It always bugged me that depictions of Christ’s birth show the wisemen there alongside the shepherds. It just isn’t very accurate. Matthew 2 says that “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem” (emphasis added). While I understand the convenience of placing the wisemen at the climax of the Nativity Story, the wisemen play a different role. They are the epilogue.

First, let me be clear that I intend no irreverence to the Bible by breaking down the story structure. I firmly believe the only reason we write stories the way we do is that we try to reflect the structure that God uses to tell the story of Himself. God is a God of order, and therefore the Bible is filled with the literary styles and structure that we still use today. In fact, the entire book of Revelation is an epilogue. A teaser of what is to come. So, what exactly is an epilogue?

An epilogue is a final scene of a story after the climax and resolution. It is a conclusion to the story. And while the story of Christ’s life on this earth does not end with the arrival of the wisemen, it is the epilogue of Christmas. The role of the wisemen is an intriguing one. Matthew is the only gospel to talk about it. But their involvement in the story of Christ carries a lot of significance. They are kings, bowing down to the King of Kings. They bring gifts that signify Jesus’s royalty, his role as priest, and his sacrifice. The wisemen’s appearance in the story also signify that from the beginning of his earthly life, Jesus was a gift for all people.

So here is what the story of the wisemen can teach us about the epilogue.

Use the same characters

An epilogue is important to your story, because it brings your story full circle. Your characters have returned changed. For Mary, her story begins with the angel Gabriel, and ends with the angel Gabriel appearing to Joseph, telling him to go to Egypt. Notice how Gabriel bookends her journey? This is one way an epilogue can enhance your story: use one character to bring a sense of completion to the story. For my Middle Grade novel Pirated! I open with the two main characters fighting with swords, reenacting a scene from their favorite pirate movie. While I have not written the ending, the plan is to end the book with a similar sword fighting scene with the same characters. However, this time they are more mature. They are using foils and proper fencing techniques. They have grown as characters. While the wisemen do not appear in the beginning, their arrival is the reason Mary and Joseph, and young Jesus have to flee to Egypt.

Tease what is next to come

As with the case of the wisemen, and the book of Revelation, a good epilogue teases the future of the story. Whether we ever get to see those characters again, doesn’t matter. If an epilogue is done right, the characters live on in our heads, having more adventures and never growing older. This is your typical happily-ever-after epilogue. Sometimes a good epilogue makes you want to jump right into the next story, eager to see what happens next. I don’t know about you, but after every Christmas, I want to read the dedication at the temple with the prophetess Anna. I want to read about 12-year-old Jesus in the temple. In short, I don’t want to stop until I get to the end of Revelation again. I want to know what happens next!

Bring in new characters

Let’s be honest, from a story standpoint, the wisemen come out of left field. Especially if you read Luke’s account first. “Wait, who were these Magi? Luke never said anything about this.” But an epilogue can bring in new characters to the mix. If you look at Matthew 2: 17, we discover that the whole point of the wisemen is to fulfill the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 for a second time, which references the slaughter of baby boys in Jerusalem, as well as the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

For a secular, modern example, Nick Fury’s appearance in the post-credits scene of Iron Man is a new character in an epilogue used to tease more stories to come. Perhaps you are working on a series and want to give a taste of who will be in the next book. Debuting them in the epilogue of the previous book is a great way to get the reader excited for the next adventure.

Epilogues are an important part of our stories. Whether we acknowledge them as an epilogue, or they are simply included in the final chapter is irrelevant. Readers need that sense of completion a good epilogue offers. It is a chance to tie up loose ends. Add more details to the story. As you celebrate Christmas this year, notice that even in our calendar year, Christmas is the climax, and New Year’s Eve is the epilogue. So, I have a question for you. Does your story end abruptly? Should you flash forward a few years and add an epilogue? Take inspiration from the wisemen. And let me know in the comments below!

Author Bio

Just like his two older brothers, Kyle Morgan was homeschooled from Kindergarten through High School. When he is not busy writing, the next classic children’s book, Kyle loves spending time with his family, all things baseball, and watching black and white movies. He is a monthly contributor to Write2Ignite where he blogs about writing for children. His work has appeared in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, The Caldwell Perspective and StarLight Magazine. You can check out his Facebook page or follow him on Instagram.