Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
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The Questions
Matthew 2:1-12
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. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born. 5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” 7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” 9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.
Original Intent
1) Who were the wise men from the east who arrived in Jerusalem? (verse 1)
In reading this passage of Scripture, we discover three gifts were brought to the Child of Mary (verse 11). Many have assumed, and therefore have depicted, there were three wise men who came to visit the Christ child based on the number of gifts specifically recorded. However, the Bible does not ever say this. It is possible there were several more magi and gifts. Tradition began to adjust the narrative, and possibly by the 3rd century people began referring to the men as kings, which would have prophetically fulfilled the words of the psalmist (Psalm 72:8-11). Several centuries later, others would add specific names to the story. (Britannica.com) But in this inspired gospel, Matthew tells us very little about these men. He doesn’t provide names, nor does he give us specific places, other than they arrived in Jerusalem from the east after following “His star.” According to other Bible writers, the magi (also, wise men) were those who practiced magical arts (in Acts 8) or who were Babylonian priest-sages who studied the universe through astronomy and astrology (as seen in the Old Testament book of Daniel). Most Bible scholars believe these men traveled 800 to 900 miles to see this One who was born because they were familiar with the writings of the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27) and were seekers of the one true God.
2) What had they possibly studied to lead them to believe the baby was worthy of their worship? (verses 2 and 11)
There are Bible scholars who believe the ancestors of these men had possibly been instructed by the prophet Daniel about the coming Messiah. Daniel was the chief of the magi in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. (Daniel 1:17-21 )It is very possible his influence was significant within the group of the court sages and many came to believe in the God of Daniel because of his testimony hundreds of years before Christ was born. Even so, these wise men had a limited understanding of the prophecies about Jesus as their knowledge had led them to Jerusalem, whereas Micah’s prophecy foretold of Bethlehem. It isn’t surprising the magi ended up in the capital city looking for a king, as it made reasonable sense. Nor would it be uncommon for them to approach King Herod to inquire about the newborn king. Little did they know that Herod had no interest in another potential king or that he would stop at nothing to ensure the child’s destruction. These wise men left Herod’s presence believing he also wanted to find the king in order to pay him homage. Once they found the child, their posture and gifts indicated their belief that they had indeed found the One they were seeking: they bowed, they worshipped, and they presented extravagant and significant gifts.
3) What do we know about the dream the men had and how does it shape this passage? (verse 12)
These men had no reason to doubt King Herod’s sincerity until the disturbing dream. It was so dramatic and impressive on their hearts they chose not to return to Herod. Apparently, the scribes who appeared in Herod’s court knew the Scriptures well enough they could recite it. Unfortunately, what they knew did not translate into belief. None of them had made their way to the place where their prophesied king had been born. Herod clearly must have feared that the prophesies could be true because he ordered the murder of all the boys near the age of the promised king (Matthew 2:16-17). Interestingly, this event was part of God’s unfolding plan as He knew in advance of Herod’s decision and how it would impact young Jesus. God even spoke of all these things through the prophets. Though Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, Matthew tells us His journey through Egypt would fulfill the prophecy of Hosea (Matthew 2:15, Hosea 11:1) Had the wise men not heeded the warning regarding Herod, God would have used other means to fulfill His purposed plan for Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
Everyday Application
1) Who were the wise men from the east who arrived in Jerusalem? (verse 1)
Through the ages, God has used inconspicuous people like these wise men. His grace is not bound by certain places or families or lineage. The Spirit of God can lead people to Christ in ways we could not imagine or determine. Like these men of the east, some people may be born in dark or obscure places of the world, but by God’s prompting and leading, they are drawn to seek after Christ. As they move toward Him, our wonderful Father works behind the scenes to bring them into the presence of Jesus through the gospel message. Once there, God moves in their hearts and they recognize they have found Who they had always been looking for. So great is the love of the Father as He draws people to Himself! Be open and ready to share Jesus with anyone at any time as the Spirit leads, you may never know the impact He has designed for your obedient sharing!
2) What had they possibly studied to lead them to believe the baby was worthy of their worship? (verses 2 and 11)
Shouldn’t it have been the scribes and the Pharisees running first to Bethlehem to look for the Christ child? Yes! Instead, it was some wandering shepherds who came to the place of the newborn king after the angels announced His birth. Now, months later, several unknown sages traveled from hundreds of miles away to worship the One they had heard and read about. This passage reveals how knowledge of Jesus must lead to seeking of Jesus. Herod had a fear of the possible truth he’d heard about this newborn Child. The scribes quoted the verses that prophesied of the coming King. But only the wise men and shepherds sought to come near to Him. It was then they knew in their hearts they were near God Himself. Those of us who have seen the reflection of Christ’s light shining like that star in the night could sing with the wise men: “I have seen the Light shining in the darkness, bursting through the shadows, delivering the dawn. I have seen the Light whose holy name is Jesus, His kingdom is forever; He reigns on Heaven’s throne!” (Music & Lyrics by Robert Sterling & Chris Machen)
3) What do we know about the dream the men had and how does it shape this passage? (verse 12)
The wise men had gone to great lengths and traveled many miles to find Jesus. They had probably sacrificed a great deal of their lives to get to Him. Yet, upon meeting Him, they were not proud, rather they were humbled. Instead of running back to Herod with the news that they were the wise ones who had discovered the newborn King, they bowed to Jesus. They offered Christ amazing gifts, then they quietly departed the area and never returned to Herod, and likely never saw Jesus again either. These wise men had witnessed God in ways they had not expected and it changed the course of their lives. When we come face to face with Jesus, it humbles us. It also changes the trajectory of our lives.
JC Ryle said of these men, “The conduct of the wise men is a striking example of faith. They believed in Christ when they had never seen Him. They believed in Him when the Scribes and Pharisees were unbelieving. They believed in Him when they saw Him a little infant on Mary’s knee. And they worshiped Him as a king.” We would be wise to do the same!
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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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