Scripture to Read: Matthew 2:1–8
As God led Matthew to write about our Lord Jesus Christ, He led him to write about what happened after Jesus was born. The magi mentioned in Matthew 2:1 are known as wise men because, in ancient Greek, the word is “magoi.” The legends and misconceptions about these wise men have been passed down through the ages. They were not kings but wise men, which means they were astronomers. Many traditions, and songs, talk about the “three kings.” But, there were probably many wise men who came searching for our Lord. They also did not arrive on the night of Christ’s birth but several months later. The wise men came to Jerusalem expecting the chief priests and scribes to be excited about their Messiah coming into the world, for they would have known the prophecies about Christ. Not only were they not excited, but none had traveled to Bethlehem to see their Messiah. Herod being troubled by the news was consistent, for he was constantly on guard against threats to his rule. He was so paranoid that he had many of his family murdered because he suspected them of being disloyal to him. Since the chief priests and scribes knew the prophecies about Christ, they shared Micah 5:2 with Herod. Then Herod met with the wise men secretly, probably because he feared losing his reign as king. The irony is that Herod said he wanted to worship Christ, but he wanted Him dead for this new King would be another threat to Herod’s rule.
Challenge & Application
We see today that even amid ungodly leaders and rulers, God is in charge. What can you learn from this?
How have many religious leaders and church attendees today missed their Messiah, just like the chief priests and scribes?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!