The Influence of the Word

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod, the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

It's pretty amazing when you think about it: a group of wise men, or "Magi," travelling all the way from the East—likely Persia—to find the newborn Jewish Messiah. Why would they even care about a Jewish prophecy? Well, here's where things get interesting.

These weren't just any wise men. The original Greek word for them is "magos," which means they were more than likely scholars or magicians. They probably knew about stars, planets, and perhaps a bit of magic. Now, remember Daniel from the Bible? He was taken as a captive to Babylon and became the top guy among all the magicians there. When Persia took over Babylon, Daniel kept his job.

So, it's possible that these Magi had access to Daniel's writings or teachings about a coming Jewish Messiah. Imagine these scholars pouring over ancient texts, and then—boom—a new, mysterious star appears. Connecting the dots, they might have thought, "This is it. This is the sign Daniel was talking about!"

So, they packed their bags and took what must have been an epic journey, following a star to find a baby who would become a king. And not just any king, but the Messiah they had read about.

Isn't it fascinating? The Jewish scholars, who you'd think would be the first to know, were caught off guard when the Messiah was born. But not the Persian Magi! These wise men had been digging deep into the teachings of Daniel, which predicted the coming of the Messiah. It's almost like they knew something the locals didn't.

What's the secret sauce? It's the transformative power of God's Word. According to the Bible, "the sacred writings ... are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). These Magi weren't Jewish, but they were clued in because they took the time to study the teachings that Daniel, a Jewish prophet, had left behind.

So, what's the takeaway? Wisdom isn't just for scholars or religious insiders. It's available for anyone willing to seek it out in the pages of Scripture. If you open your heart and mind to God's Word, you, too, can become wise in ways that truly matter.

The Influence of the Word

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