Why was it important that the wise men came to visit Jesus? Why did all those baby boys have to die? This devotion begins the discussion of the wise men coming to worship Baby Jesus.
Nuggets
- If the wise men were looking for a new king, they were going to go straight to the palace.
- The wise men were well versed in astrology because they took the time to look in the sky.
- Though not knowing who these men were, when they said a replacement had been born, I bet he went ballistic.
- The priests gave Herod the answer for which he was looking – where to find the Baby.
- Then Herod fed the wise men a line about wanting to worship the Baby.
- The wise men found the Baby and presented Him gifts.
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Sorry. I gotta say it. The men didn’t ask for directions until it was too late.
True, the wise men were only five miles off if the Holy Family was still in Bethlehem. But that miscalculation led to disastrous results.
Let's Put It into Context
We talked about where the wise men caught up with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. If you are like me, we always assumed the wise men came to Bethlehem. I got the family was living in a house.
But we really aren’t told where the family had gone back to live. Distances may or may not have factored into the equation.
- Nazareth to Bethlehem — 100 miles
- Bethlehem to Jerusalem — 5.5 miles
- Jerusalem to Nazareth — 64 miles
I mentioned I thought they would have stayed in Bethlehem before going to Jerusalem for the baby ceremony. Once I thought through The Faithful Watchers, they probably stayed at least the 40 days.
Still, Luke 2: 39 says, “When they had completed everything [that they do with new babies and firstborn babies] according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth” (CSB).
Let’s take a more in-depth look at the wise and see what we can see.
More Guests on the Way
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him” (Mt. 2: 1-2 CSB)
I guess we can’t blame the wise men (and we don’t know how many there were). If they were looking for a new king, they were going to go straight to the palace. A house — and definitely a manger — was not going to be on their radar.
The wise men were well versed in astrology. They had the background and the preparation to be able to figure out what this star they saw meant.
This was because the wise men took the time to look in the sky. Even though they may have had countries to run if they were kings, they spent time studying the skies. They knew when a new star appeared.
The wise men went on a long journey. The Scriptures don’t tell us how long their journey took, but if all the children two and younger were killed in Bethlehem, it is safe to assume it could have been close to two years one way. They were committed to the journey.
No matter how long it actually took, it isn’t like today where they could hop the super speed train and be there tomorrow. Traveling by camel was probably a slow, sore journey.
We sometimes think that the wise men were so much better than the shepherds. You know, money talks.
But think about it. Shepherds got a visit from an angel where they got verbal specific instructions. The wise men got a silent star.
The shepherds were a hill or two over. The wise men were countries away. So they ended up without all of their resources available to them. They may or may not have poker the language.
I don’t think the shepherds were considered total outcasts because they were Jews, too. There may have been some snootiness because they were lowly shepherds.
But the wise men were Gentiles! Oh, it didn’t matter that they might have been kings themselves. No, Scripture does not say they were, but they had to have been men of means to make that trip and have the gifts they were giving.
Terror in the Upper Echelons
“When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born. ‘In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, ‘because this is what was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (Mt. 2: 3-6 CSB)
Wouldn’t we have loved to be a fly on that wall? I wonder if Herod erupted in rage? Disturbed seems like a whitewashed word to me.
Who was this Herod? There were several because that is the family name.
This one was Herod the Great. If he died when he was 70, he was probably in his mid- to late- 60s by the time Jesus was born. He became king of Judea in 40 BC.
The problem from the Jewish perspective was that Herod wasn’t a full-blooded Jew. Instead of being a descendant of Jacob, he was descended from Esau. (Talk about sibling rivalry lasting long after the siblings were gone.)
Herod was very mindful of people trying to overthrow him, even his own family members. So, though not knowing who these men were, when they said a replacement had been born, I bet he went ballistic. I don’t think I would have wanted to be one of those priests right then.
The priests gave Herod the answer for which he was looking. They quoted Micah 5: 2, naming Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah.
How did Herod know the wise men were talking about the Messiah? How did the priests and scribes?
If the priests and scribes — which were “… all the chief priests and scribes of the people …” (Mt. 2: 3 CSB) — did think this was the Messiah, why doesn’t Scripture say they tried to stop Herod from killing the boy babies?
Did the priests and scribes care? Or were they corrupt? Did they think this Boy Baby was going to grow up and take their jobs?
Did you catch that? “… he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him” (Mt. 2: 3 CSB emphasis added). Why were all the people deeply disturbed if they were watching for a Messiah and didn’t like Herod?
Side Deals
“Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him’” (Mt. 2: 7-8 CSB)
The priests, scribes, and people didn’t have to worry about it. Herod tried to take care of it.
Once Herod had the location, he got chatty with the wise men. He wanted details.
Then Herod fed the wise men a line. “I want to worship Him, too.” I wonder if they knew it was bogus from the time he uttered it?
Success
“After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was — the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route” (Mt. 2: 9-12 CSB)
Once the wise men get on their way again, they get the star guide back. It took them where they wanted to go. They found Mary and Jesus and worshipped Him.
I’ve long wondered the significance of the gifts — other than they gave the poor family the means to get to Egypt, live, and come back.
I got the gold represented wealth. Frankincense produced a scent when burned. I think that was to be symbolic of the incense burned in the temple or the aroma of the burnt offerings (Dix). The myrrh was a spice used in burial.
Making the Connections
Are there any wise men today? Would we be wise men? No, I’m not talking about I.Q. I’m not even talking about being a smart aleck.
The men were versed in astrology. Are we as well versed in the scriptures? Have we memorized verses and we can find them? Do we know where to look for books in the Bible? Do we know where to look for our Bibles?
Would we know when a new star appears? Are we too busy getting supper, getting the kids to soccer, getting the laundry folded to spend time contemplating the universe God has created? Are we to busy to look for God? Do we know where to look for God?
The wise men invested a lot of time and resources to make the trip. Would we be willing to commit the time to make the journey? Would we be able to suppress our need for instant gratification to begin and complete a long journey where we don’t know where we are going? Would we even consider making the journey or dismiss it without thought?
It boils down to would we be committed enough to even begin the journey? Would we be satisfied finding a baby after such a long trip? Would we expect a palace instead of a stable? Would we expect a royal reception instead of being greeted by humble peasants? How wise would we be?
How Do We Apply This?
Knowledge and intelligence are a good thing. They won’t necessarily lead you to Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts us and leads us to Christ.
We can’t say we will “figure out” God and His plan of salvation. We have to work it out so we can accept it by faith.
We have to seek the Baby in the manger — and the Man on the cross. We have to reverently approach Him and earnestly give Him control of our lives.
These men of culture were not magicians. They were scientists who genuinely sought the Christ Child. Even though they were not Jews, they knew enough to seek Him.
The wise men did not let their knowledge or the hardships of the journey to stop them from seeking the King of kings. They gave up a lot to find Him.
How is the Christ Child calling us today?
Gracious heavenly Father. In Your Word, You have given us a story of the wise men coming to worship Your Son after His birth. Lord, we pray that we would be considered wise men and women — wise enough to be grounded in Your Word, infiltrated by Your Presence, and always following Your guidance wherever it may lead. We pray that we will be committed to You at the beginning and end of our journeys as well as every step of the way. Amen.
What do you think?
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