The Magi

Wesley Grubb • Dec 01, 2023

Prophecy Turns into Story

One of my favorite scenes in the Nativity story is the visit of the magi. This story inspired the Christmas carol “We Three Kings.” I always loved the second stanza of the song: “Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, / gold I bring to crown him again, / King forever, ceasing never, / over us all shall reign.” This carol captures well the scene in Matthew chapter 2, where the magi in the east see the star appear in the sky, “westward leading, still proceeding, / guide us to thy perfect light.” The magi follow the guidance of the star to Jerusalem, and then they follow the guidance of Scripture to Bethlehem, where the star stood directly over the place where the child Jesus resided. My favorite part of the story is when the magi

finally enter the house and see Jesus with their own eyes. Matthew says “they fell to the ground and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

When predictions in the Old Testament come to pass, prophecy turns into story; texts turn into history. That is what happens in the visit of the magi. Matthew has taken an Old Testament prophecy and turned it into a story, which is called a fulfillment narrative. The visit of the magi is the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:1-6. Grab your Bible and read those six verses. The resemblance to Matthew 2 should leap off the page. Isaiah begins the prophecy like this, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you” (60:1). This refers to the rising of the star in the east. Isaiah continues, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising” (60:3). The magi are not Israelites. They are from the nations of the east, and when they see the star rise they follow it, just as Isaiah predicted. By the way, Matthew never calls the magi “kings,” but they are depicted as “we three kings” because they are the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:3, which calls them kings. Finally, Isaiah says, “The wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those of Sheba will come; they will bring gold and frankincense” (60:5-6). This is why the magi are depicted as riding camels, a detail that Matthew does not mention. Matthew also does not say there were specifically three magi. Where does that detail come from? It comes from the number of gifts the magi bring to Jesus. Isaiah mentions gold and frankincense; Matthew adds myrrh as a third gift, possibly because this spice was associated

with the land of Sheba mentioned by Isaiah.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the Nativity story for two reasons. First, it shows us how God fulfills his word in history. Isaiah’s prophecy came to pass because God watches over his word to perform it. His word never returns void. It always accomplishes his purposes. Second, it shows me, as a Gentile, what my posture should be before Christ. Like the magi, I too am from the nations, and I too want to come to Jesus like they did. I want to go to him with joy; I want to fall before him in worship; I want to give him my treasures because I treasure him above all; and I want him to be my king forever. O let us be like these magi! Let us come to the light of Christ, follow wherever he leads, and give him our all—this Christmas, and always.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Wesley

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A Time for Feasting

By Wesley Grubb • 01 Apr, 2024

With the coming of Spring, the church enters into the joyous season of Easter. During Lent, we traditionally practice the discipline of self-denial. We give up something for Lent. This is an act of fasting for forty days. Easter is the mirror opposite of Lent. Just as we give up something for Lent, we are encouraged to take up something for Easter. Lent is about fasting, but Easter is about feasting. Easter is a forty-day period of celebration and rejoicing. The church greets the new life of Spring bursting forth in the earth by commemorating the glorious morning when our Lord burst forth from his tomb, bringing us eternal life. Here is how the apostle Paul says it: [God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:9-10). Here we have the meaning of Easter encapsulated. These are the things we celebrate, and all of them were accomplished and secured for us by Jesus on that first Easter through his resurrection. Our whole salvation is a sovereign work of God . It is not based on our holiness, our works, our purposes, or our merits. We are saved only by God’s purpose and grace, which he ordained to give us in eternity past. God saves us first, and then he calls us to live a holy life. And the way we obtain these gifts is only in union with Christ Jesus in his death and resurrection. As Paul says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. . . . So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:4, 5, 11). Our ultimate salvation is rescue from death . Being saved means achieving immortality. God’s sovereign purpose and saving grace, which he prepared in eternity and revealed in history, are intended to do for us one day what he did for Jesus on Easter. The symbol of our salvation is not only the cross, but the empty tomb. In his resurrection, Jesus abolished our death and brought us life. Paul says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Rom. 8:11). Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection in the past and the anticipation of our own resurrection in the future. This is why we take up something for Lent. We do something joyful for others that promotes flourishing and well-being. We add something to our lives that brings more life to ourselves and others. More life, unending life, abundant life—that is what we celebrate, and we give Jesus all the glory. What will you take up this Easter that is life-giving? Make it your aim this Easter to be the kind of person who brings life and joy to the people around you. He is risen! Grace and peace, Pastor Wesley