So often the Christmas holiday becomes all about the gifts. And if we are able to look beyond the gifts we may focus instead on the traditions – the meals, the gatherings with friends and family, the decorations, the trees and the lights.
All of these are wonderful parts of the celebration of Christmas but at the center is the baby born in the manger. What do we know about the baby Jesus?
We see the beginning of who this child is with the story in Matthew 2. Who came to visit the baby after he was born? Who are they looking for? What was their sign?
We often depict the Magi as kings from foreign countries. The tradition began, I believe, because of the gifts they brought and the attitude they had in their visit. They had expensive, valuable presents to give the child and as they sought him out they went first to King Herod. After all, for such an important birth the ruler of the land would certainly know where the child was.
But the Bible refers to these visitors as “Magi,” wise men. These men may not have been kings, but instead were very intelligent scholars. They were wise. They had been studying the skies and had seen a supernatural indication that something special had taken place. A bright, unusual star had appeared in the skies and moved to indicate where a special birth had taken place.
Who was this child who had been born? We simply refer to him as Jesus, but these wise men knew him to be a king. He was a person of great value, a person with wonderful power and authority. This was why they came to give gifts, to honor this great king.
As we celebrate Christmas we must remember that this tiny, helpless child who was born was actually indeed a great king. He was the Son of God and as the child of God he was the king of all kings on earth. He was and still is the Lord of all rulers.
We must work to have the wisdom of the Magi. We must be wise enough to recognize that Christmas centers on the child king that was given by God to rule over all of us in tremendous love.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you remember that Jesus is the king?
