The SHEPHERDS and Baby Jesus vs. the MAGI and Toddler Jesus
People tend to mix-up the stories of 1. the shepherds who came to see Jesus when he was born, inspired by an angel, and 2. the Magi who came to see Jesus when he was a toddler, inspired by a moving “star.” Let’s look at both to distinguish the two…
The Shepherds and the Angels at Jesus’ Birth
When Yeshua was born in a stable in Bethlehem an angel appeared to some shepherds in a nearby field:
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-20
The shepherds were terrified by the initial angelic sighting, which is usual with angelic visitations in Scripture, but the angel encouraged them not to be afraid and told them where to find the amazing baby, who happened to be the Savior of the world, Christ the Lord.
That’s when “a great company of the heavenly host [angels] appeared with the angel, praising God” (verses 13-14).
Thus the shepherds went into the town of Bethlehem and found Mary & Joseph and the divine baby lying in the manger, which naturally inspired praises to the Most High (verses 15-20).
It wasn’t until almost two years later that…
The Magi Meet and Worship Toddler Jesus, Led By a “Star”
Here are the key passages chronicling this event:
1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1-2
9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:9-11
The Magi were neither kings nor sorcerers, but rather learned men from either Persia (modern-day Iraq) or Media (modern-day Iran) that studied the stars and sought wisdom or meaning; they were possibly Zoroastrians who were familiar with the Hebraic Scriptures (Daniel 2:2 & 5:11).
But please don’t confuse the Magi with astrologers of today and their eye-rolling horoscopes. Whilst Christ pointed to heavenly signs to indicate prophetic events (Matthew 24:30), the Scriptures clearly warn against turning to the stars for guidance or, worse, idolization (Deuteronomy 4:19 & Isaiah 47:13-15).
Tradition suggests that there were three Magi, but the Bible doesn’t actually reveal their number. Three is assumed simply due to the number of gifts they brought for the infant Savior—the gold, frankincense and myrrh (verse 11).
Figuratively, the Magi symbolize all people outside of the Hebrews who sincerely seek ultimate reality. Their inclusion in the Scriptures points to God’s salvation being for Jews and Gentiles—the entire world and not just one nation of people in the Middle East (Acts 20:21 & Romans 1:16).
But what exactly was “his star in the east” that the Magi followed to worship the child Jesus? The way the star moved and settled over one place (verse 9) reveals that it was not a normal star, a supernova or planetary conjunction, but rather a supernatural manifestation similar to the Shekinah glory or angel that guided the Hebrews when Moses led them through the Sinai wilderness to the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21 & 23:23).
When the Magi arrived to worship Jesus, “the King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2), the child was almost two years old in a house and not a babe in a manger (a feeding trough) inside a barn or cave. Lending support is Herod’s ruthless order to kill all boys in Jerusalem who where two years old and younger because he was enraged after being “outwitted by the Magi” (Matthew 2:16).
Thus the difference between the two events are:
- The shepherds were local Israelites informed by an angel about the baby Jesus in nearby Bethlehem.
- The Magi were from far away in the east, led by a moving “star” to Bethlehem and the toddler Jesus, who was close to two years old by that time.
Related Topics:
ANGELS — What Are They? What’s Their Purpose?
THE Angel of the LORD — Mighty Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ?
Holidays—Which Ones Should Christians Observe or Not Observe?
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