We
know that Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple on the 8th day after birth to be dedicated. The Law told them
to sacrifice a lamb as an offering for the first-born, but if they could not
afford a lamb they could offer two turtledoves (Lev. 12:6-8). Because
Joseph and Mary offered two turtledoves (Luke 2:24), we know they were poor at this time—which means that the
magi had not yet come and given them the gift of gold. If they had received the
gold by this time they would have been rich enough to buy a lamb.
After
they made the sacrifice, they returned to Bethlehem. Luke says they went to Nazareth
after this but he does not mean immediately. Luke’s account omits the visit of
the magi and the fact that Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt because Herod ordered the
male babies in Bethlehem to be killed (Matt. 2:13-14). It’s likely that the
gift of gold funded their stay in Egypt which could have been two or more
years.
Joseph
kept his family in Egypt until the death of Herod, which was in the 37th year
of his reign, when Jesus was between two and four years old. The exact
date cannot be determined.
The
Bible does not tell us how many wise men came to worship Jesus. Tradition
says there were three magi because three gifts were presented but this
is only an assumption. So now you know that the Bible does not say there were
three Wise Men and they didn’t visit Him at the manger. However, don’t get
upset when you see them depicted in a manger scene display. It’s not a
theological problem and the manger scene reminds us that Jesus is the reason
for the season. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net
GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS for less than a dollar!
Making Life Count Ministries
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