Here is a piece of Christmas trivia. ............

According to the Bible, how many wise men visited Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem? .............

The answer is NONE. ............,

Two false assumptions are often made. The first is that the wise men arrived on that first Christmas night. The fact is that Matthew 2:11 states that the wise men went to a “house” and not to a stable or a cave. Jesus was no longer a newborn. He was now a “young child” probably under two years of age (hence the reason behind Herod’s barbaric decree). ......................

The other traditional assumption made is that there were three wise men. Here the Scriptures are silent. The number is deduced from theology (Shem, Ham, Japheth) or uninspired traditional sources (one actually names them: Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazar). The closest indication in Scripture is that the gifts were three in number. The Bible does not tell us how many came because it is not important to know.

The Bible gives us little information about these wise men. We do not know exactly where they came from. Nor do we know how many miles they traveled, what hardships they endured, or even what revelation prompted them to follow the star. We could speculate, but this would miss the real message. The emphasis of the account is not about the quest of these magi; it is all about how they found the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I received a Christmas card many years ago that said, “Wise men still seek Him.” While this is a true statement, it misses the point. Every now and then, when I invite someone to receive Jesus Christ as his personal Savior from sin, I hear the following: “I am not yet at that point in my spiritual journey where I am ready to receive what the Bible teaches about salvation.” This person believes that he is like the wise men; he is still seeking. He is confident if he never finds the truth, that God will be pleased that he tried.

Some elevate agnosticism to “seeker” status. While spiritual open-mindedness appeals to modern American thinking, it is discounted in the Scriptures. The Bible warns about such seekers who are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2Tim 3:7).” The Bible applauds skepticism, but only when it seeks answers from God’s Holy Word (Acts 17:10-12). In the Bible, wise men ask, “Where is that found in Scriptures?” Agnostics merely scoff at the idea of Biblical absolute truth, believing that anyone who has found the answer is intellectually lazy.

When I was about ten years of age, I found the same Jesus that those wise men found. My quest ended not at the manger, but at the cross of Calvary. I admit, I did not possess the intellectual baggage that obstructs some from Biblical answers. I was never convinced that there must be a thread of truth that unites all spiritual exercises, making every spiritual experience godly. I never thought that Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism were other equally valid ways to God. I took Jesus at His word when He said, “I am THE way, THE truth and THE life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father BUT BY ME (John 14:6).” I was never spoiled by the “willful ignorance” of modern science which buries the evidence both of God’s supernatural creative work and of His judgment of sin by means of a world-wide flood (2Peter 3:3-9). Nor was I ever impressed with the pride of humanism which professes that I am the master of my soul. To the agnostic, my spiritual journey was naively simple. But that is just the way Jesus said it should be (Luke 18:15-17).

Let us imagine for one minute that one of today’s “seekers” could be transported back to that visit by the wise men. As all the others enter, bowed and worshiped, our agnostic would scoff. He wants an answer, but God’s answer is too simple and too exclusive. Should not the spiritual contributions of Zoroaster and Plato count for something. He decides it is wise to just keep on searching. After all, “Wise men still seek Him.” While this is true, the thrust of Matthew chapter 2 is WISE MEN STILL FIND HIM. My prayer for you, dear reader, is not that you will be content to seek Jesus this Christmas. I want you to find Him. Those wise men would never have been satisfied with just the quest. They rejoiced when they found the child. “Come and Worship, Worship Christ the Newborn King.”