1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12 NIV)
The Birth of Jesus Christ
If the Son of God were to enter the world, one might expect a grand reception: crowns and scepters laid at His feet, and powerful rulers acting as His servants. This is the kind of Messiah the Jews anticipated. However, the reality was quite different—He came into the world, and the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own people, but they did not accept Him. In taking on the burden of humanity’s sin, he made a profound sacrifice by willingly setting aside the honor that rightfully belonged to Him as an incarnate Deity and emptied himself of glory and reputation.
The birth of Jesus Christ, though a monumental event, was marked by obscurity and humility. Despite being the “Desire of all nations” (Haggai 2:7), his coming was largely unnoticed. He made himself of no reputation, denying himself the honors due to an incarnate Deity (Philippians 2:7). Yet, amid his abasement, rays of glory appeared, as seen in the extraordinary events surrounding his birth (Habakkuk 3:4).
The first of these extraordinary events was the appearance of angels to the shepherds tending their sheep in the field. The shepherds were the first people to be informed of Jesus’ birth according to Luke 2:15 and the following verses. They witnessed the wonderful things about him and shared this news with everyone, astonishing all who listened (Luke 2:17-18).
Later, Simeon and Anna, inspired by the Spirit, spoke about him to anyone willing to listen (Luke 2:38). One might expect that the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem would eagerly accept the long-awaited Messiah. However, it seems that Christ remained in Bethlehem for nearly two years without further acknowledgment until the arrival of the wise men.
The wise men, or Magi, were the first Gentiles to seek Jesus. These men, likely scholars and philosophers from the East, observed a remarkable star and concluded it signified the birth of an extraordinary king in Judea (Matthew 2:2). Their journey exemplifies a longing to know and worship Christ, even at great personal cost (Hosea 6:3). They followed the star, which uniquely guided them to Christ, highlighting God’s use of natural signs to lead seekers to truth (Numbers 24:17; Matthew 2:9).
Their inquiry in Jerusalem—“Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?”—was met with ignorance from the general populace and hostility from King Herod (Matthew 2:2-3). Herod was an Edomite and a man of cruelty who was made the king of the Jews by the Romans, Augustus and Antonius. He felt threatened by the news of a rival king, despite Christ’s kingdom being spiritual, not earthly (John 18:36). Herod’s troubled reaction shows the resistance of worldly powers to Christ’s reign – done out of misunderstanding and fear (Psalm 2:2).
Herod consulted the chief priests and scribes, who correctly identified Bethlehem as the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah (Micah 5:2). Ironically, these religious leaders, who had the Scriptures, showed no personal interest in seeking the Messiah. This reflects the tragic truth that proximity to divine revelation does not guarantee faith or action (John 7:42).
On King Herod’s words, the wise men continued their search into Bethlehem. Despite traveling far from the East, these men were not joined by anyone from Jerusalem, even though the news of Christ’s birth was near to them (Matthew 2:1-2). This lack of interest from the Jews contrasts sharply with the eagerness of the wise men, showing the indifference of Christ’s own people compared to Gentiles who sought Him with diligence.
Though the star that initially guided them disappeared, they pressed on faithfully, and their persistence was rewarded when the star reappeared and led them directly to the house where Jesus was. Their joy was immense when they saw the star again. This teaches us that persistent faith is rewarded and that God provides guidance to those who seek Him sincerely (Psalm 32:8, 2 Peter 1:19).
Upon reaching the house, the wise men found Jesus with His mother, Mary. Despite the humble setting, far from the grandeur they might have expected, they were not deterred. Instead, they acknowledged His divine majesty, worshiping Him as Lord and King. They presented gold, symbolizing His royalty; frankincense, His divinity; and myrrh, a foreshadowing of His sacrificial death (Isaiah 60:6, Psalm 72:10).
These gifts also providentially supported the Holy Family during their flight to Egypt. These valuable gifts reflected their deep understanding of His significance and their willingness to honor Him with the best their country offered. Today, the best present we can make to Christ is ourselves; he seeks not ours, but us; and rather desires what we are than what we have.
Herod’s deceitful plan to locate and kill the child was thwarted by divine intervention. God warned the wise men in a dream not to return to Herod, who had sinister intentions. Obeying this divine direction, they returned to their country by another route, showing their submission to God’s will. Did the wise men act dishonestly by not returning to Herod?
It seems they never promised Herod they would return, even if he expected them to. If they did make such a promise, it would have been under the assumption that Herod intended to come and worship Christ, not to harm him. Regardless of any promise they may have made, God intervened and instructed them to go home by a different route. Herod kept his malicious plans against Christ hidden from the wise men, but he could not conceal them from the all-knowing God. God understood Herod’s true motives and, through His divine guidance, protected Christ from harm. Ultimately, no wisdom, understanding, or counsel can stand against the Lord.
The Magi probably shared their experience upon returning to their homeland, preparing the way for the gospel’s future spread in that region. There is a lot to learn from the events surrounding Jesus’ birth:
- This account of Christ’s birth and the magi’s visit reveals Christ’s mission to draw people from all nations to himself, fulfilling the prophecy that he would be a light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 49:6).
- When Christ came into the world to save humanity, it caused widespread panic and turmoil. First, Herod became anxious about losing his kingdom, and then all of Jerusalem shared his fear of potential conflict. Thus Christ, who was the angel’s song, the wise men’s joy, and Israel’s consolation, becomes Herod’s fear and Jerusalem’s terror.
- It’s true that a king is born, but his kingdom is not of this world. Herod’s unfounded fears led to his distress. This shows us that the greatest hatred and deepest hostilities often stem from baseless fears and irrational jealousy.
- Our Lord Jesus was born during the 35th year of the reign of King Herod. This Herod was a foreigner, appointed as king by the Romans, who ruled over the Jews at that time. An Edomite foreigner ruling over the Jews as king fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy that the scepter had now departed from Judah and the lawgiver from between his feet. Therefore, now was the time for Shiloh, or Christ, the promised Messiah, to come, and to him shall the gathering of the people be.