Every December, we set up our nativity scenes, hang our lights, and reread the familiar verses about shepherds watching over their sheep by night. It’s beautiful, comforting, and part of the rhythm of the season. However, it’s not the manger, the animals, or even the angel choir that always captivates me in the Christmas story. It’s the arrival of the wise men, those mysterious travelers from the East who came searching for a king they hadn’t grown up hearing about.
Matthew 2:1 (KJV)
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
We picture them on camels, wrapped in fine robes, following a star across a dark sky. But beneath all the Christmas-card imagery lies a truth we all should revisit: these men were Gentiles, outsiders, people every devout Jew would have considered unclean. They didn’t belong to Israel. Nor did they have a covenant. They weren’t part of the religious world Jesus was born into.
And yet, they’re the ones who arrived searching, bowed first, and offered their very best to the newborn Messiah. That fact alone turns the entire Christmas story into a sermon.
The Wise Men Weren’t Expected to Be There, but God Called Them Anyway
Matthew tells us these men came “from the east,” likely Persia or Babylon. To put it another way, these men likely originated from the same regions where Israel endured hardship during their captivity. These men studied the stars, watched the skies, and followed signs. They didn’t show up in Bethlehem because of tradition or heritage; they came because something in their spirit said, Go. A King is waiting.
To first-century Jews, Gentiles were considered unclean. They weren’t allowed in the Temple. They weren’t part of the promise. Yet, before the priests lifted an offering, God invited Gentiles to the feet of Jesus. And He did it intentionally.
The message is loud: God has always planned to draw “outsiders” near. He’s always reached for the ones others overlook, and he’s always been a God who steps across boundaries people draw.
Like those travelers, we come searching too.
I think about how many people feel unworthy of approaching God today. They carry regret, mistakes, and a past they’d rather never speak of again. Some individuals believe they are too lost or too damaged to enter a church and raise their hands.
But the wise men preach a different truth. They remind us:
- You don’t need to grow up in church to discover Jesus.
- You don’t need religious credentials to kneel before Him.
- You don’t need to be perfect to begin your journey; just be hungry.
The wise men saw a sign and followed it with determination. They didn’t know every Scripture. Nor did they understand every prophecy. Yet they still asked, “Where is He?”
There’s something powerful about that kind of pursuit. It’s bold and genuine.
They fell down and worshipped.
When those Gentile travelers finally arrived at the house where Jesus was, Scripture says something simple and striking:
Matthew 2:11 (KJV)
11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Before they opened a chest or handed over a gift, the wise men offered something greater: their posture, humility, and surrender. Their bodies hit the floor in front of a toddler who hadn’t spoken a word of doctrine or performed a single miracle.
Why? Because they recognized the One who stood before them.
There’s a lesson: Revelation prompts worship well before understanding catches up.
The gifts were costly; true worship always requires sacrifice.
Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. These weren’t mere trinkets bought from clearance bins; they were valuable treasures carried across deserts. Their giving revealed a truth long before the events of Calvary.
Jesus is truly worthy. Not because of what He did, but simply because of who He is.
When we come to Him today, our offerings are different. We bring repentance, our brokenness, our stubborn pieces, and our pride. We bring our sin, lay it all down, and say, “You can have this mess of a life, Lord. You’re worthy.”
Their treasure boxes turned into our altars.
Christmas isn’t just about the night Jesus was born, it’s about the day we walk out of sin.
This is the part of the story many people forget. Christmas isn’t just about celebrating a child in a manger. It’s about God made flesh, entering a world lost in sin to open the door of salvation wide enough for everyone, including the “outsiders.”
John 1:14 (KJV)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Christmas represents hope entering human history and signifies the Light stepping into darkness. Christmas means sinners have a Savior to turn to.
It doesn’t stop at Bethlehem, though. The story moves toward Calvary, leading to a tomb, and ultimately to the new birth experience we teach today: repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Christmas marks the beginning of the greatest rescue mission in eternity.
And the first people to preach that truth, without words, were Gentiles who bowed at His feet.
If the Wise men Taught Us Anything, It is This…
If God welcomed the Magi, He will welcome you. Furthermore, if He drew them, He is drawing you. Additionally, if the Magi found Him during their long and uncertain journey, you can also discover Him in the midst of your own journey.
You don’t have to be perfect when you come to Him, nor do you have to be polished. You just need to come willing.
This Christmas, lift your eyes as they did. Look beyond the noise, stress, schedules, and crowded stores. Follow the pull in your spirit. Let it lead you straight to Jesus.
Because the most incredible truth in the entire Nativity story is this:
The King of Kings didn’t wait for the world to get everything right; He came to rescue the world while everything was still wrong.
And He’s still doing it today. So come. Bow low. Offer what you have. A Savior is waiting, one who welcomes outsiders, sinners, and wanderers with the same grace He showed the wise men on that holy night so long ago.
Additional Reading related to Christmas
Credits
Credit: OpenAI helped create my article outlines and generate the imagery. Grammarly fixed my writing errors, and QuillBot improved the writing.
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