Who were the Magi?

The story of the Magi appears in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and has become an integral part of the Christmas narrative. The Magi are commonly depicted in nativity scenes, featured in carols such as “We Three Kings,” and even commemorated on a specific day of the church calendar.

But who were the Magi, and why are they important to the story of Christmas?

Misconceptions About the Magi

Many commonly held beliefs about the Magi are not based on the biblical text.

• The text does not state that there were three Magi. This assumption is made because three gifts were presented.
• There is no biblical evidence that the Magi were kings.
• We do not know the names of the Magi. Later legends identify them as Balthasar, Caspar, and Melchior, but these names do not appear in Scripture and are not historically verified.
• The star did not lead the Magi directly to Jerusalem. After observing the star in their homeland, they traveled to Jerusalem on their own.
• The Magi were not present on the night of Jesus’ birth. They arrived later, likely several months after He was born.

If these popular beliefs are misconceptions, then who were the Magi really?

Who Were the Magi?

Several theories have been proposed regarding the identity of the Magi. Matthew’s Gospel, however, does not provide any information other than they were from the east. Nevertheless, we can use some tools of interpretation, in this case, looking for clues from other parts of the Bible, to gather relevant information. 

The Greek word used for “Magi”, typically translated magicians or wise men, is used prior to Matthew in the Greek translation of the Old Testament; however, it appears only in the book of Daniel – see Dan 1:20; 2:2, 2:10, 2:27; 4:7; 5:7, 5:11, and 5:15. So, we look for clues in the story of Daniel.

Connections to Daniel

Daniel was an Israelite from the tribe of Judah who lived in captivity in Babylon. (The Babylonian Empire later became the Persian Empire.) Scripture describes Daniel as possessing an extraordinary spirit, and he was regarded as the wisest man in the land. King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him chief of the magicians (Dan 5:11), and later he became one of three governors over the kingdom; the king even planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom (Dan 6:2–3).

This Daniel prophesied about the Messiah. In Dan 9:24-27, Daniel wrote that the Messiah the Prince would come at a specific time in history. And being a high-ranking official in the land, his words were known and preserved, particularly, by the magicians.

Additional Considerations

The Israelites were taken into exile because of their unfaithfulness to God’s covenant. Before and during this exile, God spoke through multiple prophets, promising deliverance through a Messiah (see Isaiah 9:6–7; 11:1–2; 42:1–4; 49:5–6; Jer 23:5–6; 30:9; 33:15–16; Ezek 34:23–24; 37:24–25, and others). These prophecies were similar to Daniel’s prophecy.

When we consider these biblical clues, there is strong reason to believe that the Magi were wise men from Persia, which is located east of Jerusalem. They were familiar with Daniel’s prophecies and other messianic predictions foretelling the birth of the King of Israel—the King of the Jews. They knew this birth would occur after the rebuilding of the temple (Dan 9:25), which also explains how observing a star led them to conclude that a new King had been born.

While this interpretation is plausible, Scripture ultimately tells us only that the Magi came from the east. And whether it is true or not that they were from Persia, we can still see how God acted in history to fulfill His promise.

Significance

The birth of the Son of God, the Messiah, was promised since the Fall of mankind (see Not an Ordinary Birth) and prophesied by various prophets as seen above. And when the appointed time for this birth came, the Lord opened the heavens and announced it with extraordinary signs. He made a star appear in the sky and He sent His choir of angels to proclaim it to the shepherds. This was not something God wanted the world to miss!

Moreover, God announced this message to all kinds of people. The Israelites had the prophecies, the non-Israelite Magi saw the star in the sky, the common shepherds heard it through the angels, and through the Magi, God also made the news known to the powerful Herod, the chief priests, and the scribes.

But why?

God did this because of His great love for us, and He did not want anyone to miss this moment. God sent Jesus so that in Him we might be reconciled to Himself and be freed from the bondage of sin. God knew that we could never earn this reconciliation by ourselves or our works. The only way this was going to happen was if He Himself became a man, undid the curse of sin, and defeated sin, death, and Satan. And that is exactly what He did through Jesus.

We, now, receive this reconciliation by turning away from our sin and our idols in repentance, and turning to Jesus in faith, trusting His finished work alone for our salvation. So, turn to Him today!

God also made the birth of Jesus known so that we would worship Him. Just as the Magi came to worship Him, we are also called to worship Him. They did not come to honor an ordinary child, but to worship the King of the Jews. Jesus is not only the King of the Jews; He is the true Messiah, the true God of the universe, and the King of the entire world.

And this is exactly what God wants from every one of us also – to worship Jesus, to bow our knees and confess Him as Lord and Savior. 

Will you do that this Christmas?

Merry Christmas!!