The Magi (Matthew 2:1-12)

 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC...

[Title Slide] The Magi (Matthew 2:1-12)

The Wise Still Seek Him

[Slide] A kindergarten class is performing the traditional Nativity scene for their adoring parents. The three kings enter the manger scene, dressed in royal color, with glittering cardboard crowns and costume jewelry.

 The first little tyke bellows, "I bring you a gift of gold!"

 The second confidently says, "I bring you myrrh!"

 The third hesitates a moment, then mumbles, "Here, Frank sent this . . . "

 

Merry Christmas everyone! Like the magi from the east, we are gathered to worship Christ and His Nativity. Hail the newborn King!

 

Let’s have a quiz. How many kings visited the manger?

That’s a trick question. There were no kings. These were magi.

 

We don’t know how many magi came to Bethlehem. Matthew doesn’t tell us. There could have been 2 or 20! We only say three because of the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 3 gifts equate to 3 kings. Isaiah 60 says kings will come to Israel’s light, and merchants will bring incense and gold. (Isa 60:3, 6) The visit of the magi fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy.

 

The magi didn’t visit the manger; they visited toddler Jesus in a house. Bethlehem is 6 miles south of Jerusalem. After the crowded conditions caused by the census, Bethlehem settled back into its quiet suburban life. Joseph and Mary likely stayed with family in Bethlehem, once the guest quarters became available. We don’t know Jesus’s exact age when the magi visited, but Herod’s order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem 2 years and under tells us that Jesus was between 1 and 2 years old. 

 

[Slide] Happy New Year, by the way! It's 2026! According to the Gregorian calendar, which is what most of the world uses, Christ was born 2025 years ago.

Scholars know that Jesus was born before Herod the Great died, which was in 4 BC. The monk, Dionysius Exiguus, miscalculated the birthday of Jesus in 525 AD, when establishing our calendar. According to best guesses, Jesus was born between 4-6 BC, some even say as early as 7 BC. No one knows for certain. All we have are the gospel accounts and they don’t give us much, which is why we fill in the blanks with embellishments. Some year before Herod died, Christ was born.

 

[Slide] Consider these questions:

Who were the magi?

Why did they care about a newborn king?

Why should we care about the magi’s visit?

 

Who were the Magi?

The Magi were likely royal advisers to a king. Magi were soothsayers, scholars, sorcerers, and astrologers. [Slide] Think of Merlin’s role in King Arthur’s court. Kings consulted their magi for various purposes, including casting spells. Remember how King Balak of the Moabites hired the soothsayer Balaam to curse the Hebrews as they neared his kingdom? (Number 22-24) Magi served as viziers, giving counsel to their royal benefactors. As royal advisors, magi enjoyed powerful influence and status. [Slide] Think of Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin.

 

One form of counsel was to tell the king what the stars say. [Slide]

Astrologers watch the movement of stars, planets and comets. They believe the movement of heavenly bodies effects life on earth.

 

I checked my horoscope on New Year’s Eve. I’m a Gemini, the twins. Do you know the perfect Gemini haircut? [Slide] The Mullet! All business in the front… party in the back.

 

According to my horoscope: Luna is flying into your sign today, (That means the moon moved into the constellation Gemini). Astrologers say such a move is resetting my self-identity, so you may try a different tone that feels honest and greet people with a braver hello.

No idea what all that means, but “Hello!” I’m your new pastor! I love rock and roll, Star Wars, and ice cream! I’ve been married nearly 40 years to the same wonderful woman, Michele. I have three adult children and three grandkids. I’m a musician and will be releasing a new album this year. [Slide] Here’s the album cover. I’m calling it Love, War & Misadventures.

 

[Slide] I’d like to get to know you, so let’s schedule lunch after worship. Or drop by the office on Tuesdays, 3pm to 6pm. Or we could meet over supper on Tuesdays after 6p. If these options don’t work for you, let’s put something on the calendar that does.

 

[Slide] What did the magi see in the night sky that caused them to believe there was a newborn king in Judea? Was it a comet, a supernova, or a UFO?

 

The theory that seems most convincing to me is a planetary conjunction.

The Greek word we translate as star is aster, which can mean any light in the night sky. Astrologers believed that Jupiter and the moon have royal significance. Jupiter was known as the King star. 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. [Slide] Here’s a slide showing what it might have looked like. On April 17, 6 BC, observant astrologers would have witnessed this event happening within the constellation Ares, which represented Judea. The King Star, Jupiter, rising with the sun and embraced by the moon in Ares meant that a new king was to be born for the nation of Judea.

 

[Slide] In the book Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men by Dwight Longenecker. He is convinced that the magi were not from Persia, as many believe, but much closer. They were from Nabatea, who’s capital city is Petra, found in southern Jordan. [Slide] If you’ve ever watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, you’ve seen Petra. The Nabateans were known for camel caravans linking trade throughout the Middle East. Their trade routes cut through the deserts of Arabia connecting Persia to Europe and Africa to Asia. Nabatean traders brought goods and spices to the Mediterranean port of Gaza. Their route ran 90 miles south of Jerusalem.

 

What I find most compelling about this idea is that King Herod’s mother was a Nabatean princess. His father, Anitpater, was Idumean, a powerful man in the Jewish Hasmonean dynasty. The Idumeans are descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau. [Slide] Esau settled in what is today southern Jordan. His descendants are called Edomites in the Bible. They were next door neighbors to the Nabateans.

 

Now consider the political situation of the time. There was a Nabatean, named Syllaeus, who wanted the throne. He convinced Caesar Augustus to make him king and discredited Herod while doing so. [Slide] Syllaeus was usurped by Aretas IV as king. This outraged Caeser, but Herod spoke up for Aretas IV and convinced Caesar that Syllaeus was a power-hungry scoundrel. Caesar had Syllaeus executed. Aretas owed Herod and became allies. So, when magi informed Aretas about a new king to be born in Judea, he would’ve sent emissaries with gifts and congratulations to King Herod.

 

[Slide] The wise men from the East came to Herod with their gifts, but Herod was dumfounded. “I have no new son. What are you talking about?” Herod consulted his own wise men.

 

They told him that Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of a king from the line of David. They referenced the prophet Micah.

[Slide] Micah 5:2 ‘As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah—
from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf,
one whose origins are in the distant past.

 

 

Herod sent the magi on their way to Bethlehem with instructions to report back to him when they found the child. [Slide] As they approached Bethlehem, they saw the star stop over the place where Jesus was.

 

The theory, according to some astronomers, is that the magi witnessed the retrograde movement of Jupiter. That is when the orbit of the earth speeds past Jupiter giving the illusion, from earth’s perspective, that Jupiter stopped moving before changing direction. The king star stopped in the sky over Bethlehem as the magi travelled there from Jerusalem. They did not see this as a coincidence. They saw it as a sign that this child was special. Could he be the messiah promised centuries ago?

 

Being Nabatean, the magi would’ve been familiar with Jewish hopes in Messiah. Many religions hope in a savior figure to bring peace and prosperity. The Persian Zoroastrian religion hoped in a messianic figure. The Romans hoped in a savior in Mithras the undying god. Dreams of a Savior is not solely a Jewish hope. People want peace and the good life.

 

The magi were men schooled in Jewish, Persian, Arab, Greek and Roman belief and culture. When they witnessed Jupiter’s retrograde motion in the sky above Bethlehem, they knew God was doing something amazing. They were overjoyed at the thought that Christ was born. [Slide] When they found the boy Jesus with Mary, they bowed down and worshipped Him. The word we translate as worship can be figuratively understood as cowering like a dog in humble submission.

 

They gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Frankincense was highly desired for use in temples all over the ancient world. Myrrh was mixed with oil as a healing balm. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh likely funded Joseph and Mary’s hurried trip to Egypt to escape the murderous persecution of King Herod.

 

 

 

[Slide] So why care about the magi?

Why care about this Christmas story?

 

This story reminds us that God keeps His promises. God promised a messiah to be born who would bring a kingdom of peace. People want peace. People need peace. When the angels appeared to the shepherds, they said that Jesus was good news of great joy for all people. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, our very means by which we access the peace that passes all understanding. You can have peace in your heart because of Jesus. Even when the world is falling apart, you can live in His peace. We only need breathe and center on Jesus, God with us.

 

This story sets for us an example to respond to Christ with offerings. We give of our finances for His glory. We give our time and talents for His namesake. We serve others in His love, and it pleases our King. Continue to offer yourself. Live a life worthy of the name of Jesus.

 

Scholars theorize the identity of the magi. Are they Persian Zoroastrian priests? Are they officials sent from King Aretas IV of Nabatea? Was the star of Bethlehem a comet, a supernova, or a conjunction of planets? We don’t know with any certainty. All we know is that these wise men came to Bethlehem and paid homage to a child born to become a king. The true star of Bethlehem is Jesus. He is the light of the world [Slide] and the wise seek Him.

 

May hope in Christ light your way, this day, and always.