The second chapter of Matthew is a continuation of the birth narrative of Jesus Christ, and the first few verses focus on the place of his birth, foretold in the Old Testament, and confirmed by the magi.

While the beginning of Matthew contains several significant details concerning the birth of Jesus, it is not exhaustive. As you read this, you should also read Luke 2, which adds more to the story, details not given by Matthew, and the one recorded incident in Jesus’ life between his birth and his baptism – the visit to Jerusalem at the age of twelve.

But here in Matthew 2, we see that the Kingdom is not yet ready for the King, and the only celebration of his birth, outside of his immediate family, comes from foreign magi, who travel for months to visit and pay him honor. The birth of Jesus was predicted in the Old Testament, but few people in the nation of Israel noticed. As you read this chapter, take note of the phrases “It has been written (or spoken) by the prophet” and “that it might be fulfilled.” These point to the many different passages that predict the coming of the Messiah in the Old Testament… passages that most missed when they came to pass.

The second chapter of Matthew begins with the place of Jesus’ birth. This is one of those details that were given long before, in this case from the prophet Micah, in 5:2. Bethlehem was the home of Boaz and Ruth, of Jesse and King David. It is five miles southwest of Jerusalem. Even though the current home of Joseph and Mary was Nazareth, the prophecy clearly stated that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. God coordinated the details of this event by using the Roman Emperor to conduct a census. This caused Mary and Joseph to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, “to register for the census, each to his own city” (Luke 2:3).

Bethlehem is one of the oldest places in the land of Judea, with a rich and full history. It had been in existence at least 1500 years before the birth of Christ, and was home to many significant events and people, including King David. The tag, “of Judea” was added to distinguish it from another location named Bethlehem found in the territory of Zebulon, according to Joshua 19:15. The name Bethlehem means “house of bread.”

Now that the location is established, Matthew turns to the timing of the birth of the Messiah. It is difficult to determine the exact year of Jesus’ birth. When he was born, the Roman Empire counted the years from the founding of the city of Rome. After Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, an abbot named Dionysium Exigguus created a calendar at the request of the Emperor Justinian in or around the year 526 AD. He calculated the birth of Christ to be the year 754 of the old Roman system, but was probably off by a year or two, due to the fact that Herod died in the year 750, just before the Passover. Jesus was born several months previous to the death of Herod, placing his birth in either the firth or fourth year BC.

But just who was Herod? Herod was the king according to Matthew. According to history and tradition, he was born at Ashkelon, one of the five principle cities of the Philistines. He is believed to have died at the city of Jericho. His father was an Edomite, and his mother was an Ishmaelite. He was a cunning and shrewd leader, and held his position by means of unspeakable brutality. Known as Herod the Great, he was a vassal ruler, subject to the Roman Empire.

Matthew moves next from the cruel Herod to the foreign magi. The term “magi” is most often translated as “wise men.” It is a term which designates an order of priests and philosophers from the east, originally from Persia and Media, but who were spread all over the region of the Euphrates. Their knowledge of the birth of Jesus is intriguing. It is likely that they knew and had studied the Hebrew Scriptures of the coming of the Messianic King from Daniel’s life and writings. Daniel, along with Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, lived in Babylon and Persia, and planted the seeds of the Hebrew Scriptures in those regions, eventually leading the magi to the Messiah. As men of high standing, they had access to King Herod.

While we commonly refer to them as “three wise men,” we need to keep in mind that we are never given a count of the magi. The number and quality of the gifts they brought has become the foundation for a tradition that they were three kings from Arabia, known as Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. However, the truth is, there could have been dozens of magi, along with servants and warriors to provide safety as they traveled the hundreds of miles from their homes to Jerusalem. Their arrival was a big enough event to stir the entire city.

By the time they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus wasn’t an infant any longer. He had been presented in the temple before they came (Luke 2:21-24) and taken back to Bethlehem. By the time of their arrival, Jesus was probably close to two years old. When they arrived, the logical place to look for a king was in Jerusalem, where they found Herod. Herod was probably startled by their question, and saw this new potential king as a threat to his throne. According to verse 3, Herod was troubled, to say the least.

Seeking details, the magi confirmed that they had seen a star in the east and followed it to Jerusalem. Many astronomers believe that this was a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn and Mars, but that probably isn’t enough. Such a conjunction did occur at this time, according to Johannes Kepler, but it would have been high in the sky, and not able to lead the magi to Jerusalem. No, the star they followed was a supernatural event announcing of a supernatural birth.

So Herod gathered his own group of wise men, the chief priests and scribes of Jerusalem. They knew the Scriptures, they classified and taught them. They knew prophecy, and confirmed to Herod that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They knew that a Messiah was to come, that their Scriptures foretold it, and that the very specific town was named. They quoted to Herod the prophet Micah, who lived about 700 years before Christ. Micah 5:2-4 is the reference that confirms the birthplace of the Messiah, but the scribes and chief priests show no inclination to go and worship the Messiah that is so clearly presented to them in this prophecy.

They stay in Jerusalem, while the foreign magi proceed to Bethlehem to worship the Messiah.

Question: Matthew gives many details about the birth and early life of Jesus that we usually gloss over and miss. What stands out to you in this passage that you may have never noticed before? You can leave a comment by clicking here.