Chapter BY Chapter

Matthew 2:1-23 – Wise men came from the East

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“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

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“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

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Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”  After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

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Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

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Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

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“A voice was heard in Ramah,

    weeping and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

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But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.”  And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.  And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.”

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In chapter 1, we found Matthew’s thesis: That Jesus is the Messiah, which is provable by lineage and the fulfillment of prophecy. We also found that God used angels to speak to Joseph to guide the parents of the Messiah.  He was named Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.  The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 is attributed to him claiming that he is “God with us.”

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In chapter 2, we find that a new character is added to the Narrative, Herod the king.  Herod was born around 73 to 71 B.C.  He was the second son of Antipater the Idumaean, a high-ranking official under ethnarch Hyrcanus II, and Cypros, a Nabatean.  The Nabateans were Arabians.  Herod's father was by descent an Edomite, whose ancestors had converted to Judaism. Herod was raised as a Jew.  This has a lot of implications around the time of Jesus because the Jews were dissatisfied with Herod as their king because not only was he appointed by the Romans, but he was not in the kingly line, the Davidic line.  Now, Antipater appointed his son Herod governor of Galilee in 47 BCE, when Herod was about either 25 or 28 years old.  His elder brother, Phasael, was appointed governor of Jerusalem. Herod enjoyed the backing of Rome, but his brutality was condemned by the Sanhedrin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great).  In 41 BCE, Herod and his brother Phasael were named as tetrarchs by the Roman leader Mark Antony. They were placed in this role to support Hyrcanus II. Later, Antigonus, Hyrcanus' nephew, took the throne from his uncle with the help of the Parthians. Herod fled to Rome to plead with the Romans to restore Hyrcanus II to power. The Romans had a special interest in Judea because their general Pompey the Great had conquered Jerusalem in 63 BCE, thus placing the region in the Roman sphere of influence. In Rome, Herod was unexpectedly appointed King of the Jews by the Roman Senate.  Herod went back to Judea to win his kingdom from Antigonus.  Antigonus was a Hasmonean, a line of kings established by the Jews in 140 B.C.  Toward the end of the campaign against Antigonus, Herod married the granddaughter of Hyrcanus II, Mariamne (known as Mariamne I), who was also a niece of Antigonus. Herod did this in an attempt to secure his claim to the throne and gain some Jewish favor. However, Herod already had a wife, Doris, and a young son, Antipater, and chose therefore to banish Doris and her child.  After three years of conflict, Herod and the Romans finally captured Jerusalem and Herod sent Antigonus for execution to Marc Antony. Herod took the role as sole ruler of Judea and the title of basileus (Βασιλεύς, "king") for himself, ushering in the Herodian Dynasty and ending the Hasmonean Dynasty. Josephus reports this as being in the year of the consulship of Agrippa and Gallus (37 BCE), but also says that it was exactly 27 years after Jerusalem fell to Pompey, which would indicate 36 BCE. Cassius Dio also reports that in 37 BCE "the Romans accomplished nothing worthy of note" in the area. According to Josephus, Herod ruled for 37 years, 34 of them after capturing Jerusalem.  While Herod publicly identified himself as a Jew and was considered as such by some, this religious identification was undermined by the decadent lifestyle of the Herodians, which would have earned them the antipathy of observant Jews.  As a member of the Hasmonean family, Aristobulus III might partially repair the fortunes of the Hasmoneans if made High Priest. Alexandra's request was made, but Cleopatra urged Alexandra to leave Judea with Aristobulus III and visit Antony. Herod received word of this plot, and feared that if Antony met Aristobolus III in person he might name Aristobulus III King of Judea. This concern induced Herod, in 35 BCE, to order the assassination of Aristobulus, ending this first threat to Herod's throne.  Herod later executed several members of his own family, including his wife Mariamne I.  Herod's despotic rule has been demonstrated by many of his security measures aimed at suppressing the contempt his people, especially Jews, had towards him. For instance, it has been suggested that Herod used secret police to monitor and report the feelings of the general populace towards him. He sought to prohibit protests, and had opponents removed by force. He had a bodyguard of 2,000 soldiers.  Herod spent lavish sums on his various building projects and generous gifts to other dominions, including Rome itself. His buildings were very large, ambitious projects. Herod was responsible for the construction of the Temple Mount, a portion of which remains today as the Western Wall. In addition, Herod also used the latest technology in hydraulic cement and underwater construction to build the harbor at Caesarea. While Herod's zeal for building transformed Judea, his motives were not selfless. Although he built fortresses (Masada, Herodium, Alexandrium, Hyrcania, and Machaerus) in which he and his family could take refuge in case of insurrection, these vast projects were also intended to gain the support of the Jews and improve his reputation as a leader. Herod also built Sebaste and other pagan cities because he wanted to appeal to the country's substantial pagan population. In order to fund these projects, Herod utilized a Hasmonean taxation system that heavily burdened the Judean people. Nevertheless, these enterprises brought employment and opportunities for the people's provision. In some instances, Herod took it upon himself to provide for his people in times of need, such as during a severe famine that occurred in 25 B.C. 

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So, Herod has the following things going against him as far as the Jews were concerned.

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1. Not in the line of Davidic kings.

2. Appointed by Rome.

3. Killed the king appointed by the Jews.

4. Murderous of his own family in order to secure his kingship.

5. Murdered other threats to his kingship.

6. Lived a decadent lifestyle.

7. Oppressive ruler.

8. Over taxation.

 

Now, is it any surprise that Herod is going to try to kill the Messiah?

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Verses 1-3,

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“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;”

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We know why Herod would be troubled.  The greedy Cretan could think of nothing but preserving his kingship.  Now why would all Jerusalem be troubled?

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1. The 2,000 body guards.

2. They feel constrained and threatened to do what Herod demands.

3. They are now locked into alliances with Rome & don’t want to disturb the Roman rule. What will the Romans do if they rebel with a new king?

4. Maybe they are troubled because what if this is their Messiah and Herod kills their Messiah?

 

So, Herod gathers some more information. 

 

Verses 4-6,

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“and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.  They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

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“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

    who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

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This seems to be a combination of a Psalm and Micah 5:2,

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“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.”

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So, while the evil Herod is plotting away, God is fulfilling his promises, and this is another proof that according to Matthew’s thesis, Jesus is the Messiah.  

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What do you see that is special about Micah 5:2? 

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Notice the words that describe him, “whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.”  Only God could be from the days of eternity. 

 

Here is another Messianic prophecy that demands that the Messiah is God. 

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Does Herod have any doubts that the 3 magi are looking for the Messiah?

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No.  He assumes they are looking for the Messiah.  He even asks the scribes where the Messiah was to be born.  What does he do next?

He finds out when the star appeared. 

 

Verses 7-8,

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“Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

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So, Herod is plotting away here.  He finds out how old the child must be.  Then he sends the wise men, or magi, to find out where he is at.  Do you think that Herod really planned to go and worship Jesus?

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Verses 9-12,

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“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.”

 

How many wise men were there?

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The gospel never mentions the number of Magi, but most western Christian denominations have traditionally assumed them to have been three in number, based on the statement that they brought three gifts. In Eastern Christianity, especially the Syriac churches, the Magi often number twelve Their identification as kings in later Christian writings is probably linked to Psalm 72:11, "May all kings fall down before him.”  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi

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The word for wise men here is magoi.  What does that refer to? 

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Magicians?

Wise Men?

Wizards?

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The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars and gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at that time highly regarded as a science.

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So, most likely, these men were from Persia.

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Also, this star seems to have risen in the East, but once the Magi get to Jerusalem, it leads them South to Bethlehem. How can this be?

“To understand the Star of Bethlehem, we need to think like the three wise men. Motivated by this “star in the east,” they first traveled to Jerusalem and told King Herod the prophecy that a new ruler of the people of Israel would be born. We also need to think like King Herod, who asked the wise men when the star had appeared, because he and his court, apparently, were unaware of any such star in the sky.

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These events present us with our first astronomy puzzle of the first Christmas: How could King Herod’s own advisors have been unaware of a star so bright and obvious that it could have led the wise men to Jerusalem?

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Next, in order to reach Bethlehem, the wise men had to travel directly south from Jerusalem; somehow that “star in the east” “went before them, ‘til it came and stood over where the young child was.” Now we have our second first-Christmas astronomy puzzle: how can a star “in the east” guide our wise men to the south? The north star guides lost hikers to the north, so shouldn’t a star in the east have led the wise men to the east?

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And we have yet a third first-Christmas astronomy puzzle: how does Matthew’s star move “before them,” like the taillights on the snowplow you might follow during a blizzard, and then stop and stand over the manger in Bethlehem, inside of which supposedly lies the infant Jesus?

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The astronomer in me knows that no star can do these things, nor can a comet, or Jupiter, or a supernova, or a conjunction of planets or any other actual bright object in the nighttime sky. One can claim that Matthew’s words describe a miracle, something beyond the laws of physics. But Matthew chose his words carefully and wrote “star in the east” twice, which suggests that these words hold a specific importance for his readers.

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Can we find any other explanation, consistent with Matthew’s words, that doesn’t require that the laws of physics be violated and that has something to do with astronomy? The answer, amazingly, is yes.

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Astronomer Michael Molnar points out that “in the east” is a literal translation of the Greek phrase en te anatole, which was a technical term used in Greek mathematical astrology 2,000 years ago. It described, very specifically, a planet that would rise above the eastern horizon just before the sun would appear. Then, just moments after the planet rises, it disappears in the bright glare of the sun in the morning sky. Except for a brief moment, no one can see this “star in the east.”

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We need a little bit of astronomy background here. In a human lifetime, virtually all the stars remain fixed in their places; the stars rise and set every night, but they do not move relative to each other. The stars in the Big Dipper appear year after year always in the same place. But the planets, the sun and the moon wander through the fixed stars; in fact, the word “planet” comes from the Greek word for wandering star. Though the planets, sun and moon move along approximately the same path through the background stars, they travel at different speeds, so they often lap each other. When the sun catches up with a planet, we can’t see the planet, but when the sun passes far enough beyond it, the planet reappears.

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And now we need a little bit of astrology background. When the planet reappears again for the first time and rises in the morning sky just moments before the sun, for the first time in many months after having been hidden in the sun’s glare for those many months, that moment is known to astrologers as a heliacal rising. A heliacal rising, that special first reappearance of a planet, is what “en te Anatole” referred to in ancient Greek astrology. In particular, the reappearance of a planet like Jupiter was thought by Greek astrologers to be symbolically significant for anyone born on that day.

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Thus, the “star in the east” refers to an astronomical event with supposed astrological significance in the context of ancient Greek astrology.

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What about the star parked directly above the first crèche? The word usually translated as “stood over” comes from the Greek word epano, which also had an important meaning in ancient astrology. It refers to a particular moment when a planet stops moving and changes apparent direction from westward to eastward motion. This occurs when the Earth, which orbits the sun more quickly than Mars or Jupiter or Saturn, catches up with, or laps, the other planet.

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Together, a rare combination of astrological events (the right planet rising before the sun; the sun being in the right constellation of the zodiac; plus a number of other combinations of planetary positions considered important by astrologers) would have suggested to ancient Greek astrologers a regal horoscope and a royal birth.

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Molnar believes that the wise men were, in fact, very wise and mathematically adept astrologers. They also knew about the Old Testament prophecy that a new king would be born of the family of David. Most likely, they had been watching the heavens for years, waiting for alignments that would foretell the birth of this king. When they identified a powerful set of astrological portents, they decided the time was right to set out to find the prophesied leader.

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If Matthew’s wise men actually undertook a journey to search for a newborn king, the bright star didn’t guide them; it only told them when to set out. And they wouldn’t have found an infant swaddled in a manger. After all, the baby was already eight months old by the time they decoded the astrological message they believed predicted the birth of a future king. The portent began on April 17 of 6 BC (with the heliacal rising of Jupiter that morning, followed, at noon, by its lunar occultation in the constellation Aries) and lasted until December 19 of 6 BC (when Jupiter stopped moving to the west, stood still briefly, and began moving to the east, as compared with the fixed background stars). By the earliest time the men could have arrived in Bethlehem, the baby Jesus would likely have been at least a toddler.

Matthew wrote to convince his readers that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah. Given the astrological clues embedded in his gospel, he must have believed the story of the Star of Bethlehem would be convincing evidence for many in his audience.”

(http://theconversation.com/can-astronomy-explain-the-biblical-star-of-bethlehem-35126 Can astronomy explain the biblical Star of Bethlehem? By David Weintraub, The Conversation December 23, 2014)

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This could be a fulfillment of Numbers 24:17,

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“I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near;

A Star shall come out of Jacob;

A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,

And batter the brow of Moab,

And destroy all the sons of tumult.”

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Did the Magi, figure the birth of Jesus out by themselves?  Why is this the only time they came to see a newly born king of the Jews?

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Did Daniel tell them when it would be?

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Daniel surely seems to have precise information about the coming of the Messiah in Daniel 9:24-27,

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“Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.  Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.  And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.  And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

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By weeks, Daniel means seven years. Using the typical years of a Jewish year, and not the 50th extra year, which is shorter, the 69 weeks of years comes to right about the time of Jesus’ triumphant entry, crucifixion and resurrection.  Surely, Daniel may have known exactly when the Messiah was to be born, and told the Magi of his time what to look for in terms of astronomical events.

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“Because of Daniel’s high position and great respect among them, it seems certain that the magi learned much from that prophet about the one true God, the God of Israel, and about His will and plans for His people through the coming glorious King. Because many Jews remained in Babylon after the Exile and intermarried with the people of the east, it is likely that Jewish messianic influence remained strong in that region even until New Testament times.” (https://www.gty.org/library/bibleqnas-library/QA0251/how-did-the-magi-know-about-jesus)

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The fact that the Magi came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is the one having been born king of the Jews?” Plus later, “Having heard then King Herod…” implies that the Magi were asking this to everyone, then Herod found out that they were asking this. 

We are not told how that the Magi received God’s revelation that the king of the Jews would be born, except that they say, “We saw his star in the East, and are come to worship him.”

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What does this statement reveal to us about the Magi?

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This comment from the Magi shows that they were exposed to more than just a calendar of when these events would come about, but that they were given the theology of the significance of this event.  These Magi are either converts to Judaism from the time of the Babylonian captivity, or at least believers in the Messiah from the influence of the prophets of that time.

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Will we see these Magi in heaven?

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Clue: They worshipped Jesus.

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What implication does this have for the Doctrine of Salvation before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

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The Magi were saved believers because they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah that would save them from their sins.  Salvation then was the same as now, only it was forward looking.  Now we look back to the death and resurrection of Jesus for salvation. 

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So, Herod instructs the Magi to go and find the child then bring him word of where he is at so he can worship him too.  Do you think Herod is really going to worship Jesus?

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Nope.

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The Magi find him, and worship him.  The Magi give gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Then they are warned in a dream not to return Herod and return to their country.

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God is a step ahead of Herod.

 

Verses 13-15,

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“Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

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God is in charge. God’s son is protected. 

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Also another prophecy is fulfilled.  Another proof that Jesus is the Messiah is noted.

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Verses 16-18.

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“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.   Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

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 “A voice was heard in Ramah,

    weeping and loud lamentation,

Rachel weeping for her children;

    she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

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Another prophecy fulfilled, even through the evil deeds of Herod.

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Verses 19-23,

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“But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.”  And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee.  And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.”

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Bingo! Through every circumstance another prophecy about the Messiah Jesus is fulfilled.

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Archelaus also tried to solidify his reign similar to his father.  He killed the remaining possible heirs to the throne inthe Hasmonean lineage.  There was a rebellion in Jerusalem, and Archelaus sent the whole Roman army in and killed 3,000 people.  He was given reign over Judea and Samaria, but not Galilee.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_Archelaus)

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Nazareth was in Galilee, so Jesus would be safe there. 

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Fast forward to 29 A.D., a Roman surveyor travels to Nazareth and documents that one Jesus of Nazareth is a great healer and witness him resurrecting a child that was stillborn.  One year later Jesus is Baptized and a voice from heaven says, “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.

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Did Joseph and Mary know all that Jesus would become?

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Song: Mary Did You Know