Today is the Day of Epiphany. This is a celebration of the first manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, represented by the Magi who came from the East to worship the Christ child. The revelation of the Christ-child to the Magi was the first-fruits of the promise that God gave to Abraham that his descendant, Jesus, would bless all the nations of the world.
“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)
Who were these Magi? Well, we don’t exactly know; most of what we know about them comes from church tradition, as little is written about them in the Bible. They were likely “wise men” who could have been well-educated in the Hebrew texts of Messianic prophecies. We do know they practiced astrology, looking for signs in the stars, because they followed the Star of Bethlehem to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They also could be from Persia (region of Babylon) because Persian emissaries typically presented kings they visited with gold.
The story of the Magi could possibly be traced to when Israelites were exiled to Babylon, but Scripture does not authenticate that. However, this is plausible because Daniel and his friends Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach), and Azariah (Abednago) were taken, along with the survivors of the Babylonian conquest, as captives to Babylon. There, they gained the respect of their captors. All four men showed incredible faith that left a lasting mark in that foreign land.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago were thrown into a furnace for not bowing to the golden image of the king, yet not a hair on their head was singed because the Angel of the Lord – the preincarnate Jesus – protected them inside the fire. Afterwards, King Nebuchadnezzar praised God for the miraculous sign.
Daniel was later thrown into a lion’s den by King Darius to be put to death for praying to the Lord, but he came out unscathed. The Lord had protected him all night. Previously, Daniel had interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams, thus earning the king’s favor and getting him placed in a high position. (Daniel 2:48). The Holy Spirit could have blessed Daniel with the prophecy of the Star of Bethlehem while in Babylon, which he could have passed onto the school of Magi, who passed it through the generations until the Magi that came to worship Jesus as a child after they saw the Star of Bethlehem.
God wastes nothing; He uses everything, good and bad, to declare His glory. The Fear of the Lord produces two distinct responses: joyfulness and great distress.
“After [the Magi] had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:9-11 NIV)
While the wise men were overwhelmed by joy, King Herod was in great distress. Fearful and jealous of this newborn King of the Jews, Herod took extreme measures to thwart God’s plan. He initially attempted to deputize the Magi into being his spies, unbeknownst to them. When that plan failed due to divine intervention, Herod killed all boys in the vicinity of Bethlehem who were two years old or younger, all to kill Jesus. He failed in his plan to destroy the Messiah.
“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”’ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.’ … And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. … When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.” (Matthew 2: 3–8, 12, 16–17 NIV)
The Day of Epiphany reminds us that we should have a overly abundant joyful heart for seeking out Jesus Christ, submitting to God’s Holy Word, and sacrificing for others as Christ did for us. “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 NIV)
Soli Deo Gloria!
Philip Frank
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