ODJ: we many dignitaries?
December 8, 2011
They entered the house and saw the child with His mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped Him (v.11).
READ: Matthew 2:1-12
One of the many traditional Christmas carols we often hear and sing this time of year is We Three Kings. It was written by John Henry Hopkins in 1857. Go ahead—sing a few lines!
Now, I hate to topple a much-loved tradition, but there were likely more than three kings who travelled afar to visit Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). The Bible doesn’t say exactly how many there were, but it was probably quite a large group of men. Which brings up another point—they weren’t kings either. They were foreign dignitaries, members of a Persian priestly class, who were wise advisors to the king.
We don’t get this from the Christmas carol, but many manger scenes also portray the wise men visiting Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus the night He was born in Bethlehem. Yet that is incorrect as well. The only ones who paid them a visit that night in the stable were a group of local shepherds (Luke 2:8-16). Although the wise men were still in Bethlehem, it actually wasn’t until some time later in a “house” that they “bowed down and worshipped” Jesus (Matthew 2:11).
Even though tradition has struggled to keep the details straight, it still doesn’t change the fact that a number of wise men from the east followed some sort of heavenly sign that led them on a search to find a real king—the promised king of the Jews (vv.1-2). When they finally tracked Him down, their first response was to worship Him (v.11). Why? Even though Jesus was a small child, they understood that He was the Son of God. They were in the presence of the Saviour of the world.
Whatever traditions we might have, may we also do the same as we grasp the truth of Immanuel—God with us (1:23). —Jeff Olson
What are some gifts of worship you can offer to Jesus today? How do your family traditions celebrate the truth of Jesus’ birth?
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