Did the three wise men visit baby Jesus at the manger?
Here's the answer:
The three wise men from the east came to bring gifts to Jesus and worship Him. The Bible says they came to a house, so it wasn’t at the manger.
The three wise men from the east came to bring gifts to Jesus and worship Him. The Bible says they came to a house, so it wasn't at the manger.
The Bible doesn’t tell us there were only three wise men who came, only that they brought 3 gifts—gold, frankincense and myrrh. There could have been many more people who came.
You may have seen the three wise men in a nativity scene at Christmas time, but these men didn’t come to the stable at Jesus' birth. Instead, they came days, months, or maybe even years later. Matthew 2:11 says they visited in a house: "The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh."
The Bible says these wise men were from the "East." Where is the East? It was most likely Persia or the area we know as Iran. This means that the men probably traveled 800 or more miles to worship Jesus!
The Star of Bethlehem guided them along their journey. They arrived in Jerusalem and asked where the Messiah was to be born. Herod informed them it was to happen in Bethlehem, so the wise men traveled on to Bethlehem. When they arrived, they gave costly gifts to Jesus and they worshiped Him.
God then warned them not to return to Herod, so they left Judea by a different route.
Bible Truth
"Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea. After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, 'Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose. Now we have come to worship him.'
"When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah was going to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied...
"Then Herod secretly called for the Wise Men. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, 'Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report it to me. Then I can go and worship him too.'
"After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road" (Matthew 2:1-12).
