2:1-12
Matthew is the only gospel to record the visit of the Magi. They came from the East, following a star. Various attempts have been made to identify an astronomical event explaining the star. These include the conjunction of two planets, a comet, a nova, but none have been entirely successful. \the key theological points are that Gentiles came to worship Christ. Herod was king, but he was an Edomite, probably part of the reason why he was “disturbed”. Both he and the religious leaders felt threatened by the coming of a king. God disrupts man’s plans, and when God appears it becomes apparent that He is in charge, not us. It also says that all Jerusalem was also disturbed. Men in general don’t like God being in charge. Herod knew the Old Testament foretold of a Messiah and so he asked the religious leaders where the Messiah was to be born, they replied that it was in Bethlehem in Judea, as foretold by Micah (5;2,4). It is interesting that they knew the facts, but did not believe. Herod sought to use the Magi to find out where the king actually was, saying he wanted to worship him, as we know he actually had very different plans. The magi found Jesus and worshipped him, and gave their gifts. However, they were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, and so took another route home.
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