The story of the wise men journey does not end with finding Jesus. In fact the story takes a twist. With the alert of a new king from the wise men, King Herod wanted to kill Jesus. The wise men found Jesus in a house and not a manger. Meaning Jesus may have been one to two years old when they actually found him and presented him with gifts. The Christmas pageants always seem to have the wise men there at the manger but it is a misconception. It only seems to work well with the story of the guest arriving to see Jesus and makes a beautiful manger scene, but in truth that part of the story actually comes later. Joseph in any town would have been able to find work, after al he was a carpenter. However we know nothing about Mary and Joseph life in Bethlehem besides the fact that Jesus was dedicated at the temple 8 days after birth and would return 12 years later to Jerusalem. Yet we might note that Mary and Joseph were still abiding in Bethlehem when the wise men showed up. When the exact time the wise men came is only as important to the fact that upon finding Jesus they worshipped/adored him. Just like any infant people love to see babes. How many times do people in the story make silly faces at babies to try to get them to laugh and smile. Perhaps the adoration and worship of Jesus can be more clearly understood as a simply the attention of strangers give to a child. Yet if adults gave each other that same attention the world would be much friendlier place.

The gifts presented by the wise men were not normal gifts given to a baby perhaps. Yet gifts fit for a king and priest. Yet these costly items could be sold for money or used perhaps like talc powder and lotion.

The most exciting thing is after finding the baby the wise men journey did not end with gifts, but came with a warning in a dream from God. They were warned to go a different way home, so as not to alert the king of where Jesus was abiding. The fact that the wise men did not return and did go another way declares that there adoration for Jesus was more then just silly faces trying to make a child smile. It was the adoration of the heart toward a new king that would be Savior to the world. No doubt from their own journey to the manger and the stories that Joseph and Mary would of told it would be enough to encourage them to believe the warning of God from a dream and not to pass it off as some sort of nightmare.

The wise men would not be the only ones warned, Mary and Joseph would soon depart themselves because God would warn them too. All apart of prophesy that God would call his Son out of Egypt. This concludes our Christmas story for this year. Let it not be the end of the season of Christmas in your heart but spur you on in faith, knowing God speaks to the people of the world and not just one group of people. Yet God Savior could only come through one tribe, yet his own tribe would reject him, with the rejection He becomes the Savior of the world paying the price for all man’s sin. For not just his people but the world nailed him to the cross. Repent today and ask Jesus into your heart and allow Him to light your heart and life through out your life and not just the Christmas season.

Dear Heavenly Father let us heed your warnings in our life, so we do not slip and fall. May each person hear receive your Son as payment for their sin. That they will not just put Jesus in the closet, attic, basement, or shed after the Christmas season but carry him in their hearts for eternity. In Jesus precious name, Amen.