Matthew 2:1-12 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.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea. At that time, Herod was the king of Israel. Several magi saw the star of the Lord Jesus in the east, here it didn’t mention how many magi exactly, but it mentioned that there are three magi in the Christmas story. Magi were the wise men, God revealed to them through the stars that the Lord Jesus was born, and they would come to worship him and bring gifts to him. They went to Jerusalem and met King Herod. King Herod was disturbed when he learned of the birth of Christ. He learned from the chief priests and teachers of the law that Christ was born in Bethlehem.
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)
In the Old Testament, the book of Micah prophesied that Christ would be born in Bethlehem.
King Herod sent these wise men to Bethlehem and told them to report back when they found the child so that he could worship him. We will learn next time that King Herod was not going to worship him, but to kill him. When the wise men were on their way to Bethlehem, the star they saw in the east suddenly appeared and went ahead of them, leading them to the house of Jesus and Mary. We saw God’s miraculous guidance. God also instructed the magi in a dream not to go back to Herod, because God knows everything and knows that Herod wanted to kill the child Jesus instead of worshiping him.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀
