The Desire of Wise Men

Introduction

Many people celebrate December 25th as the birth of Jesus Christ, though the Bible does not specify an exact date for His birth, nor does it prescribe its observance. That said, it does not mean it is without significance, for one can certainly take this time to reflect on that wonderful event, though it should always be kept in mind just why He was born (Jn. 3:16; 18:37).

Though modern variations of the account embellish the details quite a bit, nothing more is known except that which is recorded in the Bible. Let us turn our attention to the event as told by Matthew (2:1-12), and look at the wise men, or magi, from the east. Though we do not know the number of magi, nor their names, their actions provide a valuable lesson for us today. It is a lesson on desire.

1. Desire to Study

   1. How did these men know about the King of the Jews in the first place?
      1. They searched the Scriptures (cf. Acts 17:11). Though they were not Jews, they had access to the Word of God and they studied it.
      2. A reason for them having this knowledge (through the Scriptures or direct teaching) could be from the prophet Daniel, who was a well-respected chief over the wise men during his service under both Babylonian and Persian kings (Dan. 2:12-18, 24, 48; 5:11). It may have been he who taught of the coming King (Dan. 2:44; 7:14), or that his conduct gave them reason to learn about his God (Dan. 6:26-28; cf. Isa. 9:6, 7).

2. Desire to Seek Him

   1. These men had a knowledge of the Savior, and they acted upon it.
      1. These men came from a great distance, perhaps more than 500 miles, to worship Jesus (Matt. 2:1).
      2. It took great faith to make such a long trip, especially considering they were not even Jews. Perhaps they wondered if they would even be accepted in Jerusalem (cf. Matt. 2:3).
   2. Not even the chief priests and scribes, after hearing that the King had been born, acted on their knowledge (Matt. 2:4-6).

3. Desire to Serve Him

   1. These men sought the Lord so that they could worship Him (Matt. 2:2, 9-11).
      1. As mentioned, they came from a great distance for this purpose. How many of us would travel that far to worship God?
      2. Not only did they give of their time and effort to make the trip, they gave Him precious gifts (Matt. 2:11; 2 Cor. 9:7).
   2. These men were willing to suffer the consequences of not telling Herod where the Child was (2:12, 16).

Conclusion

Though mentioned briefly, these men teach us a valuable lesson about desire. They had the desire to study and learn (2 Tim. 2:15), to seek the Lord and His wisdom (Isa. 55:6; Pr. 8:17), and to serve Him no matter what happened (Heb. 4:11). Let us all be wise enough to do the same (cf. Pr. 1:1-7).