WISDOM FROM THE WISE MEN

A Christmas story is never complete without mention of the wise men, who came from the east, to honour the birth of Jesus, Matthew 2:1-12. Although emphasis is often made on the kinds of gifts the wise men brought to Jesus, it is also important to recognize what distinguished them as “the wise men” instead of just “men”, what attributes did they have that made them suitable to bear the popular name “the wise men”. In exploring this, let us consider a couple of things they did that characterized them as wise.

1. Shared the good news: They were happy to share about Jesus with everyone without any reservations. As Christians today, we mustn’t hold back our faith and endeavour to share the good news about Jesus with others so they can be saved from eternal damnation to receive a new life in Christ Jesus. John 15:16.

2. Divine direction: They took heed to divine direction through a star, small wonder that Jesus is our bright and morning star according to the scriptures. As Christians today you must know that Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in us to guide us into all truth, so we know the right path to go in life, therefore, learn to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in all things always. John 16:13.

3. Worshipers: They were genuine worshippers, they didn’t just want to see Jesus they also wanted to worship Jesus. As Christians today it is critical that we don’t just focus on knowing Jesus but must ensure we are continual worshippers of Jesus even as the word of God admonishes. Psalm 34:1

4. Generosity: They gave gifts to Jesus out of their treasures, such as gold, frankincense and myrrh which were significantly valuable in those days. As Christians today, generosity to God and others should be a regular lifestyle and never forget it is written in the scriptures it is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts 20:35

5. Discernment: They had strong discernment from God Almighty such that they knew when Jesus was born and also through a dream God informed them not to go back to Herod who wanted to kill Jesus and they returned through another way. As Christians today spending time with God through diligent study of the Bible can help build a discernment from God Almighty to know the times and seasons . 2 Tim 2:15