Matthew 2:1-23 continued…
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” Matthew 2:2.
The second thing we look at is the TESTIMONY OF THE MAGI. The Magi were probably from the area of Persia, and were known as astrologers and/or magicians. This is by no means an approval on those practices of evil. It shows still the darkness of their hearts, but also a drawing power of God’s Spirit to people who do not know Him. The testimony of Daniel was strong even 450 years later.
So, what was the testimony of these Gentile “Magicians”? They came to the king, one who thought he was the king of Jerusalem, to find out where this King would be born (v. 2). First of all it seems they had a testimony of God’s Word. They had heard this message of a coming King of the Jews from somewhere and it must have been from the Scriptures which Daniel had written. They must have read of the “Stone cut out without hands”,
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Daniel 2:34. “Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.” Daniel 2:45.
The very fact that these men are seeking Him says much about who it is. Why would these men who held much importance for the king of Persia at the time be going off following a “Star”? Didn’t they have important matters to attend to? I mean by that things they would have considered important. Maybe they had other men who filled in for them in performing their duties.
One of the things that certainly can be said of these “Magi” is that they were seekers of the truth. In that endeavor we all should be, and those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior have been found by Him.
The testimony of the Magi troubled king Herod. He was, according to historians of that time, a very jealous man. He was the “King of Jerusalem”, and no one was going to have his throne. Are you troubled by this King, or do you find life, hope, peace, joy, and eternal life in Him?
The Fire and Hammer 
Bro. Gordon,
I can understand why. Thanks for the comments
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Good series, Bro. TA.
I don’t ever come across this text that I don’t recall something that happened to me in the children’s sermon at church one Sunday.
I was preaching from this text that day and decided to have a little fun with the kids. I asked them, “Did the magi seek Jesus because they were wise, or were they wise because they sought Jesus.”
The kids sat there, scratching their heads. So I finally said, “You know what, I’m not even sure if I know the answer to that question.”
A very precocious six-year-old said, “Is that why you asked us, because you don’t know?”
I had a really hard time getting the congregation back under control after that one.
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