This post is Day 26 in a series of studies about “Babies and Children”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Babies and Children – Day 26

We do not have too much information about these visitors, where they came from, or how long it was after the birth of Jesus that they finally arrived to visit Mary, Joseph and the baby. But it is clear that this young family were no longer living in a stable!

Matthew 2:11

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, frankincense and myrrh.

The Thought

We do not have too much information about these visitors, where they came from, or how long after Jesus’s birth, they finally arrived to visit Mary, Joseph and the baby. But it is clear that this young family were no longer living in a stable! The wise men visited them in a house! (Re-read today’s verse!)

These visitors are referred to as “Magi” in the opening verse of this chapter, people who understand the stars. They went to see King Herod, supposing that the baby would have been born in a royal palace. Supposition can lead many down the wrong path. A lot of babies died because these “wise” men didn’t just follow the star straight to where it eventually lead them (verse 9). We do not know how long the journey took them. But we read later that Herod killed all baby boys up to the age of two (verse 16). So they could have been been travelling for over a year.

It is clear that Mary, Joseph, and their young son were no longer living in a stable, and we can suppose that these visitors didn’t meet the shepherds on arriving there!

Action

Read Matthew 2 today and think about the images we find on Christmas cards, and in many nativity scenes in the western world. Do they give a false impression by showing shepherds and kings together? Does it matter?

Why do you think they went to see Herod? How many babies lost their lives, because they didn’t just continue following the star that had led them so far? Was it because they supposed it was a royal baby?

Praise God today that the birth of Jesus was announced to rich and poor, local people and foreigners. He still invites all nations, all classes and all types of people to follow Him today.

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