Matthew 2:2 says “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.”

In this special Christmas devotional, we are going to learn one of the characters of Christmas in this passage, i.e. the wise men (magi). The wise men (magi) is a group of scholars who study the stars. There are two insights from the visitation of the wise men that we can see.

The Amazing Prevenient Grace of God

The first insight we can see in this passage is the amazing Grace of God in the lives of these wise men. These men were Gentiles, some literature say that they come from Persia (Iran now), and it is God who had chosen them by giving them a special sign, i.e. the miraculous star that led them to Jesus.

In the same way, it is God’s prevenient grace that has chosen us to have faith in Him. Jesus said to His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you..” (John 15:16a). The grace that had given the wise men a sign is also the grace that continued to lead them to the King of the Jews and brought them home safely (Matthew 2:12). I believe that the same grace that has enabled us to have saving faith is also the same grace that will continue to bring our faith to completion (Philippians 1:6), Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

The journey to see the King

The journey of the wise men to see Jesus is not easy. Some literature say that the journey from the place of the magi to Bethlehem is about 2,204 km. This makes sense, because when they arrived at Jesus’ house, Jesus was not a newborn baby anymore, but an infant (around 2 years).

Keep in mind that in those days, the roads were rocky roads, not asphalt roads as today, and they probably had to pass through deserts, endured extreme weather, etc. We can reflect here whether we have been faithful stewards of God’s grace in our lives. Paul encourages the Philippians: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12 – 13).

Do we still have the hunger or the drive to seek to know Jesus more like what Paul said in Philippians 3:12: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”?

Bible Quiz: How many wise men visited Jesus?