Visit of the Wise Men Story - Bible

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. They were men who studied the stars. They asked, 'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.'

When King Herod heard this, he was very troubled. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. Herod called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born.

They answered, 'In Bethlehem in Judea. The prophet wrote about it: 'But you, Bethlehem, are not the least among the rulers of Judah. Out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.''

Then Herod secretly called the wise men to meet with him. He found out exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find Him, report to me. Then I can go and worship Him too.'

Herod did not really want to worship Jesus. He wanted to kill Him because he was afraid of losing his throne.

The wise men left Jerusalem. The star they had seen in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. The wise men were filled with joy!

They entered the house where Mary and Jesus were. They saw the child with His mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold was a gift for a king. Frankincense was a sweet-smelling incense used in worship. It showed that Jesus is God. Myrrh was a perfume used to prepare a body for burial. It showed that Jesus would die for the sins of the world.

God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country by a different road.

After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, 'Get up! Take the child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.'

Joseph got up during the night. He took Jesus and Mary and left for Egypt. They stayed there until Herod died. This happened just as the prophet had said, 'Out of Egypt I called my son.'

When Herod realized that the wise men had not come back, he was very angry. He gave an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and the surrounding area who were two years old or younger. This was a very sad time. The words of the prophet Jeremiah came true: 'A voice is heard in Ramah, crying and loud mourning. Rachel is crying for her children. She refuses to be comforted, because they are no more.'

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in Egypt. The angel said, 'Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel. The people who wanted to kill the child are dead.'

Joseph got up. He took Jesus and Mary and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Herod's son was now king, he was afraid to go there. God warned him in a dream to go to the area of Galilee. So Joseph went to a town called Nazareth. This happened just as the prophet had said, 'He will be called a Nazarene.'

The wise men traveled far to worship Jesus. They gave Him valuable gifts. God protected Jesus from wicked King Herod. From the very beginning, Jesus was recognized as the King of kings. People came from far away to bow down and worship Him.

The Visit of the Wise Men story teaches faith and recognition of greatness. It shows the importance of seeking truth. This story highlights devotion and respect.