Exegetical Notes on Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the
child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its
rising, and have come to pay him homage." When King Herod heard this, he
was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief
priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to
be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written
by the prophet:
`And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from
them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem,
saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found
him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." When they
had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that
they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child
was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt
down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not
to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Observation:
- Herod the Great was king
- This took place after Jesus was born in Bethlehem
- The Holy Family still lived in Bethlehem
- Magi came from the east
- The Magi observed a star and followed it
- The Magi came to Jerusalem, and were looking for the King of the Jews
Who: Magi
What: Followed a star to Jerusalem, looking for the newborn
King
Where: Jerusalem
When: Herod was King and the Holy Family lived in Jerusalem:
4BC – 6AD
Why: The saw a unique star and interpreted it to mean that a
new King had been born
- King Herod was frightened
- King Herod inquired of the chief priests and scribes – they told him the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
- Chief Priests and Scribes quote Micah 5:2
- Herod brought the Magi in secretly
- Herod found out from them the exact time the star appeared
- Herod sent them to find Jesus, and told them to return and tell him.
Who: Herod
What: became afraid of the news, ordered research from the
priests and scribes, inquired of the Magi, ordered the Magi to report back
Where: Jerusalem
When: Same time period
Why: Herod’s rise to power was political and involved
alliances with Rome. The birth of the
Messiah would have been a threat to him.
- The magi went to Bethlehem, and the star appeared again
- The star stopped over The Holy Family’s house
- The Magi experienced great joy – it was overwhelming
- The Magi saw Jesus and His Mother, they knelt down and paid Him homage / worshipped Him.
- The Magi gave him gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
- The Magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod
- They went home by another route
Who: Magi
What: Followed the star to Bethlehem, experienced great joy,
found the Holy Family, worshipped Jesus, and gave Him gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh
Where: Bethlehem
When: Same time frame
Why: They were interested / excited / overjoyed at the birth
of the Messiah.
Interpretation:
- King Herod inquired of the chief priests and scribes, who were often appointed by the Roman government and were people in power.
- Jerusalem was rather close to Bethlehem. To return home by another route would have been a bit of a detour
- Herod became King after being named a tetrarch by Mark Antony, and later capturing Jerusalem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod_the_Great. The birth of a new king would have been troubling to him.
- The birth of the Messiah could have turned popular opinion against Herod
- Interesting that the Magi, who had no cultural connection to the Jewish Messiah, not only undertook the trip, but were overjoyed when they finally found him.
- The Holy Family lived in a house, indicating they had been there for a while and settled in. They may have intended to live there permanently.
- KJV has Herod as being troubled – and all Jerusalem with him. Greek – Tarasso: to stir up, agitate. News of Jesus’ coming agitated Jerusalem.
Context within Matthew: After the Birth of Jesus. This passage is followed up by the Flight
into Egypt and Herod’s slaughter of the innocents.
Fallen Creation Focus (FCF): Sin affects all, even those in
power. Just because a system has
attained some sort of stability, does not mean that it’s righteous. Just because someone is powerful, doesn’t mean
that they are correct. Those in power
can very well be corrupt. The world has
always resisted and fought against the Gospel.
How can I follow God
in a world gone mad?
- People Divided
- Lack of trust in authorities
- Basic respect for human life is
lacking
- Violence
Author: Apostle Matthew
Audience: Early Jewish followers of the Way
Message to the original hearers: God intervened in a
troubling time. Gentile foreigners were
overjoyed at encountering Jesus. Herod
and the powers that be were troubled at the arrival of the Messiah. They may have been hearing this during the
early persecutions of the Church by Herod Antipas. God warned people through dreams of impending
trouble and what to do.
What do we have in common with the original hearers?
- World is divided bitterly – Democrat vs. Republican
- Leaders are and have been corrupt and sinful
- People get very agitated at the prospect of change – fuels the division
- God provides interventions, perhaps not stars and dreams but Word and Sacrament
Correlation:
Catechism:
Pg 845: From the beginning, human beings have misused their
freedom and made wrong choices.
We do not use our freedom as we should because we rebel
against God, and we put ourselves in the place of God.
God first helped us by revealing himself and his will,
through nature and history, through many seers and saints, and especially
through the prophets of Israel.
Pg 848: Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the
will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and
with all creation.
Pg 849: Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty
when our relationship with God is distorted.
Redemption is the act of God which sets us free from the
power of evil, sin, and death.
God sent the prophets to call us back to himself, to show us
our need for redemption, and to announce the coming of the Messiah.
The Messiah is the one sent by God to free us from the power
of sin, so that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within
ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
English Prayer Book:
Pg. 354 … thou art not able to do these things of thyself,
nor to walk in the commandments of God and serve Him, without His special
grace, which thou must call upon by fervent prayer.
Application:
Behavioral
What: Use the means of grace at your disposal (The magi had
the star to follow)
Where: At your Church, in the car, in a quiet area of your
home
Why: In a world gone mad, we all need help
How: Read a portion of Scripture, do the meditation from
Forward Day by Day. When reading
Scripture, ask yourself, what do I have in common with the people in this
passage? How does what God had to say to
them apply to me?
Attitudinal:
What: Claim the truth that Christ intervenes during the
madness
Where: While reading newspapers, watching TV, social media,
- when you’re feeling hopeless, like so much is out of control.
Why: We can’t escape the madness on our own, but from the
beginning of time God has led us towards the right ways.
How: Every time you see something upsetting, say, Lord Jesus
Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
Behavioral:
What: Listen for God’s instructions (warned in a dream)
Where: At your Church, in the car, in a quiet area of your
home
Why: A dirty hand cannot clean a white shirt. Sin is so entangling that we cannot escape it
on our own. (The magi couldn’t escape
the reach of Herod, so they needed help)
How: Word and Sacraments – bring what’s on your heart to
your prayer and devotional time.
Attitudinal:
What: Know that there is always a godly way forward.
Where: While reading newspapers, watching TV, social media,
- when you’re feeling hopeless, like so much is out of control.
Why: Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He commands us to be perfect, as our heavenly
Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). He
would never demand these things if succumbing to the madness were inevitable.
How: Ask yourself, what is the most loving solution I can
think of? What is the most just solution
I can think of? What is the most
merciful solution I can think of?
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