E309 - The Trouble with the Wise Men

Within the construct and chronology of Scripture, the wise men come later on than the Christmas night that we celebrate.  Many nativity scenes show the wise men at the stable, but Scripture clearly tells us that they visited Jesus when He was a young child, in a house, most likely living in Nazareth at the time.  Nonetheless, the wise men had been traveling since, if not before, the birth in order to come and worship this newborn King.  Their story does have significance within the Christmas season.    We arrive on the scene of Jerusalem, a hustling bustling city of its day.  Amidst the hubbub and commotion of daily living in this metropolis, the city was troubled – the king was displeased.  The city was turned upside by the arrival of these wise men to the city.  The Bible does not specifically tells us how many wise men there were.  It’s commonly assumed that there were 3 because of the 3 gifts that were presented to the newborn King.  History tells us that thy bands of wise men often traveled in significantly more numbers – sometimes even in the hundreds.    Yet, as they arrive peacefully on the scene of Jerusalem, the city is troubled at their coming.  The king, Herod, is troubled at their coming. Why would this be so? Listen to this episode to find out more!