Who Were the Wise Men?

Every Christmas, I hear about the “wise men” coming to Bethlehem to see baby Jesus as recorded in Matthew 2. But why is this historical event important? Who were the wise men and how did they play a key role in the Christmas drama? Let’s take a closer look at the wise men. The Bible gives us very little detail about these people. How many were there? Did they ride camels? Were they kings? The correct name for the wise men, based on the original Greek text, is Magi. The next question is: Who or what are Magi? Some believe the Magi were a priestly tribe of an ancient people called the Medes, in the part of the world where Iran and Iraq are now. The Magi were very well educated in astronomy and mathematics and very powerful politically. One of the main jobs of the Magi was to crown Kings The next question is: Why did the Magi get involved with baby Jesus in Bethlehem? Their story might be tied to the events of Daniel in the Old Testament. When some of the Jews were in exile in Babylon, God helped Daniel (a Jew) to interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream when the Magi could not (Daniel 2:26-28). Then the king said, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery,” and he made Daniel chief of the Magi (Daniel 2:46-48). In this way, God helped Daniel to have tremendous influence over the Magi. It is very possible he taught them Old Testament prophecies about the promised Messiah. So, when a group of Magi saw the star and traveled to Jerusalem hundreds of years later looking for the king of the Jews, they might have known the teachings of Daniel. (Also, at that time in history, it is more likely these wealthy travelers rode horses, not camels.) The Magi were the first people to worship Jesus as King. This detail about Jesus’s birth was especially important to New Testament author Matthew because he emphasized that Jesus is the King who God had promised generations before. By causing a star to rise, God led these ancient Magi to proclaim Jesus as King. • Doug Velting • Since Jesus is the King of Kings (Revelation 1:5; 19:16), how might this affect the way we worship Him? After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Matthew 2:1-Matthew 2:12