What do you think of when you are told the wise men visited Jesus and gave Him gifts? Do you immediately think there were three of them? Do you think of the three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh? Have you researched to determine if it is true?
We often sing We Three Kings shortly after Christmas. We may allow this song to corrupt our thinking about who visited Jesus. Tradition can be very good and can also be misleading or non-factual. The idea of three kings visiting Jesus is just such a case.
Matthew tells us in chapter 2 that wise men (or magi) came to bring gifts to Jesus and worship Him. Wise men were not kings. They were very learned men who knew prophecy, astrology, and other areas of high education. But notice Matthew does not say how many of them there were. Therefore, we do not know how many.
Why would anyone suggest there were three? Isaiah 60:6 states people from three locations who will praise the Lord. Many will come with camels from Midian and Ephah. People from Sheba will bring gold and frankincense. Isaiah uses the plural and implies there will many who will come.
Psalm 72:10 is where we get the idea of kings. It states kings from Tarshish will render tribute. The kings of Sheba and Seba will bring gifts. Is it logical to assume there was only one person from each location? If so, there should be five, since there are five different locations mentioned between the two passages.
Rather than focusing on the number of wise men, let’s focus on their desire to worship the King. They brought gifts that were fit for a king. They traveled a great distance to see Him and worship Him. These learned men knew there was something special going on and desired to see it take place.
Perhaps we should recognize there is something special going on. Jesus promised to never leave us. He promised to send the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives within us. Why then would we choose to trust in worldly culture when we have the heavenly culture available to us? As we start this new year, let’s focus more on Jesus and God’s plan than on the world and its false ways.
Isaiah 60:6
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
Marty Pressey 