12/25/2025
The Story of the Wise Men
Introduction: In Matthew 2:1-12 we see the story of the wise men associated with the birth of Jesus. We have several clues in the bible that help give us a more accurate picture of who they were and how they ended up in Jerusalem.
The Great Mystery
Identity: Who were these mysterious wise men that appeared in the city of Jerusalem? Matthew 2:1 "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” Wise men were very influential in the royal court and would be used by the king to help rule over nations that they had conquered. They would select their brightest young minds and train them as Daniel and his 3 friends were.
Illumination: Why were the wise men the only ones who realized the importance of the star? Matthew 2:2 “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” None of the political or religious leaders of the Jews seemed concerned or even aware of this event until these men showed up.
Intimidation: Why did the appearance of these travelers from afar bring such fear upon Herod and all the people? Matthew 2:3 “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” We need to realize that if there were only three wise riding on camels seeking a child they would have caused no stir in Jerusalem or got an audience with King Herod. There were probably a lot more than 3 wise men and most likely over a 100. Robbers attacked small groups of travelers especially those with wealth. They would have had a large military es**rt provided by the king and this group could have easily numbered 500 to 1,000 or more which I think that it did. These men had wealth, power and influence. When the wise men saw the star over Bethlehem, they were excited and joyful. Why did not Herod and the Jewish leaders rejoice with them? The answer is obvious that they did not share their joy about the messiah and what God was doing at that time. Cold hearts will never seek the truth in any meaningful way in their life as they are shallow and superficial in their approach. They also were from the rival empire to the Rome which would have caused great concern.
The inquiry: When Herod heard what they wanted to know he immediately called the Jewish leadership and demanded an answer. They told Herod the child would be born in Bethlehem as prophesized in Micah 5:2. How sad that Herod had no idea about the answer to their question and shows his ignorance of scripture. When King Herod gets an answer with the Jewish leadership he met privately with the wise men. Herod was deceptive about his motives.
The Great Mission
The main purpose these men made this great trip was to find Jesus. Matthew 2:9 “When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” It is amazing all they went through to get to Jesus and it shows how important it was to them. When they found Jesus the first thing that they did was worship him in Matthew 2:11. That should be the priority of every believer is to worship God. They were warned by God about Herod in a dream and went home a different way. I believe there were several factors that influenced these men in a profound way. Proverbs 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” The primary influences on these men would be as follows.
Daniel: Daniel was greatly respected by the wise men of his day, his writings and legend would have lived on. These men had the best libraries of their day and would have had access to his writings. Daniel wrote about the coming of the messiah in his 70 weeks prophecy in Daniel 9. Which revealed that the Messiah would come as Prince of Israel 483 years after the Persian emperor gave the commandment to the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem (Daniel 9:24,25).
Mordecai and Esther: These two had a profound influence on the kingdom. Esther 8:17 "And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them." This event in itself would constrain many of the Persian members of the Magi at that time to study the Jewish sacred books.
Balaam: The wise men would be familiar with Balaam’s prophecy and it is believed he was an early member of this group and may have been the founder. His prophecy they would have been familiar with. Numbers 24:17 "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth."
Old Testament Scriptures: These men would have had access to the scriptures and from the influence of Daniel and Mordecai they would have been held in high regard. Remember that these men would have not taken this long journey, incurred this great expense unless they really believed in what they were doing. It was not for personal gain or fame, but to worship the King of the Jews that was spoken about clearly in the scriptures.
Conclusion: The fulfillment of the Christmas story was in the resurrection of Jesus from the grave. He came to reconcile sinful mankind back to himself. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Wise men still seek him. God bless and have a Merry Christmas!
