We must not think of people who are in error to be hopeless in discovering Christ. That unless they get their knowledge from the Scriptures, there is no way to find Christ. Or even for some, unless they are solidly Calvinistic or Reformed, they are as good as damned! Thankfully, the mercy of God is greater than our prejudices. The Magi found Christ. Their error was overruled. That is the sovereign mercy of God.
Only the Gospel of Matthew gives the narrative of the Magi’s visit to the child Jesus (Matt 2:1 – 12). Necessary corrections: (a) They are not Three Kings (neither three nor kings!); (b) They are nameless (no Gaspar; Balthazzar, and Melchor); (c) They are not among the visitors to the manger to honor the Baby Jesus. It has been a while since the birth itself. Herod himself calculated some two years since. And the narrative says, “going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him” (2:11).
The narrative is pregnant with lessons consonant with Matthew’s purpose of presenting the theme of Christ’s kingdom. Two lessons especially pertain to how people encounter that kingdom claim of Christ in different ways with opposite results.
HEROD THE GREAT – OVERTURNED FAVOR
Herod bore the title of “King of Judea” (Luke 1:5). He was not a real Jew, though, but an Edomite. Thus he always felt vulnerable to his hold on power. While he was known for his great building projects, this was matched by a great paranoia. He had some of his own family members killed when he perceived them as threat. Here was a man who will do anything – even the foulest means – to keep himself in power.
Yet, he was a highly favored man. The narrative brings this out in his consultation with the Scripture-experts of his court. When he learned from the Magi of the birth of one who was “King of the Jews,” Herod wasted no time to determine what the Scriptures prophesied concerning this. Is this not a great favor? He had the Scriptures as guide, with teachers to tell him how to understand them. But he used his knowledge, gained from the Scriptures, to make the grim plot of having Jesus killed. And just to make sure, he had all male children, two years and under, massacred in Bethlehem. His knowledge of the Scriptures, which should have been a favor, was overturned to his own greater condemnation. With that knowledge of the Scriptures, he sought to eliminate the Christ.
There are many Herod’s in churches today. They are taught the Scriptures on a regular basis. But rather than turning to Jesus for their salvation, the more their hearts are hardened against Him. What a tragedy to face the judgment saddled with favor overturned!
THE MAGI – OVERRULED ERROR
Who were the Magi? Some translations have “Wise men.” Magoi (plural of magos) is used in the OT Septuagint to refer to the magicians in Nebuchadnezzar’s court (Dan 2:2, 10). In the NT, other than this narrative, the word is only used of Simon the magician (Acts 8:9ff) and of Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:8). Since these Magi in Matthew’s narrative interpreted the star, the best conjecture is that they are probably astrologers. But whatever range of possibility, they belong to those pagans who were looking for the “King of the Jews” through heavenly signs. This is forbidden in the Mosaic Law and is indicted by the prophets.
We can only conclude from this that God, in His sovereign mercy, has overruled providentially the error of the Magi to lead them to Christ. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him. Whether they have turned into true believers is immaterial at this point. What is not to be missed is the mercy of God. That mercy can penetrate through the wrappings of error and bring the erring ones to the Lord Jeus Christ.
We must not think of people who are in error to be hopeless in discovering Christ. That unless they get their knowledge from the Scriptures, there is no way to find Christ. Or even for some, unless they are solidly Calvinistic or Reformed, they are as good as damned! Thankfully, the mercy of God is greater than our prejudices. The Magi found Christ. Their error was overruled. That is the sovereign mercy of God.
CHRIST and HIS KINGDOM
There are attempts to see the star as a natural phenomenon. Some see Halley’s comet; and others see the conjunction of planets Jupiter and Saturn, the latter can be approximated to about Jesus’ birth-year. But whether natural phenomenon, or simply a miracle of God (which I favor), Matthew is using this as a pointer to Old Testament prophecy. He has the Magi call this, after all, “his star when it rose” (or better, “his rising star”). This is an echo of the prophecy of Balaam (even against his will, but put by God in his mouth): “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17).
Through his unique narrative of the Magi’s visit, Matthew is presenting the kingdom of Christ. That Herod failed to kill Jesus proves that His kingdom is indestructible by His enemies. That the pagan Magi were led to Jesus reveals Matthew’s theme: Subjects of the kingdom of Christ will come from all nations through God’s sovereign mercy. Thus, the mission that it leaves the Church, Matthew is to give the most familiar version of all: “Make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).
Treasure in Earthen Vessel 