Do you know when the magi (wise men) visited Jesus? Read this letter to find out.

[Linda O'Donnell]

Note: I copied this from a Christmas letter that I received from The Friends of Israel on December 7, 2015.

December 2015

Dear Friend,

When I was [a] child, I was asked to play the part of one of the three kings in the Christmas program at our church. I got to dress up in a fancy robe, wear a turban on my head, and carry a gift for the baby. And the best part was I didn't have any lines to memorize! All I had to do was walk in and place a gift at the foot of the manger.

One of the least understood elements in the account of Christ's birth is the visit by the Magi. Matthew 2:1-12 tells us they were from the East, but it gives us no specific location. However, the Greek word used to identify them, magoi, provides a clue. Magoi, translated "wise men" or "magi" in our English Bible, refers to priests and wise men in Persia, Media, and Babylon who were known for their study of astronomy, according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary. These three countries are all east of Israel.

Although nothing in Matthew's Gospel tells us these men were kings, they came bearing expensive gifts and looking for the newborn King of the Jews. Where did they get their knowledge that a Jewish King would be born? God had exiled the Jewish people to these three countries in the 8th and 6th centuries BC. Perhaps the Magi studied the Jewish Scriptures and were influenced by the Jewish people who still lived in their land.

Being astronomers, they noticed a unique star that signaled them that the great King of the Jews had been born. Perhaps they were familiar with the Messianic prophecy in Numbers 24:17, "A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel." These men are the only ones we know of who identified the star and followed it to the land of Israel.

My part as a wise man in the church Christmas play many years ago may have been timed wrong. Because of the time it would have taken the Magi to travel such a distance and the reference to visiting the "young child" instead of a baby, we understand they didn't arrive on the night of Christ's birth. They found Him in a house, not in a manger. King Herod, having ascertained when the Magi first saw the star, decreed the killing of all male children two years old and under in the area of Bethlehem. This tells us Jesus may have been close to two years old when they visited.

Expecting to see this special King, the Magi brought three gifts for Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When they found Jesus, they worshiped Him and presented their gifts. I believe each of the gifts speaks of a different aspect of Jesus' role. Gold was fitting for a king, but it also speaks of Christ's purity. Frankincense represented the sweet fragrance of His life. And myrrh, the spices used for burial, identified His future sacrificial death.

What I like most about the wise men in the Christmas account is the reminder that we don't have to wait for the time when we celebrate Christ's birth in order to worship Him and give Him our best. We can worship Jesus any time. Worship is our response to His miraculous birth, life, and sacrifice on our behalf.

If you have never placed your faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, then I invite you to be wise and do so today. It is as simple as accepting His atonement for your sins on the cross and believing that in His resurrection from the dead, you can be resurrected from death to life eternal with God.

As the wise men brought precious gifts to honor the Lord, we honor Christ when we sacrificially give our best to Him. Thank you for standing with us in our important calling.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, not only through the Christmas holiday when we celebrate the birth of Christ, but in the year to come.

Proclaiming our Savior's birth,


Jim Showers, D.Min.
Executive Director/President

The Friends of Israel
http://www.foi.org