Matthew 2:9 - The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
The story of the wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus has become an enduring symbol of Christianity. A manger scene hardly seems complete without several wise men and the favorite topping for any Christmas tree is the star. Yet few of us realize what that star really signified.
When we think of the wise men we usually imagine three men gathered around the baby Jesus with the shepherds on the night of his birth. The reality is far more intriguing. Though the Bible doesn't give us many details, we can deduce a few things from what it does say.
The Bible tells us that when the Wise men arrived in Jerusalem to tell the wicked king Herod of the star they had been following He and all of Jerusalem were troubled. This means that everyone knew about their arrival. This is probably because they came with a great caravan and caused quite a stir in the city. No doubt it was a great trade caravan instead of a small band of men. We can also conclude that they were wealthy by the expensive gifts that they brought. No common merchant would have been able to give gold and rare spices to a baby. They brought expensive gifts worthy of a king.
When the wise men told Herod about the star he knew nothing of a new king being born. He pretended to be interested and asked diligently about the time the star appeared. Then when the men were gone, he had all the baby boys from two years old and under killed. They must have told him that they had been following the star for nearly two years. This indicates that they came from a great distance away. When they finally found Jesus the Bible refers to him as a young child instead of an infant. He would have been around two years of age before the Magi arrived.
Why does all this matter? What does the story of the wise men tell us? Isn't it just a good story. Do the details really matter? They do. They speak to us of a group of people with determination. It must have take some serious determination to travel such a great distance through the desert in search of a king in a distant land. One can only imagine the hardships they endured in their quest for this king. And we can only imagine their surprise and shock when they found that he was born in a stable rather than a palace.
The story of the wise men is not just a simple children's story. It is a magnificent story of a people desperate for a king. A king that would solve all the world's problems and bring peace to a troubled land. It tells us something of the desperation and hope these men must have felt that they went to such great lengths to find this king. But instead of an earthly king they found something much more precious. They found a savior.
The light that led these men to Jesus still shines today. For the real light they were seeking was not the star but the king himself. This king still lives and His light is available to all who need it. For Jesus himself is the light of the world. If you need an answer just look to Jesus! His light still shines for all the world to see.
Wise men still seek Him!
Merry Christmas,
Spanish Pastor Jones
The story of the wise men who followed a star to the baby Jesus has become an enduring symbol of Christianity. A manger scene hardly seems complete without several wise men and the favorite topping for any Christmas tree is the star. Yet few of us realize what that star really signified.
When we think of the wise men we usually imagine three men gathered around the baby Jesus with the shepherds on the night of his birth. The reality is far more intriguing. Though the Bible doesn't give us many details, we can deduce a few things from what it does say.
The Bible tells us that when the Wise men arrived in Jerusalem to tell the wicked king Herod of the star they had been following He and all of Jerusalem were troubled. This means that everyone knew about their arrival. This is probably because they came with a great caravan and caused quite a stir in the city. No doubt it was a great trade caravan instead of a small band of men. We can also conclude that they were wealthy by the expensive gifts that they brought. No common merchant would have been able to give gold and rare spices to a baby. They brought expensive gifts worthy of a king.
When the wise men told Herod about the star he knew nothing of a new king being born. He pretended to be interested and asked diligently about the time the star appeared. Then when the men were gone, he had all the baby boys from two years old and under killed. They must have told him that they had been following the star for nearly two years. This indicates that they came from a great distance away. When they finally found Jesus the Bible refers to him as a young child instead of an infant. He would have been around two years of age before the Magi arrived.
Why does all this matter? What does the story of the wise men tell us? Isn't it just a good story. Do the details really matter? They do. They speak to us of a group of people with determination. It must have take some serious determination to travel such a great distance through the desert in search of a king in a distant land. One can only imagine the hardships they endured in their quest for this king. And we can only imagine their surprise and shock when they found that he was born in a stable rather than a palace.
The story of the wise men is not just a simple children's story. It is a magnificent story of a people desperate for a king. A king that would solve all the world's problems and bring peace to a troubled land. It tells us something of the desperation and hope these men must have felt that they went to such great lengths to find this king. But instead of an earthly king they found something much more precious. They found a savior.
The light that led these men to Jesus still shines today. For the real light they were seeking was not the star but the king himself. This king still lives and His light is available to all who need it. For Jesus himself is the light of the world. If you need an answer just look to Jesus! His light still shines for all the world to see.
Wise men still seek Him!
Merry Christmas,
Spanish Pastor Jones