Every Longing HeartSample

Pagan Stargazers Ready to Worship

When the wise men and their cavalry pulled into Jerusalem, they caused quite a stir. The fancy foreigners were hard to miss as they roamed the marketplaces seeking the whereabouts of a newborn King.

Everyone from the fruit sellers to the chief priests shrugged their shoulders indifferently. How strange it must’ve seemed to them that the people to whom the King had been born, didn’t know where he was, nor did they seem to be expecting him. Didn’t they know their own Scriptures?

Nearly 600 years earlier, while living in Babylonian captivity, Daniel foretold the timing of the coming of the Messiah. His prophecies had captured the interest of the magi, and they had carefully calculated, by the stars, the expected arrival of the Messiah.

For hundreds of years, they had waited. When the star appeared, they knew the time had come. They loaded their camels with gifts and set off searching for the newborn King.

The wise men, or the magi, were a pagan priestly tribe from the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. They not only studied astronomy and astrology but also wielded tremendous political power. Known as the “Kingmakers” of the day, no Persian King was legitimate unless the magi had crowned him. The Kingmakers were on a mission to coronate the King of kings.

So while Israel spiritually slept, the wise men were waiting expectantly for their Messiah. Not knowing where to find him, they went to Jerusalem and inquired about him there.

If you’re not sure that the baby in the manger is the King of the World, I invite you to do as the wise men did and search for him. He is not hiding and promises to be found when we search for him with all our hearts. Open up the Word of God and start reading. When you do, you’ll respond as the wise men who were convinced they had found the King, and they fell at his feet in worship. He’s the longing of every human heart. Wise men still seek him and worship him. Do you?

• Does it surprise you that pagans were more eager to worship King Jesus than the religious Jews? Why or why not?
• The wise men spent great resources (both time and money) to find answers to their questions about the King and his star. How can you eagerly seek answers to your questions about him?
• What is God calling you to do in light of this?