Be a Star!
Notes
Transcript
Be a Star!
Be a Star!
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and came to bow down to him.”
Now when Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And after gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Messiah is born. And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet, ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod, having secretly summoned the magi, carefully determined from them the time of the appearing star. 8 And sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go, search carefully concerning the child, and when you find him, report back to me, so that I also may come and bow down to him.”
And they, after hearing the king, went, and behold, the star which they saw in the east went before them until, having come, it stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And having come into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they bowed down to him. And opening their treasures, they offered gifts to him: gold and frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew into their own land by another route.
Anyone not familiar with this story?
There are a few misconceptions here that we are going to look at today
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and came to bow down to him.”
MAGI:
Term: μάγοι (magoi) refers to a recognized class of learned court specialists, not kings and not generic “wise men.”
Primary Region: They most plausibly come from eastern Mesopotamia or Persia (Babylonian–Persian world), consistently called “the east” in Jewish and Greco-Roman usage.
Institutional Role: Magi functioned as royal advisors, trained to interpret heavenly signs, dreams, and portents related to kingship and legitimacy.
Historical Continuity: Babylon had centuries-old traditions of astral interpretation and maintained long-standing Jewish communities since the exile, allowing access to Israelite texts and expectations.
Textual Awareness: Their recognition of a “star” fits knowledge of royal symbolism such as Numbers 24:17, not speculative astrology.
I see him but not now; I behold him but not near— a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the foreheads of Moab and the heads of all the Shethites.
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the one who was born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and came to bow down to him.”
Political Competence: Their direct approach to Herod reflects familiarity with court politics and succession concerns.
Narrative Function: In Matthew, they act as credible foreign witnesses to Davidic kingship, not converts or rulers.
PERSIAN:
The Persian region the magi most likely come from was not ruled by Rome in the late first century BC and early first century AD.
At the time of Matthew 2, that region was under the control of the Parthian Empire, Rome’s primary eastern rival.
Parthia ruled Mesopotamia and much of historic Persia, including areas traditionally associated with magi and court scholars.
Rome and Parthia were geopolitical equals and enemies, frequently at war over control of Syria and Judea.
Herod ruled Judea as a Roman client king, making him politically dependent on Rome.
Therefore, magi arriving from the east come from outside Roman authority, from a rival imperial sphere.
This sharpens Matthew’s narrative tension: representatives of a non-Roman, rival empire recognize the legitimacy of Israel’s Davidic king, while Rome’s client ruler is threatened by it.
STAR:
Apocalyptic necessity: In Second Temple Jewish thought, divine action to restore rule requires a heavenly sign; the star is expected, not optional.
Royal symbolism: The star functions as a kingship marker, grounded in texts like Numbers 24:17 where star and scepter signal legitimate rule.
Possessive force: “His star” identifies the sign as belonging to the king, indicating authorization rather than a random celestial event.
Rulers, not astronomy: In biblical and Second Temple symbolism, stars represent authorities or rulers, not predictive horoscopes.
ANE background, restrained use: While ANE traditions associate stars with divine beings, Matthew uses this idea indirectly, as authorization rather than personified action.
Selective revelation: The star is perceived by trained outsiders (magi), consistent with apocalyptic disclosure that reveals truth to some and conceals it from others.
Announcement before rule: The star declares kingship prior to public enthronement, matching apocalyptic timing models.
Non-devotional role: The star guides and confirms, then withdraws; it is never worshiped or treated as an object of devotion.
NOTICE:
The Magi know what is happening
The Jewish people do not, which is likely surprising to them!
Now when Herod the king heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And after gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Messiah (Christ) is born. And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet, ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are least among the rulers of Judah, for from you will go out a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ (from Micah 5:2 & 2 Sam 5:2)”
MESSIAH vs KING:
Notice, the Magi are looking for a ruler, a king
Herod is looking for a Messiah
To the Jewish mind, there is no distinction between the two
OT QUOTE:
There are some differences between what is written here and what is written in the OT
“You, Bethlehem, Ephratah, small in the chiefs of Judah, from you to me, he will go out to be the one who rules in Israel. His going out is from the east, from the days of an age.”
How do we get into a spot where the Magi know, but the people in Jerusalem do not?
Then Herod, having secretly summoned the magi, carefully determined from them the time of the appearing star. And sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go, search carefully concerning the child, and when you find him, report back to me, so that I also may come and bow down to him.”
Now we know why the Magi are secretly summoned:
Rome and Parthia are enemies
You don’t want people to know, Rome might think you are a traitor
BOW DOWN:
Not worship, but in deference to an authority
And they, after hearing the king, went, and behold, the star which they saw in the east went before them until, having come, it stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
And having come into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they bowed down to him. And opening their treasures, they offered gifts to him: gold and frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew into their own land by another route.
JUST FOR FUN:
The number is not disclosed:
It might be three, but it might be fewer or more
DREAM WARNING:
These Persian’s (Parthians) are not Jewish, so how are they having a dream?
And they, after hearing the king, went, and behold, the star which they saw in the east went before them until, having come, it stood over where the child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Stars are interesting things in scripture:
In Genesis 15:5, they are used for numbers and substance
In Genesis 37:9, they bow to Joseph
In Deuteronomy 4:19 “And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven.”
Where do we go with this?
Be a star…
Be a Star!
Be a Star!
Be the one that points the way to Messiah
