Unit: Matthew
Theme: Jesus Is Lord
Lesson Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Supplemental Text: Philippians 2:5-11; Revelation 7:9-10; Isaiah 9:1-7; Ephesians 3:6
Aim: Again this Christmas, confess Jesus, the Lord of all, as your Lord.
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Download a PDF of this week’s lesson material (the Study by Mark Scott, Application by David Faust, and Discovery Questions by Michael C. Mack): LOOKOUT_December25_2022.
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By Mark Scott
Private investors have launched a multimillion-dollar campaign to reintroduce Jesus to Americans. It is called “He Gets Us.” Maybe the question this Christmas Sunday should be, “Do we get him?” We rejoice that within Jesus’ name is the word us. He came for us—which should be enough for us to embrace him as Lord of our lives.
The babe of Bethlehem (and Messiah of Matthew’s Gospel) is Lord of all—even wise men. Matthew devoted only one verse to the birth of Jesus (1:25) even though he spent many verses tracing Jesus’ human roots (1:1-17) and divine roots (1:18-24). Then, a good length of time after Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem. So, very early on in this “Royal Jewish Gospel” we see that Jesus is Lord of all.
Foreign Visitors
Matthew 2:1-2
King Herod is not the hero in the Christmas story, and yet he populates every scene in the narrative of Matthew 2. The godfather of the Herod family was known as Herod the Great. He was an incredible architect and longtime leader, even though he was insanely jealous (as this story will demonstrate). News traveled much slower in those days, so it took time for the wise men and Herod to learn of Christ’s birth. The Magi came from the east toward the end of Herod’s reign.
Who were these foreign visitors? Scholars do not agree on their identity. Some think they were astrologers while others say they were astronomers. Some think they were of priestly origin, but Tertullian, the early church father, said they were kings. Where they came from, how they got there, and what they came for may be more important than who exactly they were. They came from the east, essentially retracing Abraham’s steps (Genesis 12). They saw and/or followed a star (prophetically referred to in Numbers 24:17). They were intent on one purpose—to worship the real king of the Jews. Think of it—foreigners worshiping a Jewish child.
Disturbed King
Matthew 2:3-8
King Herod lived in more than one spot (Caesarea, Jerusalem, the Herodian, etc.), but when the Magi came to worship Jesus, Herod was in Jerusalem. The presence of the Magi in Jerusalem could have created quite a stir. No wonder Herod and the city were disturbed (frightened or even terrified)—maybe for different reasons.
The question about the “king of the Jews” caused Herod to consult the Sanhedrin (composed of both chief priests and teachers of the law). It’s ironic the religious leaders knew the answer to Herod’s question. They answered in the words of Micah 5:2. If they had really been longing for their Messiah, one might think they would have walked the six miles to check out this claim. (If they did, we have no record of it.) Perhaps this is an example of faith going to seed. Bethlehem (house of bread), located just six miles south of Jerusalem, was not a large or significant town. Its prominence would result from someone in the line of David being born there who would become the ruler/shepherd of his people.
The private meeting between Herod and the Magi must have raised some suspicions in the minds of the Magi. How much they believed Herod’s stated intent to worship this king of the Jews is hard to say. Herod wanted a report (message—one of the words for preaching in the New Testament) so, he said, he could worship (bow down and show homage to) this king.
Worshiped Child
Matthew 2:9-12
The Magi left the private meeting with Herod. Upon leaving, they saw the star they had seen earlier from when they were in the east. The text says the star arose and went ahead of them. This may indicate that the Magi saw the star in the heavens while they were far off (in the east), but the star technically moved only six miles in leading them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. There is probably no way to know this for sure, just as it’s unknowable whether God used a special natural phenomenon like a nova or just put a miraculous star in the heavens.
The Magi came to the house (not stable or inn). By the time they arrived, Jesus was no longer an infant. He was a toddler (child), and Mary and Joseph had found a more permanent residence. The Magi saw Mary and bowed down and worshiped Jesus. This worship was expressed in the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—strange gifts for a toddler, perhaps, but expensive and maybe even practical for the upcoming flight to Egypt.
God guided the Magi first by a star and finally by a dream (there are several of these in Matthew 1–2). They went home while the holy family left to escape Herod’s butchers. Jesus is the real king of the Jews, the ruler/shepherd of Israel, and the child Messiah.
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