The Art of Life Bible - Flipbook - Page 28
Wise Men from the East
Read Matthew 2:1-12.
These mysterious figures appear
only in Matthew’s narrative, and
there is very little information
about them. The word Matthew
uses to identify them is magi,
probably a reference to a class
of priests and astrologers who
served in the court of an eastern
ruler, though it is impossible to
know precisely where they came
from. The mention of three gifts
has led to the assumption that
three wise men were present, and
some traditions posit that they
were kings, but this is unlikely. We
do know they came to find Jesus,
whom they understood to be the
king of the Jews. And within Matthew’s narrative, the visit of these
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foreigners serves to broaden the
scope and universal significance
of Jesus’ birth. He came into the
world in a humble place and was
visited by lowly shepherds as well
as these presumably wealthy,
influential wise men.
On the church calendar, the
coming of the wise men (Epiphany) is celebrated on the twelfth
day after Christmas. Exactly when
the wise men arrived in relation to
Jesus’ birth will never be known
for certain. Regardless, their
arrival does affirm the importance
of Jesus’ birth and helps demonstrate that it is an event with
worldwide significance.
The wise men’s story is told in
Matthew 2:1-18.
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