Traditional nativity scenes depict three “Wise Men” visiting the infant Jesus on the night of his birth , in a manger accompanied by the shepherds and angels, but this should be understood as an artistic convention allowing the two separate scenes of the Adoration of the Shepherds on the birth night and the later
The Story in the Bible And look, an angel of the Lord stood by them , and the glory of the Lord shone around them , and they were terrified. The angel said to them , “Do not be afraid, for see, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
Only the Gospel of Matthew tells of the Magi, or wise men, following a star, but he doesn’t say there are three of them, and they likely arrived quite some time after the birth. Only Luke mentions a manger , shepherds and a chorus of angels. There’s no mention in either version that Mary rode into Bethlehem on a donkey.
Most representations of Jesus ‘ birth show donkeys, cows, and sheep watching over the Holy Family and a camel or two arriving with the Three Kings. Artistic renderings may include animals that are native to the artist’s country. For example, an African artist might include a zebra or a giraffe at the manger scene.
The wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn king . Gold, of course, was valuable as currency. Frankincense is a valuable perfume. Myrrh is a precious ointment often used in the burial process.
Matthew calls the visitors “Magi” (wise men) and they may well have been astrologers , following the sign of a special star in the sky. They probably came from Persia . The Magi could have come to visit weeks or even months after the shepherds visited , when Mary and Joseph had found accommodation in a house (verse 11).
James, brother of Jesus
James | |
---|---|
Born | Early 1st century |
Died | 69 AD or 62 AD Jerusalem |
Venerated in | All Christian denominations |
Canonized | Pre-congregation |
The glory was not from an ordinary angel, but from God . In some online commentaries it is suggested that the burning-bush angel was an apparition of the pre-incarnate Christ.
Gospel of Luke So it came to pass that Jesus was born in Bethlehem; and since there was nowhere for them to stay in the town, the infant was laid in a manger while angels announced his birth to a group of shepherds who worshipped him as Messiah and Lord.
Unlike farmers, shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds also lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It was mainly a job of solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally.
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.
The shepherds were the first to experience Jesus because the crib and the cross are inseparable.
Cat — Mention of this animal occurs not once in the Protestant Bible . Cattle — Very early in the history of mankind, animals were tamed and domesticated, to be used in agriculture, for milk, for their flesh, and especially for sacrifices.
Some apocryphal accounts state that at the time of her betrothal to Joseph, Mary was 12–14 years old . According to ancient Jewish custom, Mary could have been betrothed at about 12. Hyppolitus of Thebes says that Mary lived for 11 years after the death of her son Jesus, dying in 41 AD.
Mary takes the donkey in and names him Bo, and reveals to Joseph that she is pregnant, with Joseph accepting Mary’s situation after praying to God.