Full Answer
Were the shepherds and the Magi present at the nativity scene?
I’m sure you’ve seen the Magi (or wise men) and shepherds side by side in Nativity scenes for a lifetime as you drive pass churches or residential areas. Well, while it is a beautiful sight to behold, biblically, it’s a bit anachronistic because the wise men and the shepherds were not present together when Jesus was born in a manger.
Are the Gospels contradictory accounts about the shepherds and wise men?
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke aren’t giving contradictory accounts to say that the shepherds appear (Luke) and the wise men visit Jesus at some point (Matthew). Let’s investigate Flynn’s contradiction claim about the Gospels, then get to the bottom of just why the accounts differ.
What comes first the shepherd or the sage?
I.THE SHEPHERD COMES FIRST TO THE CRADLE OF CHRIST, BUT THE SAGE COMES TOO; THE JEW FIRST, BUT ALSO THE GENTILE. Here we have — 1.
What about the shepherds?
The shepherds, ignorant men, condemned to a life of hard toil and scanty fare, tied and bound by the claims of their craft, with few opportunities for joining in the public worship of the Temple, or for listening to the instructions of the Rabbis.
Is a wise man a shepherd?
Some have speculated the shepherds and wise men represent the spectrum of humanity: the shepherds symbolizing the poor and uneducated of society, while the wise men stand for the rich and well-read; this may be true, but could they also hold prophetic meaning?
Are the magi the same as the three kings?
The biblical Magi (/ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/ or /ˈmædʒaɪ/; singular: magus), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition. They are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Did the magi go to Bethlehem or Nazareth?
There are several arduous journeys at the heart of the Christmas story. Mary and Joseph travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. The magi travel to Nazareth from the East. Mary and Joseph take Jesus to Egypt to avoid the wrath of Herod.
Who were the three shepherds?
5:057:18Shepherds were the perfect witness of the firstborn. Of god who would come to earth as the savior.MoreShepherds were the perfect witness of the firstborn. Of god who would come to earth as the savior. And messiah despite being on the lowest rung in society.
What are the 3 Magi names?
Later commentators proposed that they represented the three known continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. From a wide assortment of names suggested for the Magi, those that eventually prevailed were Gaspar (or Caspar), Melchior, and Balthasar.
What does Magi mean in the Bible?
Wise MenMagi, singular Magus, also called Wise Men, in Christian tradition, the noble pilgrims “from the East” who followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem, where they paid homage to the infant Jesus as king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1–12).
What religion are Magi?
Magi (/ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; singular magus /ˈmeɪɡəs/; from Latin magus, cf. Persian: مغ pronounced [moɣ]) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word magi is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription.
How long did it take the Magi to reach Jesus Catholic?
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men found the divine child in Bethlehem by following the North Star across the desert. According to later writings, the Kings (Melchior from Europe, Caspar from Arabia, and Balthazar from Africa) arrived twelve days after Jesus' birth.
What happened to the gold frankincense and myrrh?
An alternative tradition holds that Mary and Joseph used the gold to pay for the stable, the frankincense to perfume it and the myrrh as an ointment for the new-born baby.
Who are the shepherds in the Bible?
It may also be worth noting that many biblical figures were shepherds, among them the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, the twelve tribes, the prophet Moses, King David, and the Old Testament prophet Amos, who was a shepherd in the rugged area around Tekoa.
Who are the three shepherds in Zechariah 11 8?
The following perspectives are discussed: God as the good shepherd (Zech 9:16; 10:3b, 8); the prophet as shepherd (11:4-14); the three bad shep- herds (11:8); the worthless shepherd, who deserts his flock (11:15- 17); God's shepherd, his associate (13:7-9) and even a viewpoint that God is indirectly portrayed as an “ ...
Who was the first shepherd in the Bible?
AbelThe very first shepherd was Abel. He was also humanity's first murder victim, slain by his brother Cain. Abraham and Moses were shepherds. King David was the best known shepherd of Bible history.
Who were the shepherds and the Magi?
Francis recalled that on Christmas night, Jesus revealed himself to the shepherds, the first to bring a little warmth to that cold grotto. Then the Magi arrived from a faraway land, also mysteriously attracted by that Child. He added that the shepherds and the Magi are very different but they are united by the heavens, because they all cast their eyes to the sky, saw a sign, listened to his message and followed him.
Why did the Magi come to Bethlehem?
In today’s Gospel, the narrative of the Magi coming from the East to Bethlehem to adore the Messiah, conveys a breath of universality to the Feast of the Epiphany. This is the breath of the Church which wants all peoples of the earth to be able to encounter Jesus, to experience his merciful love. This is the desire of the Church: that peoples may find Jesus’ mercy, his love. Christ is newly born, he does not yet know how to speak, and already people — represented by the Magi — can meet him, recognize him, worship him. The Wise Men stated: “we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him” (Mt 2:2). Herod heard this as soon as the Magi arrived in Jerusalem. These Wise Men were prestigious men, of a distant religion and different culture, and they were on their way to the land of Israel to worship the newborn king. The Church has always seen in them the image of humanity as a whole, and with today’s celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany, the Church almost tries to direct, respectfully, each man and each woman of this world to the Child who is born for the salvation of all. On Christmas Eve Jesus manifested himself to shepherds, humble and scorned men — some say brigands. They were the first to bring a little warmth to that gelid cave in Bethlehem. Then the Magi arrived from faraway lands. They too were mysteriously drawn by that Child. The shepherds and the Wise Men were very different from each other; however, they had one thing in common: heaven. The shepherds of Bethlehem immediately hastened to see Jesus, not because they were particularly good, but because they kept watch in the night and, raising their eyes to heaven, they saw a sign, they heard its message and followed it. It was the same for the Magi: they observed the heavens, saw a new star, interpreted the sign and set out on their journey, from afar. The shepherds and the Wise Men teach us that in order to encounter Jesus it is necessary to be able to lift our gaze to heaven, not to withdraw into ourselves, into our own selfishness, but to have our heart and mind open to the horizons of God, who always surprises us, to be able to welcome his messages and respond with readiness and generosity.
Where did the Magi come from?
The History behind the Three Kings/Wise Men/Magi in the Christmas Story. After Jesus was born, Wise Men came to look for Him, probably from an area which is now in either Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia the Yemen, or an area in what’s now southern Turkey, northern Syria.
What do the Magi represent?
The three gifts had a spiritual meaning: gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity, and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. This dates back to Origen in Contra Celsum: “gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to a God.”
What religion are magi?
Magi (/ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; singular magus /ˈmeɪɡəs/; from Latin magus) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word magi is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius the Great, known as the Behistun Inscription.
Are the Magi and shepherds the same?
In fact, there’s almost no overlap in the two Gospel accounts. Only Matthew tells of the Magi, or wise men, following a star; but it doesn’t say there are three of them, and they likely arrived quite some time after the birth.
Who gave Jesus myrrh?
There are legends, stories. One legend says the thieves crucified with Jesus had stolen the gold given him at birth. Another says that Judas was made custodian of the gifts and he sold them and pocketed the money. There is a story that the myrrh given to Jesus as a child was used in his burial.
What did the Magi bring Jesus?
The magi knelt down for the baby Jesus and “offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Their gifts are possibly an allusion to Isaiah’s vision of nations rendering tribute to Jerusalem: “A multitude of camels shall cover you.
What is the significance of the Magi in Matthew?
Matthew was Jewish and possibly a Pharisee, so his inclusion of the Magi was a reference to eastern gentile wisdom, which also included astrology, and was perhaps viewed in a negative light by the Jewish community. Yet this point brings us to the conclusion that gentiles were included in the birth of the Messiah.
Who said the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are contradictory?
Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry magazine and the author of this article within this late 2004 edition, wants to create an illusion that the accounts of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are contradictory. He says that “the Gospels bearing their names contradict each other on almost every detail” (page 34). Of course, one only sees contradiction ...
Why is it anachronistic to see Jesus in a manger?
Well, while it is a beautiful sight to behold, biblically, it’s a bit anachronistic because the wise men and the shepherds were not present together when Jesus was born in a manger. According to Luke’s Gospel, the shepherds in the fields were told by the angels, and they went to see Jesus in a manger. The wise men didn’t come right away ...
Is Luke contradictory to Matthew?
Tom Flynn says that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are contradictory with regard to their accounts, but this isn’t true: one testifies to the day of Jesus’ birth, the other with regard to Jesus as a two-year-old toddler. These accounts are not contradictory, but are merely providing different details about different time periods in ...
