The Wise Men Followed the Star

“We, three Kings of Orient are…” That’s the opening line of a famous Christmas carol.  Although the song is famous, it is not exactly an accurate portrayal of the Scriptural account. 

Most manger scenes include three Wisemen, simply because they brought three gifts.  However, it is more likely that it was a much larger entourage of men, probably astronomers, who had traveled a great distance to find the King of the Jews.  Rather than being from the Orient, they were most likely Gentiles from Persia or Eastern Arabia.  They were familiar with the prophecies regarding the Messiah and recognized that this baby was a King! 

The Scripture tells us that they saw “his star in the east”.  Some claim that what they saw was a natural phenomenon like a comet, a joining of multiple planets, or a meteor, it is much more likely that it was a one-time creation of Jehovah God, pointing the way to the Messiah.  They saw His star which is why they journeyed to Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews.  It wasn’t until after they had spoken to Herod that the star, they had seen in the East, reappeared to guide them to where Jesus was (Matt. 1: 9).

Although our manger scenes put them right there with the Shepherds, we know that they arrived sometime after Jesus’ birth, more likely a year or two later.  Matthew 2: 11 tells us that Jesus was staying in a house when they arrived.  The fact that Herod had all the baby boys under two killed to protect his throne, indicates that he believed the child king was more than just a newborn. 

So, what do we learn from this visit by the Wisemen from the East:

·         Another reminder that the Good News of Christ’s birth was “first for the Jews, and then for the Gentiles”.

·         Even Gentiles, at least some of them, knew of the Old Testament prophecies and looked forward to their fulfillment. 

·         Unlike the chief priests and teachers of the law who Herod consulted about the prophecies, these Wise Men were curious enough to follow where God lead them.  The Jewish leaders were simply indifferent and did nothing.

·         Upon coming into Christ’s presence, these men immediately bowed down and worshipped Him.  They knew they were in the presence of the King!

·         They brought gifts to the King.  It would have been normal for anyone coming into the presence of royalty to bring them appropriate gifts.  The Scripture doesn’t tell us why they chose these gifts but since God was leading the way, it is very likely that He also led them to these choices.  Gold was not only an appropriate gift for royalty but would also provide the much-needed finances for the trip to Egypt.  Frankincense is highly fragrant when burned and would be a pleasing aroma to God.  Myrrh was a spice used in embalming, foreshadowing the ultimate sacrifice that this young child would be.

My questions to us are:

·         How thankful are we that God’s plan from the beginning included both Jews and Gentiles?

·         We know the prophecies regarding Christ’s second coming but are we looking forward to them becoming a reality?

·         Are we curious (or obedient) enough to follow where God leads or are we as indifferent to His leading as the Jewish leaders were?

·         When was the last time that we bowed in worship and awe as these wise men did?

·         What gifts have we brought to our King?  We sing the song “I surrender all” but do we really mean it?

These Wise Men certainly give us a lot to think about!  Maybe that’s why they are called “wise”.

                                                                    Matthew 2:9 

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