Who Were The Wise Men? A Christmas Message

These wise men, through their resident Jewish community, would have had access to the book of 2 Chronicles. In 2 Chronicles, God promises Solomon that a descendent of his father David will rule forever. From this, the wise men know that when this one, born of a woman comes, he will be born of kingly lineage. Specifically, he’ll be a son of David.

Daniel 7:13 = Come as God and man

They also have the book written by Daniel, the long-deceased chief of the Magi. Daniel describes the Messiah as both a God and a man.

Isaiah 53:5-10 = Come to die.

In the middle of the suffering servant description, Isaiah describes how this king-God-man will die.

The Gifts of the Wise Men

When the wise men come to Jesus, they bring three gifts: Gold, which the gift for royalty, a gift for a king. Incense, which was for divinity, a gift you give a God. And myrrh, which is a funeral gift, a gift used for burial. Their gifts show amazing insight. At first hearing, you might think these gifts were a lucky coincidence. But they’re not. God set up the events of Christmas in such a way that you would know that He was carefully orchestrating each element of it, years in advance.

Nine months before Christmas, God sends an angel to tell Joseph and Mary about the birth of His Son. Christmas night, God sends angels to communicate with shepherds about the birth of His Son. Hundreds of years before Christmas, God sends a holy man – Daniel – to the eastern peoples to prepare their highest caste, their wise men, to respond to the birth of His Son. God communicates to wise men that the Messiah will be king and God, and that He will come to die. Through a combination of Daniel’s leadership, Hebrew Scripture, and the tailor-made revelation of a star, these wise men know as much or more about the nature of Messiah as the Jewish people. I believe that God did this so that people like you and me could have confidence that He was involved in the Christ of Christmas.

Why The Wise Men Came

According to Matthew 2:2, the wise men came to Bethlehem because they “…saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” According to Matthew 2:12, “…having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” I don’t know exactly what the wise men were thinking when they came to Jesus. We know they came to worship and bring gifts, but I doubt if it ever occurred to them that God might speak to them as they met His Son. I’m almost certain they had no prior thoughts of going home by a different way. But that’s what they did.

They came and worshiped. Part of their worship involved gifts, part involved bowing down. Those two actions have become a central part of Christmas in every nation of the world. People come to the Christ of Christmas and they give Him gifts. Churches all over the world receive offerings on Christmas that fund great good works in the name of Jesus. And in churches all over the world, people come and bow down to worship. They place their knees on the floor (either actually or figuratively) and say, “You are the Son of God, and I surrender my life to You.”