THE VISIT OF THE MAGI (2:1-11). The visit of the Magi/Eminent Astrologers to Jesus is important for a number of reasons. It emphasises: 1). That whereas the leading Jews in the main ignored His birth, important Gentiles sought Him out and paid Him homage. 2). That the heavens themselves shone out... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east (or ‘at its rising'), and are come to pay him homage.” Matthew makes quite clear here that h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.' The arrival of such men in Jerusalem asking questions about a royal birth and speaking of a ‘King of the Jews' would soon become known to Herod's informers, and when the bloodthirsty Herod heard the news of the possibil... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he enquired of them where the Christ should be born.' Aware that he needed to discover the whereabouts of such a prince, if one had indeed been born, Herod gathered together all the leaders of the Jews, ‘the chief priests' who... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judaea, for thus it is written through the prophet,” Whether they were able to answer almost immediately, or whether they had to go into in depth consultation we are not told, but if the latter we can be sure that they took a great deal of trouble about it. Fo... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are in no wise least among the princes of Judah, for out of you will come forth a governor, who will be shepherd of my people Israel.” We have no evidence elsewhere that this verse was commonly seen as declaring where the Messiah would be born, for it is no... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then Herod privately called the Magi, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.' Having learned from his own ‘wise men' what he wanted to know, Herod now summoned the Magi in private audience and discovered from them at what time the star had appeared. It was important to him for it... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search out exactly concerning the young child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and pay him homage him.' Having discovered from them what he wanted to know he then informed them that their destination must be Bethlehe... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they, having heard the king, went their way, and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.' Having heard what the king had to say the Magi took the well known route to Bethlehem. It was now simply a matter of following th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.' The sight of the star filled them with great joy. It vindicated the activities of the past few months, justified their journey, and indicated that they would shortly see this great prince for themselves. No wonder then that they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and paid him homage, and opening their treasures they offered to him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.' And then, having made enquiries, they came to the house where the young child was, and saw Him... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS DRIVEN INTO EXILE AND FINALLY RETURNS TO LOWLY NAZARETH (2:12-23). As a result of a warning dream the Magi did not return to Herod but slipped out of the country ‘another way', while Joseph sought refuge in Egypt as Israel had done long before. And there he remained with his wife and Jesus... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.' Having paid homage to the King of the Jews the Magi began to plan their journey home, but they were warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod. But to whom did the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and you must remain there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” ' Then as soon as they had departed... [ Continue Reading ]
a ‘And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod.' Obediently Joseph did as he was told, and taking the young child and His mother by night, fled to Egypt. Egypt had always provided a place of refuge for Israel in time... [ Continue Reading ]
‘That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son.' And all this was to be seen as a ‘filling full' of God's purposes for Israel. Matthew here refers back to a passage in Hosea 11:1. That verse had referred to God's call to Israel as... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Magi, was extremely angry, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Magi.' Meanwhile Herod was livi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,' Again this suffering was seen as adding to the ‘filling full' of the warnings that Scripture had given. For Scripture regularly emphasises the sufferings that Israel had yet to face, in the same way as they had at the... [ Continue Reading ]
“A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she would not be comforted, Because they are not.” The prophecy is taken from Jeremiah 31:15. There Israel is seen in terms of Rachel, the mother of the clans of Joseph and Benjamin, Ephraim and Manass... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying,' This comment contains within it the idea of the inevitability of Herod's death. It was to be expected in view of what he had done. For death comes to all who sin. And immediately after it God spra... [ Continue Reading ]
“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead who sought the young child's life.” Joseph is told to arise and take the young child, with His mother, and go into ‘the land of Israel'. Note again the reference to His mother as an added extra. All at... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.' And Joseph did precisely as God had commanded. Note the repetition of the phraseology in order to bring out the point. They ‘came into the land of Israel'. God's will and purpose from the beginning was going f... [ Continue Reading ]
a ‘But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee, and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth.' However, when he learned that Archelaus was now ruling J... [ Continue Reading ]
‘That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.' To be ‘called a Nazarene' was to be looked down on as backward and insignificant, for Nazareth was an obscure hill town in Galilee, and even Galilee was spoken of contemptuously by the people of... [ Continue Reading ]