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The Fisher-Price Doll Jesus

What do you think of when you hear “the three kings”? Is it Bing Crosby’s voice crooning out the lyrics to “we three kings”? Maybe it is a picture of three 10 year old boys with painted on beards marching across a stage towards a manger scene where sheep, donkeys, and shepherds are shuffling around and waving at various members of the audience. The story of the Nativity has been ingrained into the essence of Christmas in Western culture and so these events recorded in scripture take on a feeling of Christmas, rather than portray the force of prophecy. Lets consider how the writer of one of the best known narrations of these events could have seen the “three kings”. 

 

The True Shepherd is Coming

The Gospel of Matthew is like the paint-by-number of Gospel’s when it comes to scripture fulfillment. Matthew makes it very clear when he believes an important scripture fits into the narrative by saying something like “for so it is written”, to indicate where the the event fit into Israel’s scriptures. In the case of the wise men, he says “behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem” (Matt. 2:1). Matthew seems concerned here to show that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in order to fulfill a prophecy from the prophet Micah, who said “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” (Micah 5:2). But that is not all that is going on here. He points to a specific prophecy, using the wise men, but the very fact that they are wise men, or kings, from the east is itself a indication pregnant with meaning. This is where the prophet Isaiah has something to say.

 

Isaiah Knew It All Along

It is not really fair to say that the prophet Isaiah comes in here, because Isaiah’s prophesies are permeated throughout Matthew’s Gospel. But for our purposes, Isaiah sheds light on the significance of the three kings or “wise men”. One thing to know about the book of Isaiah is that there is a sense of progression in his writing. The first section contains warnings against other nations for their wickedness and also warnings for Israel for its wickedness. He then moves on to a warning of coming judgement on Israel because they were not listening to God’s warning. Then, he skips ahead in a sense and begins speaking to Israel in kind terms and writes as if they have gone through a terrible ordeal. He speaks of an exile to Babylon, even though it had not happened in his day. Finally, Isaiah begins speaking of a restoration in Israel, that they would be freed from exile and return to a wonderful new place, where there would be blessing and the nations of the earth would come to Israel and bow down before them (Isa. 60:14). 

 

The Three “News” Men

Is this starting to sound familiar to Matthew’s story? In fact, Isaiah prophesied that kings would come to Israel, bringing gold and incense and would bring “good news”. We know about the gold and incense, but what was the “good news” they brought. According to Matthew 2:2, the wise men said “where is he who is born king of the Jews?” and in verse 6 the wise men quoted Micah saying “ . . . from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” The good news they bring is that the king had arrived in Israel who would shepherd the people! The people had been without a king for centuries and their kings had always failed to some extent. They had been waiting expectantly for the righteous king who would fulfill the prophecy to David by the prophet Nathaniel, who said “ I [God] will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Sam. 7:12b-13 ESV) The kings brought the “good news” to Israel that the heir to David’s throne, who would establish his kingdom forever, had come in a manger. But that is not all that Isaiah was saying in Isa. 60:3. 

 

All will be Drawn to Him

The context of Isaiah’s prophecy was the glorious return of Israel from exile in Babylon and the foreigners and gentile nations would come to Israel because they desired to know God and be among his covenant people. It was a prophecy of universal magnetism of people who were not of Israel being drawn to God. Isaiah puts it poetically by saying “Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows? For the coastlands shall hope for me . . .”(Isa. 60:8-9a). 

 

The Veiled Surprise

So lets consider the three kings coming for the birth of Christ to Israel from the east with Isaiah’s prophecy in mind. It seems clear that the three kings signified the nations of the world coming to Israel because God had come to set up his glorious kingdom. The nations were drawn to God on earth incarnate in Jesus. Thinly veiled in this birth narrative is the promise and fulfillment of God’s blessing to all people and not just to the Jews. These three kings were the ambassadors of the world, coming to worship Christ, the true King, showing that salvation was not just for the Jews, but for the whole world. 

 

The “Kings” Promise

This is a promise that I hang onto very dearly. Christ the true king has come into the world and I benefit from it as someone who is from the “nations” that has been drawn to that light, who is Jesus. What a marvellous promise to think about this Christmas season.