Goodbye Seeking, Hello Guidance. Hello Christmas Part 4

 

The Mystery of the Magi

“We three kings of Orient are…”

We have all sung the song, played the roles in a Christmas pageant, or placed the characters in the Nativity scene in our home. The three wise men, the Magi. They have many names. Tradition has even given each of them an individual name.

But truth be told, we do not know their names, or even if there were only three of them. So what do we actually know about these mysterious bearers of precious gifts for Baby Jesus? And does it matter to us today?

Let us take a look, shall we?

When Did the Wise Men Arrive?

Some time passed after Mary gave birth in that less-than-ideal location, the stable in Bethlehem. How much time, we cannot say exactly, but God’s Word gives us a few clues.

Herod decreed that all boy babies age two and under in Bethlehem be killed, which suggests that at least a year may have passed. Another clue is that the wise men found Mary, Joseph, and the “young child” living in a house, not in a stable. Others suggest it may have been within two weeks or less.

Two weeks or two years matters little. It is enough to say that they were not in the stable the night He was born. So if we want our Nativity scene to be authentic and true to life, we should probably place our wise men in a distant room.

Who Were These Men?

Who were these men, where did they come from, and why were they so captivated by this star? Consider what we know.

It is safe to say they were not casual wanderers who chanced upon a bright star and decided to follow it out of curiosity. They were men of status and influence from a powerful kingdom east of Jerusalem, most likely the Parthian Empire. At that time, it was a powerful empire that rivaled Rome.

The Magi were much like the priests of Israel, powerful members of the political class as well as scholars, astrologers, and advisors who helped govern their empire.

Remember the story of Daniel while he was in Babylon? After interpreting the king’s dream, he was put in charge of all the “wise men” of Babylon. Many believe that these same wise men were the ancestors of the wise men in Matthew chapter two.

Daniel, Prophecy, and the Star

Let us go back to Daniel, a faithful follower of God, Jehovah. He was in charge of these wise men and may very well have passed on to them prophetic teachings about the coming Messiah, a future king who would rise and save the world.

Perhaps he passed on to them the prophetic verse from Numbers 24:17: “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”

Hundreds of years later, this group of wise men, however many there were, saw an incredible star in the eastern sky. Being astrologers as well as truth-seekers, they believed that this prophecy, handed down through the years, was coming to pass right before them.

It was an event they would not, could not, miss. So they prepared and embarked on an 800-mile journey across a massive desert.

A Silent Welcome in Jerusalem

What did they find when they arrived?

A nation rejoicing? Hundreds of other prophets and wise men gathered in awe? Surely the entire city would be celebrating, with the priests leading worship in honor of the new king.

But what they found was just the opposite. Nothing. Silence. No one else was even looking.

They did what made sense to them. They approached the highest authority, the king. Surely he would know of the arrival of this newborn royalty.

But when King Herod heard the news, he gathered the chief priests and teachers and asked what these men from another land were talking about.

After searching the prophecies, they found the ones pointing to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah. Would this not be the moment for everyone to go seek out this child, to celebrate?

Instead, an edict was issued to kill all male children two years old and under.

The Flight to Egypt

We know the rest of the story. The wise men visited the family and then departed, warned in a dream not to return to Herod.

Joseph was also warned. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt, and Herod wreaked havoc on his own people, murdering innocent children.

What Made the Wise Men Different

What makes these men from the east so outstanding is their commitment to seeking the fulfillment of a prophecy told through the ages. They came seeking a king and discovered a Messiah.

They were seekers. They remained diligent and steadfast. They endured a long journey, they sacrificed, and they had worshipful hearts.

We can move from seeking to being guided, as the wise men were. From wandering aimlessly without hope to living with purpose.

The Ones Who Should Have Known

The people the wise men encountered upon their arrival in Jerusalem, the ones who had studied the Scriptures all their lives, the ones who should have been eagerly watching and waiting for the arrival of the Messiah, the ones who should have known, did not.

It was the outsiders, the ones least expected to understand, who came ready to worship, to sacrifice, to show up.

A Call to Be Ready

Let us not be caught unaware this Christmas season.

Seek. Be diligent. Remain steadfast through the journey. And always be ready to worship.