Read Matthew 2:1-12

“And when [the wise men from the east] had come into the house, they saw the young Child [Jesus] with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

The wise men were truly wise! Matthew recounts five profound actions they undertook when coming to the Child Jesus.

First, they saw Him! They beheld the glory of the incarnate God before their eyes. At around two years old, Jesus must have been a vibrant child. As a father of three boys myself, I can attest that two-year-olds are a whirlwind of joy and energy. Knowing this child to be the King of the Jews, they did not drop off their gifts like a package at the door. Instead, they entered the humble home and gazed upon the young Child with Mary. What a remarkable scene! They yearned to see Jesus!

This desire mirrors all who seek Him — to see Him.

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12)

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2)

“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3–4)

One day, we too will be granted the privilege the wise men experienced.

Second, they fell down! What a fitting response for a King! Though Christ was but a child, not in the grand halls of a palace but in a modest home, He was still the King in the room. In recognition of this truth, the wise men —truly wise men— humbled themselves before Him. Were there ten, twenty, or a hundred wise men bowing in reverence on the floor of that modest living room? We do not know, but to be there must have been quite the scene!

There is something profoundly healthy about falling down in worship. We need to do it often. We must get on our knees and honor the King!

Third, they worshipped Him! They did not worship Mary or Joseph —how significant that is! Does not royalty beget royalty? Not in this case. The wise men understood that Jesus and Jesus alone was worthy of their worship!

Fourth, they opened their treasures! Opened treasures. What a thought! “Here, Lord, is all that we have.” Oh, how we need to echo this sentiment. “Lord, here are my treasures.”

Fifth, they also presented their treasures! It wasn’t enough to merely reveal their treasures; they presented them. The Greek word used here means more literally: They offered gifts to Him. This small yet crucial distinction bears significant application.

How often do we open our gifts and treasures for the Lord yet hesitate to fully offer them to Him? “Here, Lord — here are my talents. Thank You for them, but you can only look at them. I still have plans to use them for myself. Perhaps I’ll offer them to You later.” The best thing you can do with the gifts God has given you is to transition from opening them up to offering them up.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

And what treasures and gifts were given to the King of the Jews? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold — it’s very likely Joseph and Mary had never seen real gold until this moment. Here, gold was being offered to Jesus. This gift symbolized His status as a King; you don’t present gold to a child unless you recognize that child as a sovereign.

Frankincense — a fragrant resin obtained from the Boswellia tree, primarily found in the Arabian Peninsula. It was rare, valuable, and often used in religious ceremonies. By gifting frankincense to Jesus, the wise men may have been acknowledging His divine nature and His worthiness of worship.

Myrrh — lastly, myrrh, an aromatic substance derived from trees in the Middle East, was used for perfumes and medicinal applications. It was notably associated with embalming and burial practices. This gift foreshadowed Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for humanity.

These gifts to Jesus reflected His identity as King, Priest, and Savior! How fitting!

Beloved, let us behold our King, fall down and worship Him, and present our greatest gifts to Him. For He is truly the King of kings!

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9–11)