Bible Questions and Answer

The wise men probably visited Jesus some time after His birth, not on the same night as the shepherds. Several clues suggest this. Matthew 2:11 says they came to "the house," not a stable, and found "the child," a word that can mean a young child rather than a newborn. Herod asked them exactly when the star had appeared, and he later ordered the killing of boys "two years old and under," which suggests Jesus could have been up to two. Also, Luke says that forty days after the birth, Mary and Joseph offered the sacrifice of the poor at the temple. If they had already received gold from the wise men, they might have offered a lamb. So many think the wise men came anywhere from a few months to two years later. Western churches celebrate their visit on January 6, called Epiphany, twelve days after Christmas, which is where the "twelve days of Christmas" come from.