Explore the Bible: December 26

Sought • Matt. 2:1-12

By Wayne VanHorn

Most of us have seen on bumper stickers or yard signs the slogan, “Wise men still seek Him!” Truth is, Jesus is the only person worth seeking when it comes to the important matters of life such as eternal security, temporal purpose, the quest for significance, the longing for joy, and the pursuit of peace.

These significant aspects of our lives are inseparably bound to a relationship with Jesus as our Savior and Lord.

My friend, Dr. Janice Meier, wrote the LifeWay ETB Commentary for this quarter. She introduced this lesson by writing, “The wise men in Matthew 2 recognized the importance of a personal encounter with the newborn King. Thus, they began an arduous journey to find Him” (ETB Commentary, p. 41). Each of us must make the same journey in our lives — the journey to find Jesus.

The arrival (Matt. 2:1-3). Some time after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. Coming from the east, perhaps from the regions of ancient Assyria, Babylon, or Persia, these Magi who studied the stars would have followed the circuitous route around the Fertile Crescent to stay near fresh water supplies and avoid the vast Arabian desert. Thus, they would have entered Judea from the north.

Logically, they stopped at Jerusalem, the capitol of Judea and a residence of King Herod, since the star appeared to hover over that illustrious city. The little town of Bethlehem, hidden in Jerusalem’s shadow, was a scant five miles farther south.

The wise men knew neither the name nor exact location of the young child they sought. They did know He was born, “King of the Jews.” The special sign in the night sky was “his star,” and He was worthy of worship (2:2).

No doubt Herod had seen the same star but had not assigned any spiritual significance to it. The wise men’s news disturbed him. The Greek verb refers to a severe spiritual or mental agitation in this context (2:3). Herod was known as being both paranoid and atrocious; small wonder that “all Jerusalem” was troubled with him.

The direction (Matt. 2:4-8). At this point in the story, Herod’s cunning and treachery were on display. First, he consulted the religious leaders to find out where the Messiah (Christ) would be born. They pinpointed Bethlehem, citing Micah 5:2 (Matt. 2:5-6). Secondly, Herod consulted the wise men to ascertain the time the star appeared (Matt. 2:7). The approximate time is given later in the story, when Herod gave orders to murder all young boys two years old or younger (Matt. 2:16).

Knowing the place and time, the paranoid king could eliminate his perceived competition. He cunningly disguised his evil machinations by directing the wise men to search diligently for the child, then to report back to him so he could “worship him,” too (Matt. 2:8).

The wise men had no way of knowing that in Herod’s twisted mind, worship meant infanticide.

The discovery (Matt. 2:9-12). The guiding star reappears in Matthew 2:9. Attempts to identify the star with a specific alignment of planets, comets, or other phenomena of outer space are ill-fated. I prefer to think that God created a special star for the special occasion of the birth of His special Son to the virgin, Mary.

The same star that sent Herod into a state of agitation caused the wise men to be “overwhelmed with joy” (Matt. 2:10 CSB). Some time had passed since the shepherds visited the newborn king (Luke 2:8-20), as evidenced by the presence of Mary and Jesus in a house rather than the stable (Matt. 2:11a).

Joseph, who figured prominently in the pre-birth narrative in Matthew 1:18-25, is only mentioned twice after Jesus’ birth, in the context of God’s directing him through dreams (Matt. 2:13,19).

The wise men demonstrated humility, reverence, and generosity when they saw the Christ child. They fell to their knees, worshiped Him, and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:11b). William Barclay does a great job of describing the various legends that developed later regarding the meaning of the gifts, the names of the wise men, and the fate of the star (Barclay, Matthew, vol. 1, pp. 36-38).

Mission accomplished, the wise men avoided Herod by returning home by a different route. They had been “warned in a dream” (Matt. 2:12). God’s guidance proved more persuasive than Herod’s command.

They had sought Jesus. They found Him, because they never gave up the search.

VanHorn is dean of the School of Christian Studies & the Arts at Mississippi College, Clinton.