The story of the Magi bringing gifts to the infant Jesus has sparked traditions that go beyond history and give us historical questions that have no certain answers. Who were these folks? “We three kings,” is almost certainly wrong, but drawn from Old Testament passages such as Psalm 72:9-11. Magi, well known for their observance of the night sky and wisdom, are a much better answer. How many were there? We don’t know whether three gifts means three Magi. Sadly, in my upbringing, it seemed that not knowing the exact number was the most important point to be drawn from the whole story. What astral phenomena did they see at its rising (not in the East), and when did they see it? There are lots of guesses, but none of them can be known for certain.
All of that is interesting, but I am far more interested in why Matthew included this story, and what he wanted us to see. Below, I will briefly mention three purposes Matthew likely had.
1. Jesus’ birth fulfills prophetic promises. Matthew, more than any other Gospel, speaks of promise and fulfillment. However, he does not mean that a prophetic oracle spoke only about Jesus. In Matthew 1, he spoke of the dream in which Joseph was assured that Mary was a virgin in whom the Holy Spirit caused her pregnancy. He then said in Matthew 1:22-23 (NIV), “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’)”. A look at Isaiah 7 makes it clear that Isaiah’s word was not first about Jesus, but a birth that would happen soon after he spoke. A young virgin woman would conceive in the normal way, and bear a son, who would be a sign. Before that Immanuel child reached the age of moral responsibility, the threat that King Ahaz faced from Syria and the Northern Kingdom of Israel would be gone.
After Herod’s death, the holy family returned to Nazareth from Egypt. This led Matthew to say it fulfilled Hosea 11:1. A look at Hosea 11 makes it clear that “Out of Egypt I called my son,” was about Israel and not any individual. So, what was Matthew up to? For Matthew, Jesus truly filled up (fulfilled) the promises of Scripture. Jesus was, in Himself, true Israel. Jesus was the true Immanuel, born from a true virgin.
Now, about the Magi. Jesus was the true fulfillment of the prophecy of Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24.
“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel.
The Magi saw a star that spoke of the true High King, but unlike Balaam’s vision, this King would not crush nations and kill its inhabitants, but be its fulfillment as the Prince of Peace.
The Magi began the fulfillment of the many promises given, such as Isaiah 60:3, that the nations would come into Israel to worship the Lord. Their gifts reflected those in Isaiah 60:6 of gold and incense, brought by herds of camels, leading to proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
In short, the Magi serve as pointers to God’s fulfilling His promises. Jesus’ birth inaugurates the Great Fulfillment, leading to our redemption and the New Creation.
2. The Magi stand in sharp contrast to the vile King Herod. Gentiles, though they were, they searched for and then welcomed God’s true King. Although Herod was a religious Jew (though not by blood) and King of the Jews, He not only refused to welcome the promised Messiah, but Herod also sought to have Him killed by killing many innocent young children.
Herod foreshadowed the ongoing hostility of Jewish leadership to Jesus. They wanted and ultimately succeeded in having their own Messiah killed. On the other hand, the Magi foreshadow the church, which included Jews and Gentiles, initiated by Jesus’ commission to go to all nations.
3. Finally, the Magi’s watching the heavens reminds us that all creation declares the glory of God (Psalm 19), but as with prophecy, it must be met with faith. In this story of the Magi, we are led to the words of Paul that all creation eagerly anticipated our and its own liberation (Romans 8:18-25).
So, let us see beyond the Magi’s number, their date, their star, and their region of origin, to see the message that Matthew wished for us to see. We all stand in continuity with the Magi as we come, Jew and Gentile alike, to worship and adore our Messiah, now risen and exalted.
Tim