The Magi
by David Hoffman
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”
- Matthew 2:1-2
The story has always been fascinating to me.
Wise men, probably from the Parthian Empire, see the sign in the heavens proclaiming Jesus’ birth, and they set out on an adventure. You see, hundreds of years earlier, promising young men were taken from Israel and trained to be wise men, so they knew of the Messiah’s coming. Daniel had prophesied that 483 years after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, a Messiah would be born in Israel. They could do math. They knew the time was near. They were looking.
A star shall come forth from Jacob.
- Numbers 24:17
They saw the star and departed. They came through Jerusalem, stopping in to see King Herod first, and they eventually arrived in Bethlehem to worship Jesus, where they presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being warned in a dream, they returned home by another path.
Anytime we read God’s word, there is something in it that we can learn. Here in the story of the wise men, I see three truths that each of us would do well to consider this Christmas season:
1.) A Search for Truth Will Confront You with Jesus
The wise men could have seen the sign in the heavens, made notations in their scrolls, and just left it at that, but they didn’t. These guys were determined. They wanted to see for themselves, to know the truth firsthand.
It’s worth asking ourselves if we have this same kind of determination. Are we seekers or just people who believe they already know enough – so they don’t ever have to pursue anything?
There is an element of what seems like futility in this life, and if you haven’t yet, one day you’ll find yourself baffled by it. You live, work hard, raise your kids, gather wealth, build something – and then you die. The natural way is to just live for yourself, but if you do that, and you know it’s simply going to end in your death, you start asking questions. If your search is honest and determined, no matter what route it takes or how long it takes you to get there, you’re going to end up at the stable in Bethlehem, confronted with the reality of Jesus. It is here, in Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection, that life makes sense again. It’s where the futility falls away and we find purpose, meaning, peace, and direction.
2.) If You’re Wise, You’ll Give Jesus Your Treasure
What is the value of knowing God? The apostle Paul teaches us that whatever you have to give up to follow God, it’s garbage compared with what you get in return (Philippians 3:8). Jesus teaches us that a man cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). You can either serve money, fame, the world’s way, etc. or you can follow God. You have to give up something in either case, and the wise know that it is best to lay your treasures down at the feet of Jesus. Then, when you give up control of what you have, God makes you a manager. Whatever gifts He gave you in this life, you are now to use them for the purposes of God, under His direction and wisdom. And believe me, that is a blessing.
When you see the nativity scene, what do you see? The wise men didn’t just see a toddler; they understood that before them was something supernatural and wonderful, so they fell down and worshiped and gave Jesus their gifts.
It is one thing to know Jesus as your Savior, accepting His sacrifice on your behalf, but it is another to recognize Him as Lord and give your whole life to Him. This is the better way.
3.) All Who Bow to Jesus Go Home a Different Way
Every person I’ve ever known who gives his heart to Jesus and makes Him Lord of his life goes a different way than they were going before. When you come to God, He sets you on a different path. It’s always been this way, and it always will be.
Jacob wrestled with God, and he walked away different (Genesis 32). Paul had an encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, and it radically changed his life (Acts 9). Isaiah experienced the presence of God, and he was on fire for the Lord the rest of his life (Isaiah 6). Job was in a place of questioning when he had an encounter with God (Job 40), and it changed everything – He got a glimpse of God’s perspective.
Just because we have encountered Jesus doesn’t mean we are at the end of our respective journeys. When you accept Him as Savior, it’s the beginning. Just like the magi, you will have hardships, setbacks, loss, and problems to overcome, but it’s different now because Jesus is with us. His strength, peace, comfort, and direction are available to us.
The sad truth is many encounter Jesus and then turn back. They walk with God for a while, accept Him as Savior, and when the time comes to make Him Lord, they don’t do that – and they start backsliding. Pretty soon they are living their lives just like they did before. The apostle Peter says this that person is like a dog going back to its own vomit (2 Peter 2:22).
I want to leave you with this: God is going to speak to you and direct you. It may be through His Word, through a still, small voice, or through the counsel of a godly friend. It will never contradict what He’s given to us in the scriptures – we always need to test what we think we’ve received. But remember what the wise men did when they saw the star. Follow God’s leading. There’s nothing else like it.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
- Psalm 32:8
