WHO were the wise men that came from the East to pay homage to the holy Babe born in the royal city of Bethlehem? And from what country did they come? We must remember, when God, in speaking about Jerusalem, refers to the east or west, that we must suppose ourselves in that city, and having the sun rising over the mountains of Judea, and far away upon the lands of Arabia or Persia—perhaps India—and setting in the Mediterranean Sea. Jerusalem is the Bible center of the earth, and the Babe, whose star the magi, or magicians, saw, the center of God’s thoughts and purposes for time and eternity, of earth and of heaven. No one can tell us who these wise men were, nor can we more than surmise from what country they came. One thing is certain, God gave them a sign in the sky in their own country, to show them what had taken place in the holy land, even the birth of His eternal Son in this world as a man, of whom they knew as the King of the Jews.
From the very early days of this world’s history learned men of all nations have studied the stars. This world of ours is but as one grain of sand amongst the myriad of grains upon the shore—it is but one star amongst the countless host of heaven that God has made to shine in their glory. When Jesus was born, God taught the wise men of His advent by the means of a star. About two years after they had first seen the star they reached Jerusalem, for Herod, the king, knew very nearly the age of the child Jesus, through his diligent inquiries of them. The star was given to these Gentiles to teach them, and the holy writings of the Old Testament were given to the people of Israel for their instruction concerning the birth of the Saviour. As the wise men, when in their own land, looked up into the sky, there shone the star to teach them of Jesus. The light of the star was not required in Jerusalem, for in that city there was the book of God, by searching which the chief priests and scribes were able to answer the inquiry, “where Christ should be born,” in these words— “In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule (or feed) My people Israel.” (Matt. 2:5,65And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. (Matthew 2:5‑6)).
God does not usually give signs to those to whom He speaks in plain words. In Jerusalem the wise men did not see the star, and probably did not after they had left the East, till they neared Bethlehem. Sad it was, all Jerusalem was troubled when the news reached it, of the birth of the King of the Jews, through the arrival of the magi, who said, “Where is He? We are come to worship Him.” But wicked Herod, who wished to kill the holy Babe, answered them, “Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him, bring me word again.”
Having heard the record from the writings of the prophet, and the words of the king, the magi went their way, turned their backs upon Jerusalem, when lo, once more the star which they had seen in the East appeared to them, and went before them. They were overjoyed to see it again. Their long, long journey had not been in vain. The wickedness of Herod and of Jerusalem was no hindrance now to their spirits. “They rejoiced with exceeding great joy when they saw the star.” It went before them, guiding their way, and wrong they could not be while they kept it in view, and then it stood still, shining over “where the young child was.” Thus did the heavens render homage to the Lord, and then that evening these great and wealthy men saw Jesus, with Mary, His mother, and fell down before Him and worshipped Him, and they opened their treasures to Him, and offered their royal tribute to Him—gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
They saw the holy Babe and were satisfied, and then, receiving direct instructions from the Lord, departed into their own country another way. In every sense they were strangers in Israel; they had hearts for the already rejected King of the Jews, and God gave them directions how to come in and to go out again of Judea to their own country.
As we consider this beautiful story of the Star of Bethlehem, we can but think of the star of which St. Peter speaks. Do you remember where this star is said to shine? It is such a happy answer, “In your hearts.” What a strange place for a star to shine? Well, it will make the heart very bright in which it does shine. “Exceeding great joy,” will fill the heart in which this beautiful star of the Christian has risen. The sure word of God tells us Jesus is coming, and the star’s rays in our hearts say Jesus is coming. We can look to chapter and verse, as did the people of old when Jesus came to this earth; we can put our fingers on each letter of the sacred record, and read the “word of the Lord,” speaking of “the coming of the Lord,” saying, “the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven,” and showing us that all who love Him, shall “meet the Lord in the air,” “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:15-1815For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:15‑18).)
There was no joy in Jerusalem, or in Herod, when they knew that Jesus had come to this earth; neither is there any joy—no, only sorrow, for those who do not love Him, in the thought of His coming again; but for the happy hearts, in which the hope of His coming shines, there is a star of beautiful brightness, and “exceeding great joy.”