The Magi

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 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.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6        “‘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.’”

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 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.”

9 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. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 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. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12, NIV)

…………

1        “Come, all you who are thirsty,

    come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without cost.

2        Why spend money on what is not bread,

    and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

    and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3        Give ear and come to me;

    listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

    my faithful love promised to David.

4        See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

    a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5        Surely you will summon nations you know not,

    and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

    the Holy One of Israel,

    for he has endowed you with splendor.”

6        Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call on him while he is near.

7        Let the wicked forsake their ways

    and the unrighteous their thoughts.

Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,

    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8        “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the Lord.

9        “As the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10      As the rain and the snow

    come down from heaven,

and do not return to it

    without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11      so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

    It will not return to me empty,

but will accomplish what I desire

    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

12      You will go out in joy

    and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills

    will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field

    will clap their hands.

13      Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,

    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be for the Lord’s renown,

    for an everlasting sign,

    that will endure forever.” (Isaiah 55, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

The Advent season is reflective of the longing found in Old Testament scriptures; however, the advent of Christ appears almost 500 years after the final prophet Malachi. Israel wanes in exile having lost her national identity and unity under the Davidic kingly line.

The Gospel of Matthew provides us with the first glance at the anticipat­ed arrival of the Messiah, King Jesus. One of Matthew’s major intentions in his Gospel is to establish Jesus as the true and rightful King, and then to ask his reader: “Will you worship him as King?”

Matthew establishes Jesus’ Kingship by naming him the Son of David in the first verse, then mentioning David’s name five more times in the first chapter. Then in 2:6, the Magi quote Micah 5:2, which prophesies a ruler from Bethlehem, David’s hometown, who will shepherd God’s people. Whoever this ruler is, he is clearly a new David—an unlikely high king who will lead Israel in righteousness.

We don’t know much about the Magi, but they are most likely God-fear­ing Gentiles, who knew of the God of Israel, but didn’t keep the Law and likely didn’t have access to much of what we call the Old Testament. In other words, the Magi were unlikely candidates to announce the arrival of the king of Israel.

What we do know is that they traveled a great distance to witness the arrival of the King. Like Israel, the Magi were waiting for the coming of the Messiah-King and are a direct fulfillment of God’s promise to Abra­ham that all the nations of the world would be blessed through the Seed.

The Magi are a good model for hope and worship because of their sacri­fice and longing. Sometimes we sacrifice comfort and wealth to worship Jesus, but we do so begrudgingly—pseudo-suffering for Jesus, as it were. The Magi were anything but begrudging—“they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” (Matthew 2:10, NASB). The babe is God in the flesh, majesty in a manger, mystery and glory. They could not help but fall down and wor­ship (2:11).

While Jesus lay peacefully in a manger, he was also being prepared for obedience to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Perhaps songwriter Chris Rice says it best:

Fragile finger sent to heal us

Tender brow prepared for thorn

Tiny heart whose blood will save us

Unto us is born

The tender brow is a crucified king, humble in life, victorious in death. Worship him, Christ the King!

POINT TO PONDER AND PRAYER:

Romans tells us all creation groans in anticipation for the renewal of God’s people. Look around at the brokenness in the world, brokenness in people and creation. Only God entering into human suffering can begin to heal and restore. We anticipate a new Kingdom with a national identity and protected future; our hopes this season are dependent on this baby who makes all things new. 

Lord, we thank you for not leaving us in our brokenness, but when the time had fully come, you left your heavenly throne and entered into your creation. We thank you that your salvation is a rebuilding of a people, both Jew and Gentile, who know the joy of the lordship of King Jesus. We join with your creation to celebrate the lovingkindness you have shown to your people! Continue to restore to us joy of our salvation as we pray, “Come Lord Jesus, Come”!