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The Wisest of Men

by Jarl K. Waggoner

They are prominent in any church Christmas pageant. They are there at the manger in every nativity scene. But the wise men described in the biblical narrative of Jesus' birth are also among the most misunderstood and misrepresented of all biblical characters. Songs proclaim them as three kings from the East, but they were not kings. In fact, we do not know for sure that there were three of them. Although they are always pictured in the stable, along with the shepherds, looking upon the baby in the manger, they most certainly were not there on the night of Jesus' birth. Many fanciful legends surround these mysterious men. They are given names-Melchior, Balthasar, and Caspar. One legend states that one came from Egypt, one from Greece, and one from India. There are stories that they were all baptized by the Apostle Thomas and that their bones are preserved in the cathedral at Cologne. Such stories are only that-stories that have been added to the scant information found in just twelve verses of the New Testament book of Matthew.

Who are these wise men, who appear so suddenly and depart as quickly from the pages of Scripture? What is their significance? Why are they even mentioned in the Bible, and what are we to make of the mysterious star that guided them to Bethlehem?

Magi from the East

"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" (Matt. 2:1). So says the King James Version of the Bible. Many modern translations use the word magi rather than wise men. Magi is the word used in the Greek New Testament, though the word itself is not Greek but Persian. It originally referred to a priestly caste of men in the East who were deeply interested in religion and astronomy, but by New Testament times, it was used of a wide range of people, including sorcerers or charlatans (Acts 8:9; 13:8).⁽¹⁾ Clearly, however, these magi were from the East-probably Persia or Babylonia-and were by all indications honorable and even highly esteemed men, though there is no warrant for the popular idea that they were kings. Their religious heritage was probably Zoroastrianism, but it seems likely that they had had contact with Jewish people who were dispersed throughout the eastern lands and may even have had access to some of the Old Testament Scriptures.⁽²⁾

The magi had come to Jerusalem seeking one who had "been born King of the Jews" (Matt. 2:2). What brought them was "His star." Their familiarity with Jewish religion undoubtedly made them aware of the Jewish expectation of a coming king,⁽³⁾ but the thing that had triggered their journey was the appearance of a star.

"We Saw His Star"

The magi's journey probably took months and may have covered as much as a thousand miles. Their destination was Jerusalem. They had come to worship the newborn king of the Jews, and Jerusalem was the most natural place to find a Jewish king. They were convinced that such a king had been born because they had seen His star while they were still in the east.⁽⁴⁾ Much about this star remains a mystery. What was it? Why did the magi connect its appearance with the birth of the king of the Jews?

Regarding the first question, numerous explanations have been given. Some have suggested it was the planet Jupiter, others that it was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Still others have thought it a comet, and some have even taken it as a figure of speech for some inner guidance.⁽⁵⁾ Matthew's account, however, forces us to dismiss all these suggestions. It was clearly a physical light in the sky, but its character marks it as being of supernatural origin, not a common, or even not-so-common, astronomical phenomenon. When the star first appeared, the wise men interpreted it as a sign of the king's birth and set out for Jerusalem. After their meeting with King Herod, however, they followed the star, which not only shined in the sky but moved, leading the way to Bethlehem, where it "stood over the place where the Child was" (Matt. 2:9). Certainly, these were not the actions of any naturally occurring star!

Why did the magi connect the appearance of the star with the birth of the Messiah? The answer to this question is simple: We do not know. Some scholars have suggested that the prophecy of Numbers 24:17, "A star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel,"indicated that a star would announce the Messiah's birth. While it is possible they linked this prophecy with the birth of the king, it seems unlikely. On the basis of Daniel 9:25, the general time of the Messiah's birth was known, so this knowledge may have caused these sky-watchers to connect the appearance of a new star with the child's birth. In view of the later divine revelation to them (Matt. 2:12), however, it seems most likely that God in some way personally revealed to them the significance of this star. Such a direct message from God would certainly make a profound impression upon the magi and explain why they would willingly embark on their long and difficult journey.

The Other King

In their quest to worship the newborn king of the Jews, the magi came into contact with another king, Herod the Great. When Herod heard that the wise men had arrived and were asking about the whereabouts of a newly born king, he was "troubled," and when Herod was troubled, so was "all Jerusalem" (Matt. 2:3). Herod often portrayed himself as a Jew when it served his purposes, but he was an Idumean by birth and owed his position and power to the Romans. Herod was a capable administrator and builder. In fact, he was responsible for greatly enlarging and beautifying the temple in Jerusalem. What had been a large but unimpressive structure became an ornate and far larger building through Herod's efforts.

At the same time, Herod was devious, paranoid, and extremely cruel. He was responsible for the deaths of his wife, his wife's brother and grandfather, three of his own sons, and numerous others he suspected of plotting against him.⁽⁶⁾ He was obsessed with maintaining his power and combating potential enemies. He stands in stark contrast to the other king in this passage of Scripture, who, though possessing all power, was not sustained by cunning and treachery but by God, who would protect him until his mission was complete.

Herod gathered the "chief priests and scribes" (Matt. 2:4) and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. The king knew enough about Jewish theology to recognize that the "King of the Jews" was the one the Jewish people called the Messiah,⁽⁷⁾ and the coming of this Messiah had been prophesied in the Old Testament Scriptures. Herod called for the Jewish scholars of the day to answer his and the wise men's question about the Messiah's birthplace. The priests and scribes immediately cited the prophecy of Micah 5:2, which declared the village of Bethlehem as the place of the Messiah's origin. While the religious leaders of Israel knew the Scriptures well, they apparently rejected the possibility that the Messiah had already come as the magi had indicated. Bethlehem was only five miles from Jerusalem, but the scribes and priests made no effort to accompany the magi on their trip to this village.

Herod was more interested than the religious leaders. He secretly learned from the magi when they had first seen the star that indicated the Messiah's birth (Matt. 2:7). Herod told the wise men to go to Bethlehem and find the child they were seeking and then report back to him. Ostensibly he too wanted to honor the child king, but his true motives became clear later on.

On to Bethlehem

The star was either still in the sky, or it reappeared when the magi left Jerusalem, for the "star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was" (Matt. 2:9). The magi thus came into the "house" and saw the "Child" with his mother (Matt. 2:11). Jesus was no longer in the stable⁽⁸⁾ but in a "house." It was now some time after Jesus' birth. In fact, Jesus may now have been several months old, perhaps even as much as two years old, for on the basis of when the magi had first seen the star, Herod had all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old and younger killed (Matt. 2:16).

With their quest now completed, the wise men worshiped the child Jesus. This had been the purpose of their journey-to fall down before the child King in adoration. They presented him precious gifts fitting for a king-gold, along with frankincense, and myhrr, a greatly valued perfume. The three gifts have given rise to the belief that there were three magi, perhaps a likely but unprovable assumption.

Joseph and Mary were not wealthy people,⁽⁹⁾ so the magi's gifts may well have financed their trip to and stay in Egypt (Matt. 2:13).

The magi disappear from the pages of the Bible as suddenly as they appear. The God who had miraculously revealed to them the Messiah's birth now miraculously revealed to them that they should return to their own land rather than report back to Herod as he had requested (Matt. 2:12). The wicked King Herod proceeded to try to eliminate another potential challenger to his rule by having the male infants in Bethlehem murdered (Matt. 2:16). Herod's rule ended long before Jesus reached adulthood. In fact, he probably died less than a year after Jesus' birth.

What It Means

The arrival of the magi is not incidental to the story of Jesus' birth. They are important to the Gospel narrative for several reasons. First, they served as another historical witness to the fulfillment of the Old Testament messianic prophecies. When Matthew wrote his Gospel some years after Jesus' death and resurrection, no one would be able to refute the testimony of the wise men-that they had come to Palestine in response to divine revelation, searching for the newborn Jewish Messiah. No one could deny that they had come first to Jerusalem inquiring about the birthplace of the Messiah and had gone on to Bethlehem in their search. Their presence testified that the one born in Bethlehem was indeed the Messiah.

Second, the magi serve as a challenge to all who call themselves followers of the Christ. The wise men traveled hundreds of miles to simply and humbly worship the infant King of the Jews. Limited knowledge and physical obstacles did not deter them. Worship is a priority for all who call Jesus Lord and King. It is so simple a child can do it but so selfless and humbling that relatively few people expend the little effort it requires. The magi saw the real significance of Jesus' birth. Christ's coming called for the wisest and most honored of men to humble themselves before this child.

Third, the magi also remind us that true worship is not abstract. It must have an object. They had come to personally worship Jesus. They had not made the arduous journey for any personal advantage but had come simply to worship the King. Genuine worship is always personal. It is directed to the King and in his presence. Worship is not a church meeting; it is an inward attitude that expresses itself in praise for who God is and what he has done.

Finally, the story of the magi also serves as a warning to those who take comfort in the mere practice of religion. The wise men were Gentiles. They had not had the privilege of studying the Hebrew Scriptures, but they responded in faith when God's revelation was made known to them. The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, knew the Scriptures, but they ignored the wise men's testimony to those Scriptures. They were only five miles from the Messiah, but they made no effort to confirm the magi's report and their own prophecies. It is impossible to worship God without knowing God. The chief priests and scribes knew the Scriptures. They knew about God (and his Messiah, God the Son), but they did not know him. If worshiping Christ is not a priority in a person's life, perhaps it is because that person does not really know him.

The great truth of Christmas is that God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant" and was "made in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7). This was the means by which God effected his plan of redemption for mankind. Jesus himself said that he came "to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:8). But death was not the end. He rose from the dead, and "God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:9-11). Worship is selfless, but so was the entire earthly life of Jesus Christ. What he did, he did for us and for the glory of God. "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

The wise men probably did not understand all these facts, but through the written Scriptures God has graciously revealed them to us. Can we do anything less than what those magi of long ago did-humbly acknowledge the one born in Bethlehem as Savior and Lord and fall before him in worship?

Notes

1. Homer A. Kent, "Matthew" in Wycliffe Bible Commentary, ed. Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison (Chicago: Moody Press, 1962), 932.

2. When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 B.C., the majority of the population of Judah was uprooted and carried into exile in the East, where they were settled (2 Kings 25; 2 Chron. 36:11-21). They remained there until the Persians conquered Babylon and the Persian king Cyrus permitted their return to their homeland (2 Chron. 26:22-23). Not all the Jews returned to their land, however. The aged Daniel was among those who remained in Persia.

3. Messianic expectation, at least some of which was based on Daniel's prophecy (Dan. 9:24-27), was prominent at the time of Jesus' birth (Kaari Ward, ed., Jesus and His Times (Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 1987), 203. One evidence of this is seen in the fact that some were wondering whether John the Baptist was the Messiah (Luke 3:15-17; John 1:19-27).

4. The beautiful carol, "The First Noel," speaks of the star "shining in the east, beyond them far," suggesting that the star-rather than the wise men-was in the east.

5. William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel according to Matthew, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1973), 153.

6. Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Times (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1965), 53-65.

7. Messiah is a Hebrew word that means "Anointed One." Christ is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. In the Old Testament, prophets (1 Kings 19:16), priests (Exod. 28:41), and kings (2 Sam. 2:4) were "anointed" to their offices, symbolizing their separation unto God and divine empowering. Interestingly, Jesus is described in the New Testament as prophet (Matt. 13:57; 21:11; Luke 24:19; Acts 3:22-26), priest (Heb. 4:14-16), and king (Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 19:16). The Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament was the one anointed by God as deliverer, or Savior (Isa. 61:1-2; cf. Luke 4:16-21).

8. The Bible does not say Jesus was born in a stable, only that he was laid in a manger "because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7). The inference is that Joseph and Mary had taken refuge in the area of the inn where animals were housed. A very old tradition says that Jesus was born in a cave, and there were many in the area that were used as stables for animals.

9. Joseph and Mary's offering of "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) in the temple was the offering made by poor people who could not give a lamb (Lev. 12:6-13).