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The next in order of the wonderful events which are related to have happened at the birth of Christ, Jesus, is the recognition of the divine child, and the presentation of gifts.
We are informed by the Matthew writer, that being guided by a star, the Magi from the east came to where the young child was. The original word here is "magoi" from which comes our word "Magician." The persons here denoted were philosophers, priests, or astronomers. They dwelth chiefly in Persia and Arabia. They were the learned men of the Eastern nations, devoted to astronomy, to religion, and to medicine. They were held in high esteem by the Persian court; were admitted as counselors, and followed the camps in war to give advice (Barne's Notes, vol. i. p. 25).
Matthew relates in 2:2:
"And when they were come into the house (not stable) they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
The Luke narrator, who seems to know nothing about the Magi from the east, informs us that shepherds came and worshipped the young child. They were keeping their flocks by night when the angel of the Lord appeared before them saying:
"Behold, I bring you good tidings, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."
After the angel had left them, they said one to another:
"Let us go unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known to us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger" (Luke 2:8-16).
The Luke narrator evidently borrowed this story of the shepherds from the "Gospel of the Egyptians," or from other sacred records of the biographies of Chrishna or Buddha.
It is related in the legends of Chrishna that the divine child was cradled among shepherds, to whom were first made known the stupendous feats which stamped his character with marks of the divinity. He was recognized as the promised Savior by Nanda, a shepherd, or cowherd, and his companions, who prostrated themselves before the heaven-born child. After the birth of Chrishna, the Indian prophet Nared, having heard of his fame, visited his father and mother as Gokool, examined the stars, etc., and declared him to be of celestian descent (Higgins, Anacalypsis, vol. i. pp. 129-130; Maurice, Hist. Hindostan, vol. ii. pp. 256, 257, 317; Vishnu Purana).
Not only was Chrishna adored by the shepherds and Magi, and received with divine honors, but he was also presented with gifts. These gifts were "sandal wood and perfume" (Oriental Religions, pp. 500-501).
Similar stories are related of the infant Buddha. He was visited, at the time of his birth, by wise men, who at once recognized in the marvellous infant all the characters of the divinity and was hailed god of gods (Higgins, Anacalypsis, vol. i. p. 157).
Viscount Amberly, speaking of him, says:
"He was visited and adored by a very eminent Rishi, or hermit, known as Asita, who predicted his future greatness, but wept at the thought that he himself was too old to see the day when the law of salvation would be taught by the infant whom he had come to contemplate" (Amberly, Analysis, p. 177; Bunson, Angel-Messiah, p. 36).
"I weep (said Asita), because I am old and stricken in years, and shall not see all that is about to come to pass. The Buddha Bhagavat (God Almighty Buddha) comes to the world only after many kalpas. This bright boy will be Buddha. For the salvation of the world he will teach the law. He will succor the old, the sick, the afflicted, thy dying. He will release those who are bound in the meshed of natural corruption. He will quicken the spiritual vision of those whose eyes are darkened by the thick darkness of ignorance. Hundreds of thousands of millions of beings will be carried by him to the "other shore" and will put on immortality. And I shall not see this perfect Buddha, that is why I weep" (Lillie, Buddha and Early Buddhism, p. 76).
Now contrast that with Luke 4:18-19-18:
Answer for yourself: Coincidence?
He returns rejoicing, however to his mountain-home, for his eyes had seen the promised and expected Savior.
Now contrast that with Luke 2:25-27:
Answer for yourself: Coincidence?
Painting in the cave of Ajunta represent Asita with the infant Buddha in his arms (Bunsen, Angel-Messiah, p. 36). The marvelous gifts of this child had become known to this eminent ascetic by supernatural signs.
Buddha, as well as Chrishna, was presented with "costly jewels and precious substances" (Beal, History of Buddha, p. 58).
Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu for human deliverance from evil, is also hailed by "aged saints" who die gladly when their eyes see the long-expected one (Oriental Religions, p. 41).
How-tseich, who was one of those personages styled, in China "Tien-Tse," or "Sons of Heaven," and who came into the world in a miraculous manner, was laid in a narrow lane. When his mother had fulfilled her time: "Her first-born son (came forth) like a lamb, there was no bursting, no rending, no injury, no hurt, showing how wonderful he would be."
When born, the sheep and oxen protected him with loving care (Prog. Relig. Ideas, vol. i. p. 200; Amberly, Analysis of Religious Belief, p. 226).
The birth of Confucius (551 B.C.), like that of all the demi-gods and saints of antiquity, is fabled to have been attended with allegorical prodigies, amongst which was the appearance of the Ke-lin, a miraculous quadruped, prophetic of happiness and virtue, which announced that the child would be "a king without a throne or territory." Five celestial sages, or wise men, entered the house at the time of the child's birth, whilst vocal and instrumental music filled the air (Thornton, History of China, vol. i. p. 152).
Mithras, the Persian Savior, the mediator between God and man, was also visited by "wise men" called Magi, at the time of his birth ( King, Gnostics and their Remains, pp. 134, 149). He was presented with gifts consisting of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Inman, Ancient Faiths, vol. ii. p. 353).
According to Plato, at the birth of Socrates (469 B.C.) there came Magi from the east to worship him, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Higgins, Anacalypsis, vol. ii, p. 96).
AEsculapius, the virgin-born Savior, was protected by goatherds (shepherds present), who, upon seeing the child, knew at once that he was divine. The voice of fame soon published the birth of this miraculous infant, upon which people flocked from all quarters to behold and worship this heaven-born child ( Taylor, Diegesis, p. 150).
Many of the Grecian and Roman demi-gods and heroes were either fostered by or worshipped by shepherds. Amongst these may be mentioned Bacchus, who was educated among shepherds (Higgins, Anacalypsis, vol. i. 398), and Romulus, who was found on the banks of the Tiger, and educated by shepherds (Bell, Pantheon, vol. ii. p. 213. Paris, son of Priam was educated among shepherds (Ibid. vol. i. p. 47), and AEgisthus was exposed, like AEsculapisu, by his mother, found by shepherds and educated among them (Ibid., p. 20).
Viscount Amberly has well said that:
Answer for yourself: If you remember we stated earlier that if Christianity is to be believed to be a "Divine and unique revelation from God" then we should not expect to find the same things which make up it's core of "Divine Truth" existing prior to it. What are we to think now about not only this doctrine, but others as well?
Answer for yourself: Don't you think that if you desired the "truth" about Jesus you need to start looking elsewhere?
I have a suggestion. Try Second Temple Judaism and learn what was believed by this man before it is too late and then mould your life around Jesus the Jew, and not Jesus the Gentile's Sun-god.