Matthew 2:1,2 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.”
The wise men had apparently learned about the coming of the Messiah from some of the Jews that were still in the East. These men, who were not Jewish, believed the prophecies of His coming, but did not know some of the details.
They were miraculously guided by the star to Jerusalem. The star (probably an angel) may have stopped there because they did not know where to go once they arrived – so they started asking around.
After Herod met them, he plotted against Jesus and pretended to want to go and worship Him also. God told them not to go back to Herod once they had seen the Baby.
Many people think that they appeared at the stable – they did not. Even Herod know that Jesus was no longer a Baby, because he told the wise men to “Go and search diligently for the young child” (vs. 8) – calling Him a “child” and not a baby.
When the wise men arrived, and “they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him” (vs. 11). Notice that they met Jesus in a house and He is called “a young child” – probably a toddler by this time.
Notice also Who they worshipped. It was not Mary, but the Son of God in human flesh. Only He could die for the sins of the world. Being that He was God, He could receive the worship of men – and God forbade the worship of any other being or creature.
These wise men gave valuable gifts to Jesus, which His parents probably used while they were in Egypt. Although three gifts are mentioned, it does not mean that there were only three wise men, as the song says. There could have been more, with others giving similar gifts. These men would have also traveled with an entourage of many others, since travelers in those days often encountered robber bands.
Today, with Christmas almost over, have you spent time worshipping the One Who gave so much to redeem us? These wise men traveled a long way to meet the Savior.