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December 21

Title: The Magi 

Text: Matthew 2:1-2

The Magi. I grew up hearing about this mysterious group of men. Now admittedly—I embraced the tradition that there were three wise men. But the truth is, the bible never says there were three wise men, just that the Magi came from the East. Look at the verses below. 

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.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

So who were the Magi (or wise men—depending on the translation)? Scholars have many different theories. 

Magi as a Tribe. 

Herodotus records that the magi were one of the ancient Median tribes: “Deioces, then, united the Median nation by itself and ruled it. The Median tribes are these: the Busae, the Paretaceni, the Struchates, the Arizanti, the Budii, the Magi. Their tribes are this many.” 

Magi as Persian Priests. 

The word magi could also refer to a class of Persian priests who were highly revered by the kings of Persia. Xenophon notes that Cyrus the Great would use these magi to offer sacrifices to the gods before his battles: “But though they had got to the camp, the pickets, acting on the orders of Cyrus, would not let them in till dawn. With the first faint gleam of morning Cyrus summoned the Persian Priests, who are called Magians, and bade them choose the offerings due to the gods for the blessings they had vouchsafed.”

Magi as Magicians. 

By the first century, the word magi had taken on a more general meaning, referring to people who had special knowledge in the magical arts. In Acts 13:6-8, Paul and Barnabas encounter a magi (magician): “When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.” Similarly, Philip, Peter, and John encountered a magi (magician) named Simon in Samaria, who “practiced magic (Acts 8:9).

It is interesting that in the Septuagint (Greek translation) of Daniel, the magicians in Nebuchadnezzar’s courts are called magi as well (Dan. 1:20, 2:2, 2:27). Some have even proposed that there may have been a group of astrologers or astronomers whose ancient Babylonian training was passed down from one generation to another. 

Which is right? I have no idea. But here is what I do know—these men travelled a long way to find the King of the Jews. In a profound way, the Magi were seekers of truth. They followed a Star (who knows how to understand that), a Star that led them to the Messiah. The Magi represents all of us in a way—we all need to find the Messiah. We need to find the One who will save us from our sins, who will rule this world someday. The Bible says—if you seek Jesus you will find Him. Go find Him. Go find the King of the World. 4 days until Christmas.