Today on Facebook I found a post from a Christian ministry in Australia which told us:
What this ministry in Australia has written is mostly true. The Bible does not teach that there were Three Kings, but instead tells us that there were Wise Men, i.e., astrologers, seers, magi, magicians - maybe prophets from the East. The reason many say Three Wise Men is that they gave three treasured gifts to the Christ child: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So, three gifts, three Wise Men. But that is only an assumption. The Wise Men, or magi, were men of position in the East and would have traveled with a fairly large entourage of helpers.
This mostly true interpretation by our friends in Australia is a good example of why we cannot just take a portion of Scripture and build a truth or doctrine around that portion, as they seem to have done with Matthew 2 - to the exclusion of other Scripture. Keep in mind what the apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:11, to test all teachings and teachers against Scripture.
And this brings to mind a point I made in our Sunday School Class last Sunday. We have to know our personal and corporate Statement of Faith so well that when someone, either intentionally or just through lack of understanding, shares with us a erroneous belief or teaching they believe to be in Scripture - if we have a mature knowledge of our Statement of Faith based upon Scripture, we can correct them from Scripture.
With that thought, to get a full picture of the birth of Jesus Christ we must look at the account in both Matthew 2 and Luke 2. Most folks look to Luke 2 for the story of the birth of Christ, so let's begin there - for here we see why Joseph and Mary were traveling to Bethlehem:
Nothing is more blessed than to picture the angel appearing to the poor shepherds in the fields tending their sheep. Suddenly the angel of God appear to them announcing the birth of a Savior. Wow! Just imagine the shepherds fear, awe, and amazement to see the heavens open up with a chorus of angels singing and praising God - and then to have an angel tell them of the birth of their Savior. You and I can only imagine that feeling.
Then the shepherds go into Bethlehem and find a new born child lying in a feeding trough in a stable. From the humblest beginnings God is born in human flesh, to be the Savior. Yes, this happened when Christ was a newborn infant. Thus we see the shepherds gathered around a manger, a feeding trough, to worship the newborn Christ.
Now let's travel far to the East of Bethlehem and Judea, to an Eastern kingdom where magi, wise men of their kingdom, see in their visions and in reality an unusual star which they believe is to lead them to a King. These wise men, two, three, four, who knows how many - gather their entourage and begin the long journey to follow that special star.
After a period of traveling (most likely about two years), they arrive in Judea seeking a child King and begin to ask the locals about a young child which could have been born within the past several years. King Herod hears of their inquiries and having been told of a King of the Jews to be born - summons the wise men to deceitfully discover what they know. When King Herod and the wise men put together what they each know - the wise men continue their journey toward Bethlehem, following the star. And this is where Matthew 2 continues the story:
Combining what we find in both Luke 2 and Matthew 2, we have the Biblical account of why Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, why Christ was born in a humble manger in the stable, the heavenly announcement of the Christ Child to the shepherds, and their adoration of the newborn Christ Child.
The story continues in a country far to the East, where wise men, magi, have a vision, see an unusual star and follow that star. We are not told if they saw the star on the night of the birth or if they saw it much later. We do know that an entourage traveling from a far country by camel over the desert and wilderness would have taken some time, possibly up to two years, to arrive at the home where Joseph, Mary, and their child, Jesus Christ, were now living in Bethlehem.
There they bowed to worship the Child King and give Him gifts ofgold, frankincense, and myrrh
Even though there may have been a number of other gifts, I believe these three are spoken of in Scripture for their symbolic significance:
So the three: Gold representing His kingship - Frankincense a symbol of His priestly role as our High Priest - and Myrrh prefiguring his sacrificial death and embalming.
It is good that we continue to revisit this story of our Savior, especially today, Christmas which we celebrate as His birthday.
One final point: Was Jesus Christ born on December 25th?
Most likely not, for the shepherds were in the field with their flocks - and in December the weather would not have been appropriate for that to be true. Some suggest earlier in the Fall, i.e., maybe October. But since the Bible does not tell us the exact date, we cannot be dogmatic about December 25th.
Let me suggest this: Suppose you adopt a child from another country and no one knows exactly when that child was born. Do you celebrate the birthdays of your other children - but just ignore the birthday of your new child? No. You will give that child a birthday which can be celebrated.
I have often read that the reason Christians chose the day of December 25 to celebrate the birth of Christ was to offset the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, the pagan worship of their sun god.
When the pagans were celebrating and having great parties - weaker Christian believers could be lured into those pagan rituals and celebrations, causing them to stumble. What was the solution? Give the Christian believers their own celebration during that week of pagan worship. Thus the Christian leaders chose to celebrate the birth of Christ at that time.
Regardless of when we celebrate His birth, it is a time of worship, celebration, and joy. So forget why the date was chosen - and just celebrate the fact that Christ was born in Bethlehem to be our Savior (Luke 2:11), to be our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17), to be our Atonement (Hebrews 2:17), and our Way (John 14:6) to eternal life in the presence of God.
God bless and Merry Christmas,
Bill
Around Christmas time, various nativity scenes are set up to display what people thought occurred when Jesus was born. Generally there’s a barn. Then you have three people inside or outside the barn: Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. Sometimes with halos, other times without halos. Sometimes Jesus is still in the crib, sometimes on Mary’s lap.
And facing these three, on one side, are the shepherds - and on the other side are the three kings. However, a careful reading of what the Bible says about the birth of the Messiah would reveal that the shepherds and the supposedly three kings never actually met each other. They were separated by about two years in time.
When the wise men (not kings) went to Herod to ask where the King of the Jews was born, in Matthew 2:7(asv) we read: "Then Herod privily called the wise men and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared."
Bill Gray Note: Here we find the first error in interpretation. The wise men did not go to King Herod seeking the the Christ child, King Herod heard of their inquiries and summoned them.
Matthew 2:7 (nkjv), "Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared."
Matthew 2:7 (kjv), "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared."
Jumping to verse 16, we read: "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the wise men."
Herod ordered the slaughter of all the male children in Bethlehem "from two years old and under" because he learned from his private meeting with the wise men that it had been two years since the star signalling the Messiah's birth first appeared. This time difference explains why, in Luke 2:12, the shepherds saw "a baby" lying in "a manger" (not a barn but a stable cave); whereas in Matthew 2:11, the wise men saw an already two-year-old "child" inside a "house."
What this ministry in Australia has written is mostly true. The Bible does not teach that there were Three Kings, but instead tells us that there were Wise Men, i.e., astrologers, seers, magi, magicians - maybe prophets from the East. The reason many say Three Wise Men is that they gave three treasured gifts to the Christ child: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. So, three gifts, three Wise Men. But that is only an assumption. The Wise Men, or magi, were men of position in the East and would have traveled with a fairly large entourage of helpers.
This mostly true interpretation by our friends in Australia is a good example of why we cannot just take a portion of Scripture and build a truth or doctrine around that portion, as they seem to have done with Matthew 2 - to the exclusion of other Scripture. Keep in mind what the apostle Paul tells us in Acts 17:11, to test all teachings and teachers against Scripture.
And this brings to mind a point I made in our Sunday School Class last Sunday. We have to know our personal and corporate Statement of Faith so well that when someone, either intentionally or just through lack of understanding, shares with us a erroneous belief or teaching they believe to be in Scripture - if we have a mature knowledge of our Statement of Faith based upon Scripture, we can correct them from Scripture.
With that thought, to get a full picture of the birth of Jesus Christ we must look at the account in both Matthew 2 and Luke 2. Most folks look to Luke 2 for the story of the birth of Christ, so let's begin there - for here we see why Joseph and Mary were traveling to Bethlehem:
Luke 2:1-5 (nkjv), "And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.
Luke 2:6-7, "So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:8-15, "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' "
Luke 2:16-19, "So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."
Nothing is more blessed than to picture the angel appearing to the poor shepherds in the fields tending their sheep. Suddenly the angel of God appear to them announcing the birth of a Savior. Wow! Just imagine the shepherds fear, awe, and amazement to see the heavens open up with a chorus of angels singing and praising God - and then to have an angel tell them of the birth of their Savior. You and I can only imagine that feeling.
Then the shepherds go into Bethlehem and find a new born child lying in a feeding trough in a stable. From the humblest beginnings God is born in human flesh, to be the Savior. Yes, this happened when Christ was a newborn infant. Thus we see the shepherds gathered around a manger, a feeding trough, to worship the newborn Christ.
Now let's travel far to the East of Bethlehem and Judea, to an Eastern kingdom where magi, wise men of their kingdom, see in their visions and in reality an unusual star which they believe is to lead them to a King. These wise men, two, three, four, who knows how many - gather their entourage and begin the long journey to follow that special star.
After a period of traveling (most likely about two years), they arrive in Judea seeking a child King and begin to ask the locals about a young child which could have been born within the past several years. King Herod hears of their inquiries and having been told of a King of the Jews to be born - summons the wise men to deceitfully discover what they know. When King Herod and the wise men put together what they each know - the wise men continue their journey toward Bethlehem, following the star. And this is where Matthew 2 continues the story:
Matthew 2:1-6 (nkjv), "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.' When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."
Matthew 2:7-10, "Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.' When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Matthew 2:11-12, "And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way."
Matthew 2:13-15, "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.' When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, 'Out of Egypt I called My Son.'
Matthew 2:16-18, "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 'A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.'
Matthew 2:19-23, "Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child's life are dead.' Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, 'He shall be called a Nazarene.' "
Combining what we find in both Luke 2 and Matthew 2, we have the Biblical account of why Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, why Christ was born in a humble manger in the stable, the heavenly announcement of the Christ Child to the shepherds, and their adoration of the newborn Christ Child.
The story continues in a country far to the East, where wise men, magi, have a vision, see an unusual star and follow that star. We are not told if they saw the star on the night of the birth or if they saw it much later. We do know that an entourage traveling from a far country by camel over the desert and wilderness would have taken some time, possibly up to two years, to arrive at the home where Joseph, Mary, and their child, Jesus Christ, were now living in Bethlehem.
There they bowed to worship the Child King and give Him gifts ofgold, frankincense, and myrrh
Even though there may have been a number of other gifts, I believe these three are spoken of in Scripture for their symbolic significance:
1. Gold is a precious metal, a valuable commodity - which could have financed Joseph and Mary’s trip to Egypt. Gold is a symbol of divinity and is mentioned throughout the Bible. Pagan idols were often made from gold and the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold (Exodus 25:10-17).
2. Frankincense is a highly fragrant oil used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering, an incense, to God (Exodus 30:34).
3. Myrrh was a spice and was used in embalming. Speaking of the cross on which Christ would die to buy our pardon.
So the three: Gold representing His kingship - Frankincense a symbol of His priestly role as our High Priest - and Myrrh prefiguring his sacrificial death and embalming.
It is good that we continue to revisit this story of our Savior, especially today, Christmas which we celebrate as His birthday.
One final point: Was Jesus Christ born on December 25th?
Most likely not, for the shepherds were in the field with their flocks - and in December the weather would not have been appropriate for that to be true. Some suggest earlier in the Fall, i.e., maybe October. But since the Bible does not tell us the exact date, we cannot be dogmatic about December 25th.
Let me suggest this: Suppose you adopt a child from another country and no one knows exactly when that child was born. Do you celebrate the birthdays of your other children - but just ignore the birthday of your new child? No. You will give that child a birthday which can be celebrated.
I have often read that the reason Christians chose the day of December 25 to celebrate the birth of Christ was to offset the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, the pagan worship of their sun god.
When the pagans were celebrating and having great parties - weaker Christian believers could be lured into those pagan rituals and celebrations, causing them to stumble. What was the solution? Give the Christian believers their own celebration during that week of pagan worship. Thus the Christian leaders chose to celebrate the birth of Christ at that time.
Regardless of when we celebrate His birth, it is a time of worship, celebration, and joy. So forget why the date was chosen - and just celebrate the fact that Christ was born in Bethlehem to be our Savior (Luke 2:11), to be our High Priest (Hebrews 2:17), to be our Atonement (Hebrews 2:17), and our Way (John 14:6) to eternal life in the presence of God.
God bless and Merry Christmas,
Bill
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