1530 | MattheW 2:1
their mar riage un til she gave birth to a son . And he gave him the name Jesus .
The Magi Visit the Messiah
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Af ter Jesus was born in Beth le hem in Ju dea , dur ing the time of King Her od , Magi a from the east came to Je ru sa lem 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 wor ship him .”
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When King Her od heard this he was dis turbed , and all Je ru sa lem with him . 4 When he had called to geth er all the peo ple ’ s chief priests and teach ers
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1 Traditionally wise men
2:1 – 12 Matthew continues his narrative of Jesus ’ birth by introducing the wise men from the east and their appearance in Jerusalem . Upon hearing about their arrival , Herod questions them to get information about the Christ-child .
Matthew 2:1
HEROD THE GREAT Herod the Great ruled Palestine on behalf of Rome . The first 24 years of his reign were successful : He established peace throughout the land , made the temple more magnificent than that of Solomon , provided jobs for the working class and completed a number of large building projects . His final nine years as king were less glorious and led to the NT depiction of him as a tyrant . These years were characterized by political intrigue , executions , familial disputes , war and clashes with Rome . Herod died dishonorably , and his kingdom was divided among his sons ( see note on Lk 3:1 ). See the table “ Political Leaders in the New Testament ” on p . 1916 .
Matthew 2:1
MAGI The Magi ( wise men ) probably came from the Parthian Empire ( a kingdom spanning modern Iraq and Iran ). They were likely astrologers and royal courtiers . In Matthew ’ s narrative , they are depicted as foreign dignitaries .
2:1 Bethlehem in Judea Located about six miles south of Jerusalem . Bethlehem is inseparably linked to King David — the place of origin for David ’ s family as well as his anointing as king ( Ru 1:1,19 ; 1Sa 16:1,4 ). Herod Refers to Herod the Great , who was from the region of Idumea , making him an illegitimate king in the opinions of many Jewish people . Following the death of his father , Antipater , Herod was made king of Judea by Rome and ruled from 37 – 4 BC . Magi The exact number of wise men ( or Magi ), their names and their place of origin are uncertain . Throughout the ancient Near East , the births of extraordinary , savior-type figures were believed to coincide with astral phenomena . When a star ( or planet ) appeared over Jerusalem , the Magi believed that it heralded the king of the Jews . Compare note on 2:2 . 2:2 king of the Jews The Jews were already being ruled by a king — Herod . The political climate and traditional association of the Messiah with the house of David made it natural for Jews to assume that the Messiah would be a king . star In the ancient Near East , people considered the movements of particular planets , stars , comets , meteors and other astrological phenomena to be signs or portents . The reference to a star connects Jesus ’ birth with the prophetic oracle in Nu 24:17 . The wise men ( or Magi ) could have been following a planet on a natural course — which based on the particular signs they observed indicated the birth of a king — or witnessed a miraculous event . 2:3 he was disturbed To Herod , the Magi ’ s question indicates a potential rival to his throne . all Jerusalem with him The city ’ s residents knew of Herod ’ s violence and were frightened at the prospect of further trouble . His slaughter of children ( Mt 2:16 ) shows that their fear is justified .
Jesus ’ Early Life and Ministry
Gabriel appears to Zechariah in the temple . |
Mary visits Elizabeth . |
John the Baptist is born . |
An angel appears to Joseph .
Jesus is born in Bethlehem .
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Gabriel appears to Mary .
Mary stays with Elizabeth .
John the Baptist is circumcised . Zechariah prophesies about John ’ s future career .
Caesar Augustus decrees a census .