 The wise men have been a source of inspirational sayings (“Wise men still seek Him”), and even jokes (use your best southern accent as you say this one): “Why did the wise men smell like smoke? It’s because they came from afar.” Kids have forever played the parts of wise men in church programs, dressing up as royalty complete with crowns, glitter, and gold. But there are some rich insights grounded in the actual history of the wise men that can help us celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. In an article for “renew.org,” Daniel McCoy shares some insights about this to which I’ve added my own take-aways.
#1 – God uses strange ways to connect with people. Matthew calls these star-gazing visitors from the East “Magi.” They were students of the stars and interpreters of dreams. The Old Testament describes wise men in both Egypt (Ex. 7:11) and Babylon (Dan. 2:48), but the wise men in Matthew’s Gospel were likely from Persia. They played both a religious and political role, and visiting royalty was not outside their job description. It seems pretty unorthodox for God to use pagan astrology as a way of reaching outsiders with the gospel of Jesus, but it shows God will do whatever it takes to reconcile seekers with himself (Acts 10:34-35). And lest you think that God cannot use you to advance his cause, just remember how the Lord used these Magi to help meet the needs of Jesus and his family. #2 – Insiders can miss the obvious. It’s been difficult figuring out exactly what it was in the sky that led the Magi to Judea. Some proposals: the concurrence of Saturn and Jupiter, Halley’s Comet, a Nova (exploding star), an angel (for the association of angels and stars, see Job 38:7; Dan. 8:10; Rev. 8:10-11). Whatever it was they saw in the East, it got them to Judea, and when they set out from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, it guided them, moving and stopping over where Jesus and his family stayed. While we don’t know precisely what it was in the sky those months, what we know for sure is that the Magi were looking up, while the religious leaders in Israel were preoccupied with matters of infinitely less importance. The religious leaders missed the event their decades of Bible study had trained them for. The lesson for us is to make sure our thoughts are focused on Jesus this Christmas, lest we forget what this season is really all about. #3 – Traditions can be distracting. Much of what we picture about the wise men comes from traditions that are often distracting at best and sometimes not even true. The hymn “We Three Kings” provides numerous examples. First of all, three kings? They’re not kings; they’re Magi. And three kings? Just because there were three gifts doesn’t mean that there were three Magi, and we don’t know their actual names. The Magi don’t even technically belong in the Nativity Scene, because they arrived months after Jesus the “child” (not infant) had outgrown the manger and was now living in a “house” (Matt. 2:11). It would be pretty silly to read the story of the visiting Magi, and forget to internalize the reason they’re there: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matt. 2:2). Let’s enjoy the holiday and its traditions, but all the while let’s keep the main thing center stage in our hearts: Christmas is for worshiping the King. Keeping the main thing the main thing this Christmas with you, Tyler
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