Last week, we read about Jesus’s birth. This week, we jump ahead a year or maybe even two years, to the time of the wise men’s visit to Jesus (Matthew 2:1—12). Here’s what happened. Following Jesus’s birth, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. They had followed a star, and they were searching for ‘He who has been born king of the Jews.” They had traveled hundreds of miles, a journey that would have taken several months, for the sole purpose of worshipping Him. King Herod, heard about these newcomers in town. He was not happy, and it’s easy to understand why. He was king of the Jews. Anyone else who claimed to be king of the Jews was a threat. And Herod took threats to his power very seriously. He had already killed one wife and two sons. A child who might have a legitimate claim to his throne would be an easy target. All Herod had to do was find out where this child was and kill him.
Herod started plotting immediately. First order of business: find the child. Herod called together those who would know about these things—the chief priests and scribes who studied the Scriptures—to find out where the Messiah would be born. And these guys knew because the Old Testament prophet, Micah, foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Next, Herod needed to know how old the child was so he was sure he killed the right kid. So, Herod set up a secret meeting with the wise men under the pretense that he too wanted to worship the child. In reality, Herod was quizzing the wise men about when the star had appeared so he could calculate the child’s age. After the meeting, the wise men left town. They again followed the star, and behold! They found Jesus! The wise men fell down and worshipped Him, offering gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Not much is known about these wise men. The term “wise man” has nothing to do with them being wise. What it means is that these men studied the stars—they were astrologers. Their study of the stars led them to believe that a great leader had been born in Judea. This was the reason for their journey. Were there just three of them? At least! It’s likely that they came in a caravan from Babylon or Persia—lots of people, lots of camels. The idea of there being three wise men is probably connected to there being three gifts offered to the Jesus.
So what can we learn from the wise men? First, they saw a sign from God and responded. Jesus’s invitation to salvation is to all who believe in Him (John 3:16). You must respond to that invitation with belief. Second, the wise men were determined to find the one born king of the Jews despite the hardship and expense of a long journey. Are you that committed to Jesus? Would everyone around you see and know that you follow Jesus by the way you live? Third, when the wise men found the King they searched for, they worshipped Him. Do you worship the Lord with reverence? Do your thoughts, words, and actions reflect your love for God? I pray that today, two thousand years later, we all learn from these men. If you need prayer or a Bible, let me know.
