Kurdistan. Photo by Marc Ash. FAI STUDIOS.
“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 saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’”[1]
We know that wise men came from the East to worship Jesus after He was born. But do we know why? What caused these men of Babylon to search for Jesus in Bethlehem?
Biblical scholars generally believe the wise men to be the descendants of Medes and Persians from Babylon in Daniel’s day. This idea comes from Daniel’s description of the roles of wise men in the Babylonian kingdom at the time of his captivity. These positions required an array of knowledge, which included astrology.[2] The wise men looked to the stars for guidance, but how did they come to believe that following this particular star would bring them to the birth place of the King of the Jews?
“For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.”
Balaam, the diviner who was rebuked by a donkey in the book of Numbers[3] is also thought to have been from Babylonian Mesopotamia.[4] It’s possible, with this connection, that the citizens of Babylon were familiar with the prophecy Balaam gave concerning the Messiah of Israel:
“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab.”[5]
Being astrologers, it was not unusual for the Babylonian wise men to look to the sky for signs of significant events, especially being aware of the prophecy about a star rising from Israel. But how would they have known the timing of this rising star and when to look for it?
God informed the people of Babylon about His coming Son by allowing the prophet Daniel to be captured and educated among the men of Babylon—and He used Daniel’s captivity to bring great hope to the nation who had kidnapped and imprisoned him.
As Daniel earned a reputation as a man with more insight than all of the king’s magicians and astrologers,[6] the king put stock in what Daniel had to say and promoted him to chief of all the wise men.[7] Because of the validation of his prophecies, when Daniel foretold another event—the eventual death of the Messiah—that would happen more than five centuries later, the Babylonians had every reason to believe it would come to pass. By knowing the timing of His death, they would have had a general timeframe of Messiah’s birth that would be marked by a star rising over Israel.
We don’t know for certain whether these particular texts were what guided the men. It’s likely, but we can only speculate. What’s important is the fact that wise men from the East believed that following this particular star would bring them to the King of the Jews whom they desired to worship—and it did.
“And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”[8]
Here's a fun little twist: many believe that Kurds are the modern descendants of the Medes and Persians of Daniel’s day. The recent turmoil in the Middle East has opened a unique door for ambassadors of the coming Kingdom to minister to the Kurdish people. We now have an unprecedented opportunity to bring the Good News of Salvation back to the very people who first brought gifts of worship to Jesus.
By the time the wise men came to Jesus, He was no longer a newborn in a manger. He was a child in a house.
“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother…”
Herod’s order to kill all male children two years and under seems to confirm Jesus’ age.[9] In his book The Innkeeper, John Piper says of this verse, “So quickly do we pass over the Christmas words, ‘Herod slew all the male children… two years and under.’” It would do us good to linger on these dark and painful words and allow them to sink in deeply. But they are not without hope.
The verse that follows Herod’s horrible decree is remarkable:
“Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.’”[10]
Jeremiah looked back through history and saw Rachel weeping prophetically for her future children—those that Herod would later kill around the birth of Jesus. The Lord comforted Rachel with a promise:
“Thus says the Lord: "Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work, declares the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.”[11]
Death would not be the end of the story for Rachel’s offspring. There is coming a consolation for Israel: the redemption of Jerusalem.[12]
When God directed Jesus’ steps toward Jerusalem to observe the purification laws of Moses, a man named Simeon was to perform the customs.
“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.[13]
The promised Messiah has come. Rachel will be comforted. There will be consolation for her offspring. Redemption is coming for Jerusalem. And Jesus, this newborn King, will be the one to accomplish everything His Father promised to Rachel’s children, the people of Israel.
Jordan Scott lives in the Muslim world with his wife and children. He is the host of THE WAY podcast and author of A Call to Compel: The Simplicity, Urgency, and Joy of Making Disciples, available now from FAI Publishing. Jordan can be reached by email at jordan@faimission.org.
[1] Matthew 2:1–2
[2] Daniel 2:2
[3] Numbers 22:22–35
[4] Deuteronomy 23:4
[5] Numbers 24:17
[6] Daniel 2:47
[7] Daniel 2:48
[8] Matthew 2:9–11
[9] Matthew 2:16
[10] Matthew 2:17–18
[11] Jeremiah 31:16
[12] Luke 2:36–38
[13] Luke 2:25–32
