After Jesus was born – after the angels sing and the shepherds visit the manger – some mysterious guests arrive from the East (see Matthew 2). The Greek text calls them “Magi,” which is usually translated as Wisemen. Directly east of Palestine was the Arabian Desert, and on the other side of that were Babylon and Persia – there Magi were common. They would study the stars, interpret dreams, and decipher events to find wisdom and determine the future. Most likely this was their profession – sort of astronomers, philosophers, and political consultants all rolled into one. In their culture, they would have held places of honor and would have been highly esteemed.
At some point, months earlier, an unusually bright star caught their attention. Maybe through research, or studying the Hebrew Scriptures, or even a prophetic dream (see the end of the story), these Wisemen believed this star is the sign of the birth of a King in Israel. (Remember the Israelites were exiles in Babylon – perhaps the hope of a Messianic King in Israel had been passed down for generations in that region.)
However they figured it out, these Wisemen journey about 1,000 miles, using the star for navigation, to seek out the King. When they arrive in the capital city of Jerusalem (where else do you look for a King?), they ask around: “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.” Surprisingly, no one knows what they are talking about!
So Herod – who the Romans had installed as King over Judah – gathers all the chief priests and scribes to find out where this King has been born. As becomes evident later, Herod is not trying to be helpful. He considers this newborn King a threat, and only wants to destroy him! The scribes find an old prophecy written by Micah over 700 years earlier. The prophecy tells how after God’s people go through a time of judgment, God will restore them. God will raise up a ruler who will shepherd and guide his people.
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace.” | Micah 5:2-5
So, the Wisemen travel about five miles outside the capital city to the little town of Bethlehem. Herod asks them to come back and tell him when they have found the baby so he too can go worship. But he really has no interest in paying homage to the baby, he’s actually paranoid and wants to destroy any future threat to his power.
When they arrive in Bethlehem, they are overjoyed to find the star shining down right over a house (enough time has passed that Mary, Joseph, and the baby have found someplace proper to stay). The Wisemen enter and find Mary and Jesus. Immediately, these prestigious foreign visitors fall to the ground and worship this newborn King.
I bet during their weeks of traveling, following the star, they speculated about the significance of seeking out this King. But when they finally laid their eyes on the child, they were overcome. In the presence of Jesus, the Savior of the world, the presence of God himself drove them to the ground – and they worship.
After the initial impact of the moment is over, they pull out the treasures they had brought as gifts for the King – gold, frankincense, and myrrh (expensive ingredients used to make perfumes). (We assume three gifts means three Wisemen, but maybe a couple of Wisemen went in on a gift together!)
We’re not sure how long their worship and their visit lasted – maybe a few days – but at some point they return home. The Wisemen are warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod because he plans to destroy Jesus, so they return home without going to Jerusalem. We don’t know what happened to these men after that. We can hope that decades later, maybe reports of the Messiah’s death and resurrection made it back to their homeland. We can hope they found true faith one day, but we don’t know.
What about you? Will you seek out this King? You don’t need to follow a star – find his truth in the Word of God. See him at work in your life. Listen to his Spirit’s voice in your heart. Fall down and worship. Give this King the greatest gift of all – give him your life. Devote your life to worship, obey, and follow him. He is the Savior of the world. Make him your King.
Wisemen still seek him.
“You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” | Jeremiah 29:13
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