|
The Wise Men (2) |
|
BACK TO INDEX |
|
The picture of the wise men and the shepherds in a stable around a manger containing the newly born baby Jesus has no foundation in Scripture. Matthew speaks not of a baby in a manger, but of a little child with his Mother in a house (Matthew 2:11). The fact that the wise men spoke of having seen the star in the East of one born King of the Jews would suggest that the star first |
|
appeared when Christ was born (not when He was conceived, incidentally) (Matthew 2:2). If that was so it could well have been some weeks, or months after his birth, before the wise men arrived at Jerusalem, let alone at the place where Jesus was. Scripture does not actually say it was Bethlehem, but Luke tells us that the parents of Jesus went up yearly to the feast of the Passover (Luke 2:41) and they may well have sometimes, if not always, spent time at Bethlehem. Herod had accurately enquired of the wise men when the star first appeared (Matthew 2:7), and based his child killing policy on the assumption that Jesus could have been anything up to two years old (Matthew 2:16). Even if we assume that Herod had allowed a substantial margin of error it does not appear that he thought that Jesus was little more than a newly born baby. A lot can happen in two years and because the Matthew narrative is not the same as that of Luke does not mean that it should be treated as false or inaccurate. The fact that Joseph was told to flee would suggest that he was residing in Bethlehem or near it; this being the danger area (Matthew 2:13). |
|
The answer of a Bible believing Christian will undoubtedly be Yes. However the appearance of the star may puzzle some. It was not always visible, as the wording of Matthew 2:7 and 9 would suggest that it reappeared after the wise men had left Jerusalem. Whether it was visible in the daylight may be questioned and whether it was visible in cloudy weather. All this would depend on its brightness and its altitude in the sky. It was no ordinary star, for ordinary stars do not go before people as this star did (Matthew 2:9). Today as well as ordinary stars in the sky there are space stations which shine like stars, and other objects which, if not understood, are called UFO's. Scripture speaks of great signs from heaven (Luke 21:11) and Josephus the historian in his "The Jewish War" (G. A. Williamson translation) mentions such before the fall of Jerusalem (chapter 21). There is also witness that there was such in Germany before Hitler embarked on his disastrous war. It should not therefore surprise us if there was a heavenly sign at the time of the birth of Christ. The Pharisees wanted to see a sign out of heaven, but did not get one (Mark 8:11). We may say there had already been one and it had not been taken notice of. If we reject the story of the wise men because it does not appear in any of the other Gospels, why not reject the story of the Jerusalem visit when Jesus was 12 years old on the same ground (Luke 2:41-52) ? |
|
|
|
It is true that when the wise men arrived at Jerusalem their story caused great unease (Matthew 2:3). Herod clearly took it seriously and did not like it. He most certainly wanted the child killed (Matthew 2:13). It may be inferred from the fact that he secretly called the wise men that he wanted the matter hushed up (Matthew 2:7). Then after the wise men had seen the child they went back to their own country and we hear no more of them. The name of their country we are not told, possibly because national boundaries tend to change over time, but the general area was no doubt as indicated in article 1, which would more recently be called Mesopotamia. It is generally recognised that it was not out of character for Herod to have done what he did to the children |