The Humble Origins of the True King (Matt 2:1-12)
Reading the Advent & Christmas Stories (with a Bible Scholar)
I’m running an ongoing series for Advent, walking briefly through the Advent and Christmas stories of Matthew and Luke, helping everyday readers “see” in these texts what Bible scholars (like me) notice. The goal is not to upend the precious stories we grew up with, but rather to enhance and nuance them.
Matthew 2:1-12
Matt. 2:1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
Matt. 2:3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”
Matt. 2:5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
Matt. 2:6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”
Matt. 2:7 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!”
Matt. 2:9 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. (NLT)
Born “King of the Jews”
Whenever I read Matthew 2:1-12, I am reminded of the opening scene of the first Harry Potter movie, where baby Harry is quietly delivered to the house of the Dursley’s in sleepy Little Whinging, Surrey. Harry’s story begins with danger; even though he is a harmless little baby, dark forces out there know the threat that he poses. Little Whinging (a fictional British locale) has no idea what a blessing it is for their little town to host such a great figure.
The timing marker for Matthew’s story of Jesus’ birth is the reign of the maniacal “Herod the Great.” He was a dangerous and violent man, who was willing to protect his throne of power at any cost. So, to his surprise, certain magi from the east arrive at his palace looking for the child “born king of the Jews.” Two things are attention-grabbing here. First, the magi were not kings. They were most likely experts in an eastern royal court, men who were skilled in studying the stars to discern the will of the gods. Allison and Davies explain that such people were “able to recognize the signs of the times, to foretell events of world importance, including the rise of kings” (ICC 1.230). These were non-Jews who recognized from astrological signs that this “born king of the Jews” will be extremely powerful and they wanted to pay him honor.
That brings us to our second attention grabbing point: the word “born.” You see, that word would have stung for Herod. He was not born as Israel’s king. Herod was born in Idumea, descended from an Edomite (who later converted to Judaism). As an adult, Herod became governor of Galilee and he grew in influence through strategic relationships with Roman leaders. So, put simply, Herod had no hereditary claim to Israel’s throne, and he certainly wasn’t “born” king of the Jews.
The star led the magi away from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, the city of David (Israel’s most beloved king). They came to Jesus and Mary, and they bowed down and honored him with expensive gifts.
From the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, we are reminded that this is an unusual story of the danger-filled and humble origins of the true King of the Jews. Herod the Great was in Jerusalem, working hard to protect his power and wealth, and desperate to get rid of any rivals. Mary and Jesus were in the little village of Bethlehem, no wealth or luxury, no worldly power. But the star—a symbol of divine guidance—led the magi to Bethlehem where they offered Jesus their gifts.
Part of what Matthew wants us to see is that discerning what God is up to sometimes requires turning your eyes away from the spotlight and noticing the flashlight in the darkness. Herod was sitting on Israel’s throne, living in Israel’s palace, but he was not the true king. The Messiah had finally come and everything was about to change.
Today, we don’t need stars to point us to God, we can know Christ by the Spirit and meet him in prayer. Take time today and worship Christ, and try to capture that sense of wonder and joy at the miracle of “God with us” that the magi felt when the star pointed them to Jesus.