For many Christians, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Savior and King. We rejoice because God has sent His Son into the world to redeem us from sin and deliver us into His righteous kingdom. However, all of humanity does not share our joy. Christ s kingdom has been met with resistance even from the time He was born. Yet His kingdom continues, and believers still worship Him. The apostle Matthew wrote his Gospel from a uniquely Jewish perspective. He presents Jesus Christ as the anticipated King of heaven who fulfills all of God s promises made to Abraham and his believing descendants through Isaac and Jacob. These promises involve an eternal, universal kingdom of righteousness in which people from all nations will be blessed heaven s kingdom come to earth. Christ came into the world to ensure the forgiveness of sin necessary for rebellious sinners to be reconciled to God and enter His kingdom. Matthew chronicled the ancestry and birth of Jesus in chapter one as the fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. We are told that Christ came as the virgin-born Son of God to dwell among His own people and bring salvation even as His name suggests (Jesus [Joshua] the Lord is my salvation ). The apostle continues the saga in chapter two by presenting the initial reaction of the world to heaven s King. As the passage will ultimately reveal, these events occurred nearly a year or two after the Lord s birth (2:11).! 1 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
In this study, we will consider the signal of Jesus arrival and the prediction of His first advent. The subsequent verses of the broader passage (vv. 1-12) record the account of the King s first adversary and God s guidance of Gentile admirers. Heaven s King is Born (2:1-6) His Arrival Signaled (vv. 1-3) It is important for us to understand the geographical context of Jesus birth. What Luke s Gospel explains in detail (2:1-7), Matthew refers to after the fact. That is, Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea (v. 1). The name of this city means: House of Bread. The Book of Ruth describes it as a productive agricultural community (1:22). But more important is the fact that it was the home of Boaz and Ruth the parents of Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David, who became king of Israel. Matthew mentions each of these individuals in Christ s lineage (1:5, 6). Thus Bethlehem eventually became known as the City of David in honor of its royal son and the Christ (i.e. Messiah) whom God promised would come in David s royal line (2 Sam. 7; Lk. 2:4; Heb. 1:5). Ultimately, the Christ of God sustains the kingdom and ensures its fulfillment on the earth (Rev. 11:15).! 2 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
Bethlehem was a small village in the hill country of Judea (i.e. Judah) approximately six miles S of Jerusalem. The place was originally called Ephrath (a.k.a. Bethlehem-Ephrathah; Gen. 35:19; Micah 5:2) to distinguish it from a town of the same name in the region of Zebulun. Therefore, Judges 17:7 refers to it simply as Bethlehem-Judah. So Matthew identifies Christ as the royal descendant of David rooted in the ancient history of Israel. But he also gives us historical/political context by telling us that Jesus was born in the days of Herod the king. Luke adds that it was in the days of Rome s emperor, Caesar Augustus, and Quirinius, the governor of Syria (2:1, 2). The focus here is on Herod the Great, the first in a line of rulers over this region. He reigned from 37-4 BC, and his descendants and successors are mentioned throughout the New Testament. They include Herod Philip II (Luke 3:1), Herod Antipas (Matthew 14:1; Luke 3:1), Herodias (Matt. 14:3), Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1), Herod Agrippa II (Acts 25:13), and Bernice (Acts 25:13). All of these were enemies of the kingdom of God, and Herod the Great taught them well. By the appointment of Rome, Herod s father, Antipater, had been governor of Judea. Through this connection his son rose in power as a warrior and politician. In time, he was declared by Rome to be the king of the Jews, although he was not a descendant of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob.! 3 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
Rather, Herod was almost certainly an Edomite. That is, he was a descendant of Esau the brother of Jacob who despised his birthright (Gen. 25:30-34). Unlike Christ, he had no legitimate claims to the throne of David. In God s providence, Herod was nonetheless ruling in Jerusalem at this time. And, as the historical record informs us, he attempted to pacify the Jews by improving their cities and rebuilding their temple. Still, as Matthew will explain later in this chapter, Herod would not be able to hide his ungodly nature and his hatred for God s kingdom (2:13-18). It was into this climate that the Lord Jesus Christ was born. He was the true King of the Jews, as the wise men from the East declared when they came to Jerusalem seeking the Christ. These astrologers/ magicians from Persia (whose practice dates back to at least the time of Daniel the prophet - cf. Dan. 5:11), were likely very familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. Although it is traditionally thought that there were three of them (because of the number of gifts they presented to the Lord - v. 11), the Scripture really does not say. Of significance is that they travelled such a great distance to see the Christ, which indicates that they strongly believed God s promises of a Savior/King. So convinced were they of His arrival that they went throughout the royal city repeatedly asking ( saying ) Where is He? They were virtually alone in their enthusiasm.! 4 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
The star in the East, which they had earlier seen, may have continually led them, or it may have simply reappeared to them in Jerusalem (v. 9). Either way, it was a sign from God that His Christ had come into the world at the appointed time. What they saw was, no doubt, a supernatural event like the glory of God which guided the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings (Ex. 13:21). It could not have been merely a cosmic occurrence, since it moved precisely to guide them. As Galatians 4:4 explains, when the time was right in God s sovereign plan, He sent forth His Son. The heavenly sign brought the magi to Jerusalem to worship Him. And their presence was yet another announcement of Christ s arrival to the Jews and an indication of the universality of His reign. For these Gentile worshippers were obviously a sign themselves, in that they represented the blessings of God s kingdom to the nations (Gen. 12:3). As Isaiah 11:10 says, in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious. But instead of being a cause for joy, Jesus arrival upset most of the Jews in the city and, predictably, Herod. Verse three says that, When Herod the king heard [of the birth of the true King], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. But why would the Jewish people, whose anticipation for the Christ was high, not be overjoyed to hear of His arrival?! 5 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
While under the ultimate control of Rome, the Jewish people were still permitted to maintain their cultural distinctions. They continued to practice their religion, and Jerusalem was the center of their worship. But the corrupt religious leadership played the political game with Herod and Rome in order to maintain their own power (Matt. 22:16). The population was largely swayed by their agenda, and news of the true King from heaven upset their sinful quest for prominence. However, they were well aware that God promised to send the true King of heaven. As we have already noted, Jesus birth had been clearly predicted in the Old Testament, and there was no excuse for their apathy. His Advent Predicted (vv. 4-6) The uproar over the Magi s announcement moved Herod to summon the Jewish leadership. As we know, he particularly wanted to locate the newborn King and destroy Him. Herod was an insanely suspicious and power-hungry man who maintained his position with deception, cruelty, and intimidation. He obviously needed information to succeed, and he gathered intelligence from every source.! 6 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
As the supposed king of the Jews, Herod was obviously familiar with the Hebrew religion, and he would have also been aware of the prophecy that Christ would come. The supernatural sign which the Magi witnessed was enough to engage Herod s paranoia. Thus he moved to gather all the chief priests and scribes of the [Jewish] people together, [and] he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born (v. 4). Like most of the Jews, Herod obviously did not recognize the true nature of the Christ as God incarnate. His inquisition and the response of religious leaders from both the liberal ( chief priests Sadducees) and conservative ( scribes Pharisees) extremes were in no way a serious consideration of God s Word. Rather, all parties involved consulted the Scripture as a knee-jerk reaction. They were concerned only that a new political rival would adversely affect their aspirations for power. The chief priests, who were predominantly Sadducees, considered only the writings of Moses to be Scripture. So, as Pharisees, the scribes were likely the ones who quoted the ancient prophet, Micah, who declared that the Christ was to be born In Bethlehem of Judea (v. 5). But even though they knew the Scripture, they obviously did not believe it. For, if they had true faith, they most certainly would have accompanied the magi to find their true King.! 7 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
The prophecy cited in verse six is taken directly from Micah 5:2, and it identifies Bethlehem in the land of Judah as the birthplace of the true King. It was a small, but in no way insignificant, location as it pertained to God s plans for His kingdom. While it was not the only town in Judah to have produced Jewish royalty ( not the least among the rulers of Judah ), it was indeed where the greatest son of David was to be born. As Micah also says, For out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel. Faithful King David led God s people like a good shepherd. His background as sheepherder preparing him to lead his people in righteousness with God s Word (Ps. 78:70-72). Thus he was a precursor to the Great Shepherd Jesus Christ (Heb. 13:20). The true King of the Jews is the greater Son of David promised by God. There was little doubt about His lineage, which makes it all-the-more obvious that, unlike the wise men from the East, the Jewish nation did not really want God to be their King (1 Sam. 8:4-7; Is. 43:15). Those of us who know and love God gladly recognize Jesus Christ as Savior and Sovereign of our lives. We realize that He is truly God s chosen Shepherd of all believers, both Jews and Gentiles. His first advent was in humiliation as the sacrifice for our sins, but His second advent will be in power and glory to rule the universe.! 8 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.
Everything about our Lord Jesus Christ so obviously points to His royalty. From His miraculous conception to His virgin birth to His royal lineage, we have every confidence that He came into the world to fulfill God s plans for the kingdom of heaven. This Christmas season is a good time to reflect on heaven s King to evaluate our standing before Him. Like the wise men, have you sought Him in faith as the promised Christ who alone can bring you into God s kingdom? Or, like Herod and the unbelieving Jews, are you afraid of submitting to His righteous standard for your life? If you trust Him, then you should truly long for His return to completely establish heaven s rule on earth?! 9 Copyright 1997-2015.. All rights reserved.