After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. (Matthew 2:9-11a)

Picture the scene—Mary and Jesus in the house on an ordinary day. Mary was probably cooking or cleaning. Most likely, Jesus was playing on the floor, maybe with a toy Joseph had made for Him. It was a simple, homely scene. They didn't know the wise men were coming.

I wonder if the wise men were any better prepared for what they saw? Either way, they did exactly the right thing: they fell down and worshiped Him. They saw the real King, the real Son of God, playing in His toddler's clothes, and they were happy and celebrated.

We too see our real King, our real Savior, in the humble baby in the manger; in the Man in dusty robes who walked the roads of Galilee and Judea; in the Man hanging on the cross—our cross—to bring us life and forgiveness; and in the risen Jesus, who left the grave to be with us forever.

This is our King, and this is our God. Hallelujah!

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for making Your Son known to us. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

* Did you ever meet anyone famous? Were you surprised by what they said, did, or looked like?

* How do you think Mary and Joseph felt about this unexpected visit?

* What do you imagine was the effect of this visit on the wise men's lives after they went home?

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Today's Bible Readings: Genesis 7-9    Matthew 3

To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"