One of the most common stories from the Bible about the birth of Jesus (and probably the most inaccurately portrayed) is the visit of the Magi from the East. It is true they followed a star and they brought gifts to the King of the Jews. There are three gifts mentioned in scripture, however, it is not known how many Wise Men there truly were. The next and most misrepresented part of the story is that the Magi visited the Baby Jesus as He lay in the manger. A quick read of Matthew 2:11 shows the inaccuracy of this portrayal. This article, however, is not about pointing out errors (Sorry, I got carried away).
I often wonder if many Christians today would spend so much time seeking out Jesus with as much difficulty as the Magi did while seeking for Jesus. According to the Bible, by the time the Magi reached Jerusalem, it had been two years since the star first appeared in the east and the Wise Men began to follow it. Can you imagine packing for a trip that you really didn’t know how long it was going to be? They really didn’t know where they were going to end up. They didn’t know what they might encounter between home and Bethlehem. They couldn’t go online and book their hotel rooms, for the most part in the Ancient Near East, it was customary to depend on the hospitality of strangers. These strangers would be expected to house, feed, and care for the travelers as well as their animals.
I also always find it peculiar that right there in the Holy City, Jerusalem, the Jews are just going about their business as if nothing special has happened. It seems nobody noticed the fulfillment of prophecy two years earlier. They obviously didn’t notice the star!
This story is often repeated today. People come to Jesus and do whatever it takes to get to Him, while some older Christians have fallen into a rut and miss the wonders of Jesus! Don’t ever stop seeking Jesus!
Read Matthew 2:1-23