worship him. Along the way they stopped and asked for directions. King Herod heard of their
inquiry and became disturbed, thinking that this new king was going to take over his kingdom.
Herod tried to deceive the wise men, but God had other plans.
This lesson looks at the various responses to the birth of Christ. In each instance the choice was up
to the individual. It is also our choice to decide how we are going to respond to Christ.
A Dedicated Response (Matthew 2:1-2)
2:1. Bethlehem is a small town about five miles south of Jerusalem. It was the birthplace of David.
Herod the Great ruled the area at the time of Christ’s birth. He had been appointed by Rome to rule
over the entire area of Judea. The New International Version uses the term “Magi” to name what
we traditionally call the wise men. These men were educated individuals who were dedicated to the
study of the sciences as well as religion. They undoubtedly had prepared for many years, watching
the skies every night and waiting for this new star to show. The text reveals only that they came
from the east. It is not certain if that meant Persia or Arabia. Regardless, what we see here is a group
of individuals who had dedicated themselves completely to this task, with years of training,
preparing, and waiting, before they made the lengthy journey from their homeland to wherever the
star took them and back.
2:2. They made their way to Jerusalem and inquired as to where the child was. The tense of the verb
“asked” in the Greek suggests that the wise men were going about from person to person seeking an
answer to their question. It is interesting to note the implication that many could not give them an
answer. Then as now, even the people of God are not guaranteed to know the truth. We must be careful to dedicate ourselves as the wise men to search out the truth as revealed by God and be
prepared to answer the questions of those seeking the truth.
The wise men expressed that they were searching for the child so they could “worship him.”
Whether they were seeking to pay homage to him as a political or divine king is of little consequence
at this point. The emphasis is on the fact that they had seen the star revealing the birth of the new
king and were seeking him out to honor him. This again promotes the idea that these men had
dedicated themselves for many years to being a part of this prophecy from the Old Testament. They
most likely had been exposed to these teachings through the influence of Jews who had been
scattered abroad.
A Deceptive Response (Matthew 2:3-8 )
2:3. For Herod, the thought that the “king of the Jews” had been born was a direct slap in the face
to his authority. As mentioned earlier, he was given power over all of Judea, which included the
Jews. This question by the wise men caused Herod to feel threatened by the baby. We also see from
the text that Herod’s fear spread to others. Most of us are very reluctant to change our situation in
life, and the people of this day were no different. The news of a potential new king had to evoke
some troubling emotions and questions in the hearts and minds of the people as well. They may not
have been happy with what they had, but they at least knew what they already had. There is always a
fear in change that things are going to be worse rather than better. Herod determined that this was
not going to happen, and so he devised a deceitful plan.
2:4. Herod called in the religious leaders of the people to get some more detailed information about
this “king of the Jews.” The chief priests would have included not only the high priest and those
under him but also other leading priests. These were the men who were in charge of the religious
activities of the Jews in that day. The “teachers of the law” were those individuals who had been
educated in the Jewish law.
2:5-6. Needless to say, these men were the ones who would know the answer that Herod needed.
They immediately answered Herod, citing the prophecy found in Micah 5:2. The prophecy provides
the place of the Messiah’s birth as well as the nature of his leadership. Of course, all Herod was
interested in was the place. However, it is conceivable that the rest of the prophecy threatened him
even further. Herod had his answer, and unknown to these men it was not for the purpose that
Herod stated.
2:7. Now that Herod had his answer, he called the wise men in and inquired of them when the star
first appeared. The text states that Herod did this in secret. The secrecy is significant. Herod was
developing his plan to remove this threat to his throne, and he had to be sure that the Jews did not
find out about what he was plotting. There might have been an uprising against him if they had
found out about his plan to kill this new “king of the Jews.” It is ironic that Herod kept this
murderous plan a secret from the same Jews who would later call for the death of Jesus.
2:8. This verse reveals the deceit in the heart of Herod. The wise men and the Jewish leaders were
still unaware. Herod deceived the wise men into thinking that he wanted to know where the child
was so he too could worship him. Later this chapter of Matthew reveals that Herod’s real plan was a to kill Jesus. We may be able to fool those around us by our outward appearance and politically
correct words and attitudes, but God sees the heart. Our heart holds our true motivations.
A Decisive Response (Matthew 2:9-11)
2:9-10. Once the wise men had received instructions from the king, they continued on their journey.
They followed the star until it “stopped over the place where the child was.” It appears that the star
was temporarily removed from their vision while in Jerusalem. But as the wise men resumed their
journey with more details, the star reappeared and came to rest above the exact place where Jesus
and his family were staying. Obviously, this was no ordinary star. What it really was, no one can be
sure. The reality, though, is that God created it for a divine purpose. It was so awe inspiring that the
wise men rejoiced when it reappeared. The text seems to imply that words cannot express the joy
that overcame them when they saw it come to rest.
2:11. The wise men entered the house, found the child with his mother, bowed down, and
worshiped him. The wise men were now able to complete what they had set out to do. They were in
the presence of the future king whom they had dedicated themselves to find regardless of the
hardships or the costs. As a part of their worship they had brought gifts to present to the child—
gold, frankincense (highly valuable perfume used in sacrificial offerings), and myrrh (another
valuable perfume used in ointments). It was the customary ritual of the culture to give gifts when
meeting a dignitary. Many Bible students see these three gifts as representing Christ’s royalty,
divinity, and suffering, respectively. In any case, the gifts were not a last minute thought. These men
had made a decision a long time before to be prepared to worship this king. Little did they know
that he was the true gift given to them.
A Discerning Response (Matthew 2:12)
2:12. These men had prepared their hearts and their lives to be in the right position to worship
Christ. They were able to hear and receive a message from God. It must have come as a surprise to
the wise men for God to tell them to avoid Herod on their journey home. They had the great news
of the new king’s birth and where he was. They had to be bursting to tell everyone they could about
it. They discerned, however, that the voice of God was telling them to return “by another route,”
and they obeyed. Their obedience gave Jesus and his family the time to leave before the king could
enact his murderous plan.
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