The Christmas Magi

The Christmas Magi

Biblical Text: Matthew 2:11-12 “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, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”

Christmas is a glorious celebration. There is so much preparation. There are expensive gifts to be bought and hidden, homes to be decorated, and meals to be planned. It’s a time for making grandma’s special cake and momma’s delicious pies. Neighbors compete for the most flamboyant or flashy front yards, with colorful lights and the new craze…inflatables. And in just a few days it will all be over…all except the packing up and putting it all away until next year. Attics will once again be stuffed with the tree and all its trimming, and for those who preferred the ‘real deal’, our curbs will be littered with dried-out pine trees.

The Jewish preparation for the birth of their Messiah was quite different than ours. Christmas…the story of the birth of Christ, was not a single-day event. It spanned more than a few hundred years, from the prophetic announcements of Isaiah and Micah in the B.C. calendar, to the visit of the Magi or Wise Men in the A.D. calendar. For the Jews, there was plenty of time to “get their house in order” so that when the Messiah was born, they would be ready for the celebration.

The Coming of the Messiah was the most important future event for the Jews. But like anything that takes too long to arrive, many Jews put the idea of a Messiah on the back burner. They stopped preparing. Thus, “when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judeah, in the days of Herod the King”, few were part of the celebration. There were only the shepherds who received an angelic commission to join the celebration, and the Magi who made a pilgrimage from the East to see the child, born King of the Jews. And though the obedience of the shepherds is noteworthy, on the eve of our own celebration, I want to focus on the Magi.

What are the Magi or better yet who are the Magi?

The biblical Magi are also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

11 UNUSUAL FACTS ABOUT THE MAGI

1. Fact 1 – Magi were Wise Men

a. Have you ever wondered what is the difference between magi and wise men? The magi were classified as wise men since they understood things beyond the common man.

2. Fact 2 – The Magi were like the Prophet Daniel

a. The earliest Greek translation found in scripture for magi is found in Daniel 2:2, 10 where they translated the Hebrew term astrologer into magi (Greek). Daniel the prophet was considered to be a chief astrologer or chief Magi.

3. Fact 3 – The Magi Were Most Likely Believers in Yahweh and the Coming Messiah

a. They also didn’t view Jesus as just a newborn King of the Jews, but deity as they bowed down and worshipped him. Matthew 2:11

4. Fact 4 – They Came from a Country in the East

5. Fact 5 – There Might Have Been More Than Three Wise Men

a. Here we go…time to crush our mental image of the three wise men. Technically scripture doesn’t say how many wise men came to visit Jesus.

b. As three wise men because three gifts were given to Jesus. One gift per person to the King of Kings.

6. Fact 6 – The Gifts Made Jospeh, Mary, and Jesus Wealthy

a. We know there were three gifts given to Jesus. Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. All three reserved for kings and deity because of their value. So, I highly doubt that these wise men came from a great distance to give a tiny bit of each gift.

7. Fact 7 – Herod Feared and Respected the Magi

a. Herod was troubled by this news from the wise men.

8. Fact 8 – The Magi Were Not at the Birth of Jesus

a. Here is another fact to blow up the imagery of the wise men for us. Nowhere does it state that they met Mary and Joseph in the manger at the birth of Jesus.

b. It states in Matthew 2:11 and when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother…

c. Herod wanted to kill all boys ages two and under.

d. So, Jesus was anywhere from the age of two to a newborn when the Magi came to Him.

9. Fact 9 – The Magi Believed God Spoke in Dreams

a. “And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.”

b. I love this about the Magi. They believed God spoke through the prophets of old as they studied to see when the Messiah would come, but they also believed God still spoke.

c. They heeded the warning and left. Interesting enough God then speaks to Joseph in a dream warning him to flee to Egypt.

10. Fact 10 – In the 3rd Century Is When the Magi Were Considered Kings

a. Many believe this is because of the interpretation of the fulfillment of prophecy in Psalm 72:10-11

b. “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.”

c. In the 8th Century, the western culture gives the three Magi names and kingdoms. We then carry this down in our tradition of the Christmas story.

i. Bithisarea (Balthasar) – King of Arabia or Ethiopia

ii. Melichior (Melchior) – King of Persia

iii. Gathaspa (Casper) – King of India

11. Fact 11 – Only the Gospel of Matthew Mentions the Visit of the Magi

a. Out of 4 gospels, Matthew is the only one that shares the story of the Magi.

Yet there is enough in the biblical record to warrant our exploration and celebration of OUR coming Messiah. Here’s what we do know about the Magi.

We know that they were astrologers. The word MAGI means “specialist in astronomy”. Astronomy was a revered profession in ancient times. They were considered to be a priestly tribe who provided the kings of the Medes, Persians and Babylonians with what they considered to be divine information about the daily matters of government affairs.

While the Jews followed the Torah and the prophets, all the Gentile kings had Magi. The Prophet Daniel became the master over King Nebuchadnezzar’s Magi. Magi shared celestial and prophetic information. And it was Daniel’s prophecy, passed down through the generations of Magi that facilitated their expectation of a Jewish king who would arrive near the end of the 1st century.

Most Jews admired the Magi of the east, not only because of their former association with the prophet Daniel, but also because they were not idolaters. Even though the Magi believed that the power of the deity was manifested in the natural elements of fire, water, air and earth, they did not create images of the elements to worship. These Gentile Magi seemed to be leaning toward the monotheistic belief in the One True and Living God that Daniel boasted of.

Thus, in the days of Herod the king, the Magi were expecting the birth of a Jewish king…and they searched the heavens daily for a sign.

We know they followed a star. And it’s no wonder they did…they were astronomers. Their very livelihood centered around the interpretation of the stars. But where did this star come from, and how did they know it would lead them to the Messiah?

When the Magi followed the star to the Jerusalem palace of King Herod, they had only one question on their mind. “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:2)

Herod must have been shaking in his shoes. He knew that he was an illegitimate king, not the rightful king of the lineage of David. Herod was a descendent from Esau, and was therefore an Edomite, and it was one of the many reasons the Jews didn’t like him. He knew that God had promised a new king from the Davidic line. And he must have thought, “It’s not going to happen on my watch!” So he told the Magi, “When you find this new king, bring me word of his location, that I might worship him also.” Right! When the Magi left Herod, they continued to follow this strange, moving star “till it came and stood over where the young child was.” (Matthew 2:9).

Many scientists have scoured the possibilities of this moving star, especially since Bethlehem is five miles south of Jerusalem. Every scientist knows that the rotation of the earth causes the stars or planets to travel from east to west. No such cataclysmic supernova event like the conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, would have been possible at that time. It couldn’t have been a shooting star, because shooting stars move too fast, and then disappear.

Faith takes over where science refuses to go. To those of us who believe, it makes perfect sense that God’s Shekinah glory…the same glory that led the Jews through the wilderness, also led the Magi to their new King.

We know they found Jesus…and they worshipped Him. The use of the Greek word for worship…proskyneo (pros-koo-ne-o)…means to show reverence and adoration, often in a prostrate position. Matthew leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind about the motivation of the Magi. They came to worship, and they worshipped with bowed heads. They worshipped Him with humbled hearts. They worshipped Him with sacrificial gifts. THEY FELL DOWN AND WORSHIPPED JESUS, THE NEW BORN KING.

By their worship, they confessed their belief in Jesus as a King. By their worship, they professed their certainty that Jesus was the long-awaited king of the Jews. By their worship, they confessed their hope in the future of this King from the line of Judah.

The gifts they brought were gifts suitable for a king; gold as a symbol of Christ’s deity and purity; frankincense as a symbol of his life’s fragrance; and myrhh as a symbol of His sacrifice. Little did they know the sacrifice would be death.

The Magi were warned not to return to Herod, but to take another route home. Joseph would soon receive the same warning not to go home, but to flee to Egypt. The gifts from the Magi may well have been the means by which Joseph was able to afford to follow God’s command.

Like the Magi, we came today to show reverence and adoration for our Lord Jesus Christ, not as a newborn king, but as our Savior. We worship Him, not for His birth, but for His sacrifice…a sacrifice worthy of our homage. The Magi fell down and worshipped Him. Will you bow down before Him? Will you love and adore Him? His name IS wonderful. He is JESUS, our LORD! He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. Where others have failed, Christ has conquered. Where others were defeated, Christ has succeeded. Where others were barren, Christ is fruitful. Where others were weak, Christ is strong. Where others were victims, Christ was victorious. He is the Rock of all ages. He is the Star that never falls. He is the Glory that never ceases. He is the Hope that never fades. He is the Light that never dims. He is the Conqueror who never loses. He is the Deliverer who never disappoints. He is the Joy that never subsides. And He is the King who never ages. Bow down before Him…Love and adore Him! His name is wonderful…Jesus, our Lord! RECAP OF ALL 11 FACT ABOUT THE WISE MEN IN THE BIBLE.

The Magi were wise men

The Magi were like the Prophet Daniel

The Magi were most likely believers in Yahweh and the Coming Messiah

They came from a country in the East

Their might have been more than 3 Wise Men

The gifts made Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Wealthy

Herod feared and respected the Magi

The Magi were not at the Birth of Jesus

The Magi believed God spoke in Dreams

In the 3rd Century is When the Magi Were Considered Kings

Only the Gospel of Matthew Mentions the Magi

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this article. I will say I had a ton of fun learning about the magi and it really added an even deeper beauty to the Christmas story. These individuals sacrificed a ton to see Jesus.

Not adult Jesus who was doing miracles, but Jesus as a tiny child…a baby or toddler. It’s beautiful!