Gifts Fit For The King

Mat 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,

Mat 2:2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

The Greek term magos, mag'-os ("wise men") is plural, but nothing is said of the exact number of men, traditionally considered to be three because of the three gifts.

A magos (or "Magian") was a wise man or seer from a Median tribe in Persia who interpreted dreams and acted as priest. After an unsuccessful rebellion against the Persians, the magoi became a priestly tribe, much like the Levites of Israel.

Although they were not kings, the magi were elevated to positions of rule. They more than likely became familiar with the Jewish hope of a Messiah while Israel was under Persian rule (539-332 B.C.).

The wise men were acquainted with a well-known Jewish prophecy that the Messiah was to deliver Israel from its foreign rulers in the 77th generation.

They were experts in the study of the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. But make no mistake; their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology.

God gave them a special sign, a miraculous star that announced the birth of the King. The star led them to Jerusalem where God’s prophets told them that the King would be born in Bethlehem. They went to Bethlehem, and there they worshiped the Christ Child.

The historians Josephus, Tacitus, and Suetonius, and the poet Virgil attest to a universal expectation of a redeemer about that time.

Matthew shows that Jesus fulfilled prophetic utterances concerning both the place of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem, and the Gentiles, who would come bearing gifts (Ps. 68:18, 29; 72:10; Isa. 60:3-6), while the chief priests and scribes would reject Him.

The magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King; and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King.

The Magi discover by faith that which is missed by Herod and the religious leaders of Judaism, who possessed the Scriptures.

Wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

Mat 2:3 - When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Again let me say here that this verse is perhaps one of the reasons why we can’t limit the number of wise men to three. Dr. J. Vernon McGee says in his commentary that it could have been more like three hundred wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem because of the effect it had not only on King Herod but “all Jerusalem” as verse three says.

The wise men that came from the East evidently came from different areas. They had been studying the stars, and this new star appeared, they joined forces and converged upon Jerusalem.

The magi were seeking the King, but Herod was afraid of the King and wanted to destroy Him. This was Herod the Great, called king by the Roman senate because of the influence of Mark Antony. He basically bought his position from the Roman government.

Herod was a cruel man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to get in the way of his rule or prevent him from satisfying his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers murdered because he suspected them of treason.

He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.

It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.”

But there was another reason. Herod was not a full-blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumean, a descendant of Esau. One commentator says the Herod family was more like a “first century Mafia.”

Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

The KJV translation uses the word “demanded.” He didn’t just inquire or ask where the Christ was to be born; he demanded. I can imagine him saying in the manner of a Mafia Godfather, “I know you know where He is, now I want you to tell me.”

Mat 2:5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

Mat 2:6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"