Matthew 2:1–12

Bible Studies for Life

THE SAVIOR OF CHRISTMAS — BOWING BEFORE THE SAVIOR
Matthew 2:1–12

Matthew moves the scene in which the events of Jesus’ birth take place from the poverty of a stable and the underclass of the shepherds to a setting among royalty, chief priests and wealthy foreigners. He is concerned to demonstrate the relevance of the message of Christmas for people from every walk of life.

Who were the wise men? (1–6)
Much of what we have learned about these individuals is based on speculation or traditions that we have never questioned. We don’t know how many of these men traveled to Bethlehem. The number three is associated with the gifts that they brought. They originated in the East, in either Persia or Babylon. They were not kings but astrologers, advisers to royalty. They were probably priests who functioned as the religious, civil and political counsel to the kings of Media and Persia. They studied the stars and the influence of the stars on the lives and destinies of people and nations. Like Daniel, who operated in Babylon, they were interpreters of dreams. Living their lives among royalty, they took it for granted that the child they were looking for would have been born into Herod’s household.

For Matthew, the search begins in God’s provision of a star, associated in ancient pagan belief with the birth of a new ruler. The wise men represent, in Matthew’s account, pagan Gentiles who are seeking meaning and purpose in life, searching for salvation. There may be, however, a subtle polemic against astrology here. What these men were initially seeking through their study of the stars is actually to be found in Christ, and therefore it is at Bethlehem that these men discovered the ultimate meaning of their search — the Savior.

The Opposition of Herod (7–8)
Given their status, the magi probably traveled with an escort of cavalry and a large entourage. While they may have used camels to carry their luggage, the magi probably rode on horses. Their arrival must have created quite a stir. Herod received the news with a measure of fear and uncertainty, mixed with anger and resentment. Herod the Great had not been born king of the Jews and was not even a pure Jew. He was a puppet ruler, cruel and callous toward his enemies, hated by the people. Rather than following the example of the magi in seeking the significance of Jesus’ birth, he made plans to eliminate the threat that the birth of Jesus brought into his life. Herod stands, in this incident, not as someone who is indifferent to the coming of Christ but as an outright opponent of the message of salvation.

Response of Worship (9–12)
Bethlehem is about four miles south of Jerusalem. When the visitors discovered where Mary, Joseph and the child were living, they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. The gifts had a practical value in sustaining the family over the next two years as it lived in Egypt. Yet they also expressed the magi’s worship in ways that seemed to foreshadow the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

In the Scriptures, gold is a symbol for royalty and signifies the glory and deity of God. It was thus an appropriate gift to give to one who would be viewed as sharing the divine nature. Incense was used in connection with some of the offerings in the temple. In the purposes of God, the coming of Christ in Incarnation would lead to His offering Himself as a sacrifice for sin on the cross of Calvary. Myrrh was an embalming ointment, which would be wrapped in the garments of the deceased. It signified the fact that Jesus was born to die.

One of the ways in which the Gospel writers describe the attitude of those who encountered the Savior is that of joy. Mary sang her song of praise in which she “rejoiced in God the Savior.” The shepherds returned to their sheep “glorifying and praising God.” Here, in this story, the magi were “overwhelmed with joy.” Like the psalmist, those who experience the salvation of God say “happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.” The things that this world offers as the means to happiness and satisfaction pale into insignificance when we come to the One who has poured out His love into our hearts and we express our adoration and appreciation to Him.

In this way, worship becomes a transforming experience — the goodness and grace of God brings out a response. God refashions us in conversation with Himself — we come away from the presence of God reflecting His glory, experiencing the power of the Spirit, and our lives are changed. Who knows what the impact of this visit of the magi was on their own lives and the community to which they returned. As they left for their own country, they took with them their experience of Christ and the message of God’s intervention into the affairs of human history.