CHRISTMAS OCTAVA

THREE WISEMEN(3 KINGS)

In Christian's traditions, the MAGI, also referred as The Three Kings, the Three Wise Men from the East., who are said to have visited Jesus after His birth bringing gifts. In Mathew 27, the only one to have describe the visit of the Magi, also states that they came from the East to worship Christ " born King of the Jews".

The identification of the Magi as kings is linked to the Old Testament prophesies such as that of Isaiah 60.3 where it describes the Messiah being worshipped by kings.

Thus the kingly travellers to Jerusalem from the east asked " where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? we saw his Star in the East and have come to worship Him. When Herod head this he was troubled and so was all Jerusalem with him. When he had assembled together all the chief priests, elders, scribed and doctor of law and sought clarification from the men as to where this Christ is to be found. In Bethlehem in the land of Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written, "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea, are by no means least among the rulers of Judea, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people in Israel".

After an audience with King Herod whereupon the agreed to inform him of the Birth site, they departed, and lo!! the specular Star which appeared in the East was before them and guided them till it arrived and stopped above the place where the Baby Jesus was resting. The Magi was overjoyed to find the child and mother. They thereupon knelled, worshipped and offered their gifts of Goldi, frankincense and myrrh.

Fortunately for Christians the wise men did no return to Herod as directed in a dream and, went a different route.

While we do not know their names, we have come to accept them as King Melchor of Arabia who gave gold, King Gaspar of Jarsus who gave myrrh and King Bathasar of Ethiopia who gave frankincense. Other religions in the area have maintained that there were as many as twelve wise men, but for these men to have travelled a great distance they would have an entourage and probably heavily guarded given the very valuable gifts they were bringing,

While the precise date of Jesus's birth was not known, it was established that it was during the latter part of King Herod the Great reign. Again, these travellers would have been wealthy and of high status or they would not have been given an audience with King Herod.

King Herod so determined that there shall be no threat to his throne, had all male babies upto the age of two killed when the Wise Men did no returned. Joseph was directed in a dream to escaped to Egypt and to returned after Herod death.

Gifts: The Three Gifts as explicitly stated in Mathew.

1) all the three gifts are gifted offered to a King.

2) the three gifts have spiritual meaning: gold a symbol of Kingship, frankincense as a symbol of priestship and myrrh as embalming oil, a symbol of death.

EPIPHANY

History: The Christian Epiphany refers to the adoration of the Magi of the miraculous incarnation of the infant Christ, and the feast of the Epiphany which commemorate it.

It is being observed of January 6Th, twelfth days after Christmas. Its celebration originated in the Eastern churches in AD 362 beginning as a commemoration of the birth of Christ. Later, additional meaning was added - the visitation of the Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan River and his miracle at the Wedding at

cana. The three events are central to the definition of then Epiphany, and its meaning is drawn from these occurrences.

While some Greek Orthodox Churches still observe the Epiphany as the Nativity of Jesus, the majority of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and the Anglican churches focus on the visit of the magi, and Jesus' baptism.

The significance behind the visit of the Magi is the revelation of Christ as "Lord and King". The Wise Men were the first gentiles to publicly recognise the divinity of Jesus by offering Gold, frankincense and myrrh.