The narrative of the Magi, frequently referred to as the “wise men,” remains one of the most intriguing and unique accounts within the biblical record. While much has been said about these figures throughout history, their story continues to offer a wealth of instructive and inspiring insights for the modern reader. To understand what truly made these individuals “wise” according to the biblical standard, one must look beyond their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the nature of their hearts, the quality of their faith, and their response to divine revelation.

The Geography and Identity of the Magi

The wise men originated from “the east,” a region encompassing areas such as modern-day Iran and Iraq, which were part of the ancient Persian Empire. These individuals were known as “Magi,” a term that suggests they may have been scientists, advisors to rulers, or members of the nobility. Their historical lineage can be traced back to figures like Daniel, who himself served as a magus or advisor to the rulers of the Babylonian and later the Medo-Persian kingdoms.

Despite their distance from the heart of Judea, these men were motivated by a profound sense of purpose. They were not merely casual observers of the stars; they were seekers of truth who understood that a momentous event was unfolding. This motivated them to undertake a long and arduous journey—one that likely lasted for months or even years—to find the newborn “king of the Jews”. Their presence in the Christmas story illustrates a “simple faith” where royalty and scientists alike humbled themselves before a child. Furthermore, as they were the first Gentiles to worship the Jewish Messiah, they effectively made Him available to the nations, a concept that holds deep significance for world missions today.

The Power of the “Sliver of Revelation”

A primary characteristic that defined the wisdom of the Magi was their total surrender to a very limited amount of divine revelation. Unlike the spiritual leaders in Jerusalem, the wise men did not possess the entire Old Testament. Instead, they had what could be described as “one sliver” of prophecy or “one little shaft of light”. They had received information that a specific star would rise as a sign that a king had been born, and they chose to stake their entire lives on that single word.

This quality—the ability to follow a “guiding light” with one’s whole life—is the hallmark of true biblical wisdom. It stands in stark contrast to those who have an abundance of knowledge but lack the will to act upon it. In our own contemporary experience, we find that wisdom often comes from clinging to specific “slivers” or proverbs that serve as a guiding star through the complexities of life. For some, this might be the determination to “know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” ensuring that ministry is driven by the power of God rather than human eloquence. For others, it is the practical, saving grace found in the command to “not let the sun go down on your anger,” which acts as a “star of Bethlehem” whenever conflict arises, guiding the heart toward peace and resolution. The wise men were wise because they recognized the value of the “one word” they had and gave themselves fully to it.

Defining Wisdom: Searching for Hidden Treasure

To understand what makes anyone wise in the eyes of the Bible, we must look to the instructions provided in the book of Proverbs. Proverbs chapter 2 teaches that becoming wise is a deliberate and active process. It involves receiving words, treasuring up commandments, making the ear attentive to wisdom, and inclining the heart to understanding. Most importantly, it requires calling out for insight and searching for it as if one were looking for “silver” or “hidden treasure”.

The Magi perfectly embodied this “treasure hunter” mentality. They were like pirates seeking hidden gold, relishing the revelation of God as something of immense value beyond description. This search for wisdom is not a passive endeavor; it is as thrilling as a child discovering an old shoe box of forgotten family photos or stumbling upon a hundred-dollar bill in a candy rack. When an individual opens the word of God—His promises, warnings, and revelations—and treats those findings as “gold and silver,” they begin to understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. The wise men were wise because they treated the prophecy of the King as a treasure of great worth, and they were willing to pay any price to find it.

The Contrast of Hearts: Seekers vs. the Apathetic

One of the most instructive aspects of the wise men’s story is the contrast between their response and that of the religious establishment in Jerusalem. When the Magi arrived asking for the King of the Jews, Herod assembled the chief priests and scribes to inquire where the Christ was to be born. These scholars had access to scores of biblical prophecies and knew the scriptures intimately. They quickly identified Bethlehem as the location, citing the prophet Micah.

However, despite having the “whole revelation” of the Old Testament, the spiritual leaders displayed a “ho-hum” and passive attitude. There is no record of them being excited or following up with the Magi. While the wise men traveled from a foreign culture for months to find Jesus, the local leaders—who were only a few miles from Bethlehem—seemingly went back to their daily lives without a second thought. Their hearts had “gone to sleep,” treating the glorious promises of God as common “copper coins” rather than the gold and silver they were. This serves as a sobering warning: it is possible to have much knowledge of the Word of God and yet fail to treasure it. The wise men were wise not because they knew more than the scribes, but because they valued what they knew more deeply.

The Antagonism of Herod: A Rejection of the Word

In further contrast to the wise men, the figure of King Herod represents a violent and antagonistic response to divine revelation. Herod had access to the same scriptural prophecies as the priests, yet he totally rejected them. Instead of seeking to worship the King, he sought to destroy Him. Herod was not merely apathetic; he was an active opponent of the Word of God.

This antagonism manifested in a horrific display of “demonic evil”: the mass murder of innocent male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas. By ordering the killing of all boys two years old and under, Herod hoped to eliminate the threat to his power. This “insidious attitude”—the willingness to kill as many as necessary to protect one’s own interests—finds a tragic parallel in the modern abortion epidemic. In our world today, 97% of abortions occur outside the United States, representing a global missions challenge where the most vulnerable are routinely sacrificed. Just as Herod’s actions caused “incalculable grief and sorrow” for mothers, the modern pro-abortion movement continues to leave a trail of lamentation. The wise men were wise because they recognized the worth of the Child and chose to obey God rather than the man who sought to destroy Him, even putting their own lives at risk.

Treasure as a Verb: The Life-Forming Drive

The ultimate takeaway from the account of the wise men is the realization that “treasure” should be viewed more as a verb than a noun. In the Bible, treasuring something is a “life-forming drive”. We see this in the life of Mary, who “treasured up” the events surrounding Jesus’s birth in her heart. We see it most clearly in the Magi, whose act of “treasuring” the prophecy directed the entire course of their lives.

To be wise is to make the Word of God a “saving grace in verb form”. It is to let the revelation of God act upon us, humility us, and direct us toward worship. When the wise men finally found Jesus, they poured out their gifts and fell down in worship because their long journey of “treasuring” had led them to the ultimate source of worth. They returned to their country with a sense of joy and fulfillment that stood in stark contrast to the darkness of Herod’s court.

Conclusion

What made the wise men wise was their ability to see the Word of God as hidden treasure and to pursue it with a heart of “simple faith”. They were wise because they took a single sliver of light and followed it to its source, refusing to be deterred by distance or the apathy of others. They were wise because they understood that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all true knowledge.

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we are challenged to examine our own hearts. Do we treat the promises of God as common coins, or do we search for them as if we were discovering hidden gold? To be truly wise is to follow the example of the Magi: to open the treasure chest of Scripture, to be attentive to the “guiding star” of its commands, and to surrender our lives to the King they reveal. By turning the act of “treasuring” into a verb, we allow the Word of God to guide our steps and lead us to a place of worship and joy.

Finding wisdom is not unlike searching for a rare pearl in a vast ocean; the “wise” person is not the one who merely knows the pearl exists, but the one who sells everything to possess it.

This article is adapted from the episode transcript.