EPIPHANY AND THE THREE WISE MEN

Today is the feast of Epiphany.

The Christian holiday of Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, commemorates three events:

The Magi, or Three Wise Men, arriving in Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus.
St. John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River.
Jesus performing his first miracle, changing water into wine at the marriage feast at Cana.

The story of the Three Wise Men, Kings or Magi

Epiphany is the day we celebrate the visit of the Magi, or the Wise Men. Not much is known about these visitors. We know they were from the East and studied the stars. We also know that they had some knowledge of the history and prophecies concerning Israel. They followed a star to Bethlehem, but contrary to the popular Nativity scenes, they probably arrived a year or two after Jesus’ birth.
Religious tradition has given them names: Balthazar, Caspar (or Gaspar), and Melchior.

After Jesus was born, wise men came to look for Him, from an area which is now in either Iran or Saudi Arabia. Although they are often called the "Three Kings", the Bible does not say how many there were, or that they were kings. Three is only a guess because they brought with them three gifts: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

They were certainly men of learning - probably today we would call them philosophers or scientists. They had seen an unusual new star in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special king. They followed the direction of the star - East - and eventually found the place where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were staying. To bring honour to the child, they brought rich gifts:

Gold: A gift fit for a King
Frankincense: Burnt in worship of God. It’s a resin which burns with a beautiful smell.
Myrrh: A sign of mortal humanness - it was used to bury the dead. It’s a plant oil with a very strong sweet smell.