1530 | MattheW 2:1
their mar riage un til she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The Magi Visit the Messiah
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Af ter Jesus was born in Beth le hem in Ju dea, dur ing the time of King Her od, Magi a from the east came to Je ru sa lem 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 wor ship him.”
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When King Her od heard this he was dis turbed, and all Je ru sa lem with him. 4 When he had called to geth er all the peo ple’ s chief priests and teach ers
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1 Traditionally wise men
2:1 – 12 Matthew continues his narrative of Jesus’ birth by introducing the wise men from the east and their appearance in Jerusalem. Upon hearing about their arrival, Herod questions them to get information about the Christ-child.
Matthew 2:1
HEROD THE GREAT Herod the Great ruled Palestine on behalf of Rome. The first 24 years of his reign were successful: He established peace throughout the land, made the temple more magnificent than that of Solomon, provided jobs for the working class and completed a number of large building projects. His final nine years as king were less glorious and led to the NT depiction of him as a tyrant. These years were characterized by political intrigue, executions, familial disputes, war and clashes with Rome. Herod died dishonorably, and his kingdom was divided among his sons( see note on Lk 3:1). See the table“ Political Leaders in the New Testament” on p. 1916.
Matthew 2:1
MAGI The Magi( wise men) probably came from the Parthian Empire( a kingdom spanning modern Iraq and Iran). They were likely astrologers and royal courtiers. In Matthew’ s narrative, they are depicted as foreign dignitaries.
2:1 Bethlehem in Judea Located about six miles south of Jerusalem. Bethlehem is inseparably linked to King David— the place of origin for David’ s family as well as his anointing as king( Ru 1:1,19; 1Sa 16:1,4). Herod Refers to Herod the Great, who was from the region of Idumea, making him an illegitimate king in the opinions of many Jewish people. Following the death of his father, Antipater, Herod was made king of Judea by Rome and ruled from 37 – 4 BC. Magi The exact number of wise men( or Magi), their names and their place of origin are uncertain. Throughout the ancient Near East, the births of extraordinary, savior-type figures were believed to coincide with astral phenomena. When a star( or planet) appeared over Jerusalem, the Magi believed that it heralded the king of the Jews. Compare note on 2:2. 2:2 king of the Jews The Jews were already being ruled by a king— Herod. The political climate and traditional association of the Messiah with the house of David made it natural for Jews to assume that the Messiah would be a king. star In the ancient Near East, people considered the movements of particular planets, stars, comets, meteors and other astrological phenomena to be signs or portents. The reference to a star connects Jesus’ birth with the prophetic oracle in Nu 24:17. The wise men( or Magi) could have been following a planet on a natural course— which based on the particular signs they observed indicated the birth of a king— or witnessed a miraculous event. 2:3 he was disturbed To Herod, the Magi’ s question indicates a potential rival to his throne. all Jerusalem with him The city’ s residents knew of Herod’ s violence and were frightened at the prospect of further trouble. His slaughter of children( Mt 2:16) shows that their fear is justified.
Jesus’ Early Life and Ministry
Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the temple. |
Mary visits Elizabeth. |
John the Baptist is born. |
An angel appears to Joseph.
Jesus is born in Bethlehem.
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Gabriel appears to Mary.
Mary stays with Elizabeth.
John the Baptist is circumcised. Zechariah prophesies about John’ s future career.
Caesar Augustus decrees a census.