Thy Strong Word — Epiphany Special: We Three Kings? Demystifying the Magi

In this episode, Christmas legend is separated from biblical truth. Were the visitors to Jesus really kings? Or were they Magi, astrologers, or something else entirely? Were there actually three of them or just three named gifts? Did they even come to the manger or years later? We’ll explore what Scripture does and doesn’t say about the Magi, the timing of their visit, the meaning of their gifts, and why Matthew highlights these mysterious Gentile seekers. Guest pastor and host tackle common misconceptions and discover how important this oft-misunderstood detail of Christ’s nativity is.

The Rev. Roger Mullet, pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Buffalo, WY, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to talk about the wise men who visited Jesus, and separate truth from myth.

To learn more about Prince of Peace, visit princeofpeacebuffalo.org.

This Advent series begins by covering the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, and then spends twelve episodes alternating between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, tracing God’s promises from Isaiah to the birth of Christ. The series explores Emmanuel’s promise, the Davidic King, John the Baptist as forerunner, and reaches its climax with the Nativity. The final episodes examine the Suffering Servant, the shadow of the cross in Christ’s infancy, Isaiah’s Messianic mission statement, and John’s declaration that “the Word became flesh.”

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

Rev. Dr. Phil Booe

Native North Carolinian Rev. Dr. Phil Booe serves pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and host of Thy Strong Word on KFUO Radio. His parishioners probably think he can’t teach Bible study without a mug of coffee in his hand, and he’ll always be happy to eat a plate of sushi. When he’s not shepherding his flock or teaching on the radio, you might find him watching bad movies from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and especially binging RiffTrax and MST3K episodes. Some day he’d love to travel to the Lutheran homeland in Germany, but for now he spends time in Minnesota with his wife, son, daughter, and cat, and looks forward to Holy Week every year.