Matthew 2:9-11 reads, “When they had heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the Young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the Young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him; gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (NKJV).

We have in these precious verses the account of how God led the Wise Men directly to the Christ Child, and how they were compelled to worship Him. Let’s take a closer look at this amazing passage.

In verse 9 we see that “the star which they had seen in the east went before them.” To better understand this let’s read verses 1-2, “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, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him’.” It is clear from these two passages that God used a STAR to guide these Wise Men from the East to Jerusalem, and then later to the house where the Christ Child was. We believe these Wise Men, who were no doubt “Gentile astrologers,” were given a revelation from God to follow a STAR that He prepared especially for them. This STAR, which they referred to as “His star,” was like no other, for it guided them to Jerusalem, then it stopped, and eventually it reappeared and led them directly to the house where the Lord Jesus and Mary lived. The fact that the STAR “stood over where the Young Child was” indicates that it was stationary and low to the earth. This was truly a miracle and no ordinary star!

Is it any wonder then that we read next in verse 10, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” This confirms the fact that their hearts had been touched by God’s divine revelation to them and were truly seeking the King of the Jews. This is in stark contrast to what we read in verse 3, “When Herod heard these things, HE WAS TROUBLED, and ALL JERUSALEM WITH HIM.” The people of Jerusalem, who should have welcomed the birth of their Messiah with great joy, WERE TROUBLED! This attitude grew as time went on and thus Isaiah 53:3 came to pass, “He was despised and rejected of men,” along with John 1:11, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.”

Verse 10 tells us that “when they were come into the house, they saw the Young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him.” Before we speak of their worship it should be noted that they came into THE HOUSE, and NOT into THE STABLE. If you look closely at verses 1-8 it becomes clear that many months had passed from the time they left the East to the time when they found the “Young Child” in the house. So, contrary to popular belief, Jesus was NOT A BABE IN THE MANGER when He was worshipped by the Wise Men. Also, it is significant that “the Young Child” is mentioned first and not His mother, for Jesus is the Object of worship, NOT Mary. One glance at the Christ Child and they were prostrated to the ground in adoring worship! This worship was followed by what we read next, “And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” These were gifts worthy of a king, as we see in Isaiah 60:6, “All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense.” Many believe the GOLD signified Christ’s DEITY; the FRANKINCENSE His SINLESS HUMANITY; and the MYRR, which is a bitter herb used for embalming, His SUFFERINGS and DEATH. In light of this truth, it is interesting to note that Isaiah 60:6 speaks only of “gold and incense.” Isaiah’s prophecy is predicting Christ’s Second Advent when Gentiles will come to Him with gifts acknowledging He is the Messiah. There will be no SUFFERING and DEATH at that time, so the “myrrh” is not included in the gifts that they will present to Christ.  (201.1)  (DO)