Read Matthew 2:1-12
These men were expecting a Jewish king to be born from prophecy. They must have been elated when they finally saw the star. We don’t know much about these men, other than they were wise. The text doesn’t say where they came from, how long they had traveled, or how many of them there were. Have we assumed three because there were three special gifts? (Fun fact: the Eastern church recognizes there were twelve wise men!)
Their wisdom had prepared them for this moment. You can imagine many people had seen that glorious star in the sky, but they had no idea what it meant. Somehow, these men knew it signified the birth of a future Jewish king, even greater than King Herod, the then current king on the throne.
Some scholars suggest these men, referred to in Hebrew as Magi, were from Persia. You’ll recall, God had used the Persians to overtake Babylon seventy years after Babylon had brutally taken the Jews into the captivity of exile. Some Jews had remained in Persia and not returned to Judah when the nation was freed from exile. I have to wonder if their religious influence had influenced or motivated these wise men.
Why would the Magi have wanted to worship the infant king? Did they know he was the Messiah and understand what that meant? Were they perhaps even of Jewish descent or had God simply given them the wisdom to understand? Our text gives us only clues. These men were definitely wise enough to recognize that this baby was worthy of our worship.
Have you been finding extra time this Christmas season to worship the Christ child? If you’re like me, you can’t get enough of listening to Christmas carols and other Christmas songs. The lyrics can so worshipfully acknowledge the majesty of God on that spectacular night.
In a day and age that is full of all sorts of messages about Christmas, we need to make wise choices and keep Jesus the main thing. There are so many “cute” Christmas movies out, but how many of them ever mention the name of Jesus? I can tell you–very few. How sad is that? There would be no Christmas without Jesus. How did he get forgotten?
There are so many miracles that surround Jesus’ birth. The depth and beauty of the nativity story continues to unfold for us. Even the three gifts we read about in this text have significance. At first glance, the gifts these men brought don’t necessarily seem like smart choices for a child’s gift. It’s been suggested that the gold represents Jesus’ majesty as king, the frankincense is a type of incense used in worship, and myrrh had been used as a pain killer or embalming spice.
What did you notice in this story? Did anything new make an impression on you this time reading the text? I know that I’m already looking forward to Epiphany, the day our church tradition celebrates the arrival of the wise men into Jesus’ presence. Here in Mexico, Epiphany is a bigger celebration than anything I experienced while living in the United States. My mouth is already watering for some “King’s Cake,” a pastry baked with figurines of the nativity inside.
The final act of wisdom we see in our text is when the wise men avoid returning to King Herod. God had warned them in a dream so they returned home by a different route. God has a way of giving us the wisdom we need for whatever job or calling he has for us. Don’t ever fear that you’ll be left on your own if God asks you to do something.
Tap into that wisdom and shine your light for Jesus!
Let’s pray.
Lord, thank you for how you equip me each day with the wisdom I need. Forgive me for those times when I feel weak because I haven’t tapped into your power and strength. It’s been a hectic couple of days, and I’m feeling depleted. I’m sure I’m not alone, Lord. Restore my energy as I focus on the joy of the season. Thank you for how you coordinated all the moving parts of the nativity story. It’s always a blessing to remember. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
