Wise Men Still Seek Him

Matthew 2: 1 – 12 (NIV): 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 in the east and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

So many people are looking to see what they can get from God, the Magi sought out Jesus for the express purpose of giving gifts to him and worshiping him. They came hundreds of miles to bow before him and present their gifts to him. They were overjoyed when they found him.

The Magi may have been Jews who stayed in Babylon after the 538 exile return. They saw his “star” and knew the Messiah had been born. They would have continued the Jewish tradition of staying out in tents during The Feast of Tabernacles (or Feast of Booths – tents). The tents had a hole in the top so they could watch for the star of the Messiah. They saw the star and began their journey.

The Magi apparently came to Bethlehem two years after Jesus' birth. Verse sixteen implies this. Notice they went to the house where Jesus was. Joseph and Mary apparently stayed in Bethlehem for two years after Jesus was born, then made the journey to Egypt. Joseph undoubtedly used the gifts to finance the trip to Egypt.

Consider the gifts they brought: Gold is a gift fit for a king. Incense is a gift for a God. Myrrh is a gift for a person who is going to die – a savior. Gold has always been associated with royalty. Incense is a gift for God because it is a pleasant smelling smoke that rises toward heaven. Myrrh is an expensive perfume that people in Jesus' day used to anoint the body of a dead person.
Did the Magi know that this child would grow up to be a suffering savior? Did they realize that this child was God in the flesh or the King of Kings? We can only wonder. But we can know that wise men still seek him. And wise men come to worship.