When the Magi finally arrived in Bethlehem after a long, difficult journey, the star they had been observing for two years appeared over the house where Mary and Joseph were living. They were long gone from the stable. The manger was little more than a baby-book memory and Jesus was no longer a baby – he was almost two years old. He ran to the door when the Magi came to his house.

When those powerful, wealthy and educated Magi saw Jesus at the front door they bowed down and worshiped him. The neighbors must have wondered why they were treating this little boy as if he were a king, but the Magi saw him through eyes of love.

The gifts they brought were fitting for a king. Gold was a most precious and valuable metal. Incense was also expensive. It had a wonderful smell when burned and was an important part of worship. The Old Testament often speaks of the priests offering incense to God. It was a fitting gift for one who was to become the great High Priest of God. Myrrh was a third expensive gift. It was used for embalming the dead. It was a strange gift for a baby but uniquely appropriate for a child whose destiny was the cross of a Savior and later the crown of a conqueror.

The Magi barely knew Jesus but they loved him and gave him gifts. And that’s what love does – it delights in giving. Those who love Jesus will always want to give him their best!