Who were the intentional investigators the Bible records as not only searching for meaning in life, but also searching with meaning? They intended to find what they were looking for and announcing, “Our search is over. We came, we found, and we worshipped.”

They are the “wise men” — the “magi” of Matthew 2:1, Eastern, possibly Persian, or Arabian — astronomers who recognized a heavenly sign that the promised King of the Jews had been born. And they journeyed until they found Him.

Though they took different roads to find Jesus — the shepherds took an unexpected journey on the low road compared to the magi’s expected journey on the high road — both intentional in their search for God. Finding God took precedence over searching for God. They didn’t debate whether Jesus was indeed the object of their search. Instead, they searched, found, worshipped.

It would be easy to say that God only welcomes the poor and humble, like the shepherds. Not so — the presence of the magi shows that God welcomes the rich and humble as well. Rich or poor, educated or illiterate, low class or high class — none of that matters to God. What matters is the attitude of the heart, that the searcher be intent on finding God.

Magi were “wise men from the East” — astronomers on a mission. How did they connect the unusual star with the birth of the Jewish Messiah-King? They most likely possessed Old Testament Scriptures and were watching for a sign based on Numbers 24:17: “A Star shall come out of Jacob....” They were definitely magi on a mission.

Look at the evidence that encountering the King of the Jews was more important to the Magi than hypothesizing about Him:

1. Their language. They asked how to find “He who has been born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2), knowing this Baby was born King, not born to become King. The magi were not asking whether a King had been born. They only asked for directions to find the King.

2. Their gifts. They fully intended to find the new King and bestow their costly gifts upon Him. The gifts suggest they came to worship or give homage. The word proskuneo in Matthew 2:2 can mean “worship” or “homage.” There’s no question they viewed Jesus as more than just an heir to a throne.

3. Their commitment. Whether these wise men journeyed from Mesopotamia or Arabia, it was weeks of camel-back time over difficult Middle Eastern terrain. Men of their stature and wealth would have attendants, extra camels for supplies, guards, and others. This was not intellectual curiosity about the existence of a new ruler; it was a journey of commitment from start to finish.

4. Their submission. Arriving in Bethlehem, they found the Star that had come out of Jacob living in a humble house, attended only by His mother and father. No courtiers or attendants? No Herod to support the family of the future king of Israel? Kneeling on the dirt floor, they laid their gifts down, adapting their expectations to fit the King, not vice versa.

5. Their loyalty. Finally, the magi departed Bethlehem without revealing the location of the new King to Herod. Warned in a dream about Herod’s evil intent toward the baby, they left secretly. They risked their lives to protect the identity and location of the new king.

These magi would have little patience with modern coffee-house speculators who are more interested in talking about their search for God than in finding Him. They were ready to follow the Star in the East should it appear in their lifetime. And when it did, they spared no expense in following it to the newborn King.

How about you? Have you found the divine King born in Bethlehem? What is there in your language, your gifts, your commitment, your submission, and your loyalty that indicates you have either found Him already or are on a mission to do so? Don’t spend your life speculating. Bow your knee, lay down the gift of your life, and worship Him this Christmas for who He is.

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Dr. Jeremiah is the founder and host of Turning Point for God and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California. For more information on Turning Point, go to www.DavidJeremiah.org.

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