Who Were the Wise Men?

Seekers from the East

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Every Christmas we see wise men in pictures and plays. God's Word tells us who they really were and why God brought them to Jesus.

Wise men. “Behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1). In Greek they are called magi. They were learned men who served as advisers to kings.

Star watchers. The magi studied the stars and old writings. They saw a star they called “His star” (2:2), and they knew it meant a King had been born.

From far away. They came from “the East,” most likely from the lands of Persia or Babylon. That journey could take months.

A clue from Daniel. Hundreds of years earlier, God's prophet Daniel lived in Babylon. The king put him in charge of all the wise men there (Daniel 2:48). Daniel may have taught them about God's promises.

How many came? People often say there were three wise men. God's Word tells us about three gifts. It does not tell us how many men came.

Were they kings? The Bible calls them wise men. They were important men, and they bowed to a greater King.

Not from Israel. The magi were Gentiles, which means people who were not Jews. Yet they were some of the first people to worship Jesus.

God's plan all along. God told Abraham, “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).

A light for the nations. God said of His Servant, “I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

No favorites. Peter said, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).

A long search. The magi did not give up when the trip was long and hard. They kept looking until they found the King.

Brought near. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

Every nation. In heaven there will be people “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” standing before Jesus (Revelation 7:9).

What we learn. Jesus is the Savior for every kind of person. No one is too far away to come to Him.

What to do. This week, pray for children in another country to hear about Jesus. Be kind to someone who is new or different at your school.

The magi are among the first worshipers of Jesus in the New Testament. They came from outside Israel, and they show that God's plan of salvation was always meant for every nation.

Magoi (2:1). The Greek magoi (say: MAH-goy) named a class of learned men in the courts of Persia and Babylon. They advised kings and studied the stars, dreams and ancient writings.

Daniel 2:48. After God showed Daniel the king's dream, Nebuchadnezzar made him ruler over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel's writings and Israel's hope of a coming King may have been remembered in the East for centuries.

“His star” (2:2). The magi did not say “a star” but “His star.” They connected what they saw with a particular King, the King of the Jews.

The number. Matthew 2:11 lists three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. God's Word does not tell us how many magi came, and it does not name them. The names often given to them come from stories told many centuries later.

Kings or advisers? Later songs call them kings. Scripture calls them magi, wise men who served kings. Either way, powerful men bowed before a child.

Gentiles at the door. God promised Abraham that “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” in him (Genesis 12:3). The magi are an early sign of that promise coming true in Jesus.

Isaiah 11:10. “For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.” The magi did exactly that: they sought Him.

Isaiah 49:6. God gives His Servant “as a light to the Gentiles.” Simeon applied this to the infant Jesus: “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32).

Knowing and going. The outsiders traveled hundreds of miles to worship. The scribes in Jerusalem knew the town from Micah, and the magi went on to find the Child. Being near the Scriptures is good; coming to Jesus is what saves.

Acts 10:34. Peter said, “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.” A few verses later he explained how anyone, from any nation, is made right with God: whoever believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name (Acts 10:43).

Ephesians 2:19. Gentile believers “are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Revelation 7:9. The story ends with “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations” before the Lamb. The magi were the first few of that great crowd.

Application. No culture, family or background puts a person outside the reach of Jesus. Pray for the nations, and welcome people who are different from you, because Jesus came for them too.

Gifts for the King

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The wise men did not come empty-handed. They carried treasures across the desert to give to Jesus. Their gifts teach us about Jesus and about what we can give Him.

Worship first. “They saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him” (Matthew 2:11). They bowed before they opened their treasures. Worship came first.

The gifts. “And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (2:11).

Gold. Gold was the most precious metal. People brought gold to kings. It fit the newborn King.

Frankincense. Frankincense was a sweet incense made from tree sap. In God's tabernacle it was burned in worship to God (Exodus 30:34).

Myrrh. Myrrh was a costly spice. It was used in perfume and in caring for the body of someone who had died. Myrrh was brought when Jesus was buried (John 19:39).

Pictures of Jesus. Many Christians see the three gifts as pictures: gold for Jesus the King, frankincense for Jesus who is God, and myrrh for Jesus who would die for us.

A promise of the nations. Isaiah wrote about a day when people from far away would bring gold and incense to praise the Lord (Isaiah 60:6).

God gave first. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Before anyone brought Jesus a gift, God gave Jesus to us.

Every good gift. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). Everything we give back to God first came from Him.

Jesus became poor. “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The best gift. Paul wrote, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). God wants you more than anything you own.

Given freely. No one forced the wise men to give. They gave because they loved the King they had found. Giving to Jesus comes from a thankful heart.

Jesus our offering. “Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:2).

Love with everything. Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27).

What to do. This week, give Jesus a gift: some of your time in prayer, a song of praise, or help for someone in need. Give it with a happy heart.

The magi “opened their treasures” (2:11). Their gifts were costly, and they gave them after they had worshiped. The order matters: worship first, then giving.

Treasures. The Greek word is thēsauros (say: thay-sow-ROSS), a treasure chest or store of valuables. The magi brought their best.

Gold. Gold covered the ark and the furniture of the tabernacle and was the standard gift for kings. Here it is laid before the true King.

Frankincense. Exodus 30:34 lists frankincense in the holy incense, which was set apart for God alone. Psalm 141:2 links incense with prayer rising to God.

Myrrh. Myrrh was used in the holy anointing oil, in perfume and in burial. At the cross Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh (Mark 15:23), and Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes to prepare His body (John 19:39).

The later reading. Many Christians see gold as pointing to His kingship, frankincense to His deity (that He is God) and myrrh to His death. Each of these truths about Jesus is taught plainly in the rest of the New Testament.

Isaiah 60:6. Isaiah pictured nations bringing gold and incense to proclaim the praises of the Lord. Many Christians see the magi as a first taste of that worldwide worship.

Grace comes first. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Our giving is always a response to God's giving, never a payment for salvation.

Given after finding. The magi gave because they had found the King, not to earn His favor. Christian giving follows the same order: we give gladly because we have already received grace (2 Corinthians 9:7).

2 Corinthians 8:9. “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” The King who received gold had left heaven's riches behind for us.

Ephesians 5:2. Christ “has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Jesus Himself became the fragrant offering.

Romans 12:1. In response, believers present themselves as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.” This is worship with your whole life, not only with your money.

Application. Think about what you treasure most: time, talents, things or friendships. Worship Jesus first, then ask Him how He wants you to use those treasures for Him and for others.

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