After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born.
“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”
After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route, (Matthew 2: 1-12).
The Mysterious Magi
Matthew is the only book of the Bible that gives an account of these “wise men from the east”. The entire reference is listed in the opening of this post. Much has been left for the imaginations of man to surmise or wonder about them.
In times before Jesus was born, “magi” referred to priests and experts in mysteries from Persia and Babylon, homes of Zoroastrianism and astrology respectively. However, by the time of His birth, the word applied to a much wider range of people – those who studied astrology, dream interpretation, sacred writings of all cultures, pursued wisdom, and some that even practiced magic. What we might call scholars, philosophers, or scientists today.
Aside from traditional depictions, there is no evidence they were three in number, or the wise men were kings of any sort.
The Bible tells us only these things:
- There was more than one (wise MEN)
- They came from “the east”
- They were following the star of the newly born King of the Jews
- They came to worship Him
- They brought gifts to offer Him
- God spoke to them
Most people assume that these men were something other than Jew, considering where they came from, their attention to the stars, and the fact they are magi. It is a logical assumption for sure, but we don’t actually know that anymore than we know how many men there were.
Personally, I don’t believe they were Jewish, but I do believe that God moved powerfully in them, and they were forever changed by their experience.
He spoke to them and they listened.
How much more compelling is their story if they weren’t Jews, or practicing the Jewish faith – yet they were so drawn to see for themselves the baby Jesus that they made a long and arduous trip to see Him? Carefully, preparing gifts to bring befitting such a Child, and falling down in worship before Him as soon as they laid eyes on Him. To top it off, God came to them in a dream and told them not to return to Herod. They obeyed God, and chose a route to avoid Herod on their way back home.
From Here to There
Babylon is about 800 miles from Bethlehem, using the main trade route at the time of the birth of Christ. A caravan could cover approximately 20 miles a day, meaning it would have taken about 40 days to make the journey – all things being perfect.
The Bible doesn’t specify Babylon as their place of origin. The Greek word for east, literally means “from the risings of the sun”.
But, once again, considering their occupation, it is highly likely they came from there or within that area – 600 to 900 miles from Jerusalem.
These wise men should have been well versed in the prophesies of Christ’s birth, but the account in Matthew does not directly state that. In fact, when they tell Herod they are there seeking a King of the Jews who was just born, Herod is very upset and gathers the chief priests and scribes of the people to find out where this child was born. They quote Micah 5:2, and tell him it’s Bethlehem. Herod then meets privately with the magi to learn when the star first appeared to them and sends them to Bethlehem to search for the child.
We aren’t sure if the magi didn’t understand the prophecies fully, or if they had just assumed that all of Judea would have celebrated the birth of Christ and that’s why they stopped in Jerusalem to ask questions. It is clear that the wise men did not anticipate the threat Herod saw in this child.
The astronomical phenomenon they had been following is prophesied in Numbers 24:17. The star of Bethlehem doesn’t seem to be a normally occurring natural event, given its movement. When it finally became fixated over the place where Jesus was, the magi “rejoiced with exceeding great joy,” (Matthew 2:10).
Did the wise men make it to Bethlehem on the night of Jesus’ birth?
It’s popular among Christians to believe the wise men were there at the manger, but it’s highly doubtful this is fact.
Matthew 2:11 clearly states they visited Jesus in a house, not a manger.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew’s account goes from the magi’s visit straight to Joseph escaping with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. However, in Luke, we are told Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to the Lord in the temple at Jerusalem when Mary had reached the time of purification after the childbirth, (Luke 2:22). According to the Law of Moses, the time of purification after giving birth to a male child is forty days, (Leviticus 12:1-5).
Each Gospel account is written for a different audience and gives us another dimension to see Jesus through. Scripture is not in conflict with itself. The more we understand the Word of God, the more clearly we see that.
The Holy Family stayed in the Bethlehem area for some time after Jesus was born before fleeing to Egypt. This is supported by Herod’s questioning of the wise men, and his eventual order to slaughter every male child under the age of 2. The magi visited Jesus after he was born and they were living in a house.
Fit for a King
The magi presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus – the newly born King of the Jews.
Entire books have been written about the meaning, use, and symbolism of these gifts. People have spent their lives searching to understand their significance. I’ll not even try to summarize all the ideas and theories. Let me just start with a few facts to help us better understand these gift choices.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh were considered standard gifts in the ancient world to honor a king or deity. They were expensive…gold being the most valuable. Frankincense and myrrh were not easily found in that region.
GOLD – a precious metal, the most extravagant of the gifts. Fit only for the most highly honored…king or deity.
FRANKINCENSE – is a fragrance drained from a tree. God instructed Moses how to use it in Exodus 30:34-35. It was in the Divine perfume used to communicate with God. It was always burning in the Holy of Holies. God said the recipe He gave Moses was pure and holy. It was forbidden for anyone to make the same composition for themselves.
Frankincense is harvested at dawn. It comes in drops of tears the shape of pearls. It is then dried.
MYRRH – is also harvested from a tree species. It had many uses including as an anesthetic, anointing oil, and in preparing bodies for the grave. God also instructed Moses in its use as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil in Exodus 30:22-30. It was to be rubbed on the altar and other things in the temple. Only the High Priests could use it to anoint themselves. No one else was to ever use it, or anything similar in make-up, on their flesh. It was forbidden by God.
I am fascinated by the fact that myrrh, given to Jesus at His birth, was likely in the concoction He was offered as a drink on the cross, and in the oils used to anoint His body upon His death.
Myrrh and frankincense both were, no doubt, in the perfumed oil the woman with the alabaster box used to anoint Jesus with while He dined at the home of a friend. In today’s economy, that precious oil she had would cost $22,000! The disciples were upset when they saw her anointing His head with it. They thought it was a waste of money that could be given to the poor, but Jesus said to them:
Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial, (Matthew 26:10-12).
Such Fine Gifts
There are many different ideas about what happened to these gifts, including they helped fund the Holy Family’s trip to Egypt.
Let me pose a different idea.
Gold plates, cups, and bowls were used in the temple offerings to hold the holy anointing oil and burn the Divine incense. The Hebrew word for incense means “bonding” or “connecting”. That is exactly what the Jewish people were doing when they came to the temple…connecting with God.
Perhaps, that is exactly what the wise men were doing. They fell down to worship Him and presented their offering, their gifts, before Him. They used their gold, frankincense, and myrrh as their temple offering to the Lord. They didn’t have to be in the Holy of Holies to do it because He was right in front of them. The infant Jesus was the High Priest. He was born to change the old ways and create a New Covenant. He was the New Covenant.
Regardless of what you think the gifts were used for, where the wise men came from, when they arrived in Bethlehem, or how many there were…what really matters is that you believe that Jesus was born the Son of God.
The magi believed this, and they sought Him out. It doesn’t matter if they were Gentile or pagan or whatever. Jesus came for all mankind. Wise men really do seek Him, and they still seek Him today. If you are wise…you will seek Him too.
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