Matthew 2:1-2 “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.â€â€
Local shepherds were some of the first to see Jesus, but so were foreigners. Matthew tells us about these Magi who came from the east to worship the baby Jesus.
Matthew’s account tells us some amazing things about Jesus if we look deeper. First of all, the visit of the Magi signifies the inclusiveness of the salvation Jesus came to bring. The Magi call Jesus ‘The King of the Jews’, but His work was much more inclusive than merely touching His own people. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, slave or free, but all are one. The Magi’s visit highlights the extensiveness of Jesus’ purpose.
The Magi’s visit fulfils prophecy – ‘nations will come to your light’. Perhaps these men had come from Persia and had read Daniel’s prophecy leading them to understand the significance of the star in the sky, who knows. What we do know is that God had His plan of redemption figured out in eternity past and, that not one detail fell out of place for the introduction of the Saviour to the World.
Lastly, the Magi came with the express design to worship the baby. These wise men came to put their faces on the floor before the new King, that’s the measure of this event. They understood to what manner of king they were coming; they knew that the Bethlehem born babe was a king on a cosmic scale and not a mere mortal monarch. Isn’t it remarkable that the weakness of the form that God the son had taken, didn’t make the Magi question the kingliness of the Christ? It didn’t because they saw the bigger significance; the larger picture. The visit of the Magi confirms Jesus’ deity; it confirms his historical importance and it confirms the power of his purpose.
Christmas ought to be a time of reflection on the qualities of Jesus and that reflection, if it is done thoughtfully and prayerfully will make us fall on our faces in worship of the King of Kings!