Scripture:

Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.”

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'”

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

 

Refection:

Christmas tide is the festival season from Christmas Eve until after New Year’s Day or until Epiphany. (Source: merriam-webster.com) It is a sacred and festive season that is often referred to as the twelve days of Christmas. It begins with the nativity of Christ which is where the three wise men from the East in today’s scripture reading are headed… following a star of wonder. Epiphany begins January 6^th and is the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi, or three wise men.

 

The Aramaic word for Magi is Magoshey. Its root is derived from the Babylonian and Persian word Magno, meaning receptive. It is from this root that the words magnetic and magic are derived, conveying the impression of greatness by wonders. The Magi, or wise men, were not actually kings as usually pictured, but were great Chaldean astronomers.

 

“Their religion demanded a thorough investigation of the whole universe and its celestial bodies.”  (Gospel Light, George M. Lamsa, pg. 12) But most significantly, the wise men are Gentiles. They constituted an alternate religious system because they looked to the stars for answers, not God. (Ref: sermonwriter.com)

 

Chaldeans

 

The Chaldeans studied the stars and planets and founded the science of astronomy by keeping meticulous astronomical records for more than 360 years. As a result, they were able to divide the years into months, weeks and days. “One of their astounding contributions was to recon a year of 365 days, six hours, fifteen minutes and forty-one seconds, a calculation that measures within thirty minutes of what modern instruments have worked out.” (Unger’s Bible Dictionary)

 

Their great prophet, Zoroaster, had predicted the coming of a famous prophet. Such predictions were based on the appearance of new or unusual stars. These wise astrologers in our scripture reading had seen such a strange star in their country and then saw it again while they were in Jerusalem. They interpreted the stars appearance at the time of Jesus’ birth as a clear fulfilment Zoroaster’s prophecy about the coming of a great Deliverer. (Gospel Light, George M. Lamsa, pg. 12)

 

 

When these astronomers came to Jerusalem asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?” King Herod, the reigning King of the Jews, immediately felt threatened. He imagined that his title was going to be taken away by the infant. After consulting the chief priests and scribes, Herod learned that Bethlehem, the city of David (where Joseph and Mary had gone to register for the census), was the expected birthplace of the messiah.

 

Bethlehem was only five miles away.

 

Matthew wrote primarily for a Jewish audience, but he introduces the three wise men from the East, Gentile worshipers, early on. Right? This is only the second chapter of the book of Matthew. This not only prepares us for Christ’s last words to his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”, but also demonstrates Jesus’s role─ even as an infant─ as the cornerstone of a new universal belief system. Or as Jesus might have said, a new kingdom. The Greek word translated for “nations” is ethne, which also means “Gentiles”. Christ came to save everyone.

 

What is of great significance in this passage today is the contrast between these Gentiles, who follow the star to Jesus, and the chief priests and scribes, who know the scriptures and hold themselves in such high regard as believers, but who do nothing to seek out the Messiah, whom they have determined to be only five miles away in Bethlehem. These self-proclaimed “God’s people” ignore their Messiah, while pagans eagerly seek him out. (Ref: sermonwriter.com)

 

Herod then tricked the astronomers into revealing the exact time of Jesus’ birth and sent them to Bethlehem to search for his newborn rival. It’s a little foreboding as we would say in the writing world, or ominous. The reader can almost see what is written on King Herod’s heart as easily as God can. And so, the three strangers went in search of the newborn king.

 

Astronomy

 

The science of astronomy, however, was better developed before the fall of the Babylonian and Assyrian empires. It continued to decline until the century of Jesus’ birth. By then, it had practically disappeared as a science and was replaced by superstition. Easterners knew little of the nature and size of stars and since they look small from earth, they believed that they were small, but powerful. Some believed that the same star seen over one city could not be seen over another. Thusly, the three wise men were surprised to see the same star over Bethlehem that they had seen over Mesopotamia, over 400 miles away. They believed that the star had disappeared and then reappeared again, or had walked, to Bethlehem…and they followed it.

 

Looking at the stars in the direction of Bethlehem while standing on the streets or housetops in Jerusalem, the stars would have appeared to be lower in the heavens than when they looked at them from the plain because Jerusalem is built on the top of a mountain and Bethlehem is in a valley. When viewing them from a distance in the direction of the horizon, the stars would have appeared to be touching the ground. And they appeared to hoover over certain places. So, the wise men followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child was.

 

Stars

 

Today, shepherds interpret the seasons by the positions of the stars and change pastures accordingly for the coming shortage of water. Crossing the Arabian dessert without the help of the stars would be difficult. It is level without defined routes. The imprints of camel hoofs or automobile tires soon disappear by shifting sand. Nomadic tribes travel hundreds of miles in the expansive Arabian desert guided by stars. An Easterner giving directions to a stranger says, “Take that star in your hand until you come to an oasis. Then drop that star and take another in your hand until you reach your destination.” A little shift in direction, now as then, would mean the loss of a party or caravan. (Gospel Light, George M. Lamsa, pg. 13 & 14)

 

Once the three wise men found the place where the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy when they saw the child. They knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now we all know what gold is, but frankincense is incense that gives off its perfume in burning. Myrrh is gum resin. It was used as a perfume, for embalming, and as an ingredient of the holy anointing oil. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and in what could be called a plot twist, the three astronomers left for their own country by another road. And the reader sighs with relief, for now.

 

Luke

 

Matthew’s account of the adoration of Christ tells a very different story than Luke.

 

This is what Luke wrote:

 

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  (Luke 2)

 

• Instead of shepherds from nearby, Matthew gives us three wise men from the East.
• Instead of a stable, Matthew takes us to Jerusalem, to Herod’s palace.
• Instead of a manger, Matthew shows us gifts fit for a king.
• Instead of angels, Matthew tells us of dreams.

 

Timeline

 

Mary and Joseph remained in the area of Bethlehem and Jerusalem until Jesus was circumcised and presented in the temple eight days later (Luke 2:22-38). Also, it is written that upon entering the house─ not the stable, the three wise men from East saw the child with Mary his mother; when they knelt down and paid him homage. “Although, at our Christmas pageants, we group shepherds and wise men together around the manger, the shepherds came from nearby and the wise men from afar.” Therefore, the wise men’s visit probably took place long after the shepherds, Joseph, Mary and Jesus had left the stable, during the latter part of their stay in Bethlehem, not where and when she had given birth. (Ref: sermonwriter.com)

 

As for King Herod’s intentions in trying to trick the astronomers into revealing the messiah’s location, you’ll have to come back next week to hear the rest of the story. For His is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever…and for all. Amen.