Saint Joseph was of royal lineage, a descendant of David and Solomon, the grandson of Matthan and great-grandson of Eleazar. Joseph was the son of Jacob after the flesh, and of Heli according to the law of the levirate.

Wherefore, it is written: "They fell down and worshiped Him, and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts", fulfilling the commandment: "None shall appear before Me empty" (Ex. Ch. 23). And what were their gifts? Gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They brought gold as befitting a king, frankincense for Him that is God, and myrrh to One Who would taste death, for the Jews used myrrh, which masks the foul odor, in preparing corpses for burial (Saint Theophylact). Thus did the three kings honor one of the Trinity with gifts, indicating thereby that He is one in two natures as Saint Leo says: "They brought frankincense to God, myrrh to Him Who is a man and would undergo death, and gold to the King, rightly honoring the Divine and human natures in a single hypostasis. Offering gifts, they showed their devotion to Him in Whom they believed with their hearts."

"When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East" (Matthew, Ch.2), not just from one eastern country, but (as a probable) from several, as we may conclude from the various statements made by the Holy Fathers about this. Some (including Saints John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, and Theophylact) say that the Magi were from Persia, where the study of astrology especially flourished and no one could become a king unless he was educated in star-lore. Others, such as the holy Martyr Justin, Saint Cyprian, and Saint Epiphanius say that the wise men were from Arabia, which abounds in gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Still, others hold Ethiopia to have been their homeland.

At the Savior's Nativity, the celestial herald declared to the shepherds, "Unto you is born this day a Savior, and this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manager" (St. Luke, Ch. 2). Perhaps someone may think that this is no great sign, for every new-born child is bound in swaddling. If the Angel, it could be said, had wished to prove to the shepherds that it was indeed Christ that had been born, he might have revealed some unusual portent, like the star that appeared to the Magi in the East, or the maiden in the sun, holding a child, which the sybil showed Augustus.

The essence of God, being infinite and inexpressible "arretos," is incomprehensible to the natural man, inasmuch as "God, then, is infinite and incomprehensible; and all that is comprehensible about Him is His infinity and incomprehensibility." Nevertheless, the very God, through His natural and, more especially, His supernatural revelation, disclosed to man, insofar as he was capable of receiving it, knowledge pertaining to Him. This knowledge cannot, of course, be absolute and perfect in essence; rather, whether concerning the Divine Nature according to the Holy Fathers, or "concerning God" such must be "only partial knowledge," based on faith.

"Therefore, we believe in one God: one principle, without beginning, uncreated, unbegotten, indestructible, and immortal, eternal, unlimited, uncircumscribed, unbounded, infinite in power, simple, uncompounded, incorporeal, unchanging, dispassionate, constant, unchangeable, invisible, source of goodness and justice, light intellectual and inaccessible; power which is not subject to any measure, but which is measured only by His own will, for He can do all things whatsoever He pleases...; one Essence, one Godhead, one power, one will, one operation, one principality, one authority, one dominion, one Kingdom, known in Three perfect Hypostases, and known and worshiped with one worship" (Saint John Damascene, Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, 1:8).