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, 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.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘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.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 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.” 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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 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. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12 ESV)
The Magi who showed up to worship Jesus were likely Babylonian/Persian astrologers. They were considered sages, or very wise men, because of their great learning. They watched for signs among the stars related to the events of history. One question presents itself as we consider their appearance in Jerusalem, stirring up trouble with King Herod:
Where would Persian stargazers get the idea to watch for a Jewish Messiah to be born?
I believe the answer to that question is found in the book of Daniel. For context, Daniel had just interpreted the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a great image. King Nebuchadnezzar's response:
Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.
(Daniel 2:48 ESV - emphasis added)
Centuries before the birth of Jesus God put Daniel in a position of authority over the Magi of Babylon. I believe it was Daniel who taught them to watch for the star signaling the coming Messiah. And for centuries, long after Daniel was gone, they nurtured the hope of the amazing thing God would do. And when the star appeared, the Magi of that generation followed it to the Savior of the world.
They followed the star. They followed the light they had been given. God, in His grace, reveals his timeless, unchanging character of love over time in the lives of every human being in some way or another. He is constantly shining light into the lives of those who are far from Him. John Wesley called this prevenient grace - the grace that prepares the way and draws us to Jesus. It has worked in the lives of all of us who know Jesus now, and is working in the lives of every person who is far from Him.
I also believe it was intentional that the star appear to these Persian Magi, because the Light of the world was being revealed for all people - not just for God's chosen people, the Jews. In some ways, the Jews had come to believe that they would be saved and that Gentiles were worthless and would never be saved. But God had a much bigger vision of redemption than only saving the Jews. He was bent on saving humanity, and redeeming the effects of sin even on animals and plants and nature.
The visit of the Magi can give us great hope. God is not warming supper with a microwave, He's preparing a feast, low-and-slow in a smoker. Any given season of our lives might be difficult, even unbearable in pain and grief and despair. But when all hope seems lost, God shows up and everything changes. The old saying is right: God may not come when you call to Him, but He's always on time!
So don't give up. God promises to work for good in all things in the lives of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). So as Tauren Wells sings in his song, Joy in the Morning,
There will be joy in the morning
There will be joy in the morning
If it's not good, then He's not done
No, He's not done with it yet
There will be joy in the morning
If it's not good, then He's not done. Hold on until the morning, because His promise is joy. Like the Magi, we can look up, because our Redemption is drawing near.
The Magi came to Bethlehem. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Their worship was a greater gift than the gold, frankincense and myrrh. And so is ours. We are wired for worship. Worship is our default. Everyone worships someone or something - even if only ourselves. When our worship aligns with the One who is worthy of it - Jesus Christ, our Savior and King - then the meaning and purpose of our lives falls into proper order and we become better people who make better spouses and better parents and better neighbors and better citizens.
God gives us enough light to grow our appetite for more of Him and His purposes. And God shines enough light through us to draw those who are far from Him to Himself. Like the Magi, our part is to seek the King. Our part is to exchange our emptiness for the fullness of Jesus' Presence, living in us and transforming our lives. Let's be like the Magi, not just at Christmas but always. Let's pursue the Light we have been given to find the fullness of the Presence of God that changes everything in our lives.
Have a blessed Christmas!