The Wise Men

This week’s passage: Matthew 2:1-12

The Beginning of a Long Journey

Matthew, being guided by the Holy Spirit is sharing so much in these 12 short verses that it is hard to unpack it all in one setting. If we are paying attention, we see an example of how the world can influence our view of events, but more on that later. These verses focus on the journey of the wise men (Magi) who were familiar with the prophecy given by Daniel some 900 years prior to the event we are reading now.

"And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever," (Daniel 2:44)

Perception is Everything

We see through the wise men and others in this account that the way we perceive Christ can change our willingness to approach Him.

Herod enjoyed being the earthly king of the Jews and responds with hate and jealousy, not willing to bow to another, all Herod can see is how the existence of Christ will hurt his own kingship, and make others see him for who he really is. Many unbelievers today see Christ in this way, responding with anger to the gospel, seeing it as a threat to the way they live their lives.

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.” Matthew (2:3-4 ESV)

It was the job of the chief priests and scribes to know scripture and record Jewish history, they would have recognized this event for what it was, but what happened? They choose to continue bowing to Herod, understanding that if they didn’t, he might turn his anger toward them, or maybe they didn’t want to lose their own status in the community. For whatever reason, they had ignored the birth of Christ, putting their earthly comfort and safety above the One who could provide an eternal comfort.

"They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:5-6 ESV)

The wise men responded immediately when they saw the Star of Bethlehem in the eastern sky, they knew its significance and did not wish to wait another minute to worship the King whose kingdom would never fall! They gathered up expensive gifts and set out on a journey that would take months, leaving everything behind without a thought. Upon arrival in Bethlehem, they dropped to their knees before the child and worshipped Him, they gave Him gifts, they treated Him like royalty even though at the time Jesus was just a child learning to walk.

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2 ESV)

Ladies, are you like the wise men, showing reverence to Christ because of who He is? Are you running to Him daily in prayer and eagerly awaiting His return?  It is not enough to know what the Bible says. Do people who knew you before Christ came into your life see the fruits of the Spirit in your life?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22-24 ESV)

Are you ready to give them the reason if they ask? These are hard questions to ask ourselves daily, but to be the light guiding people to Christ, there must be something about the way we live that makes people see Christ in us.

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.” (1 Peter 3:13-16 ESV)

Contrary to Popular Belief

Movies, songs, and books all tell us of the three wise men who brought gifts and bowed down before a newborn Christ in the manger, whom they found because of a star that was anchored above Him in the sky. According to this week’s passage, it didn’t happen that way! No mention of only 3 wise men, the wise men are lead to a home in Bethlehem by a star that went before them, and they didn’t arrive until Jesus was a toddler. That last bit is important to what happens in the verses we will cover next week.

When we discover things of this nature, they can be used to help us share the truth about Jesus with others. Next time you setup your nativity scene at Christmas time, leave the Wise Men in a far corner of the house or out on the porch, it might spark a conversation!

If you are interested in learning more about the Star of Bethlehem, here is a 6.5-minute video from GotQuestions.org explaining the Magi and the Star. What was the star of Bethlehem?