Seeing the title of this post probably has some of you wondering whether I forgot to look at my calendar. Did I not notice that Christmas happened earlier this week? And according to the “traditional” Christmas story, Jesus’ birthday was on Monday, and now it’s time for everybody to shift gears and get on with plans for New Years. So, in light of that obvious fact, why would I be continuing this “Christmas Story Revisited” series? 

Another Unexpected Visit ~
That’s a good question. The simple answer is that there are some pretty significant things we need to address that are directly connected with Jesus’ coming …. but they took place much later than the time of the shepherds’ visit. The events I’m referring to, of course, center on yet another unanticipated visit. This time it’s the arrival of a group of unidentified foreigners who are on an unusual mission.

It seems fitting to address the story of the “wise men” now, after Christmas has passed, both because it fits the timeline supported by the text and because Jesus’ coming always sets people and events in motion that we wouldn’t have expected. So, we’ll briefly revisit this “post-Christmas” event and endeavor to point out some lessons wrapped in it that might be helpful as we face a new year filled with uncertainties on so many levels. 

Reasonable Questions ~
There’s no shortage of uncertainties when we come to the story of these wise men who came so far to see Jesus. The first couple of questions we have were probably asked by the citizens of Jerusalem when they showed up in town asking questions about some king being born; i.e., Who are these guys? Why are they here? And, Does their presence have anything to do with me? The details we have may not answer all these questions to our satisfaction on a personal level, but God has given us enough light to initiate a journey to find them and to make the trip worthwhile.

Because of space limitations and our stated objective for this post, we’ll only be able to hit a couple of highlights regarding these unusual visitors that most of our English Bibles call “wise men”. That translation can be misleading because the Greek word used is “magi” and it has nothing to do with our usual understanding of wisdom. The term has been used instead to describe people in a variety of roles and activities, from priests to royal advisors, to sorcerers, but whatever their rank or position, these particular magi were apparently devoted to the study of theology and astrology. 

Regarding their origin, specific information is scarce. The text reveals that they were seeking a child recently born who they believed would be the King of the Jews and that they had seen His star in the East. That reference to the East has led many to assume that Persia was their point of origin, but the gifts the magi presented suggest a different starting point. The frankincense and myrrh they presented are derived from trees that grow exclusively in southern Arabia, which also lies east of Jerusalem and is a region where gold was mined as well. 

Challenging Questions ~
But the origin of their journey isn’t the only issue lacking explanation. We could use some help in understanding what the star they saw really was. Many have speculated that it was some kind of unusual planetary alignment, and tradition suggests that whatever the star was, it somehow managed to guide them throughout their journey. But a lack of textual support and a couple of reasonable questions challenge that conclusion. For example, 

• If the star they saw was their heavenly GPS, why did these travelers end up in Jerusalem asking for directions instead of going directly to the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was? 
• Added to that is their reaction when the star “reappeared” after their meeting with Herod, which Matthew describes like this:  

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. (Matthew 2:10 NKJV)

If they had been following this star every night for weeks or months, why the spontaneous, overwhelming joy at seeing it again? And the fact that this divine illumination led them directly to the house where the holy family was living contradicts the notion that the light they saw was some kind of unusual planetary alignment. No positioning of the planets in our solar system could have led them to a specific house in Bethlehem. On the other hand, the bright shekinah glory that represented God’s very presence in significant points in Jewish history easily could have. 

There are other observations that should be included in dealing with the magi that affect our traditional view of their unique story, but we’ll have to postpone them for another time. Meanwhile, we’ll reluctantly shift our focus to an incident directly related to Jesus’ coming and the magi’s arrival that none of us wants to think about, especially in the aftermath of Christmas celebrations. That incident began when Herod heard about the magi. 

The Enemy Emerges ~
Herod, who referred to himself as the King of the Jews, was described as troubled (Matthew 2:3) when he heard about the magi’s quest. He was a ruthless, brutal, paranoid autocrat who had killed at least two of his own sons and a couple of his “favorite” wives because he considered them as threats to his throne. His reaction to the news about the prophesied birth of another King was more than troubling. He concocted a deceptive scheme to send the magi to find Jesus so he could kill him. (Matthew 2:7-8)

God, who had miraculously orchestrated the magi’s mission, intervened again to protect them and gave Joseph and Mary time to escape. Matthew says the magi were divinely warned in a dream (Matthew 2:12) not to return to Herod, but to go home another way. Matthew describes the hellish horror that resulted when Herod’s scheme to protect his throne went awry: 

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16–17a NKJV)

Sadly, this is a challenging way to say goodbye to the magi and close out our Revisiting the Christmas Story series. “But” they did leave us a message, and even though it paints an inexpressibly horrific picture in our minds and hearts, we must not ignore it. The lesson is this … Sometimes it looks like righteousness loses, and the evil madmen in power win. It sure looked like that in Bethlehem.

Like all evil men in positions of authority, their primary objective is to destroy any threat to their position and power. Herod sought to preserve his kingdom by destroying the Christ child (a toddler by that point), eliminating the magi, and silencing their message. But God warned the magi not to return to tell Herod where Jesus could be found. Enraged that his plot had failed, Herod decided to eliminate Jesus by targeting all the boys in the area who were about the same age. Tragically, innocent children died, but Jesus, the magi, and their message continued. 

Herod’s Kingdom Crumbles ~
The magi had a story they would tell for the rest of their lives. They had seen a light sent by God, made the journey of a lifetime, and met a King like none they’d ever imagined. Meanwhile, Jesus and His family were able to escape to Egypt – and actually had their trip paid for by the gold the magi had given them! Herod, on the other hand, died soon after, in excruciating misery, and his kingdom died with him. 

Now, 2,000 years later, innocents are still being targeted, and it can still look like murderous madmen in powerful positions are winning. But, like Herod’s, their kingdoms are doomed. Every day, more people are seeing the Light that God sent in Jesus Christ, and like modern-day magi, they set out on a journey of their own. And just as it was back then, the King of Glory waits to greet them – and therein lies our hope.

The message of forgiveness, freedom from sin’s bondage, and eternal life will always be threatening to evil people in positions of power. But in spite of the death and destruction they cause, the real King still lives! That message, that reality, challenges all of us as believers to engage whatever 2024 brings with confidence, defiant joy, and a commitment to bring His Kingdom to life in this chaotic world every day. 

We at Gallagher’s Pen want to wish each of you a

 HAPPY, HEALTHY, FRUITFUL, SHALOM-FILLED NEW YEAR!

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to Tweet & Share from the pull quotes below. Each quote links directly to this article through Twitter.

• • • “Like all evil men in positions of authority, their primary objective is to destroy any threat to their position and power. Herod sought to preserve his kingdom by destroying the Christ child (a toddler by that point), eliminating the magi, and silencing their message.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • “God warned the magi not to return to tell Herod where Jesus could be found. Enraged that his plot had failed, Herod decided to eliminate Jesus by targeting all the boys in the area who were about the same age. Tragically, innocent children died, but Jesus, the magi, and their message continued.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • “Every day, more people are seeing the Light that God sent in Jesus Christ, and like modern-day magi, they set out on a journey of their own. And just as it was back then, the King of Glory waits to greet them – and therein lies our hope.” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • “The message of forgiveness, freedom from sin’s bondage, and eternal life will always be threatening to evil people in positions of power. But in spite of the death and destruction they cause, the real King still lives!” @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)

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