MATTHEW
CHAPTER 2
The first half of Matthew 2 tells the familiar Christmas story of the wise men, or Magi (kings?), following the star to visit the King of the Jews. The second half of the chapter mentions Jesus’ escape to and return from Egypt, surrounded by Herod’s attempt to kill Him and subsequent death. In all, this chapter is completely unique to Matthew’s account, and he repeatedly points to fulfillments of prophecy in these episodes. Let’s take a look.
1) V1-12 – After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi [traditionally, wise men] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east [Or star when it rose] and have come to worship Him.” 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 be the shepherd of My people Israel’” [Micah 5:2]. 7Then 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 make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” 9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east [Or seen when it rose] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On 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 and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Matthew skips the visit of the shepherds that Luke details, and this is not surprising given their respective audiences. Jews would not have been impressed with shepherds, but Gentiles might appreciate that common folk were among the first to be told of the God-sent Savior. On the other hand, Luke omits the visit of the wise men, the Magi from the east, and moves from the shepherds’ visit to Jesus being left behind at the Temple as a twelve-year-old boy. The Magi made their way “from the east” to Jerusalem “during the time of King Herod,” which is an important timeline detail that clues us in on the year of Jesus’ birth (sometime between 6-2 BC). There was apparently as astronomical sign accompanying the birth of Jesus, and much speculation, with today’s technology, has gone into identifying what this sign could have been. Numbers 24:17 speaks of a star arising from Jacob as a Scepter (King, Man) comes up from Israel, referring perhaps to specially made star solely to signify Jesus’ birth. Other thoughts are that Jupiter and Saturn crossed paths around this time (7 BC) and would have been a uniquely bright nighttime sight. Whatever the case, the wise men, or kings, or Magi, come to Jerusalem, looking for the newborn king of the Jews in order to worship Him (perhaps in fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 60:1-7; Psalm 72:10).
Herod was disturbed upon the wise men’s arrival, not because of the star sighting, but because the King of the Jews had possibly been born and would usurp his throne if he didn’t do something about it. Even Jerusalem was put in uproar over this news; could they be living in the time of Messiah’s arrival? Herod asked his spiritual advisors about the prophecy, and they corrected concluded that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Herod slyly learned more about the timing of the star from the wise men, and advised them to visit Bethlehem and return to him. Herod wanted no part in worshipping King Jesus; he only wanted to kill the Child before He could take his throne. Obviously, Herod – and the majority of the Jews along with him – had no clue about the kind of King Jesus would become.
Tradition says the wise men were three kings, primarily because of the three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) associated with their worship of Jesus. But the Bible neither reveals the number of them nor confirms that they were kings at all. The word Magi is a foreign term, transliterated into the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic language, so translators really don’t know what it means. Most likely, it refers to foreign sorcerers or teachers of astrology. But their intentions seem honorable here, as they were “overjoyed” when the star appeared again and led them to Mary and Jesus. Jesus was no longer an infant, however, as at least a year, and maybe two years had passed since Jesus was born and the star had first appeared to the Magi in the east. And we don’t know where Joseph was at the time, most likely working as a carpenter or stonemason. Nonetheless, the wise men worship Jesus, and there is no rebuke; for Jesus is worthy, even as a toddler. They present valuable gifts to Him – gold, incense, and myrrh – and much has been gleaned from these specific gifts, as they seem to symbolize who Jesus is and what He would do.
The gift of gold given to Jesus was a symbol of His royalty (virtue). From one king to another, perhaps, thought the regal giver of this gift; but of course, Jesus is the King of kings, with an infinitely higher degree of majesty than any merely earthly sovereign. The gift of incense, or frankincense, was also given to Jesus not merely for its value and pleasant aroma, but as a symbol of Jesus’ priestly role (prayer). He would not only offer a sacrifice unto God the Father, but Jesus Himself would be that supremely valuable and perfect sacrifice (Leviticus 2:15; 5:11), a satisfactory perfume unto the Lord (Genesis 8:21). The gift of myrrh was valuable in that day for its role as a disinfectant and embalming lotion; it was presented to Jesus and became a symbol of the sacrificial death He would endure (suffering; cf John 19:39). It is thought that Joseph and Mary may have used the value of these gifts to sustain their family during the early years of Jesus’ life.
The final part of this passage, v12, explains that the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. God the Father protected His Son Jesus throughout His life and this seemingly insignificant detail is no exception. Had the wise men returned to Herod to reveal the whereabouts of the “King of the Jews,” he may have been able to kill the Child before they escaped to Egypt (v13-18). But in returning “to their country by another route” (v12), the Magi provided enough time for the events of the following passage to take place.
2) V13-18 – 13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” 14So he got up, took the Child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son” [Hosea 11:1]. 16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” [Jeremiah 31:15].
Now Joseph is visited by “an angel of the Lord” in a dream – the Lord speaks to His people (and even those who do not wholeheartedly believe in Him) through dreams quite regularly in Scripture, and many have questioned whether this still goes on today – and he obeys immediately, in the middle of the night, escaping the attempt of Herod to kill the Christ Child. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escape to Egypt, and Matthew points to their return from Egypt as a fulfillment of prophecy (Hosea 11:1).
Herod realized, perhaps after a couple days or weeks, or maybe even months, that the Magi had not returned to tell him the identity or whereabouts of the newborn King of the Jews, and “he was furious” (v16). Herod’s response is despicable; he orders “all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi,” to be killed. Even this horrific action was predicted in Scripture (Jeremiah 31:15), and therefore, that prophecy was fulfilled when the events took place. (Ramah, like Bethlehem, was a suburb of Jerusalem, though Ramah was 4-5 miles north of Jerusalem, while Bethlehem was 4-5 miles south-southwest of Jerusalem. Herod likely killed some 100-1000 boys inside a region with a 12 mile diameter, just to cover himself and be sure to rid the earth of any king who might grow up to take his place. Ramah was in the territory allotted to the Benjamites, descendants of the son of Jacob whose name was Benjamin, whose mother was Rachel. Thus, Rachel, representing all of the women in this territory, is said to be weeping the loss of her children.)
3) V19-23 – 19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the Child’s life are dead.” 21So he got up, took the Child and His mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
In the final passage of Matthew 2, we learn of Herod’s death, which again took place sometime around 4 BC, giving us the earliest date of 6 BC and the latest date of 4 BC for Jesus’ birth. Again, “an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.” The angel revealed that it was safe to return to Israel, and commanded the young family to return there (perhaps after a year or so of having been refugees there). Joseph feared a return to Judea because of Herod’s son, Archelaus, and after another warning in a dream, settled the family in the region of Galilee, in the small town of Nazareth. This too, says Matthew, was a fulfillment of prophecy, though scholars are uncertain what he might have in mind. The Old Testament has a number of references to Nazirites (Numbers 6; Judges 13; 16; Amos 2:11-12), but nothing specific about regarding a Messianic prophecy. And there’s no known reference at all to the Messiah being “called a Nazarene.” Perhaps Matthew has in mind a Jewish oral tradition, or maybe this reference comes from one of the unknown sources, such as “Q,” that he used in composing his gospel account.
John 1:45-51 reveals Nathanael’s surprise when Philip claims to have found the Messiah in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth. “‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, ‘Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.’ ‘How do You know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.’” We leave Matthew 2 with Jesus in Nazareth as a young boy, and we pick up in Matthew 3 with the preparatory work of John the Baptist.