What's With the Three Wise Men?

Question

Tradition says they visited Jesus in a manger, but the Bible account says Jesus was a toddler. Which one is correct, tradition or the Bible?

Answer 1

Those Magi were actually astrologers from the east. (Matt. 2:1, 2, NW; NE) Although astrology is popular among many people today, the practice is strongly disapproved in the Bible. (See pages 144, 145, under the main heading “Fate.”) Would God have led to the newborn Jesus persons whose practices He condemned?

Matthew 2:1-16 shows that the star led the astrologers first to King Herod and then to Jesus and that Herod then sought to have Jesus killed. No mention is made that anyone other than the astrologers saw the “star.” After they left, Jehovah’s angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to safeguard the child. Was that “star” a sign from God or was it from someone who was seeking to have God’s Son destroyed?

Note that the Bible account does not say that they found the babe Jesus in a manger, as customarily depicted in Christmas art. When the astrologers arrived, Jesus and his parents were living in a house. As to Jesus’ age at that time, remember that, based on what Herod had learned from the astrologers, he decreed that all the boys in the district of Bethlehem two years of age and under were to be destroyed.—Matt. 2:1, 11, 16.

Answer 2

Since they came from the east, it probably took them a while to get to Israel to visit the baby. So I imagine He was not in the manger anymore. This is supported by the fact that Herod killed all children who were of a certain age (I can't remember the age right now). If Jesus had been a little baby, Herod would have only killed the very small babies.

By the way, the Bible doesn't actually say there were three of them. It just says "wise men". People have assumed there were three because they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But we don't know how many there were.

Answer 3

The correct understanding is that Jesus was probably about almost two years old. That is why when Herod found out about the Messiah from the wise men, he ordered that all male children two years old and younger be slaughtered. Matthew 2:11 says, "And when they had come into the "house", they saw the young mother with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him". At this time Jesus was in a house and not a manger.

Answer 4

The Bible is correct. He was about 2 years of age and not in the manger.

Answer 5

I believe the BIble account - remember the star that they followed was first present the night Jesus was born - and they came by camel not by SUV.
The Bibe account also says they visited King Herod first - who mockingly told them he wanted to worshiip the child too ( when he really wanted to kill him, hence the holy family flight to Egypt) before they saw Jesus.
So I think he was further along in his life than a newborn by the time they found him and gave him the gifts.
I am thinking the tradition you refer to is Nativity scenes which include the wise men - that is ok as they are part of the story but you are right - it is not completely historically accurate.

Answer 6

The Bible is right. But, hey, having the wise men going to the manger sure makes nativity plays and scenes a whole lot easier!!!

Answer 7

The "tradition" of which you speak is not official church tradition, but simply common societal tradition, which means little.

The story has been embelished to make it easier to tell, and to add some variety to manger scenes.

You know the truth from scripture, as does just about everyone else.

Don't sweat it.

Answer 8

I don't know where you heard that, but actually in the book of Luke
says the three wise men came to Jesus lying in a manger.

Answer 9

Bible. Jesus was up to 2 years old when the Maggi arrived.

Answer 10

Jesus was a tot when the wisemen came, but the Bible doesn't say there were 3 of them...it only says there were 3 gifts. It doesn't tell the number of wisemen.

God bless,
Stanbo