The wisemen began by seeking Jesus in the wrong place. Matthew 2: Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” [1] We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, not Jerusalem.
We don’t know exactly what this star was. It may have been a conjunction of planets. Plus, we don’t know why these royal astrologers considered this unusual astral phenomenon to be the star of a king of the Jews. We understand that they came from the east, which was probably the area of Babylon.
God had exiled the Jews to Babylon 600 years earlier. Daniel was one of these exiles and became part of the wise men who advised the Babylonian kings. Perhaps Daniel had left writings about a Jewish Messiah who was to come. After seeing the star, these pagan scholars somehow knew they needed to worship a new ruler.
Using Human Wisdom
These astrologers knew a new king had been born to the Jews. It doesn’t appear that their references told them the site of the new king’s birth. Where would they find him? They assumed that a king must be born in the capital of the nation. Thus, they traveled to Jerusalem to inquire.
Even today, as we seek Jesus, we may not have all the information at hand and begin to seek Him in the wrong place. We want to use our human wisdom to figure God out, but we can’t. Isaiah 55: 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. [2]
The wisemen weren’t the only ones who went seeking Jesus in the wrong place. After the crucifixion, several women followers went to the tomb. They intended to honor Jesus with the usual custom of anointing the body with oil. But the tomb was empty, Jesus had risen.
Jesus had told His followers this would happen as He spoke about Himself in the third person. Luke 18: 33 They will flog him (Jesus) with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” 34 But they didn’t understand any of this.[3] In human reasoning, this didn’t make sense.
Find Jesus in the Scripture
As the wise men inquired about the new king, Jewish scholars turned to Scripture and were able to tell them that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. God has given us Scripture so as we seek Jesus, we will find him. At times, this is a journey because, like the women at the tomb, we don’t understand. Yet, God will continue to answer us as we sincerely seek Him and search the Scripture.
After beginning their journey to Bethlehem, God even gave the wise men a sign to confirm they were on the right track. Matthew 2:9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy![4] May God fill you with joy as you seek Jesus. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-gift-of-seeking
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.