No wise men, No magi, at the manger.

 

Jim McClarty

There no wise men, no magi, at the manger at Jesus' birth. Nope.

They arrived a good deal later, when Jesus was living in a house with His parents. That's why Herod decreed to kill children under 2 years of age.

Matthew 2 tells us:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,  

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw 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. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” Hosea 11:1

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” 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. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Jeremiah 31:15

So, shepherds? Yes.

Wise men (regardless of how many)? No.

The Details Are All Important

Jerry Teets

Comment: Does it matter where Jesus was born and when? The important thing is that wise men worshipped Him!!!! Let’s not get caught up on the when and where but……. Worship Him!!! And enjoy all that Christmas means and brings!!

Response: 

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:22

For the first Christmas the when and where was all important because the details were in the scriptures that foretold of Jesus' birth. These were signs to the Jews to know when "The Prophet" had come. Deuteronomy 18:15. This would separated the true Prophet from the false Prophets and Messiahs.

We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:2

The sign the kings were looking for was His star.

Where in the scriptures did they read to know this?

“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth. Numbers 24:7

Where was Jesus to be born at?

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2

This is why it says:

Matthew 2:3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 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. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘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.’

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 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.

How old was Jesus at this time?

16 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.

So Jesus' family returned to Nazareth after His birth:

Luke 2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

Then during this two years in Matthew 2:16 Joseph purchased a house in Bethlehem and moved Mary and Jesus back with him to the new home.

But unknown to Joseph, God knew the prophecy about Jesus having to be in Egypt.

13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

“When Israel was a child, I loved him,

and out of Egypt I called my son. Hosea 11:1

This is why as part of our worship is to:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

On Thru the Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee he would say "The details are all important."

I have been rebuked by many well meaning sisters and brothers saying "You are over intellectualizing the Bible" my response is "This information is available for us to know or God would not have included it in His revelation. If you do not want to know and you do not want to hear it from me, then just tell me so I can keep our discussion simple."

Colossians 1:9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to >>fill you with the knowledge of his will<< through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[a] 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life >>through our knowledge of him<< who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.