Advent Gems #23

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV)

“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, ying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

Matthew 2:11 (NKJV)

“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Most Christians know much of the tradition associated with the Magi, but little of the significance. Scripture does not tell us how many came to worship the King of the Jews; their names and ethnicities are not included in the Biblical account; they did not visit the manger in Bethlehem; they visited a young Child living in a house; only they saw the star.

We can be sure that the Wise Men were well versed in the Hebrew scriptures. They must have recognized the unusual star as a fulfillment of Numbers 24:17: "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.”

The star recalls the pillar of fire that the Israelites followed in their wilderness wanderings. It is a picture of the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Wise Men must have also been familiar with the "70 weeks" as described in the book of Daniel which dates the birth of the Messiah as "7 weeks" after Cyrus’ decree for the Jews to return to Israel and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. They knew when to start looking for the star.

The gifts they presented are likewise meaningful: Gold signifies the divinity of the King; frankincense declares His priesthood; myrrh foretells His sacrifice. Our God is our King and our High Priest who is the sacrifice for our sins. Hallelujah! What a Savior.

Like the Wise Men of old, we are called to walk in wisdom. In their story, God has shown us the way to wisdom. First of all, the Wise Men reverenced God and His word. Proverbs 1:7 admonishes us that reverence for God is the beginning, the foundation, of wisdom. We can never know too much of the word of God. It is knowing and applying the word of God to our lives that allows us to discern between truth and falsehood, between good and evil, between darkness and light.

Secondly, just as the Wise Men relentlessly followed the star, we must persevere in following the guidance of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Our purpose in submitting to the Holy Spirit is to worship and honor God in everything that we do. In doing so, those with wisdom. One of my favorite praise songs is “Turn My Heart” by Lynn DeShazo. The song describes a lifestyle of worship.

“Turn my heart, O Lord,

By Your hand

Till my whole life flows

In the river of Your Spirit

And my name brings honor

To the Lamb

And my name brings honor

To the Lamb”

May we, like the Magi, come to a deeper understanding that as our Savior and Redeemer, He is our King and our High Priest. He suffered the agony of Calvary that we might be delivered from the agony of eternal suffering.

Those with wisdom know His word, walk in His guidance, acknowledge the finished work of the cross, and worship Him. Those with wisdom live in such a way that their names bring honor to the Lamb.