The visit of the Magi
Matthew 2:1-23
Soon after Jesus was born, the Magi, who were wise men from the East, were studying the stars when they saw a very special one. They knew this would mean that, somewhere, a new king was born so they set out on a long journey, following the star. They arrived in Jerusalem 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."
When King Herod heard this, he was worried because he was the king and did not want anyone to replace him. He called the chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They knew that the Christ was to be born in Bethlehem because that was what the prophets said, so they told the king.
The king called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He told them that Christ would be born in Bethlehem. He asked them to make a careful search for the child and, when they had found him, to come and tell him. He said he wanted to go and worship the baby but he really wanted to find out where he was so that he could kill him. He wanted to be sure that the new king would not take over from him.
The wise men set off and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where Jesus was. On coming to the house, they saw Jesus with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. They gave gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. They did not go back to Herod for God warned them in a dream not to go back. They returned home by another route.
