Now after Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the
east came to Jerusalem, saying, “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”…And he
sent them to Bethlehem…After listening to the king, they went on their way. And
behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came
to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they
rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the
child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening
their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-2, 8-11)
As we draw near to
Christmas, many of us look forward to hearing the account of Jesus’ birth
again. There’s the usual cast—Mary and Joseph, the baby Jesus, the shepherds,
and angels. At some point, though, wise men showed up. We know a little about
them. They came “from the east.” We don’t know how many there were—three is assumed
based on the number of gifts. Speaking of those gifts, they’re pretty fancy, so
they must have been men of means. Based on what brought them to Jerusalem and
Bethlehem, they were used to looking to the skies to interpret world
events.
Why did God bring them
here? To be sure, he did! This wasn’t coincidence or fate. He had a purpose for
their participation. According to verse 2, they were seeking the “king of the
Jews.” They came to Jerusalem, not just because it had been the Holy
City, the ancient capital, a likely place for a king, but because of the star. Somehow,
they knew that would lead to the King. By his work and ways, God had Gentiles
announce this royal birth to the Jews in Jerusalem!
Perhaps they came with
the mindset that everyone here would have known about this child, the infant
king. Yet there was no buzz around town. Verse 3 tells us their
message “troubled [Herod], and all Jerusalem with him.” How could they,
the Jews, have missed it—their Messiah’s birth? They had, just as many would at
least initially neglect his sacrifice on the cross three decades later (Acts
2:22-36). While the chosen people missed it, God brought strangers and
foreigners to announce and welcome Jesus.
The wise men didn’t just
announce, though; they also worshiped. That is the reason they told Herod they
had come in verse 2 and what they did in verse 11. The wise men had no
connections to the family, no citizenship in this region. If they believed in
the God of Israel, he likely wasn’t the only god that they professed belief in.
We don’t even know, though, if they comprehended that this was God in the
flesh. Yet what God had inspired, having drawn them all this way, was that
they should bring their best, offer it to this King, and bow before him.
May this Christmas not
just be about presents and loved ones and celebrations and decorations. May we
be drawn to worship Jesus Christ, who did come as a babe in a manger, and who is
the Son of God and Lord of all. He is the great and eternal King, and the
Savior of all who will repent and believe. Worship him in faith and humility.
Seek him as the wise men did.
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