Matthew 2:11-12 11And when they entered the house they saw the child with Mary his mother; and falling down they worshiped him and opening their treasures they give him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned another road to their country.
The journey of the magi was complete when they found the newborn child Jesus. Child (paidion) can be used for a wide range of ages from infant to older child below adolescence. There is no time indicator of the age of the infant, but verse 16 suggests the whole story from the first journey of the magi until Herod found out he had been duped took under two years. The magi found Mary and the baby Jesus in a house. It would be nice to know more about the setting and background. At least by this point, the family had moved out of the barn and into a house. Someone took compassion on them. Joseph is not mentioned at this point, but certainly could have been present when the magi came.
The significant part of these verses is the magi’s response to the child by falling down in worship. The verb worshiped (prosekynēsan) is a strong word of falling down in deep reverence and respect. The word is used for people’s response of submission to God. If this is done to a human being, this person has divine origin. It is used many times in the Gospels for how people responded to Jesus. The magi were the first in Matthew’s account to worship Jesus, and others would do similar (8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25). This was more than a simple act of kneeling but a recognition of Immanuel.
The magi responded further by offering gifts to the child. They likely brought these treasurers with them from the east. They had planned ahead because they knew this was a miraculous birth. Their gifts were fitting for a king and likely very costly. Gold was often brought to kings in tribute and recognition of their authority. Frankincense was an exotic perfume from Arabia and was burned in worship practices. Myrrh was used as a spice for burial or a cosmetic fragrance. These gifts showed the respect and honor these men gave to the child and likely involved some degree of sacrifice to have.
If they had any misgivings about Herod, these were confirmed in the dream they had. It is possible that all three had the same dream or that all three had a vision at the same time. Whatever the case, they knew they could not return to Herod. Herod threatened the well-being of the child. These wise men saw through Herod’s deception and also recognized the significance of the newborn king. We can only imagine the joy and fulfillment they had as they returned to their eastern country. Their sacrifice of time, energy, and treasures had paid off. They have been remembered throughout time for their dedication and sincerity.
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