Wise Men

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MATTHEW 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The religious leaders knew from prophecy that the King would be born in Bethlehem but none of them went to Bethlehem. The big money was in Jerusalem, the Capital city that had the very wealthy Temple.

MATTHEW 2:3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

They were wise men, believers from the East.

There were not three, there were many because all Jerusalem noticed their arrival and Herod heard of them.

Some historians claim that people had to have a group of about 150 men for protection if they were to travel safely along the robber-infested roads. Travelling at night was difficult but it made them less visible to the robbers.

The wise men believed in the prophecy of Balaam. Believing the Word of God made them wise.

NUMBERS 24:17 … : there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,

The Holy Spirit reveals and guides people who WANT to believe in Jesus. The Holy Spirit appeared as a star to them every night. Thus, they had a difficult journey struggling through the darkness. They needed a strong determination to find the truth. God tests you with hardship to see if you really want to find the truth. The person who endures to the end will finally win. The easy-life loafer is soon eliminated.

They were wise men because they were seeking Christ. You are not wise because of education. Education can make you clever but not wise. Seeking Jesus in order to follow Him makes you wise. If we do not find Eternal Life through Christ in this life then we are not wise.

A natural star moves from West to East and would only be ahead of them for 3 months, then behind them for three months. Then it disappears behind the earth for 6 months before its next 3-month appearance in front of them. But they had to travel for 2 years. So, it was not a natural star.

The star disappeared for a few days when they were in Jerusalem where the Jewish religious leaders were. You cannot expect to find the truth among religious leaders. (There are 45,000 different kinds of churches and denominations that are all different, today. Plus, they have produced over 100 different versions of the English Bible just to further confuse the people).

A natural star does not disappear for a few days.

MATTHEW 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

Herod was very keen to know how long they had followed the star. Herod knew that would give him the age of the new King.

Herod had been made king of the Jews by the Romans, who were the hated enemies of the Jews. Herod was thus a usurper. But Jesus was the born King.

So, Herod wanted to kill Jesus.

MATTHEW 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

The star was the Holy Spirit as only the Holy Spirit can guide you to Christ.

MATTHEW 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

The Holy Spirit in each church age would anoint the ministry of a certain man to make him the star or messenger of that age.

People rejoiced when they came under the truth-revealing ministries of Martin Luther in the 1500s and John Wesley in the 1700s and William Branham in the 1900s. Then they knew that they could move into a further revelation of God’s deep truths.

The wise men were wise enough to leave the human religious leaders of Jerusalem with all their competitive errors and money-making greed. When they were far enough away from their religious leaders, then the star reappeared but now it took them South to Bethlehem. No natural star goes north to South.

Then the star came low down over a house, not a stable.

MATTHEW 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Natural stars are so high that every house in Bethlehem would be under the star if it were a natural star. They found Mary but not Joseph. This was to symbolize that Jesus had no human Father. Jesus was a young Child of about 2 years. He was not a new-born Baby. They worshipped the Child. They were wise men because they realized that Jesus was Almighty God in the flesh. Emmanuel, God with us. Wise men only worship one God. Nobody else.

MATTHEW 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

They left and went home by another way as Herod wanted to kill them and Jesus. When you meet Christ in repentance and give your heart to Him, from then on your life will be lived differently. You will walk along a different path as you travel through the rest of your life’s journey.

MATTHEW 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

The wise men had travelled for two years. Thus, Herod killed all the children who were two years old or younger.

The gifts they gave to Jesus showed Him Who they thought He was.

Gold never rusts and changes. Gold represents God.

Frankincense is a hard gum from a tree that burns with a beautiful smell. A sacrificed animal burned with a smell of scorched flesh which was unpleasant. Frankincense was added to the fire to make the sacrifice a sweet smell and thus an acceptable sacrifice.

Myrrh was a sweet spice which they used to bury the dead as it counteracted the stench of decay.

They gave Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh in that order.

They thought He was God in the flesh. Coming to perform an acceptable Sacrifice. He was going to die for the sins of mankind.

Your gifts to Jesus show Him Who you think He is.