will give you peace and hope here at Christmas… Its Jesus.

Jesus makes the promise for those who seek after him will be found of Him. He promises if you knock the door will be opened and if you ask He will answer…

Let me assure you, Jesus is all you need.

Let us help you find Him and your need today....

Now secondly today, let me share this thought with you..

One of the most mysterious things from our text today is the truth of the Bible that these Wise men, the Magi came to the land of Israel from a distant country, being led by a star.

Now people have used the stars to sort their locations and directions. People have used the season and stars to know when it is time to move from one place to another..

But one one has had a star lead them in this sense...

Why did they know this star was special? How did they recognize things were different?

Remember these are people who astrologers, they sought answers from the heavens, from the things moving in the heavens as seasons and times passed.

But also being Wise men, they studied other sources of wisdom looking for truth. We know that Jews themselves lived int he land of Persia, They had been in captivity for 70 years during the time of the Babylonians and the Medo-Persian kingdoms, so they had also studied the OT books of the Jews.

Let me share Numbers 24:17

Numbers 24:17 ESV

17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

17

And while people have always wondered about this star it is safe to say that God gave these Magi a special sign, a miraculous star that told them the world was changing for good.

And what did they want to do… they said they came to worship Him. This fact is a tremendous phrase. for considering what lies ahead, they came to worship Him.

Revelation 22:16 ESV

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Now we can’t say that Herod was pleased to hear this … let’s go back to our text in the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 2:1–9 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Now the Magi make their way to Jerusalem, as traveling dignitaries, they come to the capital of the country they are in and to the reigning leader. Now they state their reason for making the long journey, and verse 3 says that Herod is troubled at this news and all of Jerusalem with him.

Now Herod is the king at the moment, and we know that often such leaders were at times paranoid of others who might try to seize power from them. So he is troubled at this news, a child born King indicating a possible heir to a throne, his throne.

And then the passage says not only is Herod troubled, but all Jerusalem with him. The reference to the city itself has two possible meanings: One is that when the King is upset the people suffer and the other is the fact that those who Herod had appointed were nervous is their opportunities might be coming to an end as well.

The scene is not good..

So Herod inquires of the scribes and the Pharisees, and Herods asks those religious leaders where this child would be born, and they give him Bethlehem and the prophecy associated with it.

Look at verses 5-6

Matthew 2:5–6 ESV

5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”

So the information has been confirmed and taking what he discovered, the Bible says Herod met secretly with the Magi and asked them when the star first appeared to the. He told them to go to Bethlehem, but told the Wise men to be sure and come back and tell Him where this child born king could be found...

And listen to this… Herod says “So that I might go worship him as well..

And the Wise men departed from Jerusalem.

Now listen to the last portion of verse 9

Matthew 2:9b ESV

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Matthew 2:

Matthew 2:9 ESV

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Again the star rose and went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was...

Just as the star had led them in the beginning as they set out to the Holy Land, and now leaving Jerusalem and heading to Bethlehem the star appears to them a second time, and takes them to the place where the child stayed… How remarkable my friends for these Magi to experience these events.

There are lots of ideas concerning this star, what it was or wasn’t… but that is truly not important. It might have been a star or angel, but I simple tell you God did it and it happened...

The truth that matters is that they came and found the child born King, Jesus.

We were once in search of that great thing we knew about… the one we longed for.. God guided us to Christ.

We found him, and we are blessed my friends.

Now we come to just one more thought for this mornings message…

The most beautiful truth we see in our text is they worshipped Jesus… Now we know that this isn’t right after his birth but is sometime between his birth and two years of age.

We know this for the command that Herod later gave to kill all the male children two years of age and younger in attempt to kill this child born King.. .

But lets go back to our text once again… Verses 11-12

Matthew 2:11–12 ESV

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Imagine with me them, entering the house and seeing Mary and the baby Jesus, we are not told about Joseph, he might be there and perhaps he is not for some reason.

But their response is precious. They fell down and worshipped Him.

He was not of their people, He was not of their land, But they knew he was worthy of worship. They knew He was the ancient of days from what they had studied for hundreds of years.

He was the Messiah.

Worshipped, means to do just that, to ascribe honor and glory to a greater one, reverencing and to kiss the hand of another. We find a instance like this later on in (Story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter)

And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

And with worship, they brought gifts to the child king and laid them in front of him. Gifts of gold, incense or frankincense and myrrh

What of these three gifts…

matt 2 1-9

Gold… Well we know gold is a precious metal, just in currency, valuable, more valuable than anything else and would be acceptable even in today’s world, but especially back them.

Frankincense or incense…These are ingredients that were used in making perfumes, more times than not, it was used for sweet smelling aromas to be used in worship, like in the tabernacle or temple worship of God. Zechariah, would have been burning such a ingredient in the temple the day the angel appeared to him.

Myrrh …. Was a very fragrant resin which had many uses, it was used quite often as one of the ingredients to make anointing oil. It was also used to help embalm bodies as we will see at the death of Jesus.

Each of these gifts were costly and precious items, it was indeed a gift, a act of devotion and something special for the wise men to bring such treasures to them. But it was the act befitting the reference and respect due a king.

They came searching for the king, and they found Him.

Now the Bible tells us that they left this place a different way. Being warned in a dream of Herod’s treachery, they left the country before He had realized what had happened

The message of Christmas is the story of God’s love, His coming into the world, His birth and all the things that surrounded it.

It is the joy that blesses us and points us not only to Christmas but toward Easter.

It says first off they bowed down and worshipped him. The word bow means literally to fall down, to be prostrate in front of one greater than you.

And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

And with worship, they brought gifts to the child king and laid them in front of him. Gifts of gold, incense or frankincense and myrrh

Well we know gold is a precious metal, just in currency, valuable, more valuable than anything else and would be acceptable even in today’s world, but especially back them.

Frankincense or incense…These are ingredients that were used in making perfumes, more times than not, it was used for sweet smelling aromas to be used in worship, like in the tabernacle or temple worship of God. Zechariah, would have been burning such a ingredient in the temple the day the angel appeared to him.

Myrrh …. Was a very fragrant resin which had many uses, it was used quite often as one of the ingredients to make anointing oil. It was also used to help embalm bodies as we will see at the death of Jesus.

Each of these gifts were costly and precious items, it was indeed a gift, a act of devotion and something special for the wise men to bring such treasures to them. But it was the act befitting the reference and respect due a king.

They came searching for the king, it is a true story. Geaorge Braswell, last missionary to Iran before we pulled out of there came across a Magi temple and asked and they said yes it was true.

Departed a different way…

This is the last portion of the story, Lets go back to verses 12-15 here in .

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,

15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."

After worshipping the Lord, they were to go back and tell Herod, he said he wanted to go and worship as well, which was a lie, all he wanted to do was kill the child so that there would be no threats to his throne.

Verse 12 reminds us that the Lord worked and spoke to the Magi in a dream, God speaks to those he wishes…

12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

And then the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream …. Take him to Egypt, The term out of Egypt I have called my son refers to ,

NIV "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

It refers to the time when a infant nation was called by God to come up out of the land, and so Israel was called and Moses helped lead them out with God hand at their side. So here God will bring his son, his infant son out of Egypt at the right time. When Herod is out of the way.

Now we know that Herod will do many treacherous things in trying to stop God’s son,

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.

17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt

20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."

21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.

Scripture was fulfilled again when many lost their lives for the Lord’s sake, it makes me think these innocent children who died in the first round of persecution in the days of Jesus how great will their reward be in the victory over Satan. PTL.

The magi came to worship, they found the object that was to be their devotion a child born king, God used them to bring the first gift of worship. Why/

Here is where I will close, these wise men, where heads I think of other religions and possibly nations, but by their coming they recognize one greater than they, the one true King. And Today our world needs to recognize the one true King.

Matthew 2 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

So this is what we know form the meaning of their titles and the record of oral traditions.

But that leads us to ask another question, one which will prove to be difficult to answer, but interesting none the less.

Who were the Magi?

These were in the truest sense of the word, are wise men or men of magic, they have often been referred to as eastern wise men, priests and astrologers who were experts in interpreting the dreams of other and at times said to be ones who practiced magical arts.

We know from our text here in , that the star lead them to the area of Palestine.

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

So a star lead them to this Child born King. I do not want to focus on the star just yet, but I wanted to think about what ever this wonderful event in the heavens were, these men took notice and set out to find what was going on.

But back to the Magi, the term has a Persian background to it, When you go back and look at the old manuscripts of Daniel chapter 2, those who were astrologers, were called Magi as well.

NIV In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.

2 So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,

3 he said to them, "I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means."

4 Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it."

5 The king replied to the astrologers, "This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble.

So we see who they were back in the OT.

So these men may have in fact traveled from what we would have known or considered to be Babylon, or Persia or even Arabia.

Now while we do not know much about these three men, we know that they were called kings, and in AD 600, the Armenian Infancy Gospel named these men as:

Melkon, Balthasar and Gaspar. Three kings who brought three gifts.

What we do know is this, these men, who were the leaders of other lands and possibly other religious basses came to worship Jesus as the King of the Jews. They knew the star meant he was indeed special.

So this is what we know form the meaning of their titles and the record of oral traditions.

But that leads us to ask another question, one which will prove to be difficult to answer, but interesting none the less.

What of the star, what was it ?

There has always been a lot of speculation around the star that appeared in the heavens and led the wise men to the Christ child named Jesus.

There has been many attempts of explain the star from comets, exploding stars to planetary alignments that would make a single light more visible. But we know that some variation of these heavenly bodies only come around every so many years. Haley Comet was recorded in 11BC., so it would not have been that.

In truth there is now what to explain by science what the Bible prophesied and what happened that night.

Secondly, It lead them.

it went before them the Bible says.. the star went before the Magi, and led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This is a distance of about six miles, in a direction from north to south. However, not only does every natural object in the sky move from east to west due to the Earth's rotation, but it is difficult to imagine how a natural light could lead the way to a particular house.

God has often used special, heavenly lights to guide His people, such as the glory that filled the tabernacle () and the temple () and that shone upon the apostle Paul (). Such visible signs of God's presence are known as the Shekinah Glory, or dwelling place of God.

Ken Hamm the founder of answers in genesis says this:

“The great mystery of the first Christmas is not the origin of its special star. It is the question of why the Magi were chosen to follow the light to the Messiah, and why we are given the same invitation today. “

So we have talked about the wise men, we have talked about the star, but lets go back to the Biblical record and notice that they found the child

They sought after and found the King.

Now we know the story, they came searching, and upon entering the land they sought out the ruler, it was the proper thing to do. But when they inquired about the child king, the Bible says that Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him.

Herod gave them insight as to where the prophecies of the child said he would be born and the Magi departed, but before leaving Herod schemed up a plot to take care of this treat to his throne.

Lets look at the text again

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.

10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

11 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 and of incense and of myrrh.

They left Herod and went on their way, and as they drew close to Jerusalem, they saw the star and the star lead them, or actually went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was…

And when it stopped and rested above the place where the child was, the Bible says they were overjoyed.

The phrase “they were overjoyed” carries a rich meaning, they were immensely happy or joyful, almost with the same strength that anger could burn in a person, so they rejoiced at finding the place where the child king was…

Doesn’t that sound so reasonable to us, if we even caught a supernatural glimpse of Jesus we would be ecstatic, we would be overjoyed, our hearts would be flooded with such wonder we would not know what to do.

Oh God let us see you…that should be our prayer every day.

Now lets play attention to verse 11 right now a well

11 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 and of incense and of myrrh