It seems strange that the wise men from the east were so late. Although in many nativity scenes they stand at the manger at the same time as the shepherds, according to the Bible this did not happen that way. The wise men saw Jesus when Mary and Joseph were in a house. So a few days or even weeks after birth. Had the wise men traveled wrong? Why then were they later than the shepherds? And why did they bring such strange gifts?
Who are the wise men from the east?
In the Bible the wise men from the East are mysterious. Where did they come from? How did they know to follow the star? Why were they later than the shepherds who were called by the angels? Why did they bring such strange, but valuable, gifts? They came from a ‘far’ country, which indicates that they did not belong to the Jewish people. Why then did they visit Jesus, the Jew among the Jews?
In any case, it can be said that they were well prepared. They knew from the scriptures that they must follow the star that will lead them to Jesus. Because they knew who they would meet, they brought gifts.
The Jewish People and the Church of Christ
As mentioned in another article ,The Christmas Story Continues,, the shepherds should be seen as the Jewish people. Much symbolism in the Bible concerns the distinction between the Jewish people and the church of Christ. An example is Peter and John. Peter was passionate and sometimes wanted more than Jesus offered. At the foot washing he wanted to be completely cleansed, but Jesus said that a believer has already been completely cleansed by faith and only the feet needed to be cleansed (walk in this world). Peter was also the one who was at Jesus’ tomb before John to see and believe that the body was no more. John already believed this when Mary delivered the message.
Back to the three wise men. They came from abroad, just as the church of Christ also comes from abroad. The church is a people of Christ on this earth. You can’t see these people, but they are there! Believers in Christ follow the Light to be with the Lord. See here the similarity with the wise men who followed the star. Out of all those thousands of stars they followed the true star, the light of the Lord.
How many wise men were there?
Everywhere, including in church, it is said that it concerns three wise men. This is debatable. When the Bible talks about the church of Christ in symbolism, it is always about the number 2. And if there are two wise men, they could well take 3 gifts. For the story itself, the number is not ,exciting,, but it clarifies a lot.
Gold, frankincense and myrrh
The gifts have more meaning than just a gift. The wise men knew that they would see Jesus, the Son of God. The gifts also point to the position that Jesus, as Christ, will assume.
- Gold for kingship (ruler)
- Incense for divine
- Myrrh for Eternal Life (Myrrh was used by the Egyptians to embalm the deceased, as a symbol of eternal life.
Final thoughts
The wise men knew from scripture that they would see Jesus by patiently following the star. They are the example of the believer and people who are searching. By looking up to the Light, His kingdom will be revealed and the Lord will be found. Looking up to the Light is practiced by listening to God’s Word and reading the Bible.