We three kings... the real story?

We three kings. I love the carol sung by the choirs just now. But here are some historical realities that add to the story.

There was probably a caravan of magicians travelling to find the babe-- not only 3 wise men. It was probably up to 3 years after the birth of the baby. Do the dates matter? Not at all to me.

The story is the lesson.

Gentile kings (leaders/ mayors/ magicians) came to find the baby. They followed a star. A comet? To me-- irrelevant. Here's the story. Gentiles from Iran/Iraq saw something in the sky that indicated a king was coming/ born in Israel. They probably had been taught about this over several generations from the information that either Queen Esther or Daniel the Prophet had deposited previously. Who is the king who is coming? Where is he? They believed he was the messiah, but beyond that, they were not sure.

They didn't know, but they followed the star. The star stopped 'above' the child. According to the biblical record, they travelled to Jerusalem. After all, kings should be born in a capital city. Not Galilee or Gaza. But also not Oslo or Salt Lake City. They came to Jerusalem. (Matthew 2.1) They brought him presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Takeaway: if Gentiles from Mesopotamia can believe in a Jewish king and travel to Israel to worship him, then maybe we Jews from Israel, New York, Sydney, Jo'burg, and anywhere else can stop to listen and discover if this Yeshua (Jesus) is actually of note. And is he to be worshipped? And is he our Messiah? Stop. Look. Sh'ma.

The actual story as recorded in the Bible:  "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written ¹by the prophet:

⁶  ‘^aAND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, 

ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; 

FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER 

WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’” [quote from Micah chapter 5 in the Older Testament]

Matt. 2:7   Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” ⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way." (recorded in the biography written by Matthew, chapter 2, verses 1-12.

Do you hear what I hear?