Matthew 2:1-3
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”
These mysterious travelers from the eastern lands knew something about the Jewish nation that, apparently, most of the Jews of that time were unaware of. Coming from a Gentile country, they may have been Persian astrologers and astronomers who had access to the Hebrew scriptures through the prophet Daniel, who rose to prominence during the days of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon. We really don’t know exactly who these Magi, or “wise men” were, or how many they were.
But we do know that they were convinced a new King had recently been born. And they called the thing that convinced them, “his star,” a word that can also be called “his radiance.” And they also knew that this newborn King was one worthy to be “worshiped.” They had left their homes on a mission: to bring their blessing, their treasures, their submission, to an ultimate, heavenly, divine King. “King of the Jews.”
In the Old Testament, we read of other Jewish Kings, David and Solomon, who reigned over Israel in its golden age, when kings from other nations honored and paid tribute to them as monarchs who had been specially blessed by their God Yahweh, the Lord God Almighty. And the Hebrew prophets from Isaiah to Malachi had spoken and written of a coming Messiah or Christ who would even surpass the power and splendor of David and Solomon.
Did the Magi know about these prophecies, or about the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor during the time of Moses in the wilderness beyond the Jordan, that “a star will arise out of Jacob”? Perhaps. But however they learned about the newborn, divine Ruler in Judea, King Herod recognized right away that the One they were seeking was the long-awaited Christ. He consulted the priests and scribes frantically to discover exactly where that child would be born, not so he could join the wise men to worship Him, but to put the new king to death as soon as he could!
So, how did the wise men find out about the new King? God Himself obviously revealed it to them, whether by the Hebrew writings of Daniel, or by their own superstitious search of the heavens, they’d been given this special knowledge to recognize the “star” or “radiance” pointing them to the land of Judea. And King Herod made the assumption that the star had appeared at the exact time of the Christ child’s birth in Bethlehem, making his evil plans accordingly.
In Hebrews chapter 1, we read that God spoke to people long ago, “at many times and in many ways.” He revealed in some way to the Magi that His anointed King had been born and gave them a visible, radiant sign to point them to Him so they could find Him, travel to Him and worship Him. They recognized this revelation as coming from God and they responded by coming all the way to where the young Child was. Whatever this “radiance” was that God provided to them, they saw its divine importance and sought to follow where it led.
Apparently, the wise men from the east believed that the Creator had ways to communicate with His creatures—ways that made His will clear to them and required them to respond with obedience and reverent worship. Today, two thousand years later, our Creator still speaks to people. Not by way of the stars in the heavens, or horoscopes, or Ouija boards, or miraculous prophecies. Rather, He has given us a book. He’s given us His Word.
The Bible is not a book of magic. But, with God as its ultimate Author, the Bible is a revelation that clearly communicates God’s will and requires men and women and boys and girls to believe and obey Him. The message of the “star” was to seek for Jesus, the newborn King. The message of the Bible is that this Jesus came to seek for us, to make us newborn children of His heavenly Father! The gentile wise men came to the Jews looking for their new Ruler. Jesus, King of the Jews, died on the cross for sinful people, both Jews and gentiles, to include all nations in His new kingdom.
The Magi brought their precious treasures to lay before the Christ child. They sacrificed things they highly prized to honor Him and show their love and devotion. But God the Father gave us His own most precious treasure, His only begotten Son, to show us His love and to provide us salvation from the punishment our sins deserved. And Jesus Himself willingly went to that cross of death out of love for us sinners and obedience to His Father.
After He rose from the tomb and ascended to Heaven, Jesus and His Father sent the Holy Spirit to bring dead-hearted sinners like you and I to new life, once we hear the Bible’s message of salvation through Christ. And once we believe in Jesus and seek to obey Him, He tells us how he plans to carry out His plan to reach all nations with this good news of salvation. He says in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” That’s the mission every follower of Jesus Christ has been given.
The mysterious Magi journeyed a long way to bring their gifts to the heavenly King… Are you and I willing to journey across the street or across the living room to carry out the King’s mission of love and forgiveness? Lost sinners in our own country, town, neighborhood, and even our families, must hear the good news of Jesus to be saved from their sins, and from the eternal punishment they deserve. That mission, the Book tells us, is the “star” we are all called to follow.
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