Three Wise Men

The Three Wise Men of yore were, of course, the Three Wise Men from the east who came to Bethlehem bearing gifts for the new-born Jesus.  Little is known about these three, who they were, nor exactly where they were from.

The Three Wise Men that I'm referring to we do know a great deal about, and the gifts they offered were so much more precious than gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  These three came bearing the greatest gift of all--divine Love.  I'm referring to Jesus of Nazareth, to the Apostle Paul, and to "the beloved disciple", John.

JESUS AND FORGIVENESS

Jesus issued the greatest religious treatise of all time:  "The Sermon on the Mount."  Its message illustrates the need for all mankind to be gentle, loving, kind, and most of all, forgiving.  When Peter questioned him, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, til seven times?  Jesus answered, "I say not until seven times, but until seventy-times seven."

Jesus also said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you. . . ."

When a lawyer asked him, "Which is the greatest commandment of the law?"  Jesus answered, "Thou shalt love thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all they mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

After his crucifixion and ascension, Jesus recruited the Apostle Paul to continue his ministry.  Paul, it should be remembered was not at first a disciple of Jesus.  When we first encounter him in the book of Acts, his name was Saul, and he was a committed Pharisee and fierce persecutor of Jesus' followers, who had watched as Stephen, one of Jesus' devoted followers, was stoned to death.  Saul was a Roman citizen, and an educated man, who had been trained in Jewish law.

PAUL'S ODE TO LOVE

After Saul's conversion to Christianity, he was renamed Paul, and traveled throughout the ancient world, preaching and healing people, while creating churches dedicated to the practice of the Christian faith.  The church members were far from being loving and faithful Christians, as Paul was to discover, so he wrote letters to guide them on the straight and narrow path to the true Christian faith. One of his most celebrated letters was to the church in Corinth, where he wrote about the virtues of love (First Corinthians 13, written in 56 A.D.):

"Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a tnking symbol.

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

"Love never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face-to-face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

"And now abideth faith hope, love, these three: but the greatest of these is love."

JOHN'S REVELATION

John was a former fisherman, and, perhaps, was Jesus' most dedicated and inspired disciple.  Not only did he write the most spiritual account of Jesus' ministry, John did something that no other writer in the New or Old Testament ever did.  He defined God.  While the prophets and the apostles had all attempted to explain the relationship of God to his worshiper, John went straight back to the source and began with God himself.  "God is spirit." (John 4:24) "God is light." (I John 1:5) "God is love." (I John 4:6)

In 1 John 4:18, he adds: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear."

Which brings us to John's most studied book: "The Revelation of John." Composed around 95 A.D. this book was intended for the seven churches of Asia.  Writes one Bible scholar: "Since the message of the book is relevant to all Christians under persecution, and since the book treats of divine judgement upon the whole world, the author must have intended it to be circulated among all Christian communities."

The book consists of a series of visions granted to John, while living in exile on Potamos, an island in the Aegean Sea. Writes one Bible scholar: "The language is highly symbolic and figurative, and attempts in modern days to fit its prophecies into contemporary situations that have led interpreters into all kinds of difficulties.  It is thought by many that the symbols and figures of the book would be understood by the Christians to whom the book was first sent, but the key to their interpretation has now been lost."

Having said that, there are many wonderful, and poetic images set forth in John's Revelations, including the following excerpts:

THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR

  "And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband" (Rev 21:2).

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had been the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (Rev 21:9,10).

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev 22:1).

"In the midst of the street of it, and on ether side of the river, was there the tree-of-life, which bare twelve manners of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Rev 22:2).

"And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light" (Rev 22:5).

"And he said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done" (Rev 22: 6).

"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree-of-life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Rev 22:14).

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star" (Rev 22:16).

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. and let him that heareth, say, Come.  And let him that is athirst, come.  And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

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