STUDY GUIDE

 PLEASANT RIDGE BAPTIST CHURCHOUR COMING SAVIORRESPOND TO GOD’S GIFTMATTHEW 2:1-1612/10/2017

MAIN POINT

How we respond to the information we have about Jesus determines what impact our relationshipwith Him will have on our lives.

INTRODUCTION

As your group time begins, use this section to introduce the topic of discussion.

What motivates us in our walk with Jesus is important—including why we desire a relationship with Him in the firstplace. The wise men were motivated by sincere desires to find a new king in Jerusalem to worship. We’re all tornbetween proper and improper motives. Before you begin today’s study of the wise men and Herod, discuss the followingquestions:

What’s your motive for worshiping Christ this Christmas? What actions and thoughts give evidence of that?

Reflect on the experience of a gift-giver at Christmas when a gift is either rejected or welcomed. Brieflycompare and contrast such scenarios with God’s expectation of us when we receive His gift of Jesus Christ.

UNDERSTANDING

Unpack the biblical text to discover what the Scripture says or means about a particular topic.

ASK A VOLUNTEER TO READ MATTHEW 2:1-2.

The phrase “wise men” in this passage comes from the Greek word magos. That is why some English translations refer tothe wise men as magi. It’s the same word used in the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament, in Daniel 2:2, when theBabylonian King Nebuchadnezzar gathered men skilled in religious and magical arts to interpret his strange dreams.Although we know little about the wise men in Matthew 2, we can assume based on their profession that they weren’tJews. But because of their knowledge of the Old Testament prophecies and their interest in the star, they sought out thenewborn Messiah.

What do you think motivated the wise men to journey so far from home to investigate another religion’sMessiah?

How are the wise men another example of God revealing His truth to unlikely people?

In drawing the wise men to Christ, what did God reveal about His plan for the Gentiles (non-Jews)?

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The wise men were the first Gentiles to worship Jesus. They believed He was the Messiah, something many Jews, God’schosen people, failed to realize. From Jesus’ infancy, God made it evident that His Son came to save the world, not justthe Jews.

ASK A VOUNTEER TO READ MATTHEW 2:3-8,16.

Because the wise men were foreigners in the land, they sought direction to the Messiah from the most likelysource—King Herod, the ruler of the Jewish community. Surely he would know all about the coming Messiah and wouldbe eager to celebrate Him. They were wrong. Even with all his knowledge, Herod was a fool when it came to honoringGod. Herod saw the wise men’s request as a direct threat to his empire, so he hastily gathered the chief priests andscribes to tell him where the Messiah would be born.

Why did Herod run to the chief priests and scribes for answers? When you face challenging situations, do youseek counsel from people who will speak truth or people who will confirm what you want to hear? Explain.

The more we love controlling our own lives, the harder it is when we lose control. What is a natural firstreaction when your personal “empire” feels threatened?

In verse 8 we read that Herod deceptively played along with the wise men’s plan to worship the Messiah. But God hadother plans. As Scripture indicates, the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod (v. 12). Once Herodfound out he’d been disobeyed, he “flew into a rage” (v. 16). Verse 16 describes Herod’s shocking but notuncharacteristic reaction to the wise men’s disobedience. Herod was blinded by power and selfish ambition, and likemany he misunderstood the role of the Messiah. He was an antithesis for Christ; his selfishness and evil stand in directcontrast to Jesus’ selflessness and love.

HAVE ANOTHER VOLUNTEER READ MATTHEW 2:9-12.

As we noted earlier, the wise men were Gentiles drawn to the Messiah through the pagan study of the stars. Beyondbeing astrologers, though, they were considered “wise” because they knew a little about a lot of things. The region theycame from had a heavy Jewish population as a result of the exile, and their knowledge likely included some elements ofJewish prophecy. They recognized the Messiah and worshiped Him.

Herod, on the other hand, lived in Jerusalem and even oversaw the rebuilding of Solomon’s temple, but he and thescribes he listened to didn’t respond to the Messiah’s birth. Instead, Herod’s primary focus was on his personal quest forpower.

Both Herod and the wise men had essentially the same facts about the star and the Messiah. Why isintellectual information not enough to cause us to embrace Christ? What else is needed?

How is the irony in this passage evidence of a gracious God?

Verse 10 indicates that the wise men were so full of joy, they were compelled to give. Their gifts weren’t just trinkets,but extravagant and costly goods from their homelands. Beyond being impressive, the gifts also hinted at Jesus’ identity.Gold was traditionally a gift for a king, frankincense was a gift for deity, and myrrh was a spice often given to a personwho faced death.

What does the narrative on the wise men’s acts of worship reveal about the different ways we can worshipChrist?

What can we learn from the irony of the wise men’s bowing before a poor baby boy?

APPLICATION

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Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives.

How do the wise men’s actions model humility in worship for us?

Just like Herod and the wise men, we’re presented with information about the Messiah. How we respond determineshow our relationship with Christ will impact our lives. We can pursue an intellectual faith only, one that consists ofstudying facts about Christ but never letting that knowledge change us. We can let that knowledge make us insecureand cause us to wonder what we’ll have to give up to follow Christ. Or, like the wise men, we can risk everything forChrist and choose to worship Him.

How does a relationship with God go deeper than mere knowledge about Him?

For the wise men, God used a star to point them to the Messiah. What kinds of events does God use to pointothers to His Son today?

Jesus’ birth shattered religious and cultural barriers. How does He still do this today?

PRAY

Ask God to give you the wisdom to know Jesus and the desire to worship and serve Him more than yourselves. Thank God for the

opportunity to worship Him freely because of what Jesus did on your behalf. Close with a time of silence, giving group members

opportunity to voice silent prayers of love and gratitude.

COMMENTARY

MATTHEW 2:1-12 - CRAIG BLOMBERG, MATTHEW, VOL. 22, THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY (NASHVILLE:BROADMAN & HOLMAN PUBLISHERS, 1992), 61–66.

The second of Matthew’s five fulfillment quotations appears in 2:6. The quote comes primarily from Mic 5:2 and focuseson the role of Bethlehem in prophecy. All twelve verses in this section narrate events in Bethlehem and nearbyJerusalem. Yet the story is not about Jesus’ birth but about subsequent events pitting the Magi against Herod. Despitetheir pagan background and powerful influence in the Babylonian or Persian courts, the Magi recognize and worship theChrist child for who he is. Despite his role as legally installed ruler of Israel and his professed conversion to Judaism,Herod rejects the newborn king and plots to destroy him. He fears that this young boy will threaten his royal positionand authority. So we learn already at this early stage of the life of Jesus that the allegiances he will create will extendfar beyond the boundaries of Judaism, while at the same time he will threaten and alienate many within thoseboundaries.

2:1–2 How long after Jesus’ birth these events take place is unknown. The birth itself is probably to be dated around theyear 6 B.C. A comparison of vv. 7 and 16 suggests that perhaps one to two years have elapsed since Jesus’ birth. Verse 11describes Joseph and Mary now living in a house, so they obviously have left their temporary lodgings described in Luke2:7. From other historical materials we know that Herod died in 4 B.C. (The calendrical confusion was caused by theswitch from a Roman to a Christian calendar in the sixth century A.D., based on the faulty calculations of DionysiusExiguus, who did not have accurate information about the time of Herod’s death.) Jesus’ birth itself almost certainly didnot occur on December 25. This date became attached to the celebration of Christmas later because it coincided with aRoman holiday known as Saturnalia, when Christians had time off work to worship. Perhaps Jesus was born in the springwhen shepherds would have been watching their flocks by night because lambs might be born (Luke 2:8).

Herod the Great was a half-Jew, half-Idumean, who, through accommodation to the Romans, ascended to power asclient-ruler of Israel in 37 B.C. He was known as a great builder of public works and a shrewd diplomat in his dealingswith both Romans and Jews, but he laid oppressive taxes on and conscripted labor from the Israelites. As he grew older,he became increasingly paranoid about threats against his person and throne. He had numerous sons, wives, and othersclose to him put to death because he feared plots to overthrow him.

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The Magi were not kings but a combination of wise men and priests probably from Persia. They combined astronomicalobservation with astrological speculation. They played both political and religious roles and were figures of someprominence in their land.

The Magi’s question to Herod emphasizes the word “born.” The grammatical construction makes it clear that they askabout who the child is who has legitimate claim to Israel’s throne by virtue of his birth. Herod is thus viewed as ausurper to the throne. A new star in the sky was often believed to herald the birth of a significant person in the landover which the star shone. So the Magi’s question is a natural inference from their observation. If “in the east” is thecorrect translation in v. 2, then this phrase modifies “we saw” not “his star.” Otherwise the geography would beconfused. But the NIV margin “when it rose” is perhaps a more likely translation and would explain how the Magi’sattention was called to this new celestial feature. The statement that these pagans “have come to worship” the Christchild is both remarkable and significant for what lies ahead.

2:3–6 If Herod were a true devotee of the Judaism of Scripture, he should have rejoiced greatly, but he does not.Instead, he views the new child as a mortal threat. “Disturbed” is too weak a translation of his reaction; “in turmoil” oreven “terrified” (cf. Weymouth, “greatly agitated”) would be more accurate. “All Jerusalem” probably refers primarily tothe religious leaders of Israel who dominated the city, many of whom were also personally installed by Herod. Therejection of Jesus by Jerusalem foreshadows his similar fate at the end of his life.

Verse 4 refers to the two key groups of religious leaders in Jerusalem. The “chief priests” headed the twenty-four mainorders of priests who lived in and around the city. The scribes (“teachers of the law”) had inherited the ancientprofession of copying Scripture, but they had evolved into a class of teachers well trained in interpreting and applyingthe Old Testament as well.

The newborn king is now equated with the Christ. “Messiah” and “King of the Jews” doubtless coalesced in the minds ofmany. Herod reveals his superficial knowledge of Scripture by having to ask the religious authorities where this Messiahis to be born. They supply the answer from Mic 5:2. Bethlehem was a small city approximately five miles south ofJerusalem.

Here is as close to a straightforward prediction-fulfillment scheme as is found anywhere in Matthew. The context of thepassage in Micah seems clearly messianic and was regularly so taken by pre-Christian Jews. The remainder of the versewhich Matthew leaves unquoted (“whose origins are from of old, from ancient times”) suggests more than a mere mortalis in view. Perhaps Micah even had in mind the child of Isa 7:14 and 9:6. Certainly such a prophecy excludes manypotential messianic aspirants and refutes the argument that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah simply by setting out tofulfill all of the Scriptures relevant to the office. He scarcely could have chosen his place of birth.

Matthew’s quotation not only answers Herod’s and the Magi’s question regarding the place of the Christ child’s birthwhile showing the city once despised as now honored, but it also adds another aspect to the work of the royal Messiah.He will not only rule but also “shepherd” the people of Israel. A shepherd as an image of a ruler of God’s peopleappeared commonly in the Old Testament (see Ezek 34). It implies guidance, pastoral care, and a sense of compassion(see Mark 6:34). The final phrase of Matthew’s quotation comes from 2 Sam 5:2, in which godly shepherding formed partof the role assigned to Israelite kings. What they often failed to carry out, the Messiah will now perform properly.

2:7–8 Comparing vv. 7 and 16 demonstrates Herod’s evil plans. The end of v. 8 is therefore a bold-faced lie; Herod hasno intentions of worshiping the child. Instead he makes his plans “secretly” even as Joseph had “quietly,” i.e., in private(1:19). Both proposals were inappropriate. Joseph, however, was warned directly against his plan, while Herod receivesno such warning. As a result, Herod is able to get his scheme underway.

2:9–12 The Magi do not recognize Herod’s purposes at first but are later warned in a dream just as Joseph had been(1:20–21). Like Joseph they obey God’s words (v. 12). Meanwhile, the star guides them to Bethlehem. 

What the Magi recognize as divine guidance fills them, literally, with exceedingly great joy (v. 10). They find the motherand child and prostrate themselves before him in worship. The gifts used to honor the new king were typicallyassociated with royalty. Because Matthew has not yet introduced the theme of Jesus’ death, it is not likely that he isimplying it here, even though myrrh was a spice often used in embalming. Rather, all three gifts honor the Christ childas King. Gold, then as now, was a precious metal prized for its beauty and value, an appropriate regal gift. Frankincenseand myrrh were fragrant spices and perfumes equally appropriate for such adoration and worship. The Magi appear asBalaam’s successors to witness the fulfillment of Num 24:17.

Thus one born in obscurity is recognized by unlikely devotees as the future King of Israel. The child whose birth isshrouded in suspicions of illegitimacy (chap. 1) is in fact God’s legitimate appointee. On the other hand, the legal rulers,both political and religious, by their clinging to positions of power and prestige, prove themselves to be illegitimate inGod’s eyes. Sadly, the church in many ages has perpetuated this pattern. Meanwhile, God often chooses to reveal himselfto pagans, at times even in the midst of their religious practices, to lead them on to the full truth found only in Christ.

 

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