In Matthew 2:1-12, God goes out of His way to reveal His Son to searching magi, influencing the stars in the sky to get foreign magi to Bethlehem to visit the Christ-child. God will meet you where you are and in a manner you will understand. 

These magi were astrologers—they studied the stars for signs of events to come on earth, and from their findings, they would advise kings. Many people think they came from the region of Persia, modern-day Iran. If so, they were probably impacted by the influence of Daniel the prophet in the courts of Darius and Cyrus. They may have been familiar with Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9:24-27, which indicated that the time for the Messiah’s coming was drawing near.

The wise men were encouraged on their spiritual journey by God’s supernatural workings (Matthew 2:2). What was “His star in the east?” A comet, a meteor, a close alignment of Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, or some combination of planets, the star Regulus, or a supernova.

It seems to me to make little sense to identify this star with the ordinary stars of the heavens or to explain this strange happening in accordance with any phenomenon of nature. When has a star determined its course to direct men along some beaten highway? When has a star ever timed itself to suit the gait of man? Or to allow for needed rest periods in which to eat and sleep? When has a star ever singled out a certain city, and even a particular house in that village? It was probably the Shekinah glory of God.

There are people by God’s grace, who genuinely search for the Messiah. Only those who go after God with their whole heart find Him. God made us to know Him personally. He has stamped eternity on our hearts. He put a void in our life that can only be satisfied by God. Jeremiah 29:13 says: You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Then I will be found by you.

Those who search must be willing to pay the price. It requires a careful search. There were a lot of babies in Bethlehem, but only one Messiah. There are many other stars that can distract and confuse us. We must make sure that our search leads us to the true star. Numbers 24:7 says, There shall come a star out of Jacob.

It also requires a costly search (Matthew 2:1-2). It was approximately 1000 miles from Persia to Jerusalem. It probably took them at least a year to arrive. The obstacles they overcame were traveling through hostile tribes, fording the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers, and going across trackless deserts until they finally reached Jerusalem.

True seekers find Christ (Matthew 2:9-12). Along the way, the magi experienced God’s supernatural workings (2:9). Are there evidences in your life that you have been touched by God? Answered prayers, effective service, or a changed life, etc.

The magi honor Jesus as Messiah and King by their sacrificial gifts (2:11b). It is clear that the magi had grown in their understanding of God’s person and purpose. In this short passage we discover how much they already knew about Jesus Christ: He is a newborn child (2:2, 8). He is the king of the Jews (2:2). He is the Messiah (2:4). He is the ruler (2:6). He is the shepherd (2:6).

True seekers are changed because of their time with the Lord (Matthew 2:12). The magi are more sensitive to the voice of God (“warned by God in a dream”); and they are more responsive to the will of God (“left by another way”). 

God is communicating to you right now. He is drawing you to himself. Follow the light that you have been given and come to accept Jesus’ forgiveness and presence in your life.