Thoughts on the Magi & the Star of Bethlehem (12/25/2022)

 

“Star of Wonder, Star of Night…”

by Pastor Terry Reese; Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; 12/23/22)

 

Many theories have been advanced for years by various individuals to explain the phenomenon of the Star of Bethlehem. Some have suggested that it was a comet or meteor, or perhaps a conjunction of several planets (e.g., Jupiter & Saturn, or Jupiter & Venus)—or maybe even a distant supernova (i.e., an exploding star—an idea explored in Arthur C. Clarke’s fictional story The Star). However, aside from the fact that no recorded natural phenomenon precisely fits the bill, it seems most doubtful that any conventional stellar body could do what this “star” does in Matt. 2:9: namely, 1) move south (normal astronomical bodies have the appearance of “moving” east-to-west in the sky, due to the Earth’s rotation), and 2) lead people to a specific house! Perhaps it is best to see this anomaly for what it truly is: a specially-created miracle and manifestation of Divine Glory which guided the Magi in much the same way that the Shekinah Glory of God—taking the form of a Pillar of Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night—guided the Israelites for 40 years in their wilderness journeys (Ex. 13:21-22)!

Why is it that this "sophisticated" generation always seems to require some sort of naturalistic, "scientific" explanation for every miracle of Scripture, anyway? Think about some of the other miraculous, supernatural Lights that appear in Scripture:

The mysterious light of Gen. 1:3-5, which shone on Day 1, before the creation of the Sun on Day 4…

The Glory Cloud that filled the Tabernacle (Ex. 40:34-38) and the Temple (I Kings 8:10)… 

The heavenly light that Paul encountered on the Road to Damascus (Acts 9:3, 22:6, 26:13)…

The Light of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:23: “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”).

“So... you think you know all about the Magi, eh?”

Some Thoughts about Three (?) of the best-known/least-known Nativity Figures

by Pastor Terry Reese; Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; 12/23/22)

 

The familiar Magi… those three beloved figures who are so prominent within every Nativity Scene and annual Christmas Pageant, and whose traditions are faithfully related unto us through John Henry Hopkins, Jr.’s immortal carol, We Three Kings of Orient Are (1857). Yes, all of us know everything there is to know about the Wise Men… or do we?  

 

In truth, many of the “facts” that many profess to "know” concerning the Magi are not Scripturally derived at all, but instead, originate from later fanciful and highly questionable traditions. For example:

 

The Number of the Magi: “Three?”  Perhaps not. In point of fact, the Bible never explicitly states how many Magi there were; only that there was a plurality. Perhaps the fact that 3 gifts are specified (Matt. 2:11) has engendered the traditional inference that there were precisely 3 men.

 

Their Names: The names Melchior, Balthasar, & Caspar are traditional, as opposed to biblical. So too, are such colorful and fanciful notions that they came, respectively, from India, Egypt, & Greece, or that they were baptized years later by St. Thomas, died as martyrs, and that their bones (which are now allegedly housed at Cologne) were later found by St. Helena, who then deposited them at the Hagia Sophia at Constantinople.

 

Their Place of Origin, and the Precise Nature of their Identity: Certain ancient sources tell us that they came from Persia—but other sources claim that their place of origin was Chaldea. While the priestly caste of Persia were known as magi, so too were various classes of magicians (cf. Acts 13:6). The Bible simply tells us that they were “magi from the east.” The idea that the Magi were kings is NOT Scriptural—though the germ of this tradition might be traced to such passages as Ps. 72:10-11 & Isa. 60:1-6—which speak of Gentile rulers worshipping and paying tribute to the Messiah during the future Millennial Kingdom. The Magi indeed foreshadow this coming glorious reality!

 

What we do know. We know that they were Gentile outsiders who, by virtue of their actions, were indeed wise men (in contrast to the political & religious establishment of ancient Judea, who were either hostile or indifferent to Christ). We also know that they were consistently obedient to the various forms of Divine revelation to which they were made privy (Scripture--Matt. 2:5-6; a Dream from God--v. 12; the Sign of the Star--vv. 2, 9-10), that they recognized Jesus’ worth (Matt. 2:2, 11), and that they obeyed the voice of God rather than that of man (refusing to return to Herod; cf., Matt. 2:8, 12). Ultimately, they fulfilled the Chief End of Man—they joyfully worshipped Jesus (2:2, 10-11)!!!