Who Were the Wise Men, Really?

The PursueGOD Truth Podcast

In response to Jesus, the Wise Men gave him generous gifts while holding nothing back. Join us this week as we discover who these wise men really were!

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I think there are 2 kinds of ppl who come to church around Christmas

• Ppl who are very familiar w/all Christmas stories in Bible
• Ppl whose experience of Christmas has been a lot more secular
• The kind of thing you get in stores / at school
• In the popular Christmas movies that we rewatch every year
• This series is for everyone, but especially for those who feel far from God
• Because the people who were actually there on the first Christmas
• Were not the people anyone would have expected
• Last week we saw the surprising inclusion of the shepherds in the Christmas story
• They were loners and losers, on the outside of society
• Yet God broke his 400-year silence and declared the Good New first to them!
• Today: another shocker
• The story of the “wise men” or “magi”
• Maybe you thought it was normal, natural
• They’ve always been a part of the Christmas story
• But actually, it makes no sense in its worldly context
• Today we’ll answer two questions:
• Who were the magi, and why are they in the Christmas story? What were their three famous gifts all about?

Matthew 2:1-2 (NLT) 1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

• First of all, a few trivial facts:
• Only mentioned in Matthew
• Never says there were three of them (We three Kings…)
• Most likely not kings (astrologers is a better translation, as we’ll see)
• In Jerusalem because that’s where they would have expected to find a king
• (IVP Bible Background Commentary: NT, Second Edition) The Magi had come to Jerusalem because that was where they expected to find any Judean king—but Herod had apparently not had any new sons lately.
• Probably alludes to Nu 24:17: "A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel."
• Bigger question: who were the Magi?
• Likely pagan Zoroastrian priests or scholars from Persia, skilled in astrology and prophecy.
• Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions, originating in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) around 1200–1000 BCE.
• One of the world's first monotheistic or dualistic religions.
• Dualism: A cosmic battle between good and evil, with human beings playing a central role.
• Moral principles: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds as the path to righteousness.
• Today primarily found in Iran, India (Parsis), and the global diaspora.
• Estimated at 100,000–200,000 adherents worldwide.
• (Here’s where it gets really interesting)
• Zoroastrianism became a state religion under Cyrus the Great (550 BC)
• Cyrus’ rule is remembered not only for his military conquests but also for his policies of tolerance and governance, which earned him respect in the ancient world and a unique place in biblical history.
• Cyrus is the guy named as God’s "anointed" (Messiah or chosen one) over 150 years before his rise to power:
• Isaiah 45: (NLT) 1 This is what the LORD says to Cyrus, his anointed one, whose right hand he will empower.
• Isaiah 44:28 (NLT) 28 When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’”
• This prophecy highlights Cyrus as an instrument of God’s plan, even though he was a pagan king.
• Zoroastrianism, like Judaism, awaited a great savior figure and paid close attention to celestial signs.
• Cyrus wasn’t the Messiah; maybe this baby will be…
• (but there’s something even crazier about the Magi)
• The OT explicitly forbids their kind of astrology:
• Isaiah 47:13-14 (NLT) Where are all your astrologers, those stargazers who make Qi predictions each month? Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds. 14 But they are like straw burning in a fire; they cannot save themselves from the flame. You will get no help from them at all; their hearth is no place to sit for warmth.
• So why the heck are they featured in the Christmas story?
• And why would God use the stars to speak to them?
• Answer: Because he’s God, and he wants everyone to find him.
• And so the Magi came to worship Jesus.
• Shockingly, God revealed himself to these pagans
• Who can relate?
• Some people feel so far from God, so unworthy
• Yet time and again in the Bible we see this theme
• Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
• Doesn’t the question of who Jesus is deserve some effort?
• To figure out what he’s all about
• To see if you can find him / meet him face to face?
• I encourage you: God won’t leave you in the dark
• If you are genuinely searching for him

Back to the text:

Matthew 2:3-4 (NLT) 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

• Herod was threatened by another’s rule
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) He was not a Jew…. but the Romans made him King of Judea in 40 B.C.
• We’ll save this for next week…

Matthew 2:5-6 (NLT) 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

• Notice how much the leading priests and teachers of religious law knew
• And where they got it from (Scripture)
• (Expositor's Bible Commentary: Abridged Edition (2 Volumes)) Matthew's main purpose in this story is to contrast the eagerness of the Magi to worship Jesus, despite their limited knowledge, with the apathy of the Jewish leaders and the hostility of Herod's court--all of whom had the Scriptures to inform them. Formal knowledge of the Scriptures, Matthew implies, does not in itself lead to knowing who Jesus is.
• This is setting up a theme in the gospels:
• Those who seem close to God (religious insiders) often aren’t
• God reveals himself to outsiders
• The pagan Magi!!
• Their willingness to travel hundreds of miles reflects a hunger for truth and a readiness to worship.
• (IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Second Edition) Gentiles come to honor Israel’s true king; meanwhile, the religious teachers who knew the most (2:5) failed to act on the truth, even already at Jesus’ birth.
• (Pillar New Testament Commentary) “In this chapter, Matthew introduces the major theme of his Gospel: the Jews have rejected the offer of salvation, but the Gentiles will accept it. . . . The Gentiles will be brought into the place which the Jews had forfeited by their unbelief, and the Church will be the Israel of the last days, destined to share in the joys of the age to come” (Fenton).

Matthew 2:9-11 (NLT) the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

• “Bowed down and worshiped”
• Illustrate: guy gets down on knee to propose
• Humbling himself
• Recognizing value / worth of the woman he’s proposing to
• Think of all the movies you’ve ever seen that have a king in them
• The invariable response to majesty / honor of king…
• Act of bowing down / prostrating oneself
• They recognized who Jesus was as “king of the Jews”. His authority. His anointing by God. The right response to him: acknowledgment, praise, humility. Just knowing about Jesus isn’t enough. Once you realize who he is, recognize that he deserves to be honored and valued by you.
• “Gave him gifts”:
• Gold:
• Symbol of kingship and honor.
• Points to Jesus as the King of Kings
• Revelation 19:16 (NLT) 16 On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
• Frankincense:
• Used in temple worship to symbolize prayer and the presence of God (Exodus 30:34).
• Exodus 30:34 (NLT) 34 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather fragrant spices… and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense….
• Points to Jesus as the High Priest who mediates between God and humanity (Hebrews 4:14-16).
• Myrrh:
• An embalming spice, symbolizing suffering and death.
• Points to Jesus’ role as the Savior who would die for the sins of the world (John 19:39-40)..
• John 19:39 (NLT) 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes.
• They opened their treasure chests
• Gave Jesus what was valuable to them
• What cost them some sacrifice to bring
• Not only sacrifice of its expense
• But also of their time / effort / risk in the journey
• This is where the tables get turned a bit
• Bc the myrrh represents HIS gift to US
• He gave his life so we could have a new life
• He died to pay for our sins
• His death means → we can live forever
• He offers this gift freely, without conditions → just by grace
• To anyone / everyone who will take it
• This shows how much he values YOU!
• He offers you a gift of infinite sacrifice and worth

Matthew 2:12 (NLT) 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

• They returned home "by another way," symbolizing a transformation after meeting Christ.
• They travelled a great distance, at great effort, to find this child. What about YOU? Are you willing to undertake your own search for Jesus?