And Magi Came from the East...

Matthew 2:1–11 NKJV

1 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, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” 9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Introduction

Every year at Christmas, we hear this account read as part of the nativity pageants and plays, but there is so much more to this passage than what most Christians realize.

Let’s face it: these Magi, these mysterious characters who show up and leave the scene all in about 12 verses of Scripture have some of the most incredible myths that have developed around them:

I’ll just mention a few:

Major Myths and Their Origins

1. “There Were Three Magi”

Myth: Exactly three visitors came to Jesus. Reality:

Matthew never specifies a number.

The number three was inferred from the three gifts.

Early Christian traditions varied widely—some proposed 2, 4, 12, or more Magi.

This assumption became standardized in Western Christianity by late antiquity.

2. “They Were Kings”

Myth: The Magi were monarchs or ruling kings. Reality:

The Greek word magoi refers to astrologers, scholars, or priestly figures—likely from Persia or Babylon.

The “king” idea arose from later theological readings of passages such as Psalm 72 and Isaiah 60, which speak of kings bringing gifts.

By the Middle Ages, the Magi were universally depicted as crowned royalty.

3. “Their Names Were Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar”

Myth: The Magi had fixed personal names. Reality:

These names appear centuries later, first solidifying in Western tradition around the 6th–8th centuries.

Eastern Christian traditions preserve entirely different names.

There is no first-century source—biblical or historical—that records their names.

4. “They Represented Three Continents or Races”

Myth: One Magus was European, one Asian, and one African. Reality:

This symbolism developed in medieval art and theology.

It reflects later Christian ideas of universal worship rather than historical probability.

This imagery became especially common after Europe became aware of Africa and Asia as distinct continents.

5. “They Visited the Newborn Jesus in the Stable”

Myth: The Magi arrived the same night as the shepherds. Reality:

Matthew states they visited Jesus in a house, not a manger.

Herod’s order to kill boys two years old and under implies the visit occurred months or even up to two years later.

The merging of Luke’s shepherd narrative and Matthew’s Magi narrative is a later harmonization.

6. “The Star Was a Miraculous, Moving Light Like a Spotlight”

Myth: The star physically hovered over a precise location. Reality:

Matthew’s description is brief and symbolic.

Historically proposed explanations include planetary conjunctions, comets, novae, or astrological signs interpreted by learned observers.

The text emphasizes guidance, not astronomical mechanics.

7. “They Were Wise Men in the Modern Sense”

Myth: The Magi were generic sages or philosophers. Reality:

In the ancient Near East, magoi were associated with astrology, dream interpretation, and priestly knowledge—disciplines viewed ambivalently in Jewish Scripture.

Matthew’s point is striking: foreign religious specialists recognized the Messiah while many in Israel did not.

Despite all of these myths and legends that have cropped up over the years, the reality is that this account of the Magi serves a theological purpose.

Otherwise, this account wouldn’t be in Scripture.

You see, I would submit to you that The Magi's journey serves as a model for how believers should pursue Christ wholeheartedly, regardless of societal expectations or personal challenges.

So, Let’s explore how this account of the Magi can be a model for us as Christians and our walk with the Lord.

I. True worship involves SEEKING Christ!

Matthew 2:1–2 “1 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, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.””

Now we don’t know exactly where these men came from, but most likely, from what we do know of these Magi, it is likely the Medo-Persian area.

That, my friends, is a journey of some 900-1000 miles.

Now there are a couple of things that come to mind when I think about this journey.

First, we usually see the magi as visiting the Baby Jesus in the manger.

Now there are other reasons in the text that tell you that by the time that the Magi show up, Jesus is no longer a baby.

But, the thing that stands out to me is that in the Ancient Near East, this journey would have taken about 4 months.

See, they didn’t have any interstate highways to just hop on and zoom on over to Jerusalem at 90 miles an hour.

Instead, this journey would have been by foot, or donkey or camel at about 15-20 miles a day.

And let’s face it, there were dangers along the way.

Provisions to carry or acquire during the long trip.

Problems with robbers, and folks of ill repute.

After all, they were traveling with very expensive gifts for the Messiah.

Second, the Magi didn’t act like they knew everything.

One of the things we often miss is the fact that the Magi didn’t just go directly to Bethlehem.

Instead, the text shows us that the Magi went to Jerusalem and inquired and of those who were more educated in the Hebrew Scriptures on where the Christ was to be born.

That’s so unlike us today, isn’t it?

See, in today’s day and age, we all know everything, don’t we?

All you gotta do is open up any social media site or app and you will see person after person talking about God, and Christianity, and the Bible.

Except the reality is, that almost none of them knows SQUAT!!!

In fact, I would argue with you until I’m blue in the face that we are the most Biblically illiterate in America that we’ve ever been.

Lifeway Research indicates that: Only around 11-20% of Americans have ever read the entire Bible.

Pew Research Center published survey results titled “What Americans Know About Religion.” When examining evangelical knowledge of the Bible, they found:

Only 66 percent of evangelicals knew that Jesus was from Nazareth, while 86 percent knew that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Only 69 percent of evangelicals knew that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount, while 91 percent knew that David killed Goliath with a stone.

25 percent of evangelicals thought the Golden Rule was one of the Ten Commandments.

Barna research indicates:

Just over one-third of U.S. adults (34%) reads the Bible once a week or more.

Half (50%) read the Bible less than twice a year (including “never”).

Overall, one in six U.S. adults (16%) reads the Bible most days during the week

But honestly, who could blame the average Christian?

After all, you have people standing in pulpits all over America confirming all sorts of things the Bible calls an abomination and claiming that it is perfectly acceptable to pick and choose which parts of Scripture you want to follow based on your own personal whims.

What is my point?

My point is that, like the Magi, we should always be willing and ready seek God through those who know more that we do.

All of us should seek to study Jesus more and more, to seek His will in our lives, to seek follow His commandments.

And the only way to do that is to:

First, read our Bibles.

Second, attend Bible studies.

Third, come to church and seek the tutelage of our elders and pastors.

I will tell you, as a man who stands in this pulpit from time to time, and who has a degree in Christian Apologetics, I gladly submit to the teaching of Pastor Todd.

We all need to seek to be taught and learn from those more knowledgeable than we are.

But then we have to act on it.

Look at what the Magi did here:

Matthew 2:9 “9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.”

They took the information they had been given and they ACTED on it.

They didn’t just seek the Boy Jesus once.

They got more information and the KEPT SEEKING.

Unlike so many of us , who may seek for a short time and then give up and fall away, the Magi continued to seek the Lord until they came to the house where He was staying, and as the text says, “They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy!”

II. True worship involves giving Christ your TREASURES!

Now, I have heard many a preacher talk about what the gifts from the magi were.

You’ll here about how the gifts of gold and frankincense are gifts fro royalty, and certainly that’s true.

You’ll here about how myrrh is one of the spices used in the Jewish burial practices, and again that is true.

You’ll even hear about how likely Joseph and Mary used the gold to fund their flight to Egypt to avoid the massacre of the innocents, and again that is certainly true.

There is merit to all kinds of talks about these gifts, no doubt.

But I want to approach these gifts a little different.

You see, the thing that stands out to me, is that all of these gifts were both valuable and the best that the Magi had to offer.

These wise men, as they are often called, were not just learned, they were WEALTHY and influential people.

They brought the best that they had.

They brought the treasures THEY POSSESSED.

And here is where we can look at the Magi and then look inwardly at ourselves and the gifts we give back to Jesus!

And I’m not just talking about our money.

I’m talking about our time and our talents!!

How often do we bring our left overs.

We throw a few dollars in the collection plate AFTER we have paid Lottie, Dottie, and everybody else including ourselves!

We go to church, but only if we don’t have something else to do with our time like shop or NFL football, or a ball tournament.

If I hit you, I didn’t mean to miss you!!!

We say we give back to God, but do we give of our talents and treasures that God has given us?

If we are blessed with a beautiful singing voice, do we bless God and elevate our Worship by singing on the Worship team.

If we are blessed with the gift to teach, do we agree to lead a Bible study or teach Sunday school?

If we are blessed with the gift of gab, do we evangelize?

You see, the Magi had wealth, and so they brought wealthy gifts, the best that money could buy.

So I ask you, are you bringing Jesus your best?

Are you giving of your Time, and Treasures and Talents?

And if not, why not?

III. True worship involves making Christ your LORD!

Let’s look at our text again:

Matthew 2:2 “2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.””

Matthew 2:11 “11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.”

They bowed down to a young boy and they WORSHIPPED Him!!

These were men who lived in the presence of royalty on a regular basis, and they traveled over 900 miles of difficulty terrain and WORSHIPPED a boy who just a few months earlier had been born lowly in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes and put to bed in an old animal feeding trough.

They worshipped a toddler who would go on to preach the most amazing sermon on the mount.

They worshipped a boy who would proclaim Himself to be the great I Am.

Isn’t it amazing that these Gentiles, just like most if not all of us, were worshipping this Jewish boy, the presumed son of a carpenter.

Isn’t it amazing that even these men, who were part of a pagan society that believed in the signs of astrology, knew enough that the promised Jewish Messiah was the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that was to be worshipped above all else?!

Isn’t it amazing that these men, who had to ask of Herod and the scribes and priests where the Messiah was to be born, knew to worship Jesus when the Jewish people as a whole rejected their own King?!

But then that makes me look forward to us...

Are we really like the Magi who came to worship the One True King?

Have we made Jesus the Lord of our lives?

Have we truly given up the old ways of the world that we used to worship and given ourselves fully to following the ways of Christ?

Because you see, True worship involves seeking Christ and submitting to His lordship as the King of our lives.

And doing what is right is not always the easiest or the most culturally appropriate thing to do, but it is always the correct thing to do.

You see, we must seek Jesus every day, read our Bibles and SUBMIT to His Lordship in our lives day in and day out.

We must seek Jesus every day, read our Bibles and SUBMIT to His Lordship in our lives.

Because, Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not enough if you have not made Him Lord of your life.

So if you haven’t made Jesus the Lord of your life, or you did in the past but you’ve fallen off, then now is the time to get back right with Jesus and reestablish His place as Your Lord.

Prayer

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