3 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 Messiah 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 shepherd my people Israel.’b]" style="line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]”
7 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 search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose 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, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Herod was a different kind of ruler. He was heartless. He was responsible for many murders, including a wife and three sons. He was remembered most for the structures built in his reign. For example, he was the initiator of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem even though it would be be finished until sixty-eight years after he died.
Then the Magi showed up. They were a highly religious class of people. They mostly studied astrology, medicine, and other sciences. They had seen the star, too. The Magi were probably confused at this star that seemed so out of place. They studied the sky, they knew the star was not there before. So they went to King Herod and asked where the king of the Jews was supposed to be. Herod of course was disturbed. These Magi, these philosophers were not here to see him, but to ask of a baby and a star? This was something he needed to look into. Herod sent for the priests and teachers to answer the question. They answered him with Scripture.
Then Herod set a plan in motion: get the Magi to find out when exactly they had seen the star, and send them on a search; a quiet search. If they found the boy, tell him so "I too may go and worship him". But this was not the case. Herod was filled with jealousy and feared of what this infant meant to his kingdom.
The Magi found Jesus. They gave Him gifts, and were overjoyed, it says. They worshiped Him. The Magi, non-Jews, worshiped Him. This is important because it shows that even at Jesus' birth He was opening doors to everyone, not just the Jewish people. That was God's plan all along.
Scholars believe it was anytime between Jesus being forty days old to two years old, based on the accounts given in Luke when Jesus goes to be purified (done on the fortieth day) and Matthew's account of Herod's decree later that boys in Bethlehem, and the vicinity, of the age of two or younger to be killed.
Mary and Joseph were told in a dream of the plan of Herod, or at least warned not to go back the way they came. They routed to Egypt. They had never imagined that just in the first months, or years, of Jesus' life that they would have to protect His life like this. They couldn't murder their son.
Not yet, anyway.
Hey God,
Thank You for saving me, a Gentile. Thank You for opening up the door to everyone who will hear Your words. Lord, I pray that they hear and hear loudly the Your still small voice.
Amen.
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