The Wonder of the Wise Men – Rob Brooks
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always been intrigued by the account of the wise men in the New Testament book of Matthew 2:1-12, these magi (from the Greek term “magoi” meaning “wise men” or “learned ones”) who crossed a continent to visit and pay homage to the Christ Child. Even now, as a moto-traveler and part-time history teacher, the story and journey of these men is a yearly favorite of mine to read and reflect upon during this season. You probably know the story of how they showed up in Jerusalem not long after Jesus’ birth, inquiring as to the whereabouts of the newborn “King of the Jews” after following a sign in the heavens, a star that had guided them across the miles and months to Palestine. This caused quite the consternation across the city, especially with King Herod, a Rome-appointed political hack who wasn’t even Jewish. The magi soon reacquired the star, this time directing them south to Bethlehem and to the dwelling where they found the Child and family. It’s a fantastic, dramatic tale, one I enjoy returning to year after year. Give it a read.
Who were these faraway travelers? Where did they come from? How did they know what they knew? Legend and song from the Middle Ages say there were three and they were kings from the Orient, but the Biblical text gives no indication of these. We know they carried three distinct types of gifts (gold, frankincense, myrrh), that the term “Magi” points to them being upper-class scholars and scientists, and they came from “the east.” Most modern historians and scholars believe the men likely hailed from the region of Persia- modern-day Iran, Afghanistan or Pakistan. Their journey then could have been between 800-1200+ miles, taken them anywhere from 3 to 8 months, and they arrived sometime within Jesus’ first year. It was an amazing time in human history – Europe and North Africa was experiencing “Pax Romana,” the peace of Roman rule, trade routes such as the Via Appia, the Persian Royal Road, Silk Road and Eurasian Steppe networks connected peoples and kingdoms, and knowledge was exploding, in cultures across the globe.
In the midst of those incredible times, a handful of Mesopotamian scholars hit upon the prophecies of a little-known coming event in Palestine that would have earth-shaking implications. So they dug deeper. What they found, in ancient Hebrew literature, drove them to set out across Asia, braving the dangers and hardships, to be there for this colossal event. They read the ancient Hebrew prophecies (Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 49-53, etc.), did the math with the Hebrew calendar (Daniel 9:24-26), and discovered what Jewish scholars should have known but no longer looked for. They found the Savior of the world. How did they even begin? An often overlooked historical fact- some 600+ years earlier, the Hebrew kingdoms of Judah and Israel had been attacked, sacked, and destroyed by the Assyrians and later, the Babylonians. In both instances, much of the population had been forced into exile, scattered across their empires, the Jewish scholar class and young people utilized and indoctrinated into the ways of those kingdoms (a documented practice both employed). Across hundreds of years, those Jews kept their faith, maintained community in foreign lands, and apparently left their mark on those cultures, rather than the reverse. The schools and libraries of Hebrew religion and learning they established had apparently endured, through the Medo-Persian empire (the one that first let Jews return to their homelands), the Greek, down into Roman times. God had given the first public sign, not to the Jewish scholars, not to the royalty in Jerusalem, not even first to the shepherds, but to foreigners, across a continent. Their response? They came, they bowed, they gave, they worshipped, they obeyed (Matthew 2:12).
An interesting closing note – In the gifts, the magi brought, so laden with symbolism (gold=royalty, frankincense=priesthood, myrrh=sacrifice & death), Joseph and Mary had more than enough to live on themselves in a foreign land, Egypt, when they were forced to flee Herod’s murderous rampage to slaughter the Child Messiah. God supplied their every need, as He promises us as well (Philippians 4:19). And the wise still seek Him… From my family and all of us here at Born to Ride, may you and yours have a very Merry Christmas.
Rob Brooks
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