Matthew 2:1–8
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. At about that time some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship him.”
King Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, and all Jerusalem was filled with rumors. He called a meeting of the Jewish religious leaders.
“Did the prophets tell us where the Messiah would be born?” he asked.
“Yes, in Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet Micah wrote:
‘O little town of Bethlehem, you are not just an unimportant Judean village, for a Governor shall rise from you to rule my people Israel.’”
Then Herod sent a private message to the astrologers, asking them to come to see him; at this meeting he found out from them the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him too!”
| Most Jews expected the Messiah to be a great military and political deliverer like Alexander the Great. Herod’s counselors undoubtedly told this to Herod. No wonder this ruthless man took no chances and ordered all the baby boys in Bethlehem killed (Matthew 2:16)! |
Wise Men
Not much is known about these astrologers (also known as wise men). We don’t know where they came from or how many there were. Tradition says they were men of high position from Parthia, near the site of ancient Babylon. How did they know that the star represented the Messiah?
(1) They could have been Jews who had remained in Babylon after the Exile and knew the Old Testament predictions of the Messiah’s coming.
(2) They may have been eastern astrologers who studied ancient manuscripts from around the world. Because of the Jewish exile centuries earlier, they would have had copies of the Old Testament in their land.
(3) They may have had a special message from God directing them to the Messiah. Some scholars say that each of these astrologers was from a different nation, representing the entire world bowing before Jesus.
These men from faraway lands recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most of God’s chosen people in Israel did not. Matthew pictures Jesus as King over the whole world, not just Judea. These men traveled thousands of miles to see the King of the Jews. When they finally found him, they responded with joy, worship, and gifts. This is quite different from the approach people often take today. We expect God to come looking for us, to explain himself, prove who he is, and give us gifts. But those who are wise still seek and worship Jesus, not for what they can get, but for who he is.