The Wise Men Journey to Bethlehem Guided by a Supernatural Star Pastor John E. Dubler A cold coming we had of it, Just the worst time of the year For a journey, and such a long journey: The ways deep and the weather sharp, The very dead of winter. T.S. Eliot, The Journey of the Magi 1 First let s re-familiarize ourselves with the account of the journey of the magi to Jerusalem, and then on to Bethlehem where they found Mary and Joseph, and their son, the Son of God, Jesus, a newborn lying in a manger. Matthew 2:1-12 (READ) Who were these wise men? Were they kings, astronomers, rulers, wise men or astrologers? o The Greek gives small indication of who they were. Magi from the east, is the way the New American Standard translates the word given by the Holy Spirit to describe them. o The Greek word is magoi, or transliterated, magi. Of course our English word magician comes from the same root, but do not let that distract you from the meaning. These men were not conjurers or cabalists, nor even cheap deceivers; magicians and masters of deception all. Nor were they ignorant and superstitious, as some have incorrectly assumed. o In the time Jesus was born, the terms astronomer and astrologer were mixed and fairly synonymous, in the same way that the terms chemistry and alchemy were. o These men were honored and revered leaders, and to these men God provided a special method of guidance through a supernatural star and even a dream to warn them concerning the intentions of a nefarious king of Judea. o God chose to reveal His special guiding star to them, but He concealed it from King Herod, and indeed all Jerusalem as well. o We do not know that they were kings in our sense of the word. Perhaps they were emirs or tribal leaders in Persia or perhaps Babylon. o Did the magi worship the one true and living God? Possibly. The magi were most likely from Persia, the major center for culture and learning to the east of Jerusalem. There was a Jewish settlement in Persia as much as 600 years before the birth of Christ. If they were influenced by that contingent of Jews, the wise men may indeed have been completely conversant with the prophecies of the Old Covenant scriptures available to them at the time. 1 T.S. Eliot wrote The Journey of the Magi shortly after his conversion to Christianity in 1927. 1
How many wise men were there? It is not unreasonable to presume that these men were God-fearing gentiles. It must be granted, however, that their familiarity with Old Covenant prophecy and indeed, even their nationality, is only a matter of conjecture, logical though it may be. o The scriptures do not give us a number, just the masculine plural for the word magi. Therefore, there were at least two. o The Christmas Carol We Three Kings of Orient Are has fairly firmly fixed the number of three kings in our consciousness. Every nativity set has three kings presenting one gift each, gold, frankincense and myrrh. I prefer to assume there were three but am entirely unwilling to argue the point. Although some feel strongly enough about the issue that they cannot sing the carol, their numbers are both sad and few. Nobody should lose the victory over this issue or become high-minded or haughty, thinking they have made a major theological point in declaring there may have been only two magi. And yes, I realize the importance of the two witness theory in scripture. o Dr. Gary Cohen offers a very interesting observation on the point of the number of wise men: Matthew Chapter 2 does not tell us the number of these, very probably because God, in His infinite wisdom, knew that Christians in future generations would then make the number three a legalistic or superstitious number for persons to travel together only in threes or that gifts must be given only in threes, or that we need three people to come into the Lord s presence and so forth. 2 What were their names? o The Bible does not say, but by the 6 th century the church had given them names: Melchior, Balthasar and Gaspar. o The Venerable Bede, 3 (672 or 673-735), gave this description to the magi: The first was called Melchior; he was an old man, with white hair and long beard; he offered gold to the Lord as to his king. The second, Gaspar by name, young, beardless, of ruddy hue, offered to Jesus his gift of incense, the homage due to Divinity. The third, of black complexion, with heavy beard, was called 2 Cohen, p. 29. 3 Bede, a Benedictine Monk at Northumbria (County Durham, England) was born in 672 or 673 and died in 735. His most famous work, Historia Eccleiastica Gentis Anglorum (The Ecclesiastical History of the English People), earned for him the title of Father of English History. 2
Baltasar; the myrrh he held in his hands prefigured the death of the Son of man. o From this description comes the idea that the three magi were of three different races. o Of course Bede s description of the magi is interesting, it is nonetheless unsupportable. The three gifts are significant Gold: This gift is naturally linked with royalty. o First, it honors and is a recognition of Jesus as royalty; the King of Kings. o Second, the value of the gold (in combination with the value of the other gifts) would give Joseph and Mary plenty of financial resource to make the journey to Egypt. o Gold is for the King of Kings. Frankincense: Frankincense is an incense or perfume; offering incense in scripture is associated with prayer offered by priests or prayer in general by anyone. The gift calls to mind the woman, who while Jesus was staying at the home of Simon the leper, broke the alabaster box containing pure nard (Mark 14:3) as a gift of love and honor for the Lord Jesus, and anointed Him with its aromatic contents. As well it prefigures for us nicely the fact that prayer is daily and continually offered to Jesus, our intercessor before the throne of God. Frankincense for the High Priest of all priests. Myrrh: Myrrh is an aromatic gum from Arabia an antiseptic and embalming agent. As Bede points out, myrrh foreshadows Jesus suffering and death and is often regarded as a symbol for suffering. Myrrh is for the One who will make the ultimate sacrifice, that He might taste death for every man. Herod receives a visit from the magi in Jerusalem o By the time the magi reached Jerusalem their guiding light had disappeared (or so it is supposed by most). o The magi pay a visit of state to Herod the King who called himself King of the Jews. He was, in fact, not fully Jewish, being half Jewish and half Idumean. Herod had not seen the star which was seen by the magi, nor had anyone else of reputation or position in Jerusalem, and so Herod gathered together the chief priests and scribes and began inquiring where the Messiah King was to be born. 3
Herod s evil motive. In Bethlehem of Judea, they responded and then quoted for Herod from the Prophet Micah (5:2): And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd my people Israel. o King Herod feigned a desire to worship the one who had been born King of the Jews. Inside he must have trembled, not from worship but fear. Here the magi said they had come to worship Him who had been born King of the Jews. Not born to become King of the Jews, but born King. Herod, known for his treachery and brutality, only wanted to know where he should send his SS troops to begin killing babies. He had already killed his wife Miriamne and his wife s mother, and at least two, possibly three of his sons. He had issued standing orders that on the day of his death hundreds of Jewish leaders were to be put to death he wanted there to be no celebrations on account of his passing. The magi were driven to find the King of Kings and worship Him. Herod was frightened by the King of Kings and driven to murder Him. What about the star? What we know about the star. o We know without doubt that the star was not stationary but moving and thereby provided guidance for the magi, eventually coming to stand over the very place in Bethlehem where the child was (verse 9). o The star had appeared to the magi and somehow guided them to Jerusalem. o It can be reasonably assumed that the star disappeared for some time when they reached the royal city, as the magi found themselves asking where is He who has been born King of the Jews...? As noted earlier, Herod had not seen the star, nor had any of his astronomers, wise men nor priests. o Herod was interested in exactly when the star appeared, no doubt beginning to make plans for the murder of the innocents at that very moment. o But when the magi left Jerusalem the star re-appeared to them and was the cause of great celebration. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with 4
great joy. What a monumental relief and blessing it must have been to them, having traveled so far, and then losing contact with the star at Jerusalem. o Following its guidance they were led to the very location where the Baby Jesus was. Natural or Supernatural? Of course there are many conflicting theories about what the star of Bethlehem was. Its appearing has kept many a scholar and astronomer awake at night, from then till now. All star theories fall into one of two broad categories: natural (that is to say scientifically explainable) or supernatural. A natural but unusual event? o The idea that the star was a natural, albeit unusual phenomenon goes back centuries. Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) thought the star may have been a supernova. o Since a supernova or nova stays in the same position relative to the rest of the stars and appears to rise and set as the earth rotates, it is difficult to imagine how it could have provided the precise kind of guidance required to find a single baby in a rude stable or cave. o Astrophysicist Colin Humphreys proposed the idea that the star was a comet, since there was a comet visible in 5 BC. o Others assert that the star was in fact a conjunction of planets. Such a conjunction of three planets, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, did occur in 7 BC in the constellation Pisces. In the pseudo-science of astrology, the constellation Pisces was thought to have particular relevance to Israel. A supernatural event? o Origen (c. 185-254) Origen was among the most distinguished of the early church fathers, a scholar and theologian educated in Alexandra and later removing to the Herodian city of Caesarea where he lived and worked, Considered it to be a new star unlike any of the other well-known planetary bodies... o Charles H. Spurgeon wrote, It must have been a star occupying quite another sphere from that in which the planets revolve. We believe it to have been a luminous appearance in midair; probably akin to that which led the children of Israel through the wilderness, which was a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. o John MacArthur in his New Testament Commentary on Matthew agrees. o A new theory. T. Michael Davis, writing in Hank Hanegraaff s Christian Research Journal poses an entirely new (to me) theory: The star was indeed supernatural, visible only to the magi, and appearing because God opened a sort of supernatural hole in the boundary between earth and heaven, 5
producing a very localized shaft of light which would be very directional and indeed point the way. It was a tear in the fabric of heaven, he hypothesizes, made so that the light of heaven shone on earth. Such a light was seen by the apostle Paul (it blinded him, Acts 9:3) and a similar opening in the heavens was noted during Jesus baptism (Matthew 3:16) and His Transfiguration The star; does it matter? o Whatever it was, the movement and appearance, then disappearance and finally the reappearance of the star are truly unlike any other celestial body. o Add to this the fact that star had to be capable of precise guidance, not just a general westward movement and or indication that some major event had taken or will take place in particular nation; a completely supernatural event is surely indicated. o Further, the star had to be visible to the magi but invisible to Herod and his astronomers and priests. o But whatever theory one chooses to accept concerning the star, it must be allowed that as long as one believes the Bible account a super luminous celestial body appeared and precisely guided the magi to a stable in Bethlehem we can all allow for subsequent differences and explanations. o After all, exactly what the star may have been is not particularly relevant to the story, while the fact magi from the east came to honor Jesus at His birth, supernaturally guided by God, very much is. o Let us therefore not make the star a matter of doubtful disputation, but accept it as miraculous wonder, completely appropriate for the Birth of Jesus, the Messiah. Why did the wise men come? Certainly, the purpose of the journey of the magi was not to give us debating points so that we might dispute with each other over the nature of the star or the number of wise men. Christians are to love one another, not be sparing partners. Paul, writing to his son in the faith, Titus, warns: But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. It seems to me the reason they were sent is three-fold: o First, to bring the recognition and worship from kings which is due to the King of Kings. o Second, to provide valuable gifts which would enable Mary, Joseph and the Baby to journey in safety to Egypt. o Third, to show us that His coming is not just to the nation of Israel, but as King for the entire world gentiles included. 6
The magi came from a great distance with great eagerness, sparing nothing to honor Him who had been born King of Kings. Paradoxically, those who were closest, in Jerusalem and in Bethlehem were blind to the great event taking place right at their doorstep. But the magi, of a good heart and ready mind, came to Jesus in faith, confronting all obstacles, both on the journey and of Herod s making and bowed down to worship the Baby. This is a familiar theme to believers who have meditated on the first chapter in John s Gospel. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:9-13. The gifts of the magi are exemplary for us. o We too should bring a gift as we come to Jesus. Whether we come for the first time, or are rededicating ourselves to Him, let us also bring gifts. o A Christmas carol In the Bleak Midwinter asks, What shall I give Him, poor as I am? The conclusion is that the person will give Jesus his heart. o The sentiments of the carol are exactly in accord with the true worship described in Romans 12. Romans 12:1-2 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. o The coming of the magi also demonstrates to us that God s gift of a savior is for all mankind, not just the nation of Israel. o The apostle Paul, writing to the Romans, (15:7-12), a mixed church of Jewish believers and gentiles summarizes this concept well: Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, 7
THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES, AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME. Again he says, REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE. And again, PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES, AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM. Again Isaiah says, THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE. Romans 15:7-12 Finally, we must ask ourselves how the story of the magi relates to us in our hearts. Are we like Herod, not seeking a King over us, falsely believing that we are the master of our fate, the captain of our soul? Or are we like the wise men, kings in our own right, yet seeking Him who is born King of the Jews to be king over us, bringing Him our gifts and our worship? 8