Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men[a] from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose,[b] and we have come to worship him.”
3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.
- The magi knew what this meant and were willing to do whatever it took, to rearrange any priority and go through any cost.
- Herod was the “king of the Jews” and saw Jesus as a THREAT.
Matthew 2:4-8
He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities[c] of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’[d]”
7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”
- The Jewish scholars knew what the Bible says about Messiah.
- Rather than humble himself, his pride led him to pretend.
Matthew 2:9-11
After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
3 Things The Magi Did That Herod Would Not Do.
- Wise Men Sacrificed
- Wise Men Humbled Themselves
- Wise Men Gave
APPLICATION:
The problem isn’t that we aren’t aware of who Jesus is and what he came to do for us.
The problem is that our response is to act the part of a devoted disciple without being willing to sacrifice our live to follow him, humble ourselves to worship him daily, or rearrange our lives to yield what we have for his purposes in the world.