The Seeking By The Magi - Matthew 2:1–12

    Four significant events, which occurred in the first few years of Jesus Christ on earth, are recorded in this chapter. All the events are related and are a sequence to the previous event. Matthew 2 can be divided into four major parts as follows:

·         The Seeking by the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12)

·         The Staying in Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15)

·         The Slaying of the Children (Matthew 2:16–18)

·         The Settling in Nazareth (Matthew 2:19–23)

    Though Christ was born in a very humble situation, yet there were some high honors that came to Him anyway. The first such honor was the angels announcing His birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:9–15). This was followed by the adoration given from Simeon and Anna in the Temple (Luke 2:25–38). The next honor recorded for Christ in connection with His birth was the seeking of Christ by the magi (wise men) which is recorded in this second chapter of Matthew.

1. The Instant of the Seeking (Matthew 2:1)

    The time when the wise men came seeking Christ was after Christ was born.

The duration of the time. “When Jesus was born” (Matthew 2:1). Some weeks had gone by after Christ was born before the magi actually saw Him. The age limit of the children which Herod killed suggests that Christ may have been nearing His second birthday. Though the magi started their journey to see Christ at the time He was born, they did not arrive for some months, because of the great distance they had to travel. Travel in those days was much slower than in our day.

    The danger of the time. “In the days of Herod the king” (Matthew 2:1). This is the first mention of Herod in the Bible He was vicious and lustful (married nine times), and in his quest for absolute power did not hesitate to kill even members of his own family (a wife and some sons were murdered). He is called “Herod the Great” in secular history but not “Great” in the Bible. He had no greatness of character, his greatness was in vileness. That Christ was born in this most perilous of times is another illustration of God delighting to do His great works when the opposition is the greatest. This shows the great power of God. And it is an encouragement to God’s people that the darkest of days and direst of circumstances are no problem for God to work mightily on our behalf.

2. The Individuals in the Seeking (Matthew 2:1)

    “Came wise men from the east” (Matthew 2:1). The word translated “wise men” is the word “magi” (“magoic” in the Greek). We get the name “magician” from this word. The magi were a priestly cast of men especially interested in astrology and astronomy. Their counsel was often sought by ancient rulers of the eastern world. Daniel was made head of such an order (Daniel 2:48) because of his interpreting a dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. Being from the “east” indicated they were from the Arabian or Persian areas. Tradition says they were three in number, but Scripture gives no hint of that number. Their worshiping of Christ does not sanction astrology, of course; but it does say that God revealed to some prominent Gentiles the news about the birth of Christ, and they responded commendably by coming to find Christ and worship Him.

3. The Intensity of the Seeking (Matthew 2:1)

    “From the east to Jerusalem” (Matthew 2:1). The magi showed a great deal of intensity and dedication in seeking Christ. “From the east” as we noted above, means they were from either the Arabian or Persian lands. In either case it would involve a great deal of effort and time to get to Jerusalem, for they did not have the comfortable and speedy modes of travel which we have today. The intensity of their seeking Christ shames most people, for few show much effort in seeking Christ. Even long-time church members often lack spiritual zeal.

4. The Intent in the Seeking (Matthew 2:2)

    “We … are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2). The seeking by the magi was done to honor Jesus Christ. Not many are interested in honoring Christ, but these men certainly were interested in honoring Him by worshiping Him. The motivation of the magi rebukes the motivation of many church goers who go to church not to worship Christ but to meet friends, show off a new dress, or learn the latest gossip.

5. The Inquiry in the Seeking (Matthew 2:1–3)

    Not knowing exactly where the Christ-child was in the land of Israel, the magi inquired to get more specific knowledge of Christ’s location.

    The practice in the inquiry. If you would know the will of God in your life, you will often have to do some earnest and diligent inquiring. The star had informed the magi of Christ’s birth and therefore of their time to travel to Israel, but nothing more. God will give supernatural help (the star) when necessary; but when you can do some inquiring yourself, God does not give supernatural aid. God does not work miracles to make us lazy and irresponsible. He does not fill your mind with spiritual knowledge and wisdom while you sleep, but you will have to do some personal inquiring in the study of the Word to learn great and valuable spiritual truths.

    The place of the inquiry. “There came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:1, 2). The magi came to a logical place to inquire about this spiritual knowledge. Jerusalem was the seat of the Jews’ religion. It was where the great Temple was (the one Herod had made for political reasons). So one would logically think that any spiritual inquiry should be done in Jerusalem.

    The profession in the inquiry. “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). It is sometimes surprising where one finds faith. Here the magi evidence considerably more faith than most others in Jerusalem. They did not ask “if” Christ had been born but “where.” And they called Him “King of the Jews.” That title was never acceptable to the religious leadership of Jerusalem. They refused to give Christ that honor; yet the magi, from a foreign country, showed this honor and belief in Christ. Such a profession of faith in this inquiry was a strong rebuke to the Israelites of that day.

    The persistency in the inquiry. “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2). The Greek word translated “Saying” is a present active participle in the Greek which denoted continuous or repeated action. Thus the magi are reported making repeated inquiries about Christ. The magi found Christ because they were persistent in the pursuit of the knowledge about Him. Such diligence in their effort to learn more about Christ is a good illustration of how we must pursue spiritual knowledge. Our study of the Scripture must be continuous and diligent. We must study the Scripture again and again to learn great spiritual truths.

    The perturbation from the inquiry. “When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3). The inquiry of the magi upset many folk. Both Herod and the people in Jerusalem were troubled because of the news about the King of the Jews being born. Herod was troubled because this meant a rival for his throne. He was a “king” in Israel and he wanted no rivals. The people were troubled because of their sinfulness—they were not wanting Holiness on the scene. They are like people who get upset when a law enforcement officer shows up on the scene or like carnal people in the church who do not rejoice in special meetings or revival, and who are not anxious for the Lord to come because they do not want to give up their fleshly pursuits. So this perturbation simply revealed the evil in the perturbed hearts.

6. The Investigation for the Seeking (Matthew 2:4–6)

    The inquiry resulted in an investigation by Herod to obtain an answer for the magi and also for himself.

    The cause of the investigation. Ignorance was the cause of the investigation. Herod did not know or he would not have sought an answer to the inquiry. Spiritual ignorance in high places is not uncommon. Ask the typical politician today some spiritual question and his response will be one of ignorance. But politicians are not the only ones ignorant of spiritual knowledge. Most people know little about spiritual truths. They may know much about many other unimportant things, but about the most important matters of life, most people are woefully ignorant.

    The counselors for the investigation. “Gathered all the chief priests and scribes” (Matthew 2:4). Herod did not know the answer to the inquiry, but he did know the religious hierarchy of the day and so called them in for an answer. The scribes would be of the most help, for they especially gave attention to studying and copying the Scriptures.

The counsel in the investigation. “In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah … out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel” (Matthew 2:5, 6). The religious people gave the right answer. It is a loose quote from Micah 5:2.

    The condemnation in the investigation. Though these religious leaders knew the answers, they did not go to Bethlehem to see about the reports of the Christ-child. They were not interested in Jesus; and furthermore while they knew the Scriptures, they did not always believe them. Knowing the Word and believing it is two different things. These religious leaders had a head knowledge but not a heart commitment to the Word. They had information but made no application of it to their lives.

7. The Instructing for the Seeking (Matthew 2:7, 8)

    Herod had some words of instructions for the magi after it was learned where the Christ-child was to be born.

    The privacy of the instructions. “He had privily called the wise men” (Matthew 2:7). Why did Herod not want what he had to say known to others? Why did he want privacy in this chat with the magi? The answer is that Herod was plotting evil as later texts of Scripture record. He did not want other people knowing his intentions and interfering with his murderous plans. Privacy is not necessary wrong and is desirable in many situations, but evil perverts privacy to cover up its dirty plans.

    The probing in the instructions. “Herod … inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared” (Matthew 2:7). Knowing when the star first appeared would give Herod help in knowing approximately how old the child would be at this time. This would help Herod to know what ages of children to kill in Bethlehem so he would be sure to kill the Christ-child.

    The providence in the instructing. “He sent them to Bethlehem” (Matthew 2:8). Herod had learned from the religious leaders where Christ was to be born, so now he tells the magi and urges them to go to Bethlehem. But his helping and encouraging of the magi had ulterior motives. Herod wanted information on the Christ-child so he could kill Him. But God, in His providence, used Herod’s evil here to urge the magi to be on their way and find Christ. God has interesting ways by which He promotes His work. Sometimes He allows wicked men to unwittingly aid the promotion of the work of God. “Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee” (Psalm 76:10) is the principle that often occurs when evil seems to promote good.

    The plea in the instructing. “Search diligently for the young child” (Matthew 2:8). This plea is a good one for all mankind. It is the plea Isaiah spoke when he said, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). “Search diligently” is a plea that says we are to be diligent in our spiritual pursuits. But, of course, Herod had evil motives for giving this plea. He wanted to know where Christ was so he could kill Him.

    The precept in the instruction. “When ye have found him, bring me word again” (Matthew 2:8). The magi were told by Herod to come back to him after they had found Christ. The magi were to give Herod information about the location of Christ. There is a good evangelical message here about the fact that when we find Christ we are to tell others, but Herod’s precept had a very evil motivation in it.

    The prevaricating in the instruction. “That I may come and worship him also” (Matthew 2:8). That was a big lie. Herod was not wanting to do any worshiping of Christ; he wanted instead to kill Him. But he lied to the magi about his motives so they would not refuse to come back and tell him information about where the Christ-child was. Herod, like many politicians, would use a phony interest in religion for his own political gain.

8. The Illumination for the Seeking (Matthew 2:9, 10)

    When the magi left Herod, they were blessed with illumination for their path by the star they had seen in the east.

    The phenomena of the star. “The star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2:9). Many have been the natural explanations for this star (e.g. an alignment of some planets, a super star, a comet, etc.), but the star was simply a supernatural phenomena to help the magi find Christ. The fact that the star “stood over where the young child was” (Ibid.) shows the supernatural character of the star.

    The place of the star. “Went before them” (Matthew 2:9). Many misunderstand the star to be “in the east” (Matthew 2:2, 9). But the “east” only means that is where the magi were when they first saw the star. It does not even mean that the star led them to Jerusalem, but the appearance of the star to the magi when they were in their eastern lands simply informed them that Christ had been born. The magi knew how to get to Jerusalem without a star leading them.

    The purpose of the star. “Till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2:9). The purpose of the star was to lead the magi to Jesus in Bethlehem. It was not for the entertainment of the magi but for the edification of the magi.

The privilege in the star. “The star, which they saw in the east” (Matthew 2:9). The star was a spiritual privilege. It informed them of the birth of Christ. The magi wisely used their spiritual privileges to grow in the knowledge of Christ and to improve their service for Christ. Privileges are to help us grow and develop in our spiritual lives. Failure to use our spiritual privileges will stop our spiritual blessings. Many are the spiritual blessings in our land today, but often they are ignored and unused. Some gloat in their spiritual privileges, like the Pharisees and Sadducees did, but they do not use their spiritual privileges to improve their spiritual lives. The privilege itself is of no value if we are not good stewards of it.

    The pleasure from the star. “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (Matthew 2:10). The joy of seeing the star was that it was a great encouragement to them about seeing the Christ-child. This joy compares to seeing the plane or train on which a loved one is who you are desirous of seeing. This great joy is a sharp contrast to the attitude of most of the people in Jerusalem who saw no joy in the news that Christ was born. God’s dedicated followers will find few people who share their spiritual interests and joys.

9. The Infant in the Seeking (Matthew 2:11)

    The star led the magi to the house where the infant Christ was Whom they wanted to see.

The whereabouts of the infant. “House” (Matthew 2:11). Christ was not born in a house, but He did not stay in the animal shelter where He had been born. After the birth of Christ, Joseph would soon seek a better place to live. But even though the house was a better place than the stable, it was still not appropriate for the King of kings. Royalty lives in palaces and other splendid places. The fact that Christ lived in a mere house shows how the world did not recognize Him. The world does not do well in recognizing the greatness of spiritual matters. Hence, those who serve the Lord should not be surprised if they must walk a humble road.

    The woman with the infant. “With Mary his mother” (Matthew 2:11). Our modern women need to especially note whom the Christ-child was with when the magi came to visit. He was with “Mary his mother” not with some baby-sitter or in some day-care center. The Bible exalts motherhood, but our day does not. God gave the child to the mother which says the mother is the woman who should raise the child. What a tragedy it would have been if Mary had been so interested in being a career woman (not a “stay-at-home-mom”) and making some extra money that she put Christ in a day-care center or hired a baby-sitter instead of taking care of Him herself. She would have regretted that action eternally. Mothers make a huge mistake in not taking care of their own children themselves. The anti-motherhood philosophy of our day is Satanic and hellish and robs countless mothers of great blessings.

    The worship of the infant. “Fell down, and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11). The wise men were wise in that they worshiped Christ, not His mother Mary (as Catholics do) or Joseph (like the cults who have their alternatives to Christ).

    The wealth for the infant. “They … opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). If our worship is to be genuine and meaningful, it will be accompanied by gifts for Christ. Out of their treasures, the magi gave generous gifts and expensive gifts to Christ. We may not all have treasures that have the wealth in them which the magi had, but our gifts should be generous in comparisons to our treasures. Offerings in the Old Testament were called sacrifices. Our offerings ought to reflect that fact, but few of them do. Christ is worthy of our best. Too often our offerings dishonor Christ because they are so cheap.

10. The Insight After the Seeking (Matthew 2:12)

    To counter the evil intentions of Herod, the magi were given insight by being warned not to return to Herod as he had earlier requested them to do.

    The source of the insight. “Being warned of God in a dream” (Matthew 2:12). God was the one Who gave the insight to the magi. If you want good insight on what to do in any situation, get it from God Who knows what is going on in the world. Too many folk are trying to get insight about life from the world, such as from psychologists and psychiatrists; but the world is most deficient in such insight and wisdom.

    The seeking of the insight. “Being warned” (Matthew 2:12). The word translated “being warned” means “to give a response to one who asks or consults; hence, in the passive, as here, to receive an answer. The word therefore implies that the wise men had sought counsel of God” (Vincent). These magi were not simpletons. They readily perceived Herod’s craftiness and being concerned about it, they wisely sought God about it. The principle for us is in “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5)

    The substance of the insight. “Warned of God … they should not return to Herod” (Matthew 2:12). The insight had to do with the travel plans of the magi. Herod wanted them to return to him, but God warned them not to return to Herod. This warning exposed Herod’s desire to worship Christ as being phony. Herod, like most governments in the world, was no friend of Christ. His professed religious interests were deceitful. He had ulterior motives for his show of piety.

    The submission to the insight. “They departed into their own country another way” (Matthew 2:12). The magi recognized rank in submitting first and foremost to God. Herod was a king, which gave his orders to the magi considerable weight. But the magi knew that when orders conflict, you obey the highest authority. The principle is found in Peter’s statement, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

    The safety in the insight. Obedience to God has its rewards. One of the immediate rewards for the magi in obeying God here was the saving of their lives. This warning for the magi was “God’s mercy and grace towards them, preserving them from probably death at Herod’s hands.” (Williams). Had the magi gone back to Herod, their lives would have been in great jeopardy. Herod would milk the magi dry for information about Christ, then kill them, so they would not come back to worship Christ and learn of Herod’s dirty deed of killing Christ.