The Star of Jacob (Matthew 2:1-11)

 

The Star of Jacob (Mat 2:1-11)

 

One theory is the magi from the east saw Jupiter, the King's Star, rising at dawn
with the moon covering the planet in the zodiac constellation, Ares.

You know what would have happened if there had been three wise WOMEN instead of three wise MEN visiting Baby Jesus?

 The three wise WOMEN would have asked for directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the Baby, cleaned the stable, and made a casserole!

You know, practical gifts!

 What did the third wise man say after the gifts of gold and frankincense had been given to the newborn king?

 

But wait, there’s myrrh!  I feel like Fozzie Bear. Waka waka!

 

This morning, we remember the visit of the magi, wise men from the east who followed a star all the way to Jesus. I hope to answer three questions.

 

Who were the Magi?

What was the star they followed?

Why does it matter?

 

The magi were royal advisors, administrators, and priests. Think of Jafar, the royal vizier, in Disney’s Aladdin. Other nations had similar people serving their rulers. Pharaoh had magicians advising him. Pharaoh appointed Joseph the chief administrator over all Egypt, precisely because Joseph interpreted dreams. He revered Joseph, not only for his administrative skill and wisdom, but as a mediator of God. Pharoah gave Joseph the daughter of an Egyptian priest for a wife. Through his marriage, Joseph became part of an Egyptian priestly family. Because Daniel was able to interpret dreams, and skilled in all manner of work, he became a top administrator for the Babylonian king. Both Joseph and Daniel served in positions like the magi.

 

 

The magi from the east likely came from Persia, where the Jews once were exiled. You may remember that Esther became Queen of Persia, and a great many Jews remained in Persian lands, even after Jerusalem and its temple had been rebuilt. The magi who came to Bethlehem were likely familiar with Jewish hopes for messiah. They would have appreciated their messianic hopes because their Zoroastrian religion shared a similar hope in a deliverer who would lead the people to conquer evil and all who follow a wicked path.

 

The Zoroastrians believed in a supreme god Ahura Mazda. He was good, benevolent and just. All the good things of life come from Ahura Mazda. But an enemy, Angra Mainyu, a destructive and evil spirit, corrupted the earth and humankind. Angra Mainyu taught humans warcraft, spread pestilence and disease, and thwarted Ahura Mazda’s good plan for the earth. Sound familiar? Influenced by Zoroastrian beliefs, Jewish mysticism talks of Lucifer, an evil being like Angra Mainyu. Lucifer’s demons battle angels for control over creation. We see this worldview in the New Testament. Paul wrote to the Ephesians,

 

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph 6:12)

 

The Zoroastrians believed that victory over evil would finally come when a savior would be born to a virgin. Known as Saoshyant, the savior would lead the people in triumph over Angra Mainyu and all who follow an evil path. The Saoshyant will bring everlasting peace. Sound familiar?

 

The magi would have been aware of the parallels between the Zoroastrian hopes for a deliverer and the Jewish hopes for a messiah. Perhaps, they thought the child whose star led them to Bethlehem was the promised messiah. It was good news for everyone.

 

Who were the magi? They were likely Persian royal court advisers, who served as priests and administrators. They interpreted astrology and other omens, memorized scrolls of history and prophecy and served their king. They witnessed the rise of a star and reported that a king was to be born to the Jews. The royal courts sent magi as emissaries to Jerusalem to pay homage to the newborn king.

 

This particular group of magi were not familiar with Micah. They assumed King Herod had another son. Herod had to consult his own wise men. They produced the prophecy of Micah.

 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
    one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
    from ancient times.”

He will stand and shepherd his flock
    in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
    will reach to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:2, 4)

 

Following the star, they went to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Israel’s great King David.

 

What was the star they followed? No one knows for certain.

Some think that the story of the wise men and the star they followed is a religious fabrication, but there are some excellent theories.

 

A Rutger’s University astronomer, Michael R. Molner, in his book, The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi, wrote that the magi saw Jupiter, rising with the dawn, and eclipsed by the moon. Jupiter was known as the King’s Star, for it was the largest and, aside from the sun and moon, sometimes the brightest. The eclipse of Jupiter by the moon was extremely rare which implied the special nature of the king to be born. In the 5^th century BC, Jupiter rose in the eastern sky and was eclipsed by the moon within the constellation Ares. Ares in Roman times represented Judea, Syria and other regions around the eastern Mediterranean. So the movement of Jupiter and the moon within Ares pointed to a special king born to that region. With the magi’s knowledge of Jewish hopes for a messiah, they may have put two and two together.

 

Other theories say the Star of Bethlehem was a comet, a supernova, or a conjunction of planets. Some have suggested that the star was an angel or some supernatural heavenly light. Some have even said an alien spacecraft!

 

All this theorizing about the Star of Bethlehem is missing the point. The real star is the Christ Child, the Messiah born to save us. For Matthew, the visit of the magi is a fulfilment of scripture. Matthew presents Jesus as the new Moses.

 

When Moses was a baby, the Egyptian Pharoah issued a decree to throw all Hebrew baby boys into the Nile. In similar fashion, when King Herod learned of the birth of a rival king, he sent soldiers to Bethlehem to kill every boy under the age of two.

 

When Moses grew up, God sent him to Pharaoh as a deliverer. God liberated the Hebrews from slavery. Moses led the Hebrew multitude through the wilderness. King Balak of Moab saw the Hebrews as a threat. He sent for Balaam, a seer (a magi of sorts). Balaam was a prophet who had a reputation for getting good results with the gods. He lived in the east in a region between Syria and Iraq. Balak hired Balaam, a wise man from the east, to curse the Hebrews.

Balaam told Balak that he could do nothing except what God willed. God forbade Balaam from cursing Israel. So Balaam blessed Israel. King Balak was furious. He took Balaam to 3 different locations to curse Israel, and three times, Balaam blessed Israel instead. On the fourth and final time, Balaam saw a vision of a future king.

 

“I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
    a scepter will rise out of Israel. (Numbers 24:17)

 

A star will come out of Jacob. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. God blessed Jacob and gave him a new name, Israel. The Star of Jacob is the king of Israel.

 

From his death bed, Israel blessed his sons. When he blessed Judah, Jacob said,

 

The scepter will not depart from Judah,
    nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he to whom it belongs shall come
    and the obedience of the nations shall be his. (Genesis 49:10)

 

King David was from the tribe of Judah, and Jesus was a descendant of David. The obedience of the nations means the submission of the gentiles to the messiah, the Son of David, the savior.

 

The magi brought gifts to pay Jesus homage as the king of the Jews. They brought gold, suitable for royalty, and very helpful to a poor couple. They gave frankincense, a fragrant ingredient used in temples. Incense burns in Catholic and Orthodox churches. Incense represents prayer and the holy mystery of God. It is an appropriate gift for a priest. And they gave myrrh, an expensive and fragrant oil used to anoint kings and priests, and to consecrate holy items in the sanctuary.

 

Mary of Bethany broke open an expensive bottle of pure nard and wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. Jesus set aside the oil for his burial. Myrrh not only represents Christ, the anointed one; it also points to his sacrifice. 

 

Why does it matter, this story of magi and the star? Matthew is sharing with us the Good News. God is fulfilling His promises in Jesus. God is sending salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. Isaiah foretold the gifts of the magi.

 

Nations will come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

 

Herds of camels will cover your land,
    young camels of Midian and Ephah.
And all from Sheba will come, (these are all peoples in the east)
    bearing gold and incense
    and proclaiming the praise of the Lord. (Isa 60:3, 6)

 

Our great hope in Christ is that all people will be united in the worship of the one true God. God calls us to love one another. God gave His only begotten Son, as an atoning sacrifice, to set us free from sin and death. In freedom, we serve the Lord in joy and holiness. Join the magi by honoring the true star of Jacob, Jesus Christ. Follow His light as your guiding star and give Him the gift of your heart.