Heirs of the Magi First Christmas, Page 3

  Oh wait – she might skip that favorite old line in this particular instance. On the other hand, I’ll guess that she and my father would have had words if they’d been in that situation when she gave birth to me or my brother and sisters.

  Those thoughts have me wondering if Jesus’ childhood will be anything like mine – or if Mary will be anything like ‘normal’ mothers with how she treats him – knowing that he is, indeed, the Son of God. How would any mother handle a child who is all-knowing and omnipotent? Should Mary and Joseph have other children; how on earth will they manage that kind of sibling relationship? That would only be slightly similar to Magi families with both Magi and Magi Master children except taken to an unprecedented level.

  One last thing that I have learned from Mary is that I have not appreciated the women in my life nearly enough, so when we get home again; I am going to owe all of them a lot of hugs, kisses, and thanks.

  ***

  It seems quite fitting to me that the final day of our visit with Jesus and his parents here in Nazareth should be on the last day of Hanukkah – and that event coincides with the winter solstice. We were blessed to spend the darkest day of the year with the child that is the Light of the World!

  In the morning, we will complete a few last tasks, and then those of us who are leaving will begin the long, cold journey home. The other Magi Masters and I just finished having one last meeting before retiring to our rooms; and the small group that is remaining are set up and ready for this next part of their mission – though Mary and Joseph are unaware that they will have these hidden guardians – and have not yet met any of them to ensure that they remain unconnected to the rest of us once they do begin to cross paths and make connections with each other in the coming years.

  I will have time to dwell on those decisions and issues during the long journey home; but tonight my thoughts are with our Lord Savior and his family. Some of us would stay longer, but the end of Hanukkah offers a perfect reason for continuing our journey, and while our enemies have not yet found us here; they surely would if we stay much longer. We cannot put the child in any more danger than he already is; and we can lead the Dark Magi Master and his minions away from here should they pick up our trail again and begin hounding us.

  We have done what we can to provide Joseph and Mary with what they’ll need to raise their amazing child. They will need to be careful to avoid attracting the attention of robbers or worse, but we have ensured that they are financially secure; and our counsel will aid them with caring for Jesus’ spiritual and intellectual needs as much as will be possible for them. I would wish that the Magi here could aid with that, but the Seers suggest that is very unlikely; and none of the Masters have any sense from God that we are to do anything more than observe – and protect if necessary.

  Tonight, I pray that they will all be safe and well; that our Savior will get to experience the love and joys as well as the pain and sorrows that are all part of human existence; and that my fellow Magi may find peace and happiness even as they take up their difficult mission and vigil while remaining so far away from their home and loved ones.

  God, be with all of them – and with us as we begin the long, difficult journey home.

  The Magi Journal for our Lord Savior, the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth

  My new name here is Peter, and I am currently a merchant of modest means with a small group of employees. As the only Magi Master remaining to watch over our Messiah; it will be my task to record Jesus’ life-journey in these pages now that our brothers have begun their return to our mountain home. While Jesus is now four months old, and though we were not actually witnesses to his birth; I will begin this journal by recounting the events told to us by Joseph and Mary – and through our silent communication directly with Jesus.

  The timing for the census ordered by Rome could not have been more inconvenient for Joseph and Mary. Carpenters are often busiest during that time of year, so losing that income was difficult; and Mary should not have needed to travel so far when she was so near the end of her pregnancy. They did not realize at the time that their journey to the city of David would fulfill an important event foretold of in the Messianic prophecies; and were just steadfastly and stoically doing their civic duty as ordered by Caesar.

  It was necessary for them to travel a bit more slowly than normal to accommodate Mary’s needs, but Joseph doesn’t believe that made a difference in regard to their situation once they arrived in Bethlehem. The line of David is strong, and there were multitudes needing to come to the town to register just as they were; so he was unsurprised to find that the Inns were full – as were virtually all of the houses. If Mary had not been pregnant, they would have likely been forced to sleep under the stars in the nearby fields; but an Innkeeper took pity on her; and offered them what he could.

  They had already completed their registration for the census, and were considering returning home again the evening that Mary went into labor. While their perspectives of the birth are quite different; it is clear that Jesus’ arrival was physically quite normal even though the location and circumstances were especially difficult for Mary.

  Jesus was as aware of what was happening exactly the same as it is for any Magi Master newborn with one very big difference – he had full control of his special abilities. That explains why we didn’t sense his birth the same way we would for our own children – even at such a great distance from our home. His first impressions after being delivered from Mary’s womb were incredibly detailed and coherent. Having all of that relayed to us was both amazing and more than a little uncomfortable. As he related those now months-old memories to us it was obvious that he was now fascinated by all of those experiences – including the pain of the birth process as well as the joys of being held by his mother and nursing at her breast.

  While Mary and Joseph are as biased about their child as any parents would be, it is also obvious that their assertions regarding Jesus’ extraordinary beauty are not exaggerated. He was and is also exceptionally healthy – a minor fact that is actually fairly significant when you consider the conditions and where they were when he was born. There were no Magi Healers to aid mother or child, and in addition to the unsanitary conditions; Mary was also a virgin. Jesus is surely capable of self-healing, and would have been able to heal his mother too; but Mary and Joseph did not relay any stories of healing miracles surrounding the birth; and there was no indication that Jesus had need to use his special abilities for anything beyond his communication with us and to enhance his sensory inputs.

  Mary’s recounting of the night was incredibly self-effacing, and Joseph confirmed that she was amazingly calm and even joyful through the pain of her labor. He insisted that she was the stronger of them; and needed to guide him as he helped her as best he could. Mary was simply and honestly grateful to have her betrothed there at her side; and felt blessed that they had shared that wondrous experience.

  The shepherds arrived hours after Jesus was born, and Mary and Joseph had managed by then to have everything from the birthing cleaned up; Jesus had nursed for the first time; and they had him lying asleep in a manger. Joseph and Mary were astounded by the story the shepherds told them of the angel’s appearance before them; and they were just as amazed to find the Messiah exactly as the angel had told them they would.

  While the shepherds were the first to meet the Messiah, they were not the last because they were loudly glorifying and praising God as they left; and told everyone they met of all they had seen and heard.

  Though Jesus was perfectly healthy, Mary had needed time to recover, heal, and care for her baby for some time before they could travel again. A guest room was found for them, and they were visited often by both strangers and distant relatives who made an effort to see them after hearing the stories being told of them throughout the town and nearby areas.

  The next event of particular significance for Jesus was his circumcision as required on the eighth day. That procedu
re is particularly difficult for a child that is aware of everything around him, and though he was able to employ his special gifts to numb the effects of the experience; he could not – or would not – immediately heal himself even though he could have done so. I believe that he is making those choices because he wants to fully experience his humanity exactly as other normal humans do so that he can better understand us.

  Though they could have left for home a bit sooner than they did, Mary and Joseph eventually decided to stay in Bethlehem until it was time to present their son at the temple in Jerusalem instead of returning to Nazareth only to again need to make another long journey back to the city. They were in Jerusalem for Yom Kippur; and it is unlikely that only coincidence or chance explains why Jesus’ presentation at the temple would be on this holiest of days. How fitting that the one who will save us all should be presented at the Temple on the Day of Atonement!

  It is astonishing that King Herod and the Pharisees were oblivious to the fact that the Messiah was there among them – especially considering that his presence was acknowledged by others.

  Mary and Joseph told us about Simeon – a righteous and devout man – and of what happened when they arrived at the temple courts. The old man took their child into his arms and praised God, saying that his eyes and now seen his Sovereign Lord’s salvation; that had been prepared in the sight of all nations to be a light of revelation to the Gentiles and a glory for the people of Israel. He then went on to tell Mary and Joseph about how the Holy Spirit had told him during his youth that he would not die before seeing the Messiah; that the spirit had moved him to come to the temple at that particular time; and that he was at peace now that God’s promise to him had finally been fulfilled.

  When Simeon had finished speaking with them, they were approached by an elderly prophet named Anna; the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She praised God, and spoke about Jesus to all who could hear her; and Joseph and Mary were astounded once again at the words of this prophet.

  Once Mary’s purification and Jesus’ presentation were completed, Joseph took his family home to Nazareth and returned to his work. Their marriage was consummated sometime shortly after their return; and they have been happy, content, and blessed. Their families and neighbors are quite skeptical of everything they have seen and been told about Jesus; though that is not entirely surprising considering the situation – even if it astonishes those of us who know the truth that God can be in the house and not seen for who he is by members of his own family and community.

  All of the Magi on this journey have written about their visits with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus; and since I was among those who were not at those meetings; I will only comment on some things we have heard about around Nazareth since our brothers departed.

  Joseph and Mary haven’t revealed any specifics about just how generous our gifts to them were; but word has gotten around that the ‘strangers from the east’ did give them gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. While there is whispered disbelief about whether Jesus could be the Messiah; our visit and gifts do give some pause to at least seriously consider the possibility. After all – why else would we have journeyed so far to see the baby of a lowly carpenter and his wife and bestow such gifts upon them?

  It’s unfortunate, but the rumors and insinuations about Mary, Joseph, and their son will likely continue and even get worse – especially considering what is about to happen. While they might wish for some peace and quiet for a while, that isn’t going to happen; and Joseph is about to receive another message from God instructing him to take his family and flee to Egypt.

  This is going to continue to be a difficult time for them; but we – the Magi – will be with them every step of the way; and ready to aid them whenever necessary.

  Chronology of Events and Comments from Magi Master Julie Proctor

  August 21, 6 B.C.E. – Jesus’ birth

  While the Magi were not present at his birth, this date is recorded in multiple journals and other archive documents as the true date of the Messiah’s birth. A copy of the Roman census from Bethlehem also corroborates – or at least it places Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem at that time.

  August 24th, 6 B.C.E. – The Magi travelling to Jerusalem begin their journey.

  August 29th, 6 B.C.E. – Jesus is named and circumcised.

  October 1, 6 B.C.E. – Yom Kippur.

  Jesus presented at the temple in Jerusalem as proscribed by Jewish law.

  December 13, 6 B.C.E. – The Magi arrive in Jerusalem on the eve of Hanukkah.

  December 15, 6 B.C.E. – The Magi meet with King Herod.

  December 19, 6 B.C.E.

  The Magi arrive in Nazareth and meet Joseph, Mary, and Jesus for the first time.

  December 21, 6 B.C.E.

  The last day of Hanukkah; winter solstice; and the final visit with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph for the Magi before they begin their return trip home.

  ***

  Comments from Magi Master Julie Proctor – December, 2010

  These accountings of our ancestors might be shocking to many Christians, but there is nothing in any of the Magi journals of the time that contradict or conflict with the bible. Many of our Christian ‘beliefs’ are nothing more than traditions; and not entirely or accurately based in scripture at all. We know, for instance, that December twenty-fifth was likely chosen for Christ’s birthday by Pope Julius I to replace a pagan celebration instead of through any historical or biblical accuracy.

  While I only chose this small sample of writings from the archives, there are thousands of pages of journals from each of the Magi and Masters that were on that first Christmas journey. The original dating was using an ancient calendar system that was lost to all but the Magi long before more recent time systems; but the conversion is remarkably and unequivocally accurate. Though the timing of these events doesn’t conform to tradition; they also don’t create any scriptural conflicts. Some biblical references make more sense when viewed in the context of this timeline, but instead of trying to make a correlation for the archive journals to the bible; we should actually think about the bible and other historical documents as writings that support our own histories.

  Some of you may be wondering why the Magi Masters back then didn’t use their gifts to speed up that journey instead of taking a bit over nine months to make the round-trip. There were explanations about that elsewhere in the archives that I didn’t include; and the main reason they didn’t use any extraordinary means of travel was because they were doing as God commanded.

  The chronology of events as recorded in our archives might seem strange too, but then again they may not once you have a chance to think about it; and it is really only the timing for when the Magi arrive to see Jesus that is significantly different. I’m sure we’ve all wondered at one time or another about the interpretation of that – placing the Magi visit in Bethlehem before Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem on their way home to Nazareth. If it had happened that way, then King Herod and the Pharisees might have been on the lookout for the presentation of every first-born son at the temple and taken action. Since that didn’t happen; it is not unreasonable to conclude that they didn’t find out about the birth of the Messiah until after he’d already been presented at the temple – even without having the additional knowledge that our archives are the most accurate records for that time – as they are for virtually all of human history.

  While you take time to consider what you have read in this little booklet, I would like to point out a few details worth thinking about that apply to our lives today.

  The Magi of that time were just normal people – or at least they were normal Magi and Magi Masters. As you read about their journey, it becomes clear that they have the same individual strengths, weaknesses, joys, and fears that we do. Many of our problems are no different now than they were then – despite how different our everyday lives are compared to then. It’s difficult for us to even imagine taking four m
onths just to travel five thousand miles by horseback when a trip like that could be accomplished in a matter of hours now; but we can certainly relate to the difficulties that Mary and Joseph must have faced raising their children.

  Cassie and I especially loved the passages about God being in the interruptions of our lives; and that concept especially hit the mark for us during the interruption that brought us here to Witch Falls – along with the events that followed and led to us being able to stay here and make this our home.

  Finally, these stories show us a very human side of the Christmas story. Did you notice that these Magi made only minimal references to the use of their special gifts? Yes, they did need to use those abilities daily; but it was the normal activities that held their attention most of the time – just as it is for us in our lives now. While I have a different perspective on faith because of the relationship that Magi Masters are able to have with God, it is through the simple, honest telling of these stories that I believe all Magi of the Light will be able to sense the truth and truly believe that God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to live among us and show us the way to our salvation.

  Hopefully these stories will bring as much joy to each of you as they have for me.

  Merry Christmas, everyone!

  ***Notes***

  The Heirs of the Magi First Christmas is a work of fiction that expands on the story referenced in Magi Master – the second book in the Heirs of the Magi trilogy.

  While this is a fictional account of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, the chronological dates are authentic; and the narrative is similar to actual theories related to when Jesus might have really been born.

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