We are still in the Christmas season as I write this blog. I have my little home decorated with tiny lights on wreaths, glittery objects of various shapes and sizes and greens on the mantel. As the song goes “It’s beginning to look like Christmas”. I don’t have room for a tree but we always go to my daughter’s home where the family gathers for feast and fun!
We talked about the shepherds in my last blog but there is more to come. How about those Magi who saw the Star and came thousands of miles to worship a newborn king? They probably were expecting the baby to be born in the royal palace. That’s why they went to Herod’s place first. We know of course that our baby wasn’t there and these foreigners got Herod all excited about this new pretender to his throne. Herod didn’t have a clue about who this baby was or where to find him so he called in the scribes and priests to learn the new baby king was to be born in Bethlehem. (Matthew 1:4). These scribes who knew and studied the prophets told Herod that according to the prophet Micah (5:2), Bethlehem, the city of David was to be His birthplace.
But what about these “Wise Guys?” Why would they make a hazardous journey of thousands of miles to bring expensive gifts to this foreign baby that they would probably never see again? Who were they and why would they commit to the dangers of a barren desert with their retinue of camels and servants to come to a strange land to find a particular baby?
Let’s go back in history. The original meaning of mάgoi is wise men who interpreted special “signs” in the heavens by which they could foretell coming events. The Bible states that they were from “the East,” which would be in the direction of Babylon and ancient Persia. Of all the peoples of “the East,” the Babylonians had many opportunities to learn of the Jewish Scriptures, which contain multiple promises of the coming Messiah.
Daniel was an influential government official in Babylon about 600 years earlier, and he foretold the coming of the Messiah (Daniel 9:24-26). Tens of thousands of Jews lived in Babylon during the time of the Exile (605–536 BC), and they maintained a large presence there for the following centuries, so stories of the coming “King of the World” would be passed down from generation to generation, even to the pagan Babylonians. These Magi believed that this Messiah of Israel would someday rule as God/ King over the whole world and they wanted to pay homage to him while yet a baby. But when did these exalted astronomers arrive? Surely not on Christmas day. It was probably many days later.
According to Jewish law, every male child had to be circumcised on the eighth day. Being observant Jews, Mary and Joseph had their baby circumcised on that eighth day and named him Jeshua/Jesus. The law also prescribed that 33 days must take place for the mother’s purification ritual after the circumcision of their baby boy. The parents then were to go to the Temple and offer a burnt offering (Lev. 12:3-8). Undoubtedly Mary and Joseph stayed in Bethlehem, planning to proceed to the Temple in Jerusalem to make their offering before returning to their home in Nazareth. (Luke 2:22-24). Perhaps it was during this waiting time when the Wise Men arrived.
According to Matthew (2:11), they found Mary and the baby in “the house” which meant that they were living with their relatives in the home and no longer in the stable. Can you imagine the surprise of this household to be told that some foreigners in regal dress attended by many slaves were at their front door….wanting to view their new baby? Perhaps in her heart, Mary now realized that what the angel told her was true. Her newborn son was really and truly the Messiah of Israel! She carried this with her forever…….but perhaps often questioning God when her son, this promised Messiah, was crucified on the Roman cross.
There, in this humble home, the young couple received these wealthy foreigners along with their expensive gifts. Each of these unique gifts was symbolic of the expectations associated with this baby king. Gold represented a symbol of deity or honor given to a king; frankincense symbolized deity; Myrrh was used as an anointing oil to bestow the favor of the gods.
Now these men……whose names we really don’t know, became symbolic themselves. They represent the powerful and influential; the shepherds represent the common people of the world; Herod represents earthly power over life and death. Yet, the Savior of all mankind was given dominion over the heavens and the earth. His reign is supreme and it is through Him that God entered the sphere of humanity to save those of us who have faith in Him and become His disciples.
May the spirit of this wonderful season be with you and your loved ones.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29)
AbideLines 