The Spirit of Wonder: The Magi 

By Mary Benton

Virginia Beach, Virginia USA

Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12

As a child, I remember Christmas as a time filled with wonder and joy. The lights and decorations, the Nativity scenes, the gifts, and the loving spirit that people reflected during the season were all so magical. And, of course, there were the traditions – family feasts, games, and my Dad reading the Christmas story to us before bed. Even back then I was enthralled with the story of the Magi and, as I got older and learned more about Scripture, it became that much more wondrous to me. 

Most of us grew up knowing the “traditions” of the story. There were “3 Kings, following a star, who rode camels to the manger in Bethlehem and gave gifts to the baby Jesus.” We didn’t question it and didn’t wonder about it because this is what we saw in all the Nativity scenes around us. Yet much of what we grew up “knowing” was man‑made tradition. Ouch! But if we dive more deeply into these verses, we find that we should be awed not by the details, but by the things we don’t know, and the way they can call us higher today. 

First, we see three nameless Wise Men, possibly astrologers, astronomers, priests or even mystics. How did they know about the star? It is never stated, but they must have had some knowledge of the Old Testament and of Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17 (ESV):  

“...a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.”

This verse challenges me! These men were not Jews, yet they knew the prophecy and its importance – that it announced the arrival of the King of the Jews. And not only did they know it, but they acted on it immediately! God moved their hearts to set out on a long, arduous journey of possibly 800-1000 miles to find this king and to worship him. The Jewish religious leaders of the time, on the other hand, were busy being “troubled’ about it.  

Next, we don’t know what they were expecting to find in Bethlehem. They enter an ordinary house and find a child between 1 and 2 years old with his mother. Rather than turning to leave, they fall down and worship him as if he were a grown king. Not only that, but in offering Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh – expensive items that represented his kingship, his divinity, and his death – they gave him their very best without question. 

Finally, Herod had requested that the Wise Men return to him with information about the location of the child. God again shows his sovereignty. Why did Herod need this information? Couldn’t his own priests and mystics identify and determine how to find the child? What happened to the star that led the Wise Men there? God appears to have somehow hidden the star so that Herod could not find the way to Jesus. Yet when the Wise Men are ready to leave Herod, the star again appears, and they follow it to the house. He also puts on their hearts not to return to Herod, who would no doubt have paid them handsomely for the information. Again, we marvel at God and the way he works all circumstances according to his will!

The story of the Wise Men’s visit to Jesus should leave us full of wonder at God’s wisdom and his sovereignty. In this holiday season, and all year long, we need to constantly reflect how God uses all people to accomplish his will, and how he leads us (when we are willing) to the exact place he needs us to be. Finally, let us to continue to pray daily to see the wonders of God and his grace in our lives every day!

Questions for Reflection: 

1. Are you still seeking to read the Scriptures with the awe and wonder that you did when you were first a Christian? Does the sovereignty of God excite you and fill you with joy and security?

2. When you are led by the spirit, do you follow immediately, even if God’s plan is not immediately clear to you? Are you willing to do even the hard things in order to see the glory of God?

3. Do you still diligently pursue knowing Jesus on a daily basis? Do you still worship him with your whole heart and consistently bring your best to him?