The miraculous birth of Christ came with the profound purpose of saving all of mankind from the penalty of death because of sin. Such an important event would demand the birth of that person to be known. It is an amazing two-fold story of how God brought it to the attention of all people throughout the land.

Before Jesus’ birth, Joseph and Mary lived in a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 95 miles north of Bethlehem. It would have taken several days of an arduous journey walking on foot or riding a donkey while being over eight months pregnant. Travel was incumbent on them as Caesar Augustus mandated all to be registered in their place of birth. Requiring many to travel to their hometown would have strained all temporary lodging facilities. Yet, this was done to facilitate the collection of taxes. God was able to use these circumstances to fulfill the prophecy of where Jesus would be born.

Luke 2:8-17 speaks of shepherds watching over their flock by night. In that day shepherds brought their animals in for sheltering from the cold around mid-October, so the birth had to occur in early autumn. An angel appeared to these shepherds with a glorious light, stating that a child was born that day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Then they said “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15). They hurried and found the family with the Child still in the manger. They then broadcast the news of this special event as far as they could.

Local people now knew of this special birth, but it only became a major issue to the upper class of people after the visit of several wise men from the East. These wise men, called Magi, who were representatives of a different nation, would have had welcome access to King Herod. The Magi were well-known and respected among the Jews of Jesus’ day. That’s why their presence and words caused great concern.

Matthew records these men coming to pay their respects to Jesus. “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, 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 2:1-3).

It was a startling announcement that they came to worship this “King of the Jews.” It caused great concern to Herod and the Jewish scribes of the day.

Being concerned, Herod privately asked the leading Jews and scribes, where this king was to be born (Matthew 2:4-6). The scribes used scripture to confirm that Bethlehem was the correct town but did not know the exact location. Herod then advised the wise men to return and let him know where the child was. Herod did not want this so-called "King" to be a future threat.

“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:9-11).

The Bible does not reveal the nature of this star, but it had to be a miraculous godly sign to show them the way and the place to go. It likely was the same star that brought them to Jerusalem that led them to the place in Bethlehem.

Verse 11 shows Joseph and Mary living in a house, no longer in the manger of a barn. The Magi had to have come a good while after the birth, causing Herod to command all infants two years and younger to be killed (Matthew 2:16).

Joseph and Mary probably lingered in Bethlehem as the fall Holy Days were soon to come in Jerusalem, only about five miles from where they were staying. They also had to wait 40 days for Mary’s purification before they brought Jesus to the temple (Luke 2:27 and Leviticus 12:2-4).

But who were these wise men? They were a unique class of men, educated in Bactria, a city in the nation of Parthia, which would be in modern Afghanistan today. Parthians were actually Israelites, descendants of the captives of Assyria who migrated north after the Assyrian downfall (“Lost Ten Tribes of Israel—Found” by Steve Collins, pages 206-207). Some from the Judean captivity most likely joined them after the Medes and Persians conquered the Babylonians. Many from the Jewish captivity did not return to Jerusalem after their release by King Cyrus.

The Magi were first organized by a Jew named Zarathustra (Zoroaster by the Greeks). He is also noted as being a prophet (“Bactria” by H.G. Rawlinson, pages 7-8). The Magi were first called Maga, which means greatness, magnanimity and generosity. They were sent out as missionaries to other areas bringing knowledge of God and even new sciences. It is possible that the Magi were Levites, the priestly line that God set up over all Israel. Their actions and words fit the pattern of those who were ordained by God through the Levitical lineage of Aaron.

But being from another country, how could these men have known of such an event? And what was this crazy talk about a star announcing it? How could they be certain that this King had been born, based only on having ‘seen his star in the east?’ What did they know that the local scribes missed? And how is it that a single star would be the telltale sign of this special event?

It is not surprising that God would use such people to bring the wonderful news to the Jewish people, that their King and Savior had been born. But it also was done to fulfill prophecy. That amazing story will be told in part 2 of this article.