The Magi Visit the Messiah
Matthew 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” No, the Magi did not show up at the same time as the shepherds, even though Nativity sets always portray things that way. But Matthew gives quite a complete account, and Matthew was a tax collector, a detail man who delighted in getting things correctly. And certainly, the portrayal of Herod is very accurate; Herod was a paranoid vicious man who killed several members of his own family to protect his power.
Talk about having faith!!! Who were the Magi? Nobody knows. Some people have speculated that they were Babylonian or Zoroastrian astrologers. An ancient text housed in the Vatican and translated in 2011 suggested that “it is clear the magi (defined in this text as those who “pray in silence”) are a group—numbering as few as 12 and as many as several score—of monk-like mystics from a far-off, mythical land called Shir, possibly China. They are descendants of Seth, the righteous third son of Adam, and the guardians of an age-old prophecy that a star of indescribable brightness would someday appear “heralding the birth of God in human form.” Whoever the Magi were, they had spent countless centuries scanning the night skies for a sign that a baby had been born who would be king of the Jews. Then when they saw the star, they began a journey that may have lasted as long as two years. “Field and fountain, moor and mountain” might sound poetic, but the reality was that these men were enduring snowstorms and avalanches, sandstorms with choking dust, and flooded rivers – all to reach the King for whom they and their fellowship had been awaiting. If they were coming from China, they may have been following a route similar to the old Silk Road – a route noted to be infested with bandits.
And yet, these brave men persisted. Why? The answer lies in the writings of King Solomon.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 New King James Version (NKJV) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity in their hearts…” The Magi sought out Jesus because they had made this the chief purpose of their lives and nothing was going to stop them short of death. They were searching for the King who would be eternal.
Christmastime can be wonderful, but it can also be incredibly stressful. Many times, we become so distracted the events, the food, the presents, that we can lose sight of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. One of the reasons the story of the Magi is so important is that it tells of a group of men who waited for centuries for the birth of a king. And when these men saw signs that indicated that this king had been born, they left everything to find Him. God is no respecter of persons; He has put eternity into your heart just as he did for the Magi. Ask yourself this Christmas if you are seeking Emmanuel, “God with us,” or if you are spending time and energy on things that don’t really matter.
PRAYER: Father God, our hearts are heavy this Christmas. Our lives have become crazy and we feel overwhelmed by the events of this year and by the expectations of friends and families. Lord, help us to remember that nothing is more important than seeking and finding you. Help us to learn from the Magi, that when we have found You, we have found our hearts’ desire. In the matchless Name of Jesus, Emmanuel, “God with us.” Amen.
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