Matt. 2:1-12 - THE VISIT OF THE MAGI
INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Matt. 1:18-25, we commenced a new quarter in the gospel of Matthew, starting with the birth announcement of Jesus. In the text, we learned that when Joseph discovered that Mary, his bride to be, was pregnant, he secretly made plans to send her away rather then expose her to public ridicule and the potential penalty of death by stoning. Then an angel appeared to Joseph and informed him that, Mary, while still a virgin, was pregnant with a child conceived by the Holy Spirit, who would be the Savior of the people-the Messiah foretold. After telling him these things, the angel commanded Joseph to take Mary as his wife and name the child Jesus, and Joseph obeyed all that the angel commanded. We learned three broad truths from Joseph's example: (1) Our obedience to God may require risking ridicule. Joseph was willing to take the risk of appearing to sacrifice his intellect by believing what seemed to be impossible. (2) Our obedience isn't negotiable. Joseph didn't try to negotiate but did exactly what the angel commanded him to do. In other words, when God calls us to do something, we simply need to obey and do it. And (3) Like Joseph, our obedience can make a difference in history. We need to understand that when God calls us to serve Him, what we do, or fail to do, affects history.
This week, in Matt. 2:1-12, we will study the visit of the three Magi to the child Jesus. It's often linked to the baby in a manger story of Jesus' birth reported in Luke 2, but that's a mistake. Most scholars estimate that their visit occurred about two years later, and this is consistent with related Bible verses. Chapter 1 of this Gospel only reports the genealogy of Jesus from the line of David through Joseph and simply announces His birth (1:25). There is nothing more reported in Chapter 2 about Jesus or his childhood and we don't see Him again until Chapter 3, when the adult Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist. Therefore, Matthew's chief purpose in his lesson is to show the reception the Messiah received when He entered the world: The rulers (i.e., Herod) were hostile, the Jewish religious authorities (i.e., the Sanhedrin) were indifferent, but the Magi, Gentiles from the east, welcomed and worshipped Him.
Read Matt, 2:1-12 - AFTER JESUS WAS BORN IN BETHLEHEM
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
v. 1a: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea" - The detailed account is found in Luke 2.
v. 1b: "in the days of Herod the king" - "Herod," a half-Jew, half-Arab from Idumea appointed by Rome, was a good king in some ways-he kept the peace, built the Temple, made improvements, but was also categorically paranoid, murdering many supposed rivals, including his wife and three sons.
v. 1c: "magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying," - These Magi came to Jerusalem, because as the capitol of Judea, it was the most logical place to look for a king. We know little about them. Scholars believe they were a priestly caste of astrologers from Persia who watched the stars for signs.
v. 2a: "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" - Notice that they didn't come to ask Herod personally; they were simply seeking directions about how to find this new king, and afterward Herod heard about it. We also need to remember that Jesus' status as Israel's Messiah king did not come to Him later in life-He was born with it.
v. 2b: "For we saw His star in the east" - There has never been any scholarly consensus about the identity of this star. This star doesn't behave like other stars, so it must have been a supernatural occurrence-a sign-sent by God.
v. 2c: "and have come to worship Him." - This was their purpose for coming. See, v. 5, below.
Read Matt. 2:3-6 - IN BETHLEHEM OF JUDEA
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"
v. 3a: "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled," - This raises the question of why a king would be troubled about a helpless child. Since he isn't an Israelite by blood and rules only at Rome's pleasure, he has reason to feel illegitimate. The Jews resent him and given the chance, would overthrow him. Although he's not a religious man, he might still worry about a God-ordained king.
v. 3b: "and all Jerusalem with him." - This seems to include two groups: The power elite, including the religious authorities, who owe their existence to the king; and the general population who fear what Herod might do in a murderous rage.
v. 4a: "Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people," - These are Herod's "wise men"-members of the Sanhedrin and others who rule over the religious sphere of Judea. Ironically, Matthew identifies the people who will be Jesus' chief opponents through His earthly lifetime.
v. 4b: "he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born." - While the Magi only identified the child as "He who has been born King of the Jews" (v. 2a), Herod knows enough to equate this description with the title Messiah.
v. 5a: "They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea;" - Bethlehem is located fives miles south of Jerusalem and is best remembered as the birthplace of David, Israel's greatest king (1 Sam. 16:1-4).
v. 5b-6: "for this is what has been written by the prophet: 6 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" - Quoting Micah 5:2 and 2 Sam. 5:2, Matthew expertly answers Jewish unbelief relating to the identity of Jesus by quoting their own Scriptures to the effect that the prophecy of His birth in Bethlehem was literal, and that His fulfillment of it was likewise literal. It also makes clear that their Messiah was sent to be their "shepherd"-to rule over them as their king.
Read Matt 2:7-8 - REPORT TO ME
7 Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him."
v. 7: "Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared." - Herod apparently summoned the Magi secretly in order to avoid drawing attention to their visit among Jerusalem's religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, Sadducees, Pharisees and Scribes. And he wanted the know when the star appeared so he could determine the age of this child king.
v. 8: "Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him." - In truth, Herod intended to kill the child who posed a danger to his throne. But rather than send soldiers to find the child, Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem as his unsuspecting representatives, with instructions to report back it him when they found the child.
At this point, the Magi were apparently deceived by Herod's false graciousness.
Read Matt. 2:9-11 - THEY FELL TO THE GROUND AND WORSHIPPED HIM
9 After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
v. 9: "After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was." - Since Bethlehem was only five miles distant, the Magi's journey would be relatively short. As they started out, they saw again, "the star...in the east," which, like an overhead GPS, guided them directly to place where Jesus was. The star was apparently so luminous, it could still be seen in daylight.
v. 10: "When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." - Notice the contrast between the "great joy" of these gentile Magi with the fearful reaction of Herod. Mathew wants the world to see this-that people least likely to care anything about the Jewish Messiah would receive Him "with great joy." This suggests much more than just an academic interest.
v. 11a: "After coming into the house" - Notice that they found Him in a "house," not in a stable, which supports the idea that this occurred about two years after Jesus' birth. It implies that Joseph afterward set up shop to reside in Bethlehem, and moved Mary and the child into a house.
v. 11b: "they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him." - These learned men obviously experienced strong feelings that this child represented something far greater than themselves-a revelation of God. So, they fell on their faces and worshipped Him.
v. 11c: "Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." - These are very out of the ordinary gifts for a small child, for "gold, frankincense, and myrrh" were very costly items, yet they gave them to the child Jesus without the slightest hesitation. Scholars have added this symbolism for the gifts: (1) "gold" represented a gift worthy of a king; (2) "frankincense," used ritually in the Temple, represented a gift worthy of a High Priest; and (3) "myrrh," often used for embalming, prefigures Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. Whether the Magi fully understood this is a moot point, but Matthew intended for his readers to see it here.
Read Matt. 2:12 - THEY LEFT FOR THEIR OWN COUNTRY BY ANOTHER WAY
12 And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
v. 12: God supernaturally intervened to keep the Magi from returning to Herod, who would have been able to target Jesus with precision. The text implies all three Magi dreamed the same dream.
POSTSCRIPT: After the Magi left Bethlehem, Matthew reports that an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to, "Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him" (Matt. 2:13); When the Magi failed to report back to Herod, he went into a rage and issued an edict calling for the `slaughter of all male children age two and under in Bethlehem and the vicinity (Matt. 2:16).
Application-Seeking the King
1. God, not man, begins the seeking process. The pertinent fact of why these wise men (Magi) were seeking Jesus was that God took the initiative by revealing to them a supernatural sign in the heavens, which they connected with the birth of the Jewish Messiah. Theologically, Matthew is showing that even though the Jews had the Messiah child right under their noses, due to their hardness of heart, i.e., indifference, they missed Him. And, Matthew is also showing that this Messiah is not only King of the Jews, but also, as Daniel foretold, King of all the nations (Dan. 7:13-14).
2. Wise men (and women) respond to God's seeking them by seeking Jesus as their King. God sought out these wise men initially, but then they had to respond to it by actively seeking His King. It was not an easy process for them. These men had to go on a long, difficult journey that probably took them months. Also, these Magi were probably fairly well-to-do men, used to comfortable dwellings. So, they had to give up those usual comforts to seek this king. The point is that when God seeks you, you should do everything it takes to seek Him, whatever the difficulties of doing it for one reason: He alone is the living God and it is worth all the troubles you endure to find Him!
ENDNOTE: There are three types of people in this story: (1) There are those like Herod who hear of Jesus and are hostile toward Him. They seek to eliminate Jesus from their lives because He threatens their control over the status quo-how they wish to live. (2) Then there are those like the Jewish religious elite who know about the Messiah and can even quote Scripture references about Him. But they are indifferent to Him, because they don't want to leave their private comfort zones to seek Him. And (3) then there are those like the Magi. They responded to the light they had been given and overcame every hindrance until they found the Savior and fell at His feet in worship.
