'We Three Kings': The Wisemen in the Christmas Narrative

Hello and Merry Christmas, listeners. It's that wonderful time of the year when we gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A significant part of our joy, festivities, is often singing Christmas carols. These songs narrate the story of that special night. Perhaps you're familiar with this one. We t hree kings of Orient, are bearing gifts. We traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yo nder star." Now, I sense some of you might be gently raising an eyebrow, not due to my singing, of course, but because you picked up on the fact that this particular carol takes a bit of creative liberty with the biblical account. And you're absolutely right. Join us in this episode of the Bible Basics Podcast as we explore what makes this song a tad off script and uncover the true story behind the Christmas narrative. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast where weekly, we break down the Bible into understandable, bite-sized chunks. Listen as I read Matthew 2 in the NIV translation.

"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. Let's skip to verse 7. 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 back to me so that I too may go and worship him. After they 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 and, having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. That's the biblical story. Notice, there is no indication these men were kings, nor is there any reference to there being three of them. So, yeah, I love the song We Three Kings, but it's not biblically accurate.

Let's look a little closer at who these visitors were. What about the star that they followed and what were the gifts they presented to Jesus. Now, who were they, these Magi, or also called wise men in some translations, are thought to be scholars or astronomers, or even ancient Persian or Babylonian priests. These men likely belonged to the learned class, those who had access to kings. We see there standing in that they had access to King Herod. They were probably familiar with the Old Testament and knew of the expectation of the coming Messiah King. They were from the land where Daniel was and likely knew of his prophecies. Daniel 5:8-11 even tells us that back in Babylon, between 605 and 562 BC, over 500 years before the birth of Jesus, Daniel was even appointed as chief of the wise men.

Now, what about the reference to these visitors being kings? Although these Magi or Wisemen were not kings, there were several Old Testament passages that refer to the Messiah and visiting kings. For instance, in Isaiah 60, verse 3, we see that quote "nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Psalm 72 is actually dedicated to King Solomon at the beginning of his reign, but it has clear messianic inferences. It reads May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him. May the kings of Sheba and Sheba present him with gifts. And lastly, isaiah 60, verse 6, prophesies the same event, and all from Sheba will come bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praises to the Lord. So these scriptures and others may speak to why we often see the visitors depicted as kings in Christian art and literature.

How many of these Wisemen were there? Well, the Bible doesn't explicitly say there were three. Traditions settled on that number, possibly because of the three gifts that they bought. We know there were at least two because Matthew 2 refers to them in plural. Scholars say that they would have been an entourage, perhaps a dozen or more, for protection traveling over thousand miles over rough and dangerous terrain. The gifts are the gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh Costly gifts fit for a king. The gold, a tribute representing royalty foretold of Jesus as king. We easily understand the value of a gift of gold. While Matthew doesn't specifically say the form of this precious metal, it was likely coins. These were a vital resource for the family's subsequent flight to Egypt and returned to Nazareth.

Frankincense that's an aromatic resin often used in religious ceremonies. The thin bark of the frankincense tree was peeled back and an incision made into the trunk. Aromatic resin could be collected and used as incense burning in temple worship. We see that in Leviticus 2, verses 1, and verse 15. Also in Exodus 30: 34-38. This frankincense may foretell of Jesus as high priest. And then there's myrrh, a resin with a bittersweet fragrance. The gum from myrrh was liquefied and used to make a sacred anointing oil to concentrate priests. We see that in Exodus 30: 22-33. It was also mixed with wine and offered to Jesus as a painkiller when he was on the cross, in Mark 15: 23. His body was later embalmed in myrrh and allo. That's in John 19: 39-40. This gift may foretell of the holiness of Jesus as priest, also the suffering, the sacrifice he would bear on the cross and his sacred burial.

The Star how did these magi find the young Jesus? Well, the star they followed is a bit of a mystery. In the East Babylon and Persia, astronomy and astrology were particularly important for predicting events, so it makes sense that the arrival of an unusual star likely would herald something of unimaginable importance, regardless of its source. It led them to the house in Bethlehem where they found the young Jesus. And there you have it the journey of the wise men, shedding light on who they were, how many there may have been and the meaningful gifts they bought. We also discussed the celestial sign, the star that guided them.

We hope you've enjoyed this exploration into the heart of the Christmas narrative. Now, this question is only for the Bible nerds out there. Are you wondering why in nativity scenes we always see the wise men at the manger with the baby Jesus? Well, it could be that they are included for dramatic effect or to emphasize the unique nature of the birth of Jesus. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, compare Matthew 2 with Luke 2. Until next time, keep the Christmas spirit alive and may your celebrations be filled with warmth and wonder. Merry Christmas, and God bless you everyone. Thank you for tuning in. If this has been beneficial to you, please share it with others, subscribe or follow, and all of you Apple Podcast listeners, drop us a review.