Life That Draws the Nations

A star leads wise men to the Christ-child. Real wisdom still follows the light that points to Jesus.

Matthew 2:1-12 | After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

I loved this story as a child. Imagining wise men travelling such a long distance to honor and present extravagant gifts to baby Jesus. It sounds so perfect and wrapped up in joy…that is if you can ignore Herod’s jealous deception and the drama that goes with it! It’s comforting to know that wise men from far away would somehow recognize the coming of the Messiah. How did that happen? How did they know? Perhaps the answer can be found in the events that happened about 600 years before. Not in a fairy-tale style story, but a violent abduction and a devastating loss in Jerusalem. Lamentations details the horror and destruction as King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, took captive the people and subsequently destroying the city including the Temple and palace. Broken-hearted and hopeless, the people of God were carried off to a far-off land against their will with and with no homes left to ever come back to. With the treasures of the city and temple were scrolls with the scriptures they had, including the writings of Moses and the prophets. Certainly, it must have felt like the darkest moments of their lives and a low time for their nation.

During the long captivity, Daniel (of lion’s den fame) was noticed as a young man and promoted to Chief of the Magi in Babylon. Not only was he trained in Babylonian culture, but he shared his knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures as the confiscated scrolls from Jerusalem became part of the Babylonian library.

Fast forward to the time of Jesus’ birth. This knowledge of the prophets and Daniel’s own prophecies, which provided a very precise timeframe for the Messiah’s arrival, were in the hands of many eastern cultures and studied by wise men or Magi, throughout the region. So these men, informed by God’s word and looking to the heavens for signs, travel great distances to meet this promised “king of the Jews”. Several historians of the time report a widespread expectation in the east of a special man coming. They knew where and when to find him. It seems odd that many of the Jewish leaders who were the keepers of God’s Word, missed it.

At least two truths strike me as I read this story this year.

The first truth that catches my attention is just because I have a Bible, doesn’t mean I know where to find Jesus.

Wise men and women today, look closely into God’s Word, listen for His Sprit, and find a way to be in the presence of Jesus.

The second truth is that somehow, my darkest, most painful moments in life can become exactly what God uses to lead others to Christ.