December 16, 2025 - What Gift Shall I Bring?

What Gift Shall I Bring? 

By John Pruett

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Scripture:  Matthew 2:1-12

In Matthew 2:2 we learn about “Wise men from the East” who came to Jerusalem saying “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him.”

Were these Magi the descendants of those Babylonians who, over five centuries prior, had been led by Daniel after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and his deliverance from the Lions Den? 

In Ezra 7:9 it states that the trip from Babylon to Jerusalem was a four month journey, approximately 1,700 miles along the trade routes of the time, and long before Planes, Trains, or Automobiles, through desert lands that were full of bandits, while carrying treasures of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

What would compel a group of Wise Men to undertake such a journey? To see a baby? They went first to Jerusalem; where else but the nation's capitol would you start your search for the child of a King? They followed the signs, but apparently from King Herod’s reaction to this news, it wasn’t one of his children.

Star in the East by Joseph Alexander Paradis

“We have seen his star” there are many theories about what the star was. Was it an exploding star? Nova, or a Super Nova would have definitely been impressive, but it’s only been 2,000 years and there would still be a Nebula visible in the night sky that we could point to, so was it a Meteor or a Comet? A meteor is an instantaneously brief flash of light streaking across the night sky, and a comet might only last a few weeks in the night sky as it passes by the sun, but it would be a stretch to say they followed either of those across the desert for months, leading them to a manger in Bethlehem. Or was it merely a conjunction of two “wandering stars” known as Jupiter “the King of Gods”, and Saturn “The star of Justice and royalty” in the constellation of Pisces which represented “the West, or the Land of the Jews” three times (retrograde motion- when Earth passes the other planets in its orbit they sometimes appear to reverse their course against the background of stars) in the year 7 BC during the months of May, October, and December?. Or could it have been a cluster of bright shining Angels of Light, or even the Shakina Glory that led the Israelites out of Egypt back in Exodus?

Ya know, maybe, just maybe, the Star of Bethlehem isn’t the point of the story. Perhaps, the point is that they came to worship Him. We each have our own personal journey, and reasons for coming to worship the Christ Child. The Greatest Story Ever Told impacts each of us where we are, and like the Magi, or the Little Drummer Boy, we each have unique gifts and talents.

Joseph had a dream and was faithful in his acts of obedience, and the World was blessed with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

So ask yourself, “What gift shall I bring?” 

Epiphany Solemn Blessing

God has called you out of darkness,

into his wonderful light.

May you experience his kindness and blessings,

and be strong in faith, in hope, and in love.

Because you are followers of Christ,

who appeared on this day as a light shining in darkness,

may he make you a light to all your sisters and brothers.

The wise men followed the star,

and found Christ who is light from light.

May you too find the Lord

when your pilgrimage is ended.

- Author Unknown