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Dec 22.05: Light for The Day - "Wise Men of the East"

-- Matthew 2:1-12
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the One Who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." 

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 

6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler Who will be the shepherd of My people Israel." (Micah 5:2)

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him." 

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

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- Only Matthew Gospel records the visit of the wise men.

- Not much is known about these Magi (traditionally called wise men). We don't know where they came from or how many there were. Tradition says they were men of high position from Parthia, near the site of ancient Babylon. How did they know the star represented the Messiah?

(1) - They could have been Jews who remained in Babylon after the exile and knew the Old Testament predictions of the Messiah' coming.
(2) - They may have been eastern astrologers who studied ancient manuscripts from around the world. Because of the Jewish exile centuries earlier, they would have had copies of the Old Testament in their land.
(3) - They may have had a special message from God directing them to the Messiah. Some scholars say these Magi were each from a different land, representing the entire world bowing before Jesus.

These men from faraway lands recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most of God's chosen people in Israel did not. Matthew pictures Jesus as King over the whole world, not just Judea.

- The Magi traveled thousands of miles to see the King of the Jews. When they finally found Him, they responded with joy, worship, and gifts. This is so different from the approach people often take today.  We expect God to come looking for us, to explain Himself, prove who He is, and give us gifts.  But those who are wise still seek and worship Jesus today, not for what they can get, but for Who He is.
 
- The Magi said they saw Jesus' star.  Balaam referred to a coming "star ... of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17).  Some say this star may have been a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars in 6 B.C., and others offer other explanations.   But couldn't God, who created the heavens, have a special star signal the arrival of His Son? Whatever the nature of the star, these Magi traveled thousands of miles searching for a King, and they found Him.

- Jesus was probably one or two years old when the Magi found Him (Herod gave orders to kill all the boys who were two years old and under). By this time, Mary and Joseph were married, living in a house, and intending to stay in Bethlehem for a while to fulfill the Law of the LORD (see Luke 2:39).

- The Magi gave these expensive gift because they were worthy presents for a future King.  Bible students have seen in the gifts symbols of Christ's identity and what He would accomplish:

Gold was a gift for a king;
Incense, a gift for deity;
Myrrh, a spice for a person who was going to die. 

These gifts may have provided the financial resources for the trip to Egypt and back.

- The Magi brought gifts and worshiped Jesus for who He was. This is the essence of true worship - honoring Christ for Who He is and being willing to give Him what is valuable to you.

Worship God because He is the perfect, just, and almighty Creator of the universe, worthy of the best you have to give.

-- Life Application Bible

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-- John 4:23-24
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

-- 2 Corinthians 3:17 
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

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Pray for a Blessed Christmas & a Joyful New Year !
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