Understanding the Gospel of Matthew and Why it Matters - Part 4

Matthew 2:1-12

The Visit of the Wise Men

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,

2 saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'"

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him."

9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Debunking False Myths

Before looking at what the Scriptures say about the wise men, notice a couple of things it does not say. First, nowhere does the Bible say that these men were kings. Every year millions of people sing the Christmas carol "We Three Kings" about the Wise Men, yet the song is almost certainly mistaken. The title "magi", which we translate as "wise men", probably refers to a group of Persian political advisors who were thoroughly skilled in science, agriculture, mathematics, history, and other disciplines. These men were the intellectually elite, and were somewhat like those in our society who have PhDs from Ivy League schools.

Second, notice that the passage never speaks of their being three Wise Men. In fact, most scholars agree that there was likely many more than three. The great distance traveled and the stir that they made in Jerusalem seems to indicate that these men made up quite an impressive caravan.

Third, notice that the passage does not say that these Wise Men worshiped Jesus in the stable outside the Bethlehem inn. Rather, it says that they came to a house in the city. Notwithstanding the many nativity scenes that place the wise men kneeling by the manger, these men actually arrived several days after Jesus' birth and found Him in the Home of a family member. Both Mary and Joseph would probably have had relatives that lived in the city.

Why Did The Wise Men Come? (v.1-2)

How is it that a group of men from several hundred miles away would see a star in the sky and surmise that a new king of the Jews had been born? Certainly there were countless others who had noticed the strange star, yet they did not understand the star's meaning. How did the Wise Men know of its special meaning?

The answer shows the remarkable providence of God in ordering events and circumstances according to His sovereign will. Many centuries before, Israel had been taken into captivity by Media-Persia. During this time of captivity, the sacred Scriptures of the Jews - the Old Testament - had come into the hands of some of the Persian leaders. Now, hundreds of years later, these wise men had a passage of Scripture from which they understood the meaning of the star: "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down the all the souls of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed."

The prophecy was simple. A star would come out of Jacob (a.k.a. Israel, see Genesis 32:28), and a scepter (the symbol of a king) would arise. This king would be powerful, and would rule over many nations.

This is a prophecy of two Joshuas. When the prophet Balaam originally spoke this oracle, it referred to Joshua son of Nun, who would lead God's people into the Promised Land after Moses' death. However, God also chose to use this prophecy to point to the birth of His Son