The Wise Men (Matthew 2)

In his Gospel Matthew indicates its focus in the first verse of chapter 1, which is to explain how Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. Part of the story of David is connected to Bethlehem. He came from there to be king, but another king, Saul, did not like his arrival. Jesus too moved from Bethlehem to be king, and in his case as well another king did not like his arrival. But Matthew also wanted to show that Jesus is the Son of Abraham who would bring blessings to Gentiles. How soon would that take? It happened shortly after his birth, when the Magi came to worship him.

Who were the Magi?

They were persons of understanding, with the ability to give counsel and advice. Important people would consult them regarding dilemmas and issues. If they were like other magi, they would have used astrology as part of their research. But here they were in Bethlehem, counsellors come to see the Wonderful Counsellor.

 

When did they come?

One of the unfortunate aspects of trying to work out a system of calculation is what happens when you get it wrong. Jesus was not born in the year 1 AD, although someone calculated that he did. It is believed that Herod died in 4 BC, so the visit of the wise men must have taken place before then. Matthew also indicates that two years had passed between when the Magi came and Herod committed his atrocities. So the visit could have been around 6 BC.

 

Why did they come?

They came because they had been given information about the birth of the King of the Jews. This information was surprising because there had not been a king of the Jews for centuries. Maybe they had some information about Jewish hopes through contact with Jews who were scattered round the world. It was also given to them in a singular way because they had seen a new star and somehow discovered that it signalled that he had been born (this also indicates that Jesus was born a while before they reached Bethlehem, perhaps a few months, depending on far away they were in the east). We are not told how they knew its significance, and the best response is to regard it as a secret impulse of the Holy Spirit that led them together to make this journey. If they were from Persia or Babylon, they would have travelled almost a thousand miles.

 

Still, it is important to think about this detail – God chose to tell two groups that his Son had been born in Bethlehem. One group (the shepherds) was near geographically, and one group was far away (geographically). Both groups were sinners, but they illustrate the kinds of sinners that are in the world, some closer, but all welcome to come to Jesus.

 

Worry for some

Their arrival in Jerusalem caused a real headache for Herod and his cronies in power. Herod knew enough to connect the words of the Magi to the predictions of the coming Messiah that circulated among the Jews. Not that he believed that the Messiah should be acknowledged by him or by anyone else. Rather he wanted to check precisely what was said in the Old Testament about the place where the Messiah would be born. The religious leaders knew that Micah had predicted that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but they were not interested enough to check if the prophecy had been fulfilled. They were unaware that he had come and was living there in a house now occupied by Mary and Joseph. 

 

Word from God

It is not possible for us to know if the religious leaders looked up a scroll to check the details or whether they merely provided Herod with a summary of what Micah had said about the Messiah. Certainly, the actual prophecy is longer that what Matthew records. But we can consider the summary because, without them realising it, their words were to become part of God’s written Word.

 

We can see that it was a great privilege for Bethlehem to be the place chosen for the arrival of the King. Indeed, although it had been small, this privilege would make it prominent among the towns of Judah. It would no longer be known as the birthplace of David, the king who had lived and died. Instead, the Messiah’s reign would not come to an end. 

 

The purpose of his coming is also stated. He would look after the people of God, who are defined as Israel. It was common to equate the ideas of king and shepherd because the king was meant to provide for his subjects and protect them. Jesus would govern his people, but he would also guide them and guard them. He would fulfil the prediction in far greater ways than the religious leaders could have imagined. After Jesus had come, his people can sing Psalm 23 with greater understanding. 

 

Wickedness

What happens next is quite unusual. The Magi who want to see the newborn King are guided to his location by a king who wants to destroy him. Sometimes we assume that the message of the Bible will always have a positive effect on those who hear it. Herod heard what it said, he understood what it said, and he determined that what it said would not happen. It is a serious matter to respond in that way. Herod was a rebel against the Lord. He had murder in his heart and his words were smooth but deceitful. The Magi saw no reason to distrust him and were taken in by his duplicity. But God was protecting them even although they were, without knowing it, being treated as tools for destruction by an evil man obsessed with keeping his petty crown.

 

Wonder

Herod completely misunderstood the situation. He imagined that the Magi would have to go from house to house, to search diligently, before they would find the infant. His assumption was that the search would take a while. God, however, had other plans. He made matters very easy for the Magi by bringing again to their view the star that they had followed from the East. It is the case that the Lord often opens doors when we want to worship him in an unfamiliar place.

 

The common notion is that the Magi followed a star as they travelled across the desert from the East to Israel. Yet when we read what is recorded by Matthew, he does not say that was what happened. Instead, he says that they saw the star twice. They first saw it in the east and its appearance caused them to realise that the King of the Jews had been born. That discovery made them go to Jerusalem because that is where they assumed the king of the Jews would be born. But they do not say that they followed the star to Jerusalem. The second time they saw the star was when they left Jerusalem.

 

Astronomers and others have tried to find particular constellations of stars or movements of stars that would fit in with the biblical details. One suggestion is that it was a comet. Maybe they are correct in what they find. But it could be the case that the star was a special creation of God made to guide the Magi. Perhaps it was not even visible to anyone else. Others suggest that it was like the shekinah glory that guided the Israelites through the desert, a suggestion that would fit more with how the star is described. 

 

Whatever it was, it led them right to the house where the family of Jesus had gone to live in. Matthew’s description suggests that the star stopped just above the house rather than being a light far up in the sky shining like a torch on to the house. What does it mean when it is describing as resting over the house? The journey was over.

 

Worship

Joseph may not have been in the house when the Magi arrived. Three features are found in the description of their homage. We can call them perception, posture and presentation. Their perception is seen in that they did not worship Mary, the posture is seen in that they bowed face down to the ground before Jesus, and the presentation is seen in that they gave gifts to him according to their status. It looks as if each of them, whatever their number, gave the same range of gifts. While we may be tempted to speculate as to the significance of the gifts, I think it is best to say that the Magi gave of their best and that they would have been guided by the Spirit to choose what was needed. As Matthew Henry observed, ‘Providence sent this for a seasonable relief to Joseph and Mary in their present poor condition.’ It is interesting that unexpected help from a rich man occurred at the end of Jesus’ life and unexpected help from wealthy Magi occurred at the beginning of his life. 

 

Warned

The Magi left right away, and perhaps wanted to go to Jerusalem and inform Herod that they had found the new King. Maybe they stayed somewhere for the night, and while they slept, one of them had a dream, or maybe all of them had the same dream, which told them not to go there. Instead, they went home to live for Jesus wherever they were.

 

Some lessons

One obvious lesson is that some surprising people believe in Jesus, people that we would not expect. They are found in the Bible – Job and Jethro, for example. As Bishop Ryle wrote in his commentary, ‘There are some travelling to heaven at this moment, of whom the Church and the world know nothing.’ Ryle’s opinion of these men is that ‘we read of no greater faith than this in the whole volume of the Bible’ and that it is comparable to the faith exercised by the criminal on the cross. He points out that they believed in him when religious leaders did not, they never heard his teaching, and they only saw a child.

 

Another lesson from this incident is the often foolish and limited nature of human power. What could Herod do against Jesus, despite engaging in intrigue and murder? When King Herod later met the king of terrors, what power did he have? He had his opportunity to meet with Jesus but despised it. Herod was not the first to make that discovery, and he was not the last to do so, either.

 

Consider also the sovereignty of God in real life ways. Often, it is merely a discussion topic, and we fail to observe its outworking. There are many ways of considering divine sovereignty here. His leading of the wise men, his thwarting of Herod, his provision of resources for Mary and Joseph and his supernatural guidance are some of them.  

 

Another lesson from the incident is that it is worth travelling a distance to meet with Jesus, to go to the place where he is definitely to be found. The Magi could have stayed at home, content that they had seen his star. They would have been different from the religious leaders who showed no interest. Yet onlookers would assume that they did not want more. But they did want more, they wanted to meet with him. Indeed, they found that meeting with him gave them what they needed to have when they would next meet their pagan neighbours. Where is the best place to find Jesus today? In his church.

 

We can also learn from the Magi the significance of worship. They recognised the uniqueness of Jesus, and they revealed the depth of the value in which they held him by giving to him suitable gifts. What we give materially usually reveals what we think he is worth spiritually.

 

The final lesson is to remind ourselves of the humility of Jesus. Magi were used to monarchs living in palaces, but they found the King of the Jews in a house; they did not find him in a palace in the capital city, but in a small village; they discovered that the Ruler of all things was living in a poor condition, and they probably then understood why their thoughts had been led to give certain gifts to him. But they will not be the poorer for doing so. After all, one day the King will share his inheritance with them.