Ask anyone how many wise men gave gifts to baby Jesus. In all probability, the answer will be three.
The Bible states that wise men saw his star, the Star of Bethlehem, in the east. They followed the star to find and worship Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.
Sometimes, tradition includes probable but unverified and uncontested details added to a truth. We like embellishing and dressing up things. The magi or wise men recounting of the Christmas Story include a decorative addition.
The biblical passage about the wise men states, “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11
The number of wise men isn’t revealed in this or any other biblical passage about the Christmas Story.
The pronoun, they, denotes two or more people but doesn’t translate to an explicit three. There could’ve been more than three.
Why three wise men instead of two, four, or even more?
Perhaps the number three was incorporated into the Christmas Story because the magi brought three gifts.
Three isn’t an improbable number or an outlandish presumption.
The number three is significant in the Bible relative to how many, how much, how long, and various spiritual matters.
There are three sacred objects in the Ark of the Covenant: a gold urn of manna, Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the law.
After being in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, Jesus rebuked Satan three times with God’s word (Matthew 4 (KJV):
“It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
“Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”
Jesus rosed from the dead on the third day.
John’s vision on Patmos Island includes three entranceways to each of the four sides of the city of New Jerusalem.
Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, Issac, on the third day as God commanded.
Maybe the author of the Christmas Story couldn’t remember or didn’t know the exact number of wise men.
Whatever the reason, the most important number in the Christmas Story is One. And Jesus is the one.
Jesus is the One begotten Son of God.
Jesus is the One sacrificial lamb.
Jesus is the One risen savior of the world.
God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity; the three are One.
We can wonder about the number of wise men, but there is no wonder about the One.
Be well.
Have a Merry Christmas!