Beyond the MangerSýnishorn

Wise Men and a King

Today, let's look at some of the most famous people in the Christmas story that never show up at the actual manger.

The Magi & the Gifts

What do you know about the Magi that came to visit the newborn King? The word "Magi" was a Greek word with no clear translation. We have put the words "wise men" or "kings" in place of that because we aren't fully positive about what Magi were. We do know they came from Persia, which would be modern-day Iran. They would have traveled 800 to 900 miles to see Jesus. Now, they did not visit Jesus at the stable on the night of his birth, much like our nativity scenes and stories show. They actually came much later, possibly as much as two years later. Matthew 2:1 says, "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there came wise men from the East." Matthew 2:11 states they came into a house to see a young child.

We traditionally believe that there were three Magi because three gifts were presented to Jesus but the Bible doesn't tell us how many there were. Most likely, there were a lot, as long journeys were generally done in caravans because they were dangerous. Again, we don't know for sure.

The Jealous King

King Herod became extremely jealous when he heard that a new king was born. So much so that when the Magi didn't return and tell him who the new king was, he had all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem killed. Have you ever wondered why he was so angry? Well, based on my research, this is because King Herod was not truly a Jew and he was not truly a king. His father had converted to Judaism because of political reasons, and King Herod was made a king by the Romans even though his father was not a king. Still, they called him the king of the Jews. He was concerned. His belief was that the real king of the Jews would rise up and lead a rebellion against him.

Don’t you love the fact that no matter how hard you try, when God has a plan, it cannot be stopped?

Beyond The Manger

I pray that this plan has made you think of something new this Christmas. I am so thankful that the Creator of the world is Emmanuel, God with us. You can explore more resources like this at Katie Hauck Ministries.