2 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him, 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:
6 ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod secretly called for the magi and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” 9 When they had heard the king, they set out, and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen in the east, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
13 Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16 When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazarene” Matthew 2:1-23.
Dear friends, the second chapter of Matthew introduces two contrasting responses to the Messiah. On one hand, the Gentile magi from the east seek “the newborn king of the Jews” in order “to do him homage” (2:2). On the other hand, Herod and his court seek the Christ child in order “to destroy him” (2:13). Surprisingly, even the chief priests and scribes are associated with Herod’s efforts to locate Christ and bring him to his ruin (2:4–6).
So at the very beginning of Jesus’ life there is great irony, for the ones we would least expect—Gentile magi—welcome Israel’s Messiah, while some of Christ’s own people play a role in the plot against him. This ironic pattern will be repeated many times throughout Jesus’ public ministry.
A notable feature of Matthew 2 is its somber, sad tone. The newborn king’s life is threatened by a dictator, and Jesus barely escapes a massacre, instead He is forced into exile, and He is unable to return to Judea. But Matthew highlights all these troubling beginnings as actually part of God’s plan. Matthew uses many explicit quotations and allusions to Old Testament stories to underscore how Jesus’ life is bound up with the sufferings and hopes of Israel. The tremendous hostility to Christ in His infancy also prepares us for the opposition Jesus will face at the culmination of His public ministry in Jerusalem.
Consider the idea of a star signaling the birth of a great person or king, something that was popular in the ancient world. Various explanations have been offered as to what this star guiding the magi was, but one thing that the star in Matthew’s Gospel accomplishes is that it leads the magi and then comes to rest over a house (2:9) — things ordinary stars do not do. This suggests to me that — whatever the nature of the star in Matthew 2 might have been — God intervened in an extraordinary way to lead the magi to the Messiah.
In the Jewish tradition stars were associated with angels, and the guiding star in Matthew’s Gospel calls me to remember the angel God sent to guide the people in the desert on their way to the promised land (Exodus 14:19). So while some natural phenomenon in the sky might have initially led the magi in search of a king, Matthew is telling us that God is providing a supernatural guide to lead the magi to Christ, just as he provided Israel with an angel to lead them through the desert.
I marvel about the faith of the magi, who through human eyes see only an ordinary child in Bethlehem, but by faith they see so much more. They fall down and worship God as fragile human beings and offer Jesus Christ gifts of gold for His kingship, frankincense for His divinity, and myrrh for His humanity. This is the type of response we should have whenever we pray and worship. Let the Magi lead you to humble yourselves before God today in prayer.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.
From the Bible:
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” James 4:6.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God” 1 Peter 5:6.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8?
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