“Behold, magi from the east came to Jerusalem.” Matthew 2:1.

Matthew says “behold” to make sure he has our attention.
He knows how prone we are to fall asleep while we’re reading.

“Wake up. Make sure you’re listening. This is huge. Don’t miss it. It’s not what you’d expect…”

But what’s so shocking about magi coming to Jesus?

We should we be surprised.
Because magi is an ancient word referring to pagan astrologers.
And since they dabble in the dark arts, we eventually got our English word magic from such magi.

“Behold,” Matthew says.

Look at this:
Astrologers are coming!
Pagan sorcerers are searching for Jesus!

This is shocking—and spectacular!

Now “We Three Kings” is a wonderful Christmas song.
They are pagan astrologers, not too far from what we’d call sorcerers and wizards.

These magi are “magi”cians, pagan specialists in the supernatural, experts in astrology, magic, and divination, blatant violators of Old Testament law but they are coming to worship Jesus.

We really should beware of having a narrower vision of who can come to Jesus than God does.
We can be so prone to write off people like this, but God doesn’t.

He draws.
He woos.
He’s seeking worshipers from among the priestly caste of pagan religion.
There will be worshipers from Hogwarts, even from Slytherin.

And God is drawing them to his Son even though the Old Testament clearly condemns their vocation.
These magi are “the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans” that the king of wicked Babylon commanded to tell him his dreams in Daniel 2:2.

Moses had so clearly condemned the use of such magic in Deuteronomy 18:9–14.
And prophets Isaiah (47:11-15) and Jeremiah (10:1-2) added their words of judgment to those dabbling in magic and sorcery.

Also the New Testament joins the refrain in Acts 8, when Peter condemns a man named Simon who dabbled in magic and offered
money to obtain the apostles’ power to heal, and in Acts 13:6–12, as Paul condemns a magician name Elymas who was opposing
the advance of the gospel.

So the whole Bible, Old Testament and New, plainly condemns the kind of astrology, stargazing, and dabbling in the dark arts typical of the magi.

In biblical terms, the magi are plainly marked as “sinners.”
Here Come the Sinners!

And Matthew says, “Behold, magi come! Astrologer-magician-sorcerer-pagan-sinners are coming to Jesus.” 
Don’t miss the shock of these Jewishly uncouth men coming to Jesus.

Matthew 2:11 provides an important connection between these pagan astrologers and a prophecy from Isaiah.
Verse 11: “And going into the house (the magi) saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. 
But it seems that the main connection Matthew wants us to make is to Isaiah 60-
– where Isaiah prophesies about all the nations coming to Israel’s king. Psalm 72:10–11.

Here’s Isaiah 60:3–6:
“Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar (bearing gifts we traverse far?)…The wealth of the nations shall come to you. 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 bring good news, the praises of the Lord.”

This Christ is not only king of Israel, but he is the king of all nations, the king of kings.

(PR)