EXPLORE THE TEXT

Seeking the King (Matt. 2:1-3)

Application Point:

We can recognize Jesus as the one, true King.

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod,
wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem,
2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?
For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this,
he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.

Describe:

(v. 1)

Following the genealogies and Joseph’s encounter with an angel, Matthew picked up the story after Jesus was born.
This scene could have happened a year or two following His birth,
but the scene remains in Bethlehem of Judea,
a small village just a few miles southwest of Jerusalem.

The days of King Herod.
Herod the Great was an unpopular, but powerful, tyrant.
Ruthless, he used every tactic to gain and maintain his position.

Wise men from the east.
Being from “the east” may mean they came from Persia.
Various scholars have described them as astrologers, magicians, or sorcerers

Prophecies

• Seed of Abraham Genesis 22:18
  Matthew 1:1
• Promised through Isaac Genesis 21:12
  Luke 3:34
• Star of Jacob Numbers 24:17
  Matthew 2:1-2
• Tribe of Judah Micah 5:2
  Luke 3:33
• From the line of Jesse Isaiah 11:1
  Luke 3:32
• House of David Jeremiah 23:5-6
  Luke 3:31
• Born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 Luke 2:4-7
• Born of a virgin Isaiah 7:14
  Matthew 1:18
• Worshiped by kings Psalm 72:10
  Matthew 2:11
• Worshiped by shepherds Psalm 72:9
  Luke 2:9
• Massacre of Innocents Jeremiah 31:15
  Matthew 2:16
• Flight to Egypt Hosea 11:1
  Matthew 2:13-14
• Elijah as a forerunner Malachi 4:5
  Matthew 17:11-13
• Called "Lord" Psalm 110:1
  Luke 2:11

Pack Item 10 (Handout: Messianic Prophecies) as an additional resource.

Ask:

• How did Herod respond to the wise men’s inquiries? Why?

Recap:

Summarize the following information from page 34 of the PSG to provide more context about Herod:

“Herod ruled as king of the Jews from 37 BC to his death in 4 BC.
While he is known for many building projects including an extensive renovation of the Jerusalem temple,
he is better known for his insane fear of losing his throne.
He exhibited constant paranoia that someone was going to steal his throne.
To satisfy his fears, Herod had his wife, three sons, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law killed
because he thought they were trying to take over his throne.
As he approached death, he had leading citizens of Jerusalem imprisoned
with the instruction that upon his death, they were to be killed.
His reasoning was no one would weep when he died,
but at least when these prominent Jews died, there would be weeping on the day of his death.”

State:

That makes it easier to understand why all of Jerusalem was troubled
when Herod was disturbed. But it didn’t stop the wise men from seeking the true King of the Jews.

Ask:

• In what ways is Jesus a King? (PSG, p. 34)

Jesus isn’t just the King of the Jews.
He is the King of all creation,
and we are called to recognize Him as our Ruler
and as the One who is worthy of all worship.