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William Hole drew the picture above. It continues the myth of three Magi, but that's okay. (As there are three gifts mentioned--gold, frankincense and myrrh, we jump to the conclusion that there were three Magi.) I wasn't able to print the entire picture, it is too big and therefore you are missing some of the elements, still it is an interesting depiction.
His three Magi seem to be representing three different religions, Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist, I suspect he is suggesting that all religions bow down to Jesus. Were that true the world would be such a wonderful place.
I have been seeing more and more of those bumper stickers that say, "COEXIST" and use various of the symbols of religions (although I don't know what religion is represented by the peace symbol, but I suppose that is my problem.) Every time I see one of those signs, I ask God to make it true. I ask God to fulfill His will in the world that everyone would see and believe in Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Alas, I fear that most of those people represented by the symbols would never accept Jesus as God and Lord, it would never be written of them that: "they fell down and worshiped" Jesus. For Christians to COEXIST would require that all the people of the world take the posture of the people in the painting by William Hole, that they worship Christ.
The Magi were the first of the gentiles to meet the Christ. Throughout the life of Christ many gentiles were presented to us believing in Jesus, as worshiping Him. Throughout the life of Jesus, many of those gentiles were presented as being willing to throw themselves at the feet of Jesus to worship Him.
Among the times that gentiles came to Jesus we would have to include the feeding of the 4,000, as that event occurs in the gentile region, among the gentiles. Still, the Magi were the first gentiles we are shown in Scripture, and the totality of their worship is also presented to us. They had traveled an unknown number of miles exactly to worship the Christ.
We don't know a lot about these people. What we do know is based on conjecture from, reading-between-the-lines, of what we are told. It certainly appears that they had the Old Testament, and that they were blessed by God with the Holy Spirit, just so that they were able to understand both the prophecy they read about a star, and the ability to recognize the star that led them to the Christ Child.
That recognition of inspiration, that recognition of the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God to bring His chosen to meet Christ is our hope, was our hope for being received by God into His family of believers.
The mere fact that the Magi were gentile believers shows us that God accepts gentiles into the plan of salvation. The fact that the Magi were allowed to fall down and worship Christ, shows us that God accepts the worship of gentiles as Holy and pure.
The mere fact that the Magi were placed on a path that led to Jesus shows us that God will go to whatever lengths it takes to save; to give saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to all the people of the world, Jews and gentiles alike. It is our mere hope, our mere knowledge that we have been made acceptable to God through the work and the person of Jesus, we are acceptable to salvation and Heaven.
On the Sunday of Christmas Two, I was pointing out my lack of a Baby Book. What I received from my mother was an envelope filled with pictures of my sisters, and included the canceled check from the co-pay to the hospital for my birth. I have no doubt that my mother loves me as much (or if you take my sisters' word for it, more) as my sisters. The very fact that she tried to present me with some of the items from my birth are a testimony to that.
The fact that we are not of Jewish decent, that we aren't members of the Old Testament chosen people, that we aren't biological descendants of Abraham, does not mean that we are any less Loved by God than the Old Testament people. As New Testament Christian, as the gentiles received thought the shed Blood of Jesus, we have the full rights as people who will be received by God into Salvation.
The very fact that the Magi were gentiles gives us the assurance that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of all the people of the world, all who will believe in Him will be saved. The very fact that the Magi were gentiles puts before us the assurance the guarantee that our Baptism is valid, our worship is received, our prayers in the Name of Jesus are a beautiful sound in the ears of God our Father.
I would presume that the Magi knew what they were doing. I would presume that they believed that Jesus was the Messiah as promised. Only when all the people of the world believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and God will we the ability to COEXIST in our Faith and life as Christians with the full assurance of our salvation in the blood of Jesus.
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