THE CHARACTERS OF CHRISTMAS - Wise Men
This morning we are continuing our look at the characters of Christmas. I had planned on looking at these specific men last; however, the Lord impressed upon me to do it today.
When I was a little girl, every Christmas, the elementary school would put on a big Christmas concert. Each grade would sing some songs and recite some poems. Everyone dressed up in their fancy clothes and there was always Christmas cookies for us at the end. I absolutely loved these concerts. The one that sticks out in my memories most is when my grade stood on a giant star that was taped on the floor. This was before sacred music was taboo in public schools. We stood on the star and sang We Three Kings. My spot was right on one of the points.
If you grew up in church like I did, you may have been involved in a Christmas reenactment depicting the Nativity story. My church was involved in an annual outdoor “Living Nativity” complete with animals, people portraying the different biblical characters, live music, narrators, and a choir that would sing songs. We also had talented music ministers who would direct wonderful dramas that involved people from every age group.
While I cherish these memories, they laid a somewhat flawed understanding of the Magi’s role in the birth of Christ.
Read Matthew 2: 1-12
What do we know about the Magi:
The Magi, also know as the Three Wise men or the Three Kings, were distinguished foreigners who visit Jesus after his birth.
They appear only in the Gospel of Matthew, which states that they came from the east to worship the one who has been born king of the Jews.
Their names, origins, appearances, and exact number are unmentioned. Some sources say there were as many as 12 of them. The details about these characteristics is derived solely from tradition.
Although some biblical translations describe them as astrologers, they were increasingly identified as kings by the 3rd century which corresponds with Christian interpretations of Old Testament prophecies that the messiah would be worshipped by kings.
The text specifies no interval between the birth and the visit, and artistic depictions and the closeness of the traditional dates of December 25 and January 6 encourage the popular assumption that the visit took place the same winter as the birth, but later traditions varied, with the visit taken as occurring up to two winters later. This maximum interval explained Herod's command that the Massacre of the Innocents included boys up to two years old.
The term magi refers to the Iranian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism] Within this tradition, priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science Their religious practices and astrological abilities caused derivatives of the term Magi to be applied to the occult in general and led to the English term magic.
The same word is given as sorcerer and sorcery when describing "Elymas the sorcerer" in Acts 13:6–11, and Simon Magus, considered a heretic by the early Church, in Acts 8:9–13. Several translations refer to the men outright as astrologers.
There is an Armenian tradition identifying the "Magi of Bethlehem" as Balthasar of Arabia, Melchior of Persia, and Caspar of India. Historian John of Hildesheim relates a tradition in the ancient Silk Road city of Taxila (in present-day Punjab, Pakistan) that one of the Magi passed through the city on the way to Bethlehem.
The astrologers did not visit Jesus on the night of his birth. The Bible says: “When they went into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother.” This indicates that the family were by then living in a house and that Jesus was no longer an infant in a manger.
King Herod, not the “star,” was the first to direct the astrologers to Bethlehem. When he heard of a rival “king of the Jews,” Herod investigated where the promised Christ was to be born. On learning that it was to be in Bethlehem, he told the astrologers to go there, look for the child, and report back to him.
Only then did the astrologers go to Bethlehem. The Bible says: “After they had heard the king, they went their way, and look! the star they had seen when they were in the East went ahead of them until it came to a stop above where the young child was.”They brought gifts fit for an earthly king and came to pay homage to him
There have been many misconceptions and controversy surrounding these men, but one thing is certain, the Magi are described as "falling down", "kneeling", or "bowing" in the worship of Jesus. They showed great respect, and were typically used when honoring a king.
Despite the layers of misconception added by tradition, there are valuable lessons these mysterious characters of the Nativity story can teach us today.
They Sought a King That Didn’t Belong to Them
This group of foreign Gentiles set out on a considerable journey to meet and honor a king who was to be born. They were searching the stars for prophecies and omens. In this regard, it is noteworthy that these very men who sought to worship Jesus were of the same category who were denounced multiple times in passages like Isaiah 47:13-15.
You are wearied in the multitude of your counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, And the monthly prognosticators Stand up and save you From what shall come upon you. Behold, they shall be as stubble, The fire shall burn them; They shall not deliver themselves From the power of the flame; It shall not be a coal to be warmed by, Nor a fire to sit before! Thus shall they be to you With whom you have labored, Your merchants from your youth; They shall wander each one to his quarter. No one shall save you.
Their theology was idolatrous, and yet, by the mercy and providence of God, they sought Jesus anyway. This is the story of many Christians, who accidentally stumble their way to Jesus.
2. They Bowed and Worshipped
The Christmas story provides profound and inclusive accounts of worship. Jesus was worshipped by the lowly (shepherds) and the prominent (Magi). Both came to celebrate and honor the newborn king. The Magi recognized the differences between Godly kingship (Jesus) and worldly kingship (Herod), which is why did not honor Herod’s instructions to tell him the exact birthplace of the child they sought. Additionally, the arrival of these learned, foreign men who chose to travel a great distance to worship Jesus gives us a glimpse into God’s heart to draw Gentiles and graft them into the family of God. God’s house is a house of prayer for all nations (Mark 11:17). Like the wisemen, Jesus calls people from all nations and tongues to bow down and worship him. He calls people from all walks and backgrounds to bow and worship.
3. They Gave Generously
They brought the rare and expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts for Jesus. They chose to visit a king they did not know or owe their allegiance, a journey that likely took months. As the Magi discovered, giving their time and possessions caused great joy to spring from their hearts. God calls us to give to him cheerfully and joyfully from our hearts, not with reluctance or obligation. I pray that God’s people would approach Jesus the way the Magi did: generously, joyfully, and expectantly.
And what did they bring?
The Magi presented the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus. The gifts are thought to symbolize three aspects of Christ's future life:
Gold: Represents kingship
Frankincense: Represents spiritual nature
Myrrh: Represents death
According to the book The Travels of Marco Polo, gold symbolises the power over the material world as a king on earth, frankincense symbolises the power over the spiritual world as a deity, and myrrh symbolises the healing power over death.
Gold
In the Bible, gold has many spiritual meanings, including:
Worth and value
Gold is a symbol of something or someone of worth, value, and dignity. It was the most valuable metal and was used to adorn angels and saints.
Incorruptibility
Purity
Holiness
In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites to build things in pure gold, such as the ark and the menorah, to represent God's holiness.
Knowledge, wisdom, and faith
In both the Old and New Testaments, owning gold is compared to acquiring knowledge, wisdom, and faith.
Kingship
Frankincense
In the Bible, frankincense has multiple symbolic meanings, including:
Spiritual nature: Frankincense is a symbol of Christ's spiritual nature.
Frankincense is a symbol of worship.
Holiness and righteousness
Christ's sacrifice
Frankincense is often burned, symbolizing prayer rising to the heavens like smoke.
Frankincense may have been presented to baby Jesus to represent his later role as a high priest for believers.
Frankincense is a type of incense that comes from the sap of a tree. It was used in religious ceremonies and was very versatile and expensive in biblical times. It was also used in the creation of essential oils and perfume, as well as medicines.
Myrrh
In the Bible, myrrh has a spiritual meaning as a symbol of death, sacrifice, and purity:
Anointing oil: Myrrh was used to anoint priests and the Tabernacle, and to prepare the body of Jesus for burial.
Embalming oil: Myrrh was used to embalm dead bodies. Myrrh represented his death.
Bitter taste: Myrrh has a sweet smell but a bitter taste, which symbolizes the precious death of Christ.
Purity and sacrifice: Myrrh was a major ingredient in the anointing oil used to consecrate the priests and Tabernacle.
4. They Were Obedient
Most Bible scholars believed these men had access to ancient Jewish scrolls. These scrolls tell of the Messiah's coming, through whom God would deliver His people. These foreigners, who had their own king, obediently followed what they knew of the Torah and came to see the new king.
Their obedience did not end there. When an angel warned them to be cautious with what they learned of Jesus’s location, they returned home another route, bypassing Herod.
Every human will eventually face a choice between honoring the Lord’s command and honoring the world’s expectations.
5. Just Because a Message is Popular Does Not Mean it is Right
In many ways, the story of the magi told today is a blend of the truth found in the Bible and tradition added over the last 2000 years. The biblical story is more than sufficient to tell the greatest story ever told – why embellish the details?
People are searching for truth and need to learn discernment to identify what is actually true from what seems true. We must rest in the truth found in the Bible and learn to identify biblical truth from tradition, popular opinion, and hearsay.
