Out of the East …

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Do you know any magi?

Are you one?

You might be surprised at the answer to that.

I’ve always thought the magi were an interesting inclusion to the Christmas story. You would think the grand chorus of angels and the heavenly herald proclaiming the birth of Christ would be sufficient for the written record. But no … enter the magi.

Beyond Israel, God’s “chosen people,” was a world of other people who believed and lived quite differently. In one society, the influential men of their time were known as “magi.”

Don’t mistake that for “magician.”

While it is thought some of the magi studied magic, the magi were the highly educated, intellectual elites of their day within their society. They were learned men who studied the depth and breadth of human knowledge of their time. They were the modern-day scientists, scholars, astronomers and astrologists, gurus, doctors, lawyers, and philosophers. For all their learning, they were known to be the “wise men” of their culture.

Because of their wisdom and wise leadership, they also served as a council to select the king who ruled their society — they were kingmakers.

That’s what makes their pursuit of Jesus Christ so interesting.

These men had studied it all, searched it all, investigated it all, tried it all. They had given themselves to learning and exploring all the knowledge and resources that humanity had to offer in their time.

And they found it wanting.

Enough to hop on their camels and make a long, trudging, perilous pursuit for something better. After all their human exploration, these magi found everything humanity could think or perform to be lacking for the human need.

So they sought something better. For someone better. For a true King. For someone worthy of their worship.

“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him,'” Matthew 2:1-2.

The Jewish people were longing, and impatiently looking for, an earthly king to change their political position as they lived in subservience to the Roman empire. But the magi? They were looking for a king to worship!

“After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” Matthew 2:9-11.

When the magi found the Christ, they found the One they were looking for; down to their knees they went, offering their worship of the only one to finally bring fulfillment to all they were looking for.

Their search was done!

Many people today search the breadth and depth of human knowledge for answers to life. They’re smart, bright, capable … and lost. In spite of everything humankind can think or do even today, nothing humanity offers can fulfill the human need.

Yet, it is few today who are wise enough to keep searching until they come to Christ. It is few today who, when they find Him, bow themselves in true worship of Him. It is few today who offer their greatest treasure as gifts for Him. In fact, it is few who are willing to saddle up and journey out.

What are you searching for? Have you found the Christ? If so, how have you responded?

Scotty