1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matt 2:1-2 (NIV)
1. Why were Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-5
Joseph and Mary were of the tribe of Judah and the family of David, so Bethlehem being the city of David, they had to travel the 80 miles from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem by order of the Roman governor Quirinius to be counted and then taxed.
Bethlehem was a little town six miles to the south of Jerusalem. In the olden days it had been called Ephrath or Ephratah. The name Bethlehem means The House of Bread, and Bethlehem stood in a fertile countryside, which made its name a fitting name.
2. Who were these “wise men (magi) from the East”?
Magi from the east. The number of wise men is not given. The traditional notion that there were 3 stems from the number of gifts they brought. These were not kings, but Magi, magicians or astrologers—possibly Zoroastrian wise men from Persia whose knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures could be traced back to the time of Daniel.
From Persia, whence the Magi are supposed to have come, to Jerusalem was a journey of between 1000 and 1200 miles. Such a distance may have taken any time between three and twelve months by camel. Besides the time of travel, there were probably many weeks of preparation. The Magi could scarcely have reached Jerusalem till a year or more had elapsed from the time of the appearance of the star.
The name of these men is the Magi, and that is a word which is difficult to translate. Herodotus (i: 101, 132) has certain information about these men called the Magi. He says that the Magi were originally a Median tribe. The Medes were part of the Empire of the Persians; they tried to overthrow the Persians and to substitute the power of the Medes. The attempt failed. From that time the Magi ceased to have any ambitions for power or prestige, and became a tribe of priests. They became in Persia almost exactly what the Levites were in Israel. They became the teachers and instructors of the Persian kings. In Persia no sacrifice could be offered unless one of the Magi was present. They became men of holiness and wisdom.
These Magi were men who were skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural science. They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. In later times the word Magus developed a much lower meaning, and came to mean little more than a fortune-teller, a sorcerer, a magician, and a charlatan. Such was Elymas, the sorcerer (Acts 13: 6, 8), and Simon who is commonly called Simon Magus (Acts 8: 9, 11). But at their best the Magi were not like that; at their best they were good and holy men, who sought for truth.
One of the titles given to Daniel was Rab-mag, the Chief of the Magi. His unusual career included being a principal administrator in two world empires–the Babylonian and the subsequent Persian Empire. When Darius appointed him, a Jew, over the previously hereditary Median priesthood, the resulting repercussions led to the plots involving the ordeal of the lion’s den.
Daniel apparently entrusted a Messianic vision (to be announced in due time by a “star”) to a secret sect of the Magi for its eventual fulfillment.
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 ”In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 ”‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” Matt 2:3-6 (NIV)
3. What scripture is this that the scribes referred to as foretelling the birth place of the coming Messiah, and when was it written?
Micah 5:2 ” But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me, The One to be Ruler in Israel Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
The prophet Micah wrote this 700 years before Jesus was born.
4. Why was Herod troubled when he heard the Magi had come searching for the “king of the Jews”?
Herod the Great, the first of several important rulers from the Herodian dynasty who are named in Scripture. This Herod, founder of the famous line, ruled from 37–4 b.c. He is thought to have been Idumean, a descendant of the Edomites, offspring of Esau. Herod was ruthless and cunning. He loved opulence and grand building projects. He was hated by the people and paranoid to the point of having anybody he saw as competition to his throne killed or imprisoned, including advisors, sons, wives and brothers. He was able to convince the Roman Senate to declare him officially “King of the Jews”.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Matt 2:7-8 (NIV)
5. What was Herod’s motivation for finding the “young child, born King of the Jews”?
As mentioned before, Herod had murdered many in the past to keep his throne, so he could not afford to let this child live. It was too much of a threat.
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. Matt 2:9-11
6. Was this really a star, or a comet or an illusion or
Probably not an ordinary star, planet or comet, though some interpreters have identified it with the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 B.C. or with other astronomical phenomena NIV Study Bible
2:2 star. This could not have been a supernova or a conjunction of planets, as some modern theories suggest, because of the way the star moved and settled over one place (cf. v. 9). It is more likely a supernatural reality similar to the Shekinah that guided the Israelites in the days of Moses (Ex 13:21). MacArthur Study Bible NASB
7. “they had come into the house”? I thought he was in a stable with shepherds all around when the wise men came.
2:11 into the house. By the time the wise men arrived, Mary and Joseph were situated in a house, not a stable (cf. Lk 2:7) MacArthur Study Bible NASB
The Magi were not there at the birth of Jesus despite what the Christmas manger scenes show. They came sometime later, after Mary and Joseph had established themselves in a house.
8. What did “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” represent?
GOLD: This carries obvious significance. It’s precious and worthy across all cultures and times. It’s a gift fit for royalty. It says to the Christ child, You will be a King
FRANKINCENSE: The name for
MYRRH: This is perhaps the most mysterious of the Gifts. It is a resin produced by a small, tough, scraggly tree that grows in semi-desert regions of North Africa and the Red Sea. Myrrh is an Arabic word for bitter, and it is considered a wound healer because of its strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Calling it mo yao, the Chinese used it for centuries to treat wounds, bruises and bleeding and to relieve painful swelling.
The Egyptians made it famous in Biblical times, having acquired myrrh about the fifteenth century B.C. from Africa where cammiphora trees were abundant. It was used in incense, perfumes and holy ointments and also medicinally as recorded in the Ebers Papyrus. But its most notable use to them was that of an embalming material, used in Egyptian mummies. As an embalming ointment it signified that He was born to Die for the world. In fact, Myrrh was one of the burial spices of Jesus (John 19:39).
9. Who was this angel of the Lord?
The Gospel of Luke identifies this angel of the Lord is Gabriel.
1:19 Gabriel. The name can mean “God is my hero” or “mighty man of God.” Only two angels are identified by name in Scripture: Gabriel (Da 8:16; 9:21) and Michael (see Da 10:13) NIV Study Bible
These angels of the Lord are not to be confused with The Angel of the LORD, who appeared and interacted with people in the Old Testament.
Genesis 16:10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude.”
Genesis 22:11 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
This Angel of the LORD is Jesus himself, the second person of the trinity, appearing to people before he came to earth and was born as a baby in Bethlehem. The Gospel of Luke reinforces this theory in Luke 24: 25 where he is speaking to the two men on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. “Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. “
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matt 2:14-15 (NIV)
10. Where in the Bible is this prophesied from?
Out of Egypt I called my son. This quotation from Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”
Originally referred to God’s calling the nation of Israel out of Egypt in the time of Moses. But Matthew applies it also to Jesus. He sees the history of Israel (God’s “son”) recapitulated in the life of Jesus (God’s unique Son; see Jn 3:16 and note). Just as Israel as an infant nation went down into Egypt, so the child Jesus went there. And as Israel was led by God out of Egypt, so also was Jesus. How long Jesus and his parents were in Egypt is not known. NIV Study Bible
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 ”A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”Matt 2:16-18 (NIV)
11.How many babies did Herod have killed attempting to eliminate Jesus?
2:16 kill all the boys … two years old and under. The number killed has often been exaggerated as being in the thousands. In so small a village as Bethlehem, however (even with the surrounding area included), the number was probably not large—though the act, of course, was no less brutal. NIV Study Bible
This is a reference to Jeremiah 31:15 Thus says the LORD:
” A voice was heard in Ramah,Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children,Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.”
Matthew refers back to the suffering of Jewish women throughout the history of Israel as their children are murdered and in particular carried off into captivity. He sees Jewish history culminating in the life of Christ.
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” Matt 2:19-23 (NIV)
12. When did Herod die and who was Archelaus?
Herod the Great probably died around 4 B.C.
2:22 Archelaus. Herod’s kingdom was divided 3 ways and given to his sons: Archelaus ruled Judea, Samaria, and Idumea; Herod Philip II ruled the regions N of Galilee (Lk 3:1); and Herod Antipas ruled Galilee and Perea (Lk 3:1). History records that Archelaus was so brutal and ineffective that he was deposed by Rome after a short reign and replaced with a governor appointed by Rome. Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of Judea. Herod Antipas is the main Herod in the gospel accounts. He was the one who had John the Baptist put to death (14:1–12), and examined Christ on the eve of the crucifixion (Lk 23:7–12). 2:22 Archelaus. This son of Herod the Great ruled over Judea and Samaria for only ten years (4 B.C.–A.D. 6). He was unusually cruel and tyrannical and so was deposed. Judea then became a Roman province, administered by governors appointed by the emperor. Galilee. The northern part of the Holy Land in Jesus’ day
12. What is this about Jesus being called a Nazarene? There is no mention of this in the Old Testament?
There is a clear reference to the fact that the Messiah would be called “the branch” Isaiah 11:1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Jesse was the father of David and the Messiah would come from that bloodline or family tree making Jesus a branch from the tree of Jesse. In the Hebrew language the word Nazarene and branch are the same word.
- ESV………….ESV Study Bible Notes
- MSN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
- NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
- JVM ….J Vernon McGee,
- ACC …. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
- BN …..Barnes Notes
- WBC…… Wycliffe Bible Commentary
- CN …… Constables Notes
- IC……….Ironside Commentary
- NET………Net Bible Study Notes.
- JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
- VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
- CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
The WAYBACK machine
1.
The Roman Empire
conquered Israel in 63 BC.
2.
Herod “The Great” was installed by
Rome as “King of the Jews” in 36 BC.
3.
A period of relative worldwide peace
known as Pax Romana (Latin for "Roman Peace") lasted from
approx. 27 BC to 180 AD.
4.
Pax Romana allowed movement around the empire much easier and
safer.
5.
The Roman road
system originally designed for
the legions made the spread of the gospel
much easier.
6.
The 3 major religious/political
parties in Israel were:
The Sadducees During the time of Christ
and the New Testament era, the Sadducees were aristocrats. They tended to be
wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high
priest, and they held the majority of the 70 seats of the ruling council called
the Sanhedrin. They worked hard to keep the peace by agreeing with the
decisions of Rome, and they seemed to be more concerned with politics than
religion.
The Pharisees In
contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen,
and therefore were in contact with the common man. The Pharisees were a “back
to the bible” group who rose up to confront the apostasy and corruption of the
Sadducees. Religiously, they accepted the written Word as inspired by God, but
they also gave equal authority to oral tradition and the Talmud, the rabbinical
commentary of the law, and attempted to defend this position by saying it went
all the way back to Moses.
The Essenes Emerged
out of disgust with the other two. This sect believed the others had corrupted
the city and the Temple. They moved out of Jerusalem and lived a monastic life
in the desert, adopting strict dietary laws and a commitment to celibacy.
7. The Old Testament was originally
written in Hebrew, but because of the influence of the Greek and Roman empires
Greek had become the universal language of the Roman world which included
Israel. As a result the bible was translated into Greek. This is known as the Septuagint LXX. Most of the NT writers quoted from the Septuagint LXX.
Ancient Greek papyrus
Map of Israel at the time of Jesus
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