Matthew 2
BBCMatthew 2:1
II. EARLY YEARS OF THE MESSIAH-KING (Chap. 2) A. Wise Men Come to Worship the King (2:1-12) 2:1, 2 It is easy to be confused about the chronology of the events surrounding Christ’s birth. While verse 1 may appear to indicate that Herod tried to kill Jesus during Mary and Joseph’s stay in the stable at Bethlehem, the combined evidence points to a time one or two years later. Matthew says in verse 11 that the wise men saw Jesus in a house. The order by Herod to execute all male children under two years old (v. 16) also is an indication of the passage of an unspecified period of time since the royal birth. Herod the Great was a descendant of Esau and, therefore, a traditional enemy of the Jews. He was a convert to Judaism, but his conversion was perhaps politically motivated. It was toward the close of his reign that wise men from the East came in search of the King of the Jews. These men might have been pagan priests whose ritual centered around the elements of nature. Because of their knowledge and predictive powers, they were often chosen as counselors to kings. We do not know where they lived in the East, how many there were, nor how long their journey lasted. It was the star in the East that somehow made them aware of the birth of a King, whom they came to worship. Possibly they were familiar with OT prophecies concerning the Messiah’s arrival. Perhaps they knew of Balaam’s prediction that a Star would come out of Jacob (Num_24:17) and connected this with the prophecy of seventy weeks which foretold the time of Christ’s first coming (Dan_9:24-25). But it seems more probable that the knowledge was communicated to them supernaturally. Various scientific explanations have been offered to account for the star. Some say, for instance, that it was a conjunction of planets. But the course of this star was highly irregular; it went before the wise men, leading them from Jerusalem to the house where Jesus was living (v. 9). Then it stopped. In fact, it was so unusual that it can only be accounted for as a miracle. 2:3 When Herod the king heard that a Baby had been born who was to be king of the Jews, he was troubled. Any such Baby was a threat to his uneasy rule. All Jerusalem was troubled with him. The city that should have received the news with joy was disturbed by anything that might upset its status quo or risk the displeasure of the hated Roman rulers. 2:4-6 Herod assembled the Jewish religious leaders to find out where the Christ was to be born. The chief priests were the high priest and his sons (and perhaps other members of his family). The scribes of the people were lay experts in the Law of Moses. They preserved and taught the law and served as judges in the Sanhedrin. These priests and scribes promptly quoted Mic_5:2 which identified Bethlehem of Judea as the King’s birthplace. The text of the prophecy in Micah calls the city Bethlehem Ephrathah. Since there was more than one town called Bethlehem in Palestine, this identifies it as the one in the district of Ephrathah within the tribal boundaries of Judah. 2:7, 8 King Herod … secretly called the wise men to determine what time the star first appeared. This secrecy betrayed his sadistic motive: he would need this information if he was unable to locate the right Child. To cover up his real intention, he sent the magi on their search and requested that they send back word to him of their success. 2:9 As the wise men set out, the star which they had seen in the East reappeared. This indicates that the star had not guided them all the way from the East. But now it did guide them to the house where the young Child was.2:10 Special mention is made of the exceedingly great joy of the wise men when they saw the star. These Gentiles diligently sought for Christ; Herod planned to kill Him; the priests and scribes were (as yet) indifferent; the people of Jerusalem were troubled. These attitudes were omens of the way in which the Messiah would be received. 2:11 When they entered the house, the magi saw the young Child with Mary His mother. They fell down and worshiped Him, offering costly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Notice that they saw Jesus with His mother. Ordinarily mention would be made of a mother first, then her child, but this Child is unique and must be given first place (see also vv. 13, 14, 20, 21). The wise men worshiped Jesus, not Mary or Joseph. (Joseph is not even mentioned in this account; he will soon disappear entirely from the Gospel record.) It is Jesus who deserves our praise and worship, not Mary or Joseph. The treasures they brought spoke volumes. Gold is a symbol of deity and glory; it speaks of the shining perfection of His divine Person. Frankincense is an ointment or perfume; it suggests the fragrance of the life of sinless perfection. Myrrh is a bitter herb; it presages the sufferings He would endure in bearing the sins of the world. The bringing of gifts by Gentiles is reminiscent of the language of Isa_60:6. Isaiah predicted that Gentiles would come to the Messiah with gifts, but mentioned only gold and frankincense: … they shall bring gold and incense.
And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord. Why was myrrh omitted? Because Isaiah was speaking of Christ’s second adventHis coming in power and great glory. There will be no myrrh then because He will not suffer then. But in Matthew the myrrh is included because His first coming is in view. In Matthew we have the sufferings of Christ; in this passage of Isaiah, the glories that shall follow. 2:12 The wise men were divinely warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and so they obediently returned to their homes by another route. No one who meets Christ with a sincere heart ever returns the same way. True encounter with Him transforms all of life.
Matthew 2:13
B. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Flee to Egypt (2:13-15) 2:13, 14 From infancy the threat of death hung over our Lord. It is apparent that He was born to die, but only at the appointed time. Anyone who walks in God’s will is immortal until his work is done. An angel of the Lord warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with his family. Herod was ready to embark on his search and destroy mission. The family became refugees from the wrath of Herod. We do not know how long they stayed, but with the death of Herod, the coast was clear for their repatriation. 2:15 Thus, another OT prophecy became clothed with new meaning. God had said through the prophet Hosea: Out of Egypt I called My Son (Hos_11:1). In its original setting this referred to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt at the time of the exodus. But the statement is capable of a double meaningthe Messiah’s history would closely parallel that of Israel. The prophecy was fulfilled in the life of Christ by His return to Israel from Egypt. When the Lord returns to reign in righteousness, Egypt will be one of the countries sharing in the blessings of the Millennium (Isa_19:21-25; Zep_3:9-10; Psa_68:31). Why should that nation, a traditional enemy of Israel, be so favored? Could it be a token of divine gratitude for its granting sanctuary to the Lord Jesus?
Matthew 2:16
C. Herod Massacres the Babies of Bethlehem (2:16-18) 2:16 When the wise men failed to return, Herod realized that he had been deceived in his plot to locate the young King. In senseless rage, he ordered the death of all the male children under the age of two in Bethlehem and in all its districts. Estimates vary as to the number slain; one writer suggests about twenty-six. It is not likely that hundreds were involved. 2:17, 18 The weeping which followed the killing of the children was a fulfillment of the words of Jeremiah the prophet: Thus says the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more (Jer_31:15). In the prophecy, Rachel represents the nation Israel. The grief of the nation is attributed to Rachel, who was buried in Ramah (near Bethlehem, where the massacre took place). As the bereaved parents passed her tomb, she is pictured as weeping with them. In his effort to eliminate this young Rival, Herod gained nothing but dishonorable mention in the annals of infamy.
Matthew 2:19
D. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus Settle in Nazareth (2:19-23) After Herod’s death, an angel of the Lord assured Joseph that it was now safe to return. When he reached the land of Israel, however, he heard that Herod’s son Archelaus had succeeded his father as king of Judea. Joseph was reluctant to venture into this region and so, after his fears were confirmed by God in a dream, he traveled north to the region of Galilee and settled in Nazareth.For the fourth time in this chapter, Matthew reminds us that prophecy was being fulfilled. He mentions none of the prophets by name, but says that the prophets had foretold that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene. No OT verse says this directly. Many scholars suggest Matthew is referring to Isa_11:1 : There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
The Hebrew word translated Rod is netzer, but the connection seems remote. A more probable explanation is that Nazarene is used to describe anyone who lived in Nazareth, a town viewed with contempt by the rest of the people. Nathaniel expresses this by the proverbial question, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? (Joh_1:46). The scorn heaped upon this unimportant town fell upon its inhabitants as well. So when verse 23 says He shall be called a Nazarene, it means that He would be treated with contempt. Although we cannot find any prophecy that Jesus would be called a Nazarene, we can find one that says He would be despised and rejected by men (Isa_53:3).
Another says that He would be a worm and not a man, scorned and rejected by people (Psa_22:6). So while the prophets did not use the exact words, this was undeniably the spirit of several prophecies. It is amazing that when the mighty God came to earth, He was given a nickname of reproach. Those who follow Him are privileged to share His reproach (Heb_13:13).