“We three kings of Orient are. Bearing gifts we traverse afar. Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.”
Chorus: “Star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to Thy Perfect Light.”
“Born a King on Bethlehem's plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again. King forever, ceasing never, Over us all to reign.” Chorus
“Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a deity nigh. Prayer and praising, all men raising, Worship Him, God most high.” Chorus
“Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume, Breathes of life of gathering gloom. Sorrow, sighing, bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone cold tomb.” Chorus
“Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice. Alleluia, Alleluia, Earth to heaven replies.” Chorus
Everyone reading this has probably seen the Christmas story portrayed in pageants at church. Where Joseph, Mary, and the newborn baby Jesus in a manger are surrounded by sheep, shepherds, angels, and other various lowly characters. And then the three young boys, dressed up as kings, holding their gifts, and standing in front of portraits of camels. While the portrayal of the Magi is more appropriately portrayed during the Church season of Epiphany instead of Christmas, it’s okay to include them in the Christmas story. The Magi were the first-fruits of the promise that God made to Abraham that his descendant, Jesus, would bless all the nations, including Gentiles (non-Israelites).
John H. Hopkins, Jr. was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and later received his education at the University of Vermont, followed by the General Theological Seminary (GTS) in New York City. In 1857, Hopkins wrote this hymn based on the journey of the Magi, recorded in Matthew 2:1-12; I suggest reading all of Matthew 2. In 1872, Hopkins was ordained as an Episcopalian minister and then served as rector at two parishes: Trinity Church in Plattsburg, New York and Christ Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Who were these Magi anyways? We don’t really know the answer to that question because very little was written about them in the Bible. Most of what we know about them comes from Church tradition. One plausible theory is that they were educated in Jewish Messianic prophecies, since they clearly knew that the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem was significant and should therefore be pursued. Their pursuit led them to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Those prophecies could have been left in Babylon by Daniel after the Israelite exile there ended. We obviously know they studied astrology because they saw the Star of Bethlehem while looking for signs in the stars.
It's quite possible that the Magi were from Persia (region of Babylon) because of the gifts they presented to Jesus. It was customary for Persian emissaries to present foreign kings with gold whenever visiting him. We also don’t know how many Magi followed the star. The custom of three Magi was due to them bringing Jesus three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It’s a safe assumption that there were far more than three people in their company. The trip would’ve taken around a month and they would have needed to take water, food, and shelter with them. So, these wealthy Magi most likely had cooks, servants, and even security guards that came with them.
If you haven’t read Matthew 2 yet, I would suggest doing that now. The fear of the Lord produces three different responses: indifference, distress, and joyfulness.
The chief priests and scribes that Herod summoned to ascertain the place that the Messiah was to be born showed indifference. These men knew the Scriptures of the Old Testament better than any other Israelite. They were anxiously awaiting the Messiah’s arrival for their entire lives. Yet, when the Magi tell them of the Star of Bethlehem pronouncing the Messiah’s birth and ask where they could find Him, why didn’t the chief priests and scribes tag along with the Magi? Why didn’t they go to check it out themselves? Matthew was very meticulous in writing his record of the Gospel. If these chief priests and scribes had accompanied the Magi to Bethlehem, Matthew would have recorded that.
Then there was King Herod; a fearful, jealous, greatly distressed, and murderous person. At the thought of this newborn child taking his position as King of the Jews, Herod developed a sickening plot. He attempted to deputize the Magi in order to have them pinpoint Jesus’ location for him so he could send his assassins to kill Him, unbeknownst to the Magi. However, they were warned in a dream, so they ended up not telling Herod where Jesus was and went home on a different route. Herod’s Plan B was the extreme measure that he chose instead; the slaughter of all the boys two years old and younger in the Bethlehem area.
Then there was the response of the Magi; they were so filled with joy at the sight of the Star of Bethlehem, that they loaded up their camels, including very valuable gifts, and made the long journey to find the Christ-child. And once they found Him, they were overwhelmed with great joy and fell on their faces to worship Him and presented Him with their gifts.
The hymn is named “We Three Kings” because they presented Jesus with three different gifts. Stanzas two, three, and four each describe one of the gifts that they brought to Him. Whether the Magi knew it or not, their gifts were quite symbolic. Stanza two speaks of gold that was for Jesus as the King of the Jews, as well as the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Stanza three speaks of frankincense that was for Jesus as the High Priest, offering up prayers on our behalf. Stanza four speaks of myrrh, typically used in burial preparation, that was for Jesus as the One who would die for the sins of all people as the ultimate sacrifice, paying the debt of our sin in full. Stanza five speaks of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. The chorus, sung throughout the hymn, speaks of the Star of Bethlehem, guiding us to Jesus’ Light of Life.
The imagery of the Star of Bethlehem is central to the Church seasons of Christmas and Epiphany. It’s also central to the narrative of this hymn, which invites us all to join the Magi in the following of its light: “guide us to Thy Perfect Light.”
On a side note, the “12 Days of Christmas” starts on Christmas Day (Dec 25th) and ends on Epiphany Day (Jan 6th). It does not precede Christmas as it is commonly portrayed. If you would like to read them, you can find my “12 Days of Christmas” devotions on the same blog page (link below).
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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