Have you ever had a quest for knowledge that defied political, social, or religious boundaries? This state of enlightenment is what drove the “three wise men” or magi, who were gentile, to seek out and worship a Jewish baby born in Bethlehem. Why were these men wise, you might ask.
We believe their wisdom was born from a knowledge and fear of the Lord that was handed down by their ancestors throughout the centuries. We have reason to believe the magi were also well-versed in astronomy and understood celestial objects, space, and the physical universe at that time. The star was significant to the magi because of a prophetic timetable, given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, which they were educated about.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)
In ancient Greek, the word “epiphany” means showing, manifestation, or appearance. The word is principally used in Christianity to refer to the manifestation of Jesus to the gentiles (i.e., non-Jews), namely, when the “wise men” visited and paid homage to the infant Jesus. According to God’s plan, even at his birth he was laying the groundwork for inclusion of all humankind to be a part of God’s family.
Prayer:
Our heavenly Father and Creator of all the universe, we humbly come before you just as the wise men did. Help us to desire a relationship with you. Please give us wisdom in all the decisions we make and give us the heart to believe the unbelievable. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Randal Roberts, Associate Pastor
Maumee, OH, US
I would even go further back in time and undescore that, in dealing with the human realm, the groundwork for God‘s „inclusive“ salvation plan to be extended to Gentiles already had its seed in the birthline/bloodline of the one who much later became Jesus. After all, the human ancestry of our Lord included Ruth, a gentile (See Ruth 2:10), and a beautiful example of faith.
What an excellent article about Epiphany & the magi! So interesting to read more about their background.
Thanks Randal for this insight as to why the wise men, who were Gentiles, were wise. They were used to point to the Eternal Plan of God for all mankind, done thru Emmanuel (God with Man), not just the Jewish people. God’s Will is all people be One in One, Jesus Christ, so that God may be All in All!