Expectations: King of Kings

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 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.” Matthew 2:1-2

We don't know much about the Magi who sought Jesus. The story is only recorded in the book of Matthew. We know that they came from the "East" and followed a star to worship the "King of the Jews." They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh as gifts for the King. We usually see three Magi or "wise men" in nativity scenes, but Matthew never states how many came or when. Magi means wise men in Greek. Magi is plural, but the singular term is Magus. So we know that there was more than one.

They bowed down and worshiped Jesus, but not Herod. So they knew about the prophecies that foretold the birth of Jesus. They came to the house where the child was, not the stable. So we don’t know how old Jesus was when they visited—somewhere between 0 and 2. We can assume that they were Gentiles, but they still knew about the prophecies of Jesus and still worshiped Him.

They noticed a new star. They didn’t have the powerful telescopes back then that we have now. They did not mention anything about the star: how bright, how close, how fast or slow it moved. But they knew it was different, and they should follow it. We don't know if it was only visible at night.

They followed the star to Jerusalem initially and went to King Herod to find Jesus. Matthew did not say that they worshiped King Herod or brought him gifts. We don’t know if they followed their own assumptions about where the King would be once they got close or if they lost sight of the star. How often do we lose sight of God’s path because we rely on our own knowledge or assumptions? We forget that God’s ways are higher than our ways.

They finally did get back on track and found Jesus. They eventually followed the star until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they came to the house, they saw the child with his mother. Was this at night or during the day? We need to follow where the Spirit leads us regardless of our own assumptions or fears. God will not abandon us. It may seem at times that God is silent, but this does not mean that He is not with us. If we remain faithful to seek His direction, He will guide us closer to Him, just like He did with the Magi.

We do not know what the Magi expected to find when they set out on their trip. All we know is they followed until they found Jesus. We don't know how long it took or the conditions they had to endure. Whatever their expectations were, they put those aside and worshiped the true King. They recognized a child born King of the Jews who was not living in a palace. Usually, a child is a prince until he is old enough to become King. Jesus was a king from birth, and He had a star that led them to Him.

They gave gifts worthy of a King, not leftovers or stuff that was worn out from the journey. They thought about the gifts ahead of time, and one would assume, made provisions to protect these gifts on the journey. It was not an easy journey, and the gifts would have taken up space and added 0weight. It took effort on their part to bring them.

The magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and so they went home a different route. Instead of listening to a worldly king (Herod), they listened to God. We don’t know if the route was harder or longer. We too need to listen to God and not the world. The path may be harder or longer but God’s path is always the best path.

As we remember the birth of Jesus this Christmas, I pray that we may bow down and worship Him and bring worthy gifts to Him, especially the gift of our hearts and our faith. May we be like the Magi and seek Jesus until we find Him, and not be like the scribes who had information about the Messiah but didn't seem to be interested in finding Him. Christ gave His life for us and will one day return for His bride.

“Those who look for Jesus will see him: those who truly see him will worship him: those who worship him will consecrate their substance to him.” (Spurgeon)