When did the Magi visit Jesus Part 3

Alright, here is the last installment of the story. Enjoy…

If you missed the first two parts you can get them here.

Part 1: When did the Magi visit Jesus

Part 2: When did the Magi visit Jesus

________________________________________________________________________________________

“Alright” Caleb dad said to Caleb “are you ready to finally see when the wise men visited Jesus?” “Am I ever” exclaimed Caleb. “I thought we never get there” he said.

“But before we begin” his dad said “we have covered a lot of ground so far. Why don’t you tell me what we have covered so far?” “Ok” Caleb responded “Let’s see… I think it all started when an Angel appeared before Mary and told her that she was going to have a son even though she was not married yet.” That’s right his dad said “then what happened.” “Well, then Joseph and Mary had to go to Bethlehem.” “Why was that his dad asked?” “Because they had to be counted” Caleb answered.” “Good” his dad said “they had to go to Bethlehem for the census that was ordered by Rome and back then each man had to go back to his home town to be counted.

Ok then what happened?” his dad asked “I know” Caleb responded “they had to have the baby in a stable because there was no room at the inn, and the shepherds came and it was awesome!” “It was awesome” his dad replied” “God, who created the Heavens and the Earth became a small baby lying in a manger. It must have been something so very beautiful to witness”

“So Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem can you tell me where they went after that” his dad asked? “Hmmm…I think they went up to Jerusalem to do something…Oh yea!” exclaimed Caleb “they had to present baby Jesus to the temple people to be circumcised.” “Well” his dad replied “that is right, they also had to present Jesus to the priest at the temple as he was the first born of Mary and they also had to offer a sacrifice to God on behalf of Mary after her days of cleansing from giving birth were over” “oh yea” Caleb responded I remember now”

“Then what happened” his dad asked. “Ok, let’s see” Caleb answered. “I think they went home…. no that’s right they went back home, but they did not stay for very long and moved back to Bethlehem.” “That’s right again” his dad answered “they went back home to Nazareth but only stayed for a short while, maybe a couple of months or so, and then decided they wanted to live in Bethlehem.”

“And this is where we finally get to see the wise men visit baby Jesus!” exclaimed Caleb. “Yup” his dad replied “so let’s open up our bibles and see where the wise men first enter the picture.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” (Mathew 2:1, 2)

“Who are the Magi” Caleb asked? “That is just another name for wise men his dad answered. “Also” his dad said “tradition holds that there were only three wise men, but if you remember that these wise men came from the east and were not really friends with the king. The Parthian’s did not care too much for Herod and petitioned Rome against him becoming king. They were also carrying great treasures for the baby Jesus and so it is unlikely that these wise men that were part of the noble class and would not have traveled by themselves into a country that they may have been not very well liked with a lot of treasure. It is more plausible that they would have guards and servants with them. This would have made a group of 15-20 people that made the journey to Jerusalem looking for the new king.”

Another thing that can be pointed out here” his dad said “is that the wise men went to Jerusalem and not Bethlehem. If they had come the night of Jesus’s birth, then they would have gone to Bethlehem. So it can be shown that some time had passed and they came to Jerusalem looking to see were this new king was. As they were not a part of this country they may have assumed that as Jesus was a king that he of course would be in the capital of the country and be treated like royalty. The sad reality is that the Jews did not even know that their promised king was born. It took foreigners coming from the east to let them know that it had happened.” “Wow” exclaimed Caleb “that is pretty sad.”

“Do you know how the king and the people of Jerusalem reacted to this news” his dad asked Caleb. “I would think they would be pretty happy that the promised king of theirs was born” he replied “Well lets look at what the bible says about it” his dad stated “If we open back up to Mathew and continue where we left off we will see how this news affected the king and people of Jerusalem.

“Why were they so upset about their promised king being born dad” Caleb asked. “Well” his dad said “it goes back to who Herod’s family is. You see his family line was from the tribe of Esau and this tribe was hated by God and Herod had no business being king of Israel.” “So how did he become king” his son asked?” “Through political sneakiness” his dad replied. “He knew the right people and seeing how Rome ruled of Israel he was able to use this to his advantage.” “So instead of being happy about the news, Herod was very upset and when the wicked king is upset so all of his people are upset. You see he saw this as a direct threat to the power and was not about to sit by and let something like this happen to him.”

“So what did he do about it dad” his son asked? “Let’s see what Mathew says about it” his dad replied.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’ (Mathew 2:4-6)

“We see that the king gathered together his wise men and found out from their scriptures where this king was supposed to be born” his dad said. “Then guess what happens” he asked Caleb. “Well he must have let them go, because I know that they get to see Jesus” Caleb responded. “That is right” his dad said “but he did one thing before that. Let’s look at Mathew again”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. (Mathew 2:7)

“When he had determined this, then he sent them on their way” his dad said. “Finally” Caleb said. “You have been very patient” his dad said. ‘We are almost to the end”

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Mathew 2:8-11)

“The king let them go, but we see he asked the wise men to report to him where exactly in Bethlehem they found Jesus” his dad said. They also saw the star again and this time it went before them and stopped over the house where Jesus was. It is thought that this may be an angel that went before them shining like a star, but it could have been a star we don’t really know. In any event the wise men finally made to where Mary and the child Jesus now resided. We see that the star rested over a house, not a manger as would have been the case if the Magi came when Jesus was a still a baby and we all see Jesus is now called a child and not a baby anymore again demonstrating a passage of time from the birth event.” His dad stated.

“So then Jesus got his birthday presents Caleb said as he looked up from his bible.” Yes” his dad said “do you know what the significance of these gifts is?” “Well I know gold means money, but I don’t know what those other things are” Caleb responded. “The gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus were actually symbols or a picture of and about Jesus’s life. The Gold shows us the royalty of Jesus. The frankincense is a principal ingredient in the incense used in the offerings made at the temple. It is a picture of the priestly office of Christ and His intercession and mediation. Now the last gift to me is one of the greatest gifts. Myrrh was a burial spice and it was a picture of Jesus’s suffering and dying for our sins.” His dad explained. “Wow, did the wise men know this when they gave Jesus these present” Caleb asked? “Most likely they did not understand the significance of these gifts, they were just very expensive presents to the Magi” His dad responded.

“Ok we are almost done” his dad said. “But aren’t we done now” Caleb interjected? “I mean we saw the wise men come and that was my question” “Yes, but let’s get the whole story” his dad replied. “What else is there” Caleb asked? His dad said “let’s see what the bible has to say. Open back up to Mathew and let’s continue to read.

Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod….(Mathew 2:13-15)

“So right after the wise men left, that very night Joseph has a dream warning him that Herod was going to search for the child Jesus and kill him thus eliminating any threat to his power as king” his dad said. You see God gave the wise men a dream and they returned to their own country by another way. Herod was very angry about this and ordered all the kids less than two years of age in Bethlehem and the surrounding are to be killed as we can read” His dad stated.

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi.

“Here is yet another clue that the wise could not have visited Jesus when he was born. If the wise men had visited then Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus would never have been able to up to Jerusalem as it stated in the Gospel of Luke as they immediately fled to Egypt after wise men visited” his dad stated”

“So now do you understand when the wise men came” his dad asked Caleb. “Yea it all makes so much sense when you just sit down and actually read about it. Thanks dad” Caleb responded. “Well that is enough for tonight. Why don’t you review everything and tomorrow if you have any questions we can go over to them. Now off to bed with you young man.” His dad said. “Ok” Caleb said “I love you dad, goodnight.”

~ by mjwakema on April 14, 2008.