The journey to Jesus
MATTHEW 2:7-10 | AARON LOCKHART
‘Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.’
It’s clear that from the moment that Herod heard about the birth of a new King of the Jews, he was not only disturbed but also threatened.
Herod wasn’t from the line of David or even a descendant of Jacob (he was from the line of Esau and so was an Edomite) he was hated and never truly accepted by the Jews. It was a deliberate act to call the Magi secretly in order to gather the essential information he needed for what he was plotting and not have others hear, as he had no intention of worshiping Jesus.
It is also interesting to note that the star that led the Magi to Jerusalem now reappeared, indicating that although bringing them from the east it didn’t initially take them all the way to Jesus - it led them to Herod first, but now in reappearing it led them directly to where Jesus was. This shows both the miraculous nature of the star, being of God and leading them directly to Jesus to worship him; but also the providence of God in events as this sequence allowed Old Testament prophecy to be fulfilled by Herod’s later murderous decree.
These Magi were not Jewish, but even as Gentiles they were overjoyed to see the star and be led to Christ the King of the Jews in their diligent search. This is a stark contrast to Herod who wanted to kill him, the Jewish people who were troubled by him, and the chief priests and scribes who were indifferent to him. This serves as an accurate depiction of how he would eventually be received as the Messiah.
May we give thanks that Jesus came to be the king for all, and remember the joy we felt when we first found him for ourselves.
