WORSHIP THE KING
Matthew 2:1–12
Since we are close to Christmas, we back up to Matthew 2 in today’s passage and read about the birth of Jesus. Following the genealogy in chapter 1, Matthew takes us to a scene where wise men are seeking this newborn King. He desires to show us that Jesus, the Messiah, comes in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
Seeking the King (1–3)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem Ephrathah in fulfillment of prophecy. There were two towns named Bethlehem during Bible times. Bethlehem of Galilee was located only 5–7 miles from Nazareth. However, Bethlehem of Judea (Bethlehem Ephrathah) was a traveling distance of about 90 miles. Matthew is specific in naming Bethlehem of Judea as the place where Jesus was born. This Bethlehem is the hereditary home of King David. I love that “Bethlehem” means “House of Bread” — the town where the Bread of Life was born.
In a distant land, astrologers — also called Magi — were studying the night sky. The term “magi” comes from the Persian word for “priest.” These men would interpret various signs based on the appearance of the night sky. They saw a new star appear that signified to them the birth of a new king, the King of the Jews. After they determined this, they set out on a journey that would have taken them months. They journeyed across the desert to worship this king.
Finding the King (4–8)
The Magi knew that Herod was currently serving as the king, but the star that they saw communicated the birth of a new king. John MacArthur writes that the Magi were likely accompanied by a group that he calls a “massive entourage,” so you can understand why their arrival in Jerusalem would have caused quite a stir.
Legend has told us that there were three wise men, based upon the three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Christian tradition has even assigned them the names of Melchior, Balthasar and Gaspar, although none of that is found in the Bible.
They met with Herod, seeking more information about the specific location of this newborn King. Herod called his priests and scribes together seeking clarity. They quoted Micah 5:2.
You can imagine their joy when they were told that the baby was to be born in Bethlehem less than 6 miles away. Scripture seems to imply that they lost sight of the star as they arrived in Jerusalem. However, as they left Jerusalem, they regained the sight of the star. Verse 10 says, “When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy.”
Worshipping the King (9–12)
Through the years, we have conflated the birth of Jesus with the visit of the wise men. The reality is that by this time, Jesus could have been 2 years old, and the family would have been living in a house in Bethlehem. We can determine this by Herod’s order to kill all the male children in Bethlehem under 2 years old.
The reappearance of the star led them to the place where Jesus was. I can only imagine their joy at finding Him. These foreign, pagan wise men entered the house, bowed down and worshipped this infant King and presented the gifts to Him. The gold represented His royalty; the frankincense, His deity; and the myrrh, His ultimate destiny to suffer and die for our sins.
Their presence in Bethlehem means the gospel is for everyone — Jews and Gentiles. These wise men brought their worship and they brought their gifts.
By Don Fugate
Senior pastor of Foxworthy Baptist Church in San Jose, California
