The Bible Book

186

See also: The Birth of Jesus 180–85 ■ Herod’s Infanticide 187 ■

The Council of Jerusalem 292–93

A

lthough divination was

forbidden in the Jewish

scriptures, it was common

in other Greco-Roman and ancient

Near Eastern societies. Magi

were respected professionals, who

studied the constellations and then

interpreted the movements of the

stars as divine portents.

A new king

The journey of the magi is recorded

only in Matthew’s Gospel. In his

account, the magi travel from the

east to Judea searching for the

newly born “king of the Jews.”

On hearing of the magis’ quest,

King Herod is alarmed by the

potential threat to his rule. When

his chief priests tell him that the

Christ is to be born in Bethlehem,

he tells the magi to go to that city

and return with the exact location

of the baby, on the pretense that

he wishes to pay his respects.

The magi follow a unique star

to Bethlehem and find Jesus with

His mother, Mary. Overjoyed, the

magi kneel down before the child

and offer gifts of gold, frankincense,

and myrrh. Finally, on account

of a dream warning them against

returning to Jerusalem, they

journey back home to the east.

The story of the magi shows

that Jesus is not only fulfilling

Jewish prophecies but also

Gentile predictions. As such,

Jesus is depicted as a divinely

chosen ruler whom all peoples

and nations should glorify. ■

THEY ... PRESENTED

HIM WITH GIFTS OF

GOLD, FRANKINCENSE,

AND MYRRH

MATTHEW 2:11, THE MAGI

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Matthew 2:1–12

THEME

Glorification of the

Messiah

SETTING

6–4 bce During the reign of

King Herod. The Judean cities

of Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

KEY FIGURES

Herod King of Judea,

notorious for the ruthless

elimination of his enemies.

Magi Astrologers from the

east who come to worship the

newborn Jesus in Bethlehem.

Mary The mother of Jesus

and wife of Joseph.

Joseph The adoptive father

of Jesus and husband of Mary.

Jesus The son of Mary and

the adopted son of Joseph,

who is the Messiah and

Son of God.

The Adoration of the Magi by

Quentin Matsys shows the magi with

a huge retinue. None of the Gospels

suggest this was the case.

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187

See also: Moses and the Burning Bush 66–69 ■ The Ten Plagues 70–71 ■

The Exodus 74–77 ■ The Prophet Micah 168–71 ■ The Birth of Jesus 180–85

T

he first two chapters in

the Gospel of Matthew

recount the early years

of Jesus’s life. In each scene, the

author calls on the words of the

prophets, including Jeremiah and

Hosea, to demonstrate how Jesus

is the anticipated Messiah.

Exodus reinterpreted

Worried about a prediction that

his royal replacement, the Christ,

has been born in Bethlehem, Herod

orders the killing of all babies

under the age of 2 in the city. In a

moment of divine intervention, an

angel appears to Joseph and urges

him to flee with Mary and Jesus.

Following the angelic command,

Joseph resettles his family in

Egypt. They do not return to Judea

until after the death of King Herod

several years later.

The king’s actions mirror those

of Pharaoh in the Exodus story, who

also ordered mass infanticide. Like

Moses, Jesus flees from the land of

His birth after a king threatens His

life, but later returns to become an

influential religious teacher.

The author builds on these

connections between Jesus and

the Exodus story by proclaiming

that Jesus’s stay in Egypt fulfills

a text in Hosea in which God calls

His son out of Egypt: “When Israel

was a child, I loved him, and out of

Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1).

The original passage referred to

God rescuing the people of Israel

from slavery in Egypt. The author

of Matthew’s Gospel reinterprets

the divine claim, making Jesus the

Son of God. ■

THE GOSPELS

HE GAVE ORDERS TO

KILL ALL THE BOYS

IN BETHLEHEM

MATTHEW 2:16, HEROD’S INFANTICIDE

IN BRIEF

PA S SAGE

Matthew 2:13–18

THEME

Persecution

SETTING

6–4 bce During the reign of

King Herod. Judea and Egypt.

KEY FIGURES

Herod King of Judea,

appointed by the Romans,

who also called him “King

of the Jews.”

Joseph The adoptive father

of Jesus and husband of Mary.

The angel A divine

messenger who warns

Joseph of King Herod’s plot

to kill the infant Jesus.

Escape to Egypt. Stay

there until I tell you, for

Herod is going to search

for the child to kill him.

Matthew 2:13

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