Matthew 2:1-12. 
 The Gift of the Magi.

Certainly, Christmas is a time for celebration.  Virtually the entire world-wide culture system is impacted by Christmas, and probably joins together in sharing this celebration more than any other annual event.  Nations that know little or nothing of the significance or even the occurrence of the birth of the Christ child still celebrate Christmas in various different ways, including the sharing of gifts, decorating, and gathering together to eat.  Of the billions of people who celebrate Christmas in some way, very few actually understand and appreciate its true purpose.  Some of these who openly reject the gospel of Jesus Christ work actively to squelch its true message as they also work to persecute the open expression of Christian faith.  A tiny part of this vast population, however, does understand and respond to Christmas' true message that God, the creator of this universe, came down to Earth through the life of the Christ child, born to communicate His message of grace and forgiveness to all who would trust in Him. 

Some think that the Christmas story starts with a jolly elf in a red suit.  Some may go further back and remember a monk who was canonized for giving the gift of a meal to a pair of widows.  The Christmas story really starts with the creation of mankind when God revealed Himself and His purpose to those in whom He breathed His life.  We often see Him through history as He reveals His presence through fire, such as the fire that illuminated a bush on a hillside in order to demonstrate His presence to Moses.  We saw the fire in the Shekinah Glory, the pillar of fire that led the nation of Israel from Egypt and stood over the tabernacle and tent for as many centuries.  We saw that fire consume the sacrifice in the tabernacle and temple each year on the day of atonement, just as we saw the fire consume Elijah's sacrifice when he confronted the prophets of Baal and Asherah.  Having seen the fire of God's presence for almost twelve centuries, imagine the shock and confusion that inhabited the hearts of the few remaining faithful when they returned from Babylonian exile to find the pillar of fire was gone.  No longer did God's holy fire consume the sacrifice on the day of atonement.  No longer was God's presence seen as well as felt in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem.   There followed a 400-year period of darkness when there was no word from the LORD.  However, the period of darkness ended when God's glory returned ...

Luke 2:8-9.  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

When we look at Luke's version of the birth of Christ, we find the announcement of that birth made to shepherds by an angel of the LORD.  Traditionally, we have assigned that task to the angel, Gabriel, who announced God's plan to Zechariah (Luke 1:19) and Joseph (Luke 1:26).  We may sometimes give more interest in the angel than we do to the "glory of the LORD," that shown around them.  It is little wonder that the shepherds responded with great fear.  As Jews, they would have been familiar with this history of Israel and the presence of the pillar of fire for so many years.  If these were temple shepherds who kept lambs and sheep for sacrifices, they would have been even more familiar with the prophecies, and may have recognized that they were witnessing the return of God's Shikinah glory, a fire that lit the hillside. 

Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus is written in Chapter 1:18-25, and is presented from Joseph’s perspective. Mary is espoused to Joseph when she conceived, and Joseph had no reason to believe any other source of this conception than adultery. Espousal was as binding as marriage, so Joseph chose to divorce her quietly because he loved her, rather than allow her to be publicly disgraced. When an angel of the Lord revealed the truth to Joseph, he quickly married her, though he did not become intimate with her until after Jesus’ birth.

Matthew continues with the narrative a time later, possibly as long as two years later when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are living in Bethlehem.  In this narrative we find again the return of God's Glory.

Matt. 2:1-2

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, ²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The Christmas story has been so steeped in tradition, that we may have been misled by some of that dogma, so it is reasonable to spend a few moments and look at the scriptural and historical context of the event.

In Matt. 2:1-2, Matthew introduces us to King Herod and the wise men, often referred to as the Magi.  King Herod, known as Herod the Great, died in 4 BC, placing Jesus’ birth as much as two years before that, around 6 BC. Furthermore, since the description of the birth describes shepherds in the fields watching over their flocks, the date could have been in the Spring or Summer, not winter as tradition has held. The early church celebrated Easter, not Christmas, as there was no record of the date of Jesus’ birth. The churches of Asia Minor started celebrating Christmas, choosing January 6^th as the day to do so. The Roman churches replaced the pagan celebration of Saturnalia that was celebrated on December 25^th. Eastern Orthodox churches still celebrate Christmas on the 6^th of January.

King Herod ruled over Israel for over thirty years. He was appointed to the position by the Roman government, succeeding a series of kings from the Hasmonean dynasty by marrying his cousin, Miriamne, of the Hasmonean family. As a half-Jew, hated by the Jews for his Roman allegiance, and hated by the Hasmoneans for taking the throne, his reign was marked with violence that was motivated by his insecurity.  He dealt with any threat to his reign with ruthless violence. During his reign he killed his wife and two sons, and even at his death he ordered the killing of another son who he had planned to succeed him to the throne. He was succeeded by his son, Antipas who reigned during Jesus’ ministry. His grandson, Agrippa I is mentioned in Acts 12, and his great-grandson, Agrippa II, is mentioned in Acts 26. King Herod’s ruthlessness comes into play in the following verses.

Finally, the Magi from the East are introduced. Most likely, these were followers of the Zoroastrian religion, a sect that looked for guidance from the stars, and came from the area of Persia, since the word for "wise men" is of Persian origin and use. Much of our perception of the visit of the wise men comes from the Christmas carol, "We Three Kings" rather from scripture, a carol that bears little scriptural resemblance. We have no idea of how many visitors there were. The assumption that there were three is based upon the three gifts that were given. The traditional assignment of names, Gaspar, Melchoir, and Balthasar is pure fantasy. The word rendered "wise men" is used only two other places in the New Testament, in Acts 8:9 to describe the magician who Peter confronted, and in Acts 13:5 to describe the magician who Paul confronted. In both of these other cases, as with the modern interpretation of the word, magician, there is an anti-Christian connotation to it. Following the reign of Cyrus, King of Persia, who allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple under Nehemiah, the relationship between the Jews and Persians was peaceful, so the Magi from Persia would be treated with respect.

God had revealed to the wise men that the King of the Jews was born, and they had come to Jerusalem to find Him so that they could worship Him. Unfamiliar with scripture, they went to the Jewish King Herod to find out where the child was born, assuming that he would certainly know of the event and of the location of the "prince."

One last thing we could consider before going on has to do with the "Star in the East." Even as a child I found a paradox in this statement. If the Magi came from the East, and the star was in the East, they would have traveled East towards the Orient rather than West to Jerusalem. The language that is translated can also be accurately rendered, "Star when it rose," (NIV commentary.), and since the sun, moon, and stars always rise in the East, rendering it as East is quite reasonable. However, if the star that led the shepherds and the star that led the Magi did indeed lead them just as the Pillar of Fire led the Israelites during the wandering in the wilderness, it could simply have been the manifestation of the Shekinah glory of God, and as such, could certainly have led them to the Christ child. It is my opinion that the Star of Bethlehem was simply the Shekinah Glory of God, the Pillar of Fire.  It would be appropriate that the pillar of fire that stood over the tabernacle of God would stand over Jesus, who is the tabernacle of God.

Matt. 2:3.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Why would King Herod be disturbed by this news? Recall that he would perceive the coming of a king as a threat to his dynasty. In the past he dealt with all threats by killing those who would challenge his authority, and this would be no exception. He saw the birth as a threat. Why would Jerusalem be disturbed? There could be two reasons. First, any time the King was disturbed, there would be violent consequences, and any such worries would be well-warranted, as we shall see later in this chapter. Also, the Israelites had been waiting for the coming Messiah who would free them from foreign oppression. The birth of such a King would be the beginning of their freedom. They would see the reign of a godless half-Jewish King Herod as one of the first to be destroyed by the new King. There was a lot of reason for unrest.

Matt. 2:4-6.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. ⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, ⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

It is obvious that King Herod approached this subject with great gravity and importance. He called together all of the chief priests and teachers of the law. What was the purpose of this gathering? Apparently, Herod’s half-Jewish background lacked the teaching of the prophesies. He was a Jew by hypocrisy, led by his insecurities to act like a Jew so that he would be more accepted by the people. The location of the birth of the Messiah was prophesied by Micah (5:2) to be in Bethlehem. This is no surprise since Bethlehem was the city of David, the city where King David, to whom the promise of an eternal kingdom, was born.

Matt. 2:7-8.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

Herod’s hypocrisy is again revealed by his actions. Why did Herod call the Magi secretly? He did not want the Jews to know that he was looking for the Christ child. If this were public knowledge, what would happen? Certainly it would incite a revolt, as the Jews would know that Herod’s purpose would be to kill this threat to his throne. Such a revolt would be more dangerous to his throne than any individual would cause since Rome placed him there to keep the peace and maintain allegiance to Rome. His inability to maintain peace would result in his immediate replacement, and he would pay violently for the ruthlessness of his reign if it were ended. Obviously, Herod had no intention on worshipping the Christ Child.

Matt. 2:9-10.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

After leaving the King, the star appeared again. They were overjoyed at its appearance. Certainly it was the first star of its kind they had ever experienced, and it was leading them personally to this child King that they were even now learning more about. The trip from King Herod to Bethlehem was about five miles, so it was probably about an hour-long journey. The star led them directly to the house where Jesus was.  The nature of this leading supports the opinion that the star was the return of the Glory of the LORD.  Some argue that the star was simply on the southern horizon, leading the Magi in the direction of the house.  However, a star on the horizon would still be on the horizon after a five-mile walk, leading them to continue southward.  The scripture clearly states that the star rested over the house, in the same manner that the pillar of fire rested over the tabernacle.  God's Glory had indeed returned, and it came to rest over the new tabernacle, the child who is Jesus, the Messiah, Savior, and LORD.

The Magi celebrated when they saw this star, this unusual manifestation that was clearly leading them.  Their astrology was the science of their day, and as scientists they would be overjoyed to be a witness to this event.  It is apparent that they had some knowledge of the Jewish prophesies and this star would provide them with the opportunity to witness the culmination of those prophecies in this little town of Bethlehem.

Matt. 2:11a.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:

Note that Jesus was in a house, not in a stable. Also Herod’s action that would take place later in this chapter suggests that Jesus could be as much as two years old. What is important here is the response of the Magi when they recognized the Christ child. What did they do? They worshiped him. What does it mean to worship? We might perceive worship as giving ultimate honor and praise to one to whom you are profoundly humbled. The humility of the Magi is shown by the state of reverence that they felt for the Christ child. This is an appropriate motivation for worship.

As a minister of music, I have had the opportunity to lead congregations in worship. My greatest frustration was that I rarely saw any real worship going on. People were attending the services led by motivations other than those demonstrated by the Magi. What are some of the reasons people come to church worship services other than in profound reverence?

(1) Obligation. Some people think that they have to be there through a sense of obligation. They would be somewhere else if that obligation did not draw them.

(2) Recompense. Some people hope to get something out of worship. They might want to

(a) be entertained by the music and preaching,

(b) find friends or business contacts,

(c) find a platform from which to exercise their needs of recognition and/or power,

(d) want to be part of a Christian social club.

There are many reasons people come to the worship services, and when they come for the wrong motivation, they bring with them the baggage of their lives, and that baggage prevents them from worship. Instead of focusing on the One who loves them, and worshiping Him without reservation, we focus on ourselves or each other and are prohibited by our own pride to really worship.

It is rare to see true freedom of worship in our congregational meetings. When we withhold worship, we are giving honor to Satan by allowing him to close our lips, hold down our hands, and fill us with a pride that keeps us from the humility needed for true worship. The worship of the Magi can be a reminder to us that these men, respected by their peers to the point that they had an audience with the King of Israel, surrendered all of their dignity, fell down on the ground, prostrate before the Christ child.

What do we need to do to "fall down and worship Him?" The Magi knew very little of Jesus. Not only do we know so much more, Christians who worship Him are fully aware of what Jesus has done for us. We have more reason to worship Him in "Spirit and in truth" than the Magi, and we are far more common, yet we refuse to truly humble ourselves.

Consequently, our worship services do not resemble worship as illustrated by the Magi. They are closer to Christian club meetings, Christian music concerts, containing much of the appearance of worship but none of its power. We may have some work to do here.

Matt. 2:11a.

and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Some commentators argue that there is no significance to the three gifts other than their great value, and valuable they were. However, we might gain some inference to the wisdom of the "wise" men if we look at the application of these gifts.

• Gold was the most precious of metals, and was useful for all manner of commerce. Herod’s brutal attempt to kill the Christ would cause Joseph to flee to Egypt until after the King’s death. Certainly the gold would be useful to sustain them during this period.
• Frankincense is a valuable and rare incense that is burned to create a perfumed smoke that was given as an offering to God. Incense was often burned in the Tabernacle as an act of worship.
• The third gift, myrrh, is most unusual as a gift to a child. Myrrh is a valuable perfume, or ointment, that is used to embalm the dead.

Gold is a gift for a man. Frankincense is a gift to God, and myrrh is a gift for one who is to die. Through these three gifts we see the three primary depictions of who the Christ was to be: a depiction of the Messiah that is true to prophesy, and contrary to the then popular belief that the Messiah would free Israel from Roman oppression. The gifts describe a man-King, as the people were expecting. However, they also describe a God, referring to Jesus’ deity as illustrated by his immaculate conception and later by His united relationship with God the Father, and again proved by his resurrection and ascension. They also prophesy his death on the cross as an atonement for the sins of all mankind, making a way for all mankind to be saved.

The three gifts were valuable, and appropriate. These gifts were also brought by men who were unfamiliar with scripture, and were not aware of the dynamic Christian history that would unfold over the next hundred years. We are aware of all of these things, and yet when we worship God, what kind of gifts do we bring? For many Christians, the motivation for giving gifts is the same as that of worship itself. Through obligation, or fear of embarrassment, they might put a dollar or two in the collection plate when it passes. I have seen some people make change when the plate is passed. The Magi were not in any way obligated to give these gifts to the Christ child. Had they come without gifts, they would still have been remembered for their act of worship. Their gifts came out of a desire to give, and ours should be likewise. When we give to the work of the Christian church, we are providing resources that enable the work of the church to continue. Giving to God out of love for him is an act of worship. If we give for any other reason we are failing to realize the true joy that comes from it.

Matt. 2:12.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

The wise men did not return to Herod as he had asked them to do. They probably knew quite well of the king’s hypocrisy since their wisdom is evident in their actions. However, they were obligated to return to the king because of his authority. This question would have arisen after they had left the Christ child, if not even before they arrived in Bethlehem. God warned them in a vision not to return to Herod, so they returned to their homeland without going back to Jerusalem. They did this at their own peril, knowing that if Herod knew about their flight he would certainly hunt them down.

In the verses that would follow, Matthew records Herod’s actions following the flight of the wise men. The angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to leave immediately for Egypt to avoid Herod’s coming persecution. Herod, upon learning that he had been out-witted by the wise men, ordered the immediate killing of all male Hebrew children within the region of Bethlehem who were less than three years old. His orders were carried out, fulfilling the grievous and dooming prophesy of Jeremiah 31:15. Joseph would return after the death of Herod, but not to the still dangerous area of Bethlehem (Herod Aggripa was now in power), but to the less familiar area of Nazareth. This fulfilled yet another prophetic paradox, that had the Messiah coming from three different places: Bethlehem, Egypt, and Nazareth.

The narration of the Magi is full of history and significance. We saw men of respect who came to worship the Christ child, and did so in true humility and truth of heart. We can learn from them to do the same. We know that Jesus came to save us from the penalty of our sin, and as our Lord and King, he is worthy of all of our worship. We can put away our pride and the worldly baggage that we carry into God’s presence and worship him in sincerity, and in selfless humility. We also see an example of giving that is also humble, sincere and selfless.

Let us not forget that the Shekinah glory of God came to rest over the house where the child was.  When Jesus preached His message of grace to the people, He announced that He was the light of the world (John 8:12, 9:15).  As the light of the world, Jesus was, and is, the tabernacle of God, the Shekinah Glory.  However, Jesus also made a statement to the church concerning their identification after His ascension when He said, "You are the light of the world," (Matthew 5:14).  God, through the power of the Holy Spirit resides in the heart of every person who has placed their faith and trust in Him.  We may sing, "the light of the world is Jesus," but let us not forget that the light of the world that identifies the presence of God is in those who love Him. 

The setting of the first Christmas is a reminder that our modern Christmas season provides us with an opportunity to focus on its true meaning. It also gives us opportunity to share that meaning with others as salt and light of the gospel. Let us not pass up those opportunities.