Devotional for December 22

The Magi, The Three Kings, or, for me, The Three Wise Guys—traditionally, there are only three kings represented in the Nativity, but in the reality of that day, there is no way the men would have travelled without an entourage. Perhaps it is because of the three gifts they brought that “three wise men” became our creche tradition. These men were wealthy and well-educated. They did not live near Bethlehem. They studied the stars and perhaps magic, hence Magi. When they observed a phenomenon in the skies, they had to investigate. So off they went. 

The star appeared at Jesus’s birth, but the journey was long. It seems that our other tradition of the Magi at Jesus’s birth is just that, tradition. Jesus was probably about two years old when they arrived. But arrive they did in grand fashion, bearing costly gifts, including gold that would ultimately finance the family’s escape to Egypt. Frankincense was used to make a special oil used only in the Temple for worship. And lastly, myrrh was used for anointing the dead. Who brings stuff for the dead to a baby shower?!? But God had directed their steps and their gifts. He knew what Jesus and his family would need, from start to finish.

The wise guys went in search of something they did not know, yet they knew it was important. They travelled a long distance for a long time. As their reward, they met the Savior of the World as an infant. I wonder how it changed their lives. I searched for something for a long time, 40 years, until I also found the Savior of the World. The difference it has made in my life is astronomical!

—Amy Abshire