The New Testament – Verse by Verse Bible Study – 2

In this Bible Study series on Internet Pastor Online we will be studying through the New Testament verse by verse. You can watch or listen to the study by going to the Online Church page.

Matthew Chapter 2

Matthew 2:1-23 (NIV)
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt
20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

The Christmas story we usually have in our minds is not exactly right. While the premise of the story is close, the facts are a little different.

v 11 makes it clear that they were no longer is a manger but in a house. Jesus is described by the word for child (paidon) not the word for infant (brephos).

We aren’t really sure about the identity of the Magi. While the Christmas story has given them names, the names are not found in the scripture. We aren’t sure of their number, either. It could have been three but it could have been more or less. Magi is a title for “specialists in astronomy” which is most likely how they received the revelation of the newborn King. It is possible that this is a fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy:

Numbers 24:17 (KJV)
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob,

Herod wasn’t happy about the news but it is interesting that he connects the King of the Jews in v2 with the Christ in v4.

Herod wanted to know where the Christ would be born, and the answer to Herod’s question was simple, because Micah the prophet had given the precise location centuries before: the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

Micah 5:2 (KJV)
2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

The Magi present Jesus with gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh. These gifts picture the wealth of the nations which will someday be completely given to the Messiah

Isaiah 60:5 (NIV)
5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.

Zephaniah 3:10 (NIV)
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings.

Haggai 2:7-8 (NIV)
7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty.

There may be a deeper significance to the gifts as well that reflect on the character of the life of Jesus. Gold might represent His deity or purity, incense the fragrance of His life, and myrrh His sacrifice and death (myrrh was used for embalming).

Joseph has a series of dreams in which he is given specific direction on what to do.

Matthew 1:20, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22.

After the visit of the Magi, Joseph was warned by an angel of the Lord to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt. The reason was Herod would be searching for the Child to kill Him. Under cover of darkness, Joseph obeyed, and his family left Bethlehem and journeyed into Egypt. Why Egypt? The Messiah was sent to and returned from Egypt so that the prophet’s words, Out of Egypt I called My Son, might be fulfilled. This is a reference to Hosea 11:1:

Hosea 11:1 (NIV)
1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son

It also connects Jesus as the son of God, with the nation of Israel. Israel was God’s chosen son by adoption,

Exodus 4:22 (NIV)
22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,

Jesus is God’s son. Both had to escape to Egypt to avoid danger, both had to return for the sake of the nation.

As soon as Herod learned that the Magi had not complied with his orders to give him the exact location of the newborn King, he put into action a plan to kill all the male children in Bethlehem.

Jeremiah 31:15 (NIV)
15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more.”