Matthew tells us the Magi visited Jesus.
There is some mystery surrounding the identity and number of the Magi who came to visit Jesus around the time of his birth.
In this article, we will look at some of the things we know about the Magi and some of the things that are just speculation.
In the days of King Herod
These events concerning the Magi took place “In the days of Herod the King.” The name Herod is better understood as a title rather than a name. It was like the name Ceaser for the leaders of Rome. This King Herod, probably Archelaus, reigned from around 6 to 4 BC. This time frame matches the accepted time when Jesus was born. Mistakes were made that caused an error in establishing the original date for the birth of Christ. Most historians now accept that Jesus was probably born in 4 BC. So that fits the biblical narrative.
But remember this important fact. The Magi, or the wise men, did not visit Jesus at the time of his birth. They came later. So if you have them in your Christmas manger scene, then that makes a nice picture but it’s not biblically accurate.
Was it really December 25th?
There is a lot of speculation regarding the season of the year of the birth of Jesus. The simple truth is that we do not know if it was in the winter. The biblical story does not tell us that. We know of the shepherds feeding their flocks in the fields but that isn’t usually done during the winter. Some scholars have guessed a fall event while others suggest it happened in the spring. Since this article is primarily focused on the visit of the Magi, I won’t speculate about the exact date of the first Christmas. But I will say that the accepted date of December 25th was not established as a Church tradition until hundreds of years later. And it was the Roman Catholic Church that established the Dec. 25th date. Some suspect demonic foul play in this but we don’t know that.
When did the Magi arrive?
First, we need to check and see what the Bible actually says. Many mistakes are made when this obvious first step is skipped. We see so many Christmas Nativity scenes with three men offering gifts, we assume that’s what the Bible teaches. But it doesn’t. It doesn’t say there were three men, just three gifts. And it doesn’t place the Magi at the Nativity scene but they visit Jesus inside a house. The scene of the birth was a cave, barn, or some rustic area in which animals were kept during the night. It wasn’t a house where the Magi came to visit the young king.
We know that they saw a star and this was a key factor in them setting out on their journey. King Herod asked them when they saw the star. With that knowledge, Herod made the decision to kill all the boys born in Bethlehem from two years old and younger. Does this mean they saw the star two years before they brought their gifts? It might. Or it could mean Herod was being unusually cruel and just making sure he killed the little baby king.
There is an interesting video along with some research that gives us some things to consider regarding the Bethlehem star and the timing of its appearance in the sky.
See the website here or watch the video below.
The Magi came from the East.
The word Magi is Greek. And we see the word used in Jeremiah 39:3 and Jeremiah 39:13, Historians tell us they were a priestly order of the Medes. So they were Persians. They were known as interpreters of dreams and served kings and rulers in that capacity. They were exactly like the wise men that the prophet Daniel associated with in Daniel Two. The term Magi was sometimes used in a derogatory manner. The Greeks were often suspected of impostors who claimed to have supernatural knowledge. But many others, such as the philosopher Plato, understood the Magi to be observers of the heavens and students of signs and seasons.
There are popular legends that say there were three Magi, and that they were kings. The meaning of the word does allow for the idea of royalty. Some legends also give names to the three kings as Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. But these names come from extra-biblical manuscripts known as apocryphal texts, so we need to be careful about accepting this as fact. But still is okay to speculate as long as we understand it’s not in the Bible.
The Visit of the Wise Men
Matthew 2:1-12 (English Standard Version)
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.
What did we learn?
So there you have it. The wise men were wise, but not necessarily kings. They came from the East but didn’t visit during the night of the birth of Jesus. We don’t know their names or if there were three or more. Always start with what the Bible says, and cautiously consider other texts or traditions.
Is Christmas a pagan holiday? That’s for another article and the crazy channels on YouTube. 🙂
Did you know there were cannibals involved in the Christmas story? It’s true. 😉
God bless you and Merry Christmas.
Let me know what you think.