Were there three wise men who came to Jesus' birth?

from the old testament

• The magi at Jesus' birth is not recorded in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• The account of the “wise men” (magi) appears only in Matthew 2:1–12, not the other gospels. The word translated as “wise men” is plural, so we know that there were at least two, but the passage gives no specific number.
• The tradition of three magi stems from the three gifts they brought to Jesus (Matthew 2:11). Readers assumed that the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh implied one gift per man. However, the passage indicates only that they brought three gifts, not that there was one gift per magi. More or fewer than three of them could have presented the gifts.
• The magi did not visit Jesus at His birth. They came after following “his star” in the sky (Matthew 2:2), the same time the angels appeared to local shepherds (Luke 2:18-14). Herod's later order to kill children two years and younger (Matthew 2:16) implies that the time between the star’s appearance and the Magi’s arrival was roughly two years.
• Other support in the passage that suggests a later arrival is that they visited “the house,” not “the stable" (Matthew 2:11). While there, they “saw the child,” not “the infant” (Matthew 2:9, 11). This implies that Mary and Joseph had moved to a more suitable place and that some time had passed, so Jesus was now a young child. Careful reading of the passage implies that Jesus was one to two years old when the magi arrived.

implications for today

Christmas is a great time of year to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus. It’s a holiday that comes with many traditions, whether it’s listening to Bing Crosby, decorating a tree, or even shopping. Included in those traditions are accounts of Jesus’ birth, some of which imaginatively stretch beyond Scripture. The idea of the three wise men is an example. We know for certain that wise men (magi) visited and that they brought three gifts. However, it is from tradition, not Scripture, that we have come to believe there were specifically three wise men.

What are we to do in cases like this, where a Christmas tradition embellishes Scripture? Simply put, we are to be humble and be willing to forsake tradition for what Scripture teaches. Our love for the Christmas stories or nativity scenes should never undermine the most important truth: Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world.

The magi traveled a long way because they realized the significance of His birth. Do you?

Before Jesus came, sinful humanity faced only God’s fierce, eternal justice against His rebellious creation. But in love, He sent His Son to die in their place (John 3:16–17). What made Jesus’ birth so significant was that God had entered into humanity by the Son taking on human flesh. He became like us in every way except without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He then willingly went to the cross to die to take the Father’s just wrath upon Himself. Thus, Jesus’ birth indicated the arrival of the Father’s sacrifice for sin. By repenting of your sin and confessing Jesus as Lord, you will receive that sacrifice as well (Romans 10:9–10). This is why the angels sang, “On earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14b). God had offered peace to all who would repent.