Featured The Wise Men

When did the wise men visit Jesus?

When Jesus was 8 days old he was circumcised.

When he was 40 days old He was presented to the Lord in Jerusalem.

Then the family returned to Nazareth. Luke 2-39

The wise men came to Bethlehem but did not return to Jerusalem. Joseph, Mary and Jesus went to Egypt till Herod died then J,M & J returned to Nazareth. Matthew 2 1-16.

So how do these two accounts fit together? Did the family return to Bethlehem after The Luke account?

 

Yes I did, too late to edit it now.

I think I disagree with Calvin on this point. I'm not saying he is wrong, just that I don't think he is correct.
If Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day, and he was presented to the Lord on the 40th Day, then they only had 32 days to go to Egypt and wait for Herod's death then return to Jerusalem.

• Matthew 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

I may have got it wrong but I think I read that after the death of Herod, Archelaus had to go tho Rome before he could claim the kingdom. Herod asked the wise men when they first saw the star, and when he was mocked by the wise men he ordered all children under the age of two to be put to death. If they said "Nearly two years" they could have come from a land more distant than Chaldea, perhaps China."

So here is my suggestion, After day 40, they returned to Nazareth, then for some reason they returned to Bethlehem then the wise men and the events described in Matthew.

The problem I have with that is that Herod asked where the Messiah was to be born and that Matt says they returned from Egypt to Nazareth.

Joseph and family were refugees and we see on TV today that refugees mainly travel on foot, except when aided by charities, Govts etc. I don't know how long it would take the family to walk to Egypt and back and in between wait for "They which sort the young child's life" to die.

 

Why not?

 

The scriptures do not mention a stable and when the wise men came to Jesus he was in a house. The scripture just says that Mary laid Jesus in a manger, it may have been a manger in the open air.
When my youngest daughter was about 6, we saw a manger in a field and pointed it out to her, and she said "Did Mary have to climb up there to lay Jesus in the manger?" (It was rather a high one.)

 

I don't agree with Calvin here. There is no proper ground of believing when the star appeared, we only have the scripture.

 

In ww2 we saw photos of men women and children refugees walking in the opposite direction from the troops.

In modern times admittedly many came in boats to Europe and then walked. One man said he had walked from Afganistan to Calais in France. We have seen multitudes walking with their young in their arms and the old on their backs. Some even carried their aged in wheelbarrows.

I am not saying they walked, and Mary may have rode on an ass as cards and posters usually show.

But I think it quite possible that they walked.

We don't even know when Jesus was born, usual date given is 4 BC. Others that it was 6 BC, some, 8 BC and they all give evidence which they say proves their point. One even gives 2 BC.

The accepted date given for the death of Herod is 4 BC, I believe, but I don't go a bundle on accepted dates.