“Magi from the east came to
Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?’”
Matthew 2:2 (NIV)
“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.” Matthew 2:10
The Magi
travelled a great distance to see the Christ child. They had studied scrolls
and watched the heavens for a sign that the scrolls foretold of the birth of
the one who would save men of their sins.
The Magi
came to the place Joseph, Mary and the child were staying. Their purpose was to
worship the king. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They received a warning in a dream to take
an alternate route back to their homeland.
God protected
these wise men. They made a journey to get to Bethlehem. They encountered King
Herod on the way. When they got to
Bethlehem, they might have been very tired. They bowed down and worshipped the
babe and chose to heed the guidance of the angel. He will protect us as we go
through times of uncertainty and insecurity. We can depend on God to protect us
as we go through life.
This is a song that has a few surprises in it. The lyrics speak of what the three gifts are and their meaning.
I found a place that refers to this carol as an Epiphany carol.
Graphic: biblepictures.net