Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: WONDERSTRUCK

Transition:

Context:

Matthew seems to presuppose his audience’s knowledge of the circumstances of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (cf.

), moving immediately to the account of the visit of the Magi.

Carson, D. A. (2015).

The Gospels and Acts.

In D. A. Carson (Ed.), NIV Zondervan Study Bible: Built on the Truth of Scripture and Centered on the Gospel Message (p.

1928).

Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

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If the Magi came from the environs of Babylon, they would have traveled approximately nine hundred miles.

The term “Magi” (magos, “magician”) originally referred to a priestly caste in ancient Persia, perhaps followers of Zoroaster (c.

630?–550?

B.C.), a Persian teacher and prophet.

Babylonian elements were subsequently introduced, including astrology, demonology, wisdom, and magic.

Magi were usually leading figures in the religious court life of their country of origin, employing a variety of scientific (astrology), diplomatic (wisdom), and religious (magical incantations) elements in their work.

These practices were distinct from a more common type of “magician” found elsewhere (e.g., magos in Acts 13:6, 8).

Following Origen of Alexandria, I think that they were from Babylon.

I say this because we know from the book of Daniel that the Chaldeans or Babylonians had “wise men” (Daniel 2:12–14, 24, 27, 48; 4:6, 18; 5:6–8, 15) and also because of the theological significance attached to Babylon.

Matthew is possibly saying that the pilgrimage of the nations to the holy city, the flood of Gentiles entering into the people of God, has begun, as the prophets predicted (Isaiah 2:2, 3; cf.

Isaiah 60:1–5; Micah 4:1, 2)

The three steps in the religious quest of the Wise Men are all significant: God took the initiative, meeting the Wise Men in their own context and communicating with them in a way they could understand (Matt.

2:2, 9).

Once the Wise Men found Jesus, they spontaneously and freely worshiped him as the object of their religious quest.

The offerings they gave to Jesus were likewise free and natural expressions of the overwhelming joy they experienced at finding someone worthy of their worship (vv.

10–11).

The wise men are, more correctly, ‘Magi’, originally the name of a Persian priestly caste, but later used widely for magicians and astrologers (cf.

Acts 13:6), a numerous class in most countries in Western Asia at the time (see further, Brown, pp.

167–168).

Astrology had been developed into a sophisticated science especially in Babylonia, and there is evidence for its influence also in Palestine (see AB, p. 14).

From what part of the East these Magi came can only be guessed; their gifts (v.

11) are most likely of Arabian origin, but would be available to and used by the Magi of Babylonia, and this is perhaps their most likely place of origin.

Their reference to ‘the king of the Jews’, and their need to enquire about the birthplace of the Messiah, imply that they were Gentiles, though with a limited knowledge of Judaism (which was well established in Babylonia).

We long to worship v.1-2

Certainly such a prophecy excludes many potential messianic aspirants and refutes the argument that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah simply by setting out to fulfill all of the Scriptures relevant to the office.

He scarcely could have chosen his place of birth.

(According to tradition three Magi traveled to Bethlehem.

But the Bible does not say how many there were.)

The verb worship (proskyneō) need mean no more than to pay homage to a human dignitary, but Matthew frequently uses it in contexts where Jesus’ more-than-human status is recognized (e.g.

14:33; 28:9, 17), and the same implication may be present here.

Through the Jewish community in their homeland, the Magi would have become familiar with Balaam’s prophecy, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel” (Num.

24:17).

In many quarters within Judaism this prophecy was understood to point to a messianic deliverer (e.g., CD 7:18–26; 4QTest.

9–13).

In Revelation, Jesus refers to himself in similar language: “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” (Rev.

22:16; cf.

2:28; 2 Peter 1:19).

Why did they come?

(they weren’t worshipping the star…)

“Magi” (not “wise men”—KJV) were pagan astrologers whose divinatory skills were widely respected in the Greco-Roman world; astrology had become popular through the “science” of the East, and everyone agreed that the best astrologers lived in the East.

The Old Testament explicitly forbade such prognostication from signs (Deut 18:11; cf.

Is 2:6; 47:11–15), prescribing true prophecy instead (Deut 18:15).

2:2.

Astronomers have offered various proposals for the appearance of this star in the first decade B.C.

The ancients thought comets and falling stars predicted the fall of rulers; some emperors even banished from Rome astrologers who issued such predictions.

By this period many Jewish people accepted the idea that the stars could accurately predict the future.

Even though these Magi were pagans, God had chosen to reveal himself to them.

The Wise Men stand as a reminder that there is only one God, the Creator of the universe (Rom.

1:18–21; 3:30; 1 Cor.

8:6), and that he desires all people to worship him from the heart (John 4:23)

the house.

Shows that the Magi did not visit the baby Jesus at the manger the night of his birth when the shepherds were present.

The Magi would have come months later.

worshiped him.

The Magi, unlike Herod, do worship the baby.

Gentile pagans come to know the true king of the universe, whereas key leaders in Israel reject him.

These were not kings, but Magi, magicians or astrologers—possibly Zoroastrian wise men from Persia whose knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures could be traced back to the time of Daniel (cf.

Dan.

5:11).

2:2 saying.

This present participle conveys the idea of continuous action.

It suggests they went around the city questioning everyone they met.

star.

This could not have been a supernova or a conjunction of planets, as some modern theories suggest, because of the way the star moved and settled over one place (cf.

v. 9).

It is more likely a supernatural reality similar to the Shekinah that guided the Israelites in the days of Moses (Ex.

13:21).

The “Magi” (magoi) are not easily identified with precision.

Several centuries earlier the term was used for a priestly caste of Medes who enjoyed special power to interpret dreams.

Daniel (Dan 1:20; 2:2; 4:7; 5:7) refers to magoi in the Babylonian Empire.

In later centuries down to NT times, the term loosely covered a wide variety of men interested in dreams, astrology magic, books thought to contain mysterious references to the future, and the like.

Some Magi honestly inquired after truth; many were rogues and charlatans

Apparently these men came to Bethlehem spurred on by astrological calculations.

But they had probably built up their expectation of a kingly figure by working through assorted Jewish books

By the end of the sixth century, the wise men were named: Melkon (later Melchior), Balthasar, and Gasper.

Matthew gives no names.

His magoi come to Jerusalem (which, like Bethlehem, has strong Davidic connections [2 Sam 5:5–9]), arriving, apparently (cf.

Note 5), from the east—possibly from Babylon, where a sizable Jewish settlement wielded considerable influence, but possibly from Persia or from the Arabian desert.

The more distant Babylon may be supported by the travel time apparently required (see on 2:16).

1. Kepler (died 1630) pointed out that in the Roman year A.U.C. 747 (7 B.C.), there occurred a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in the zodiacal constellation of Pisces, a sign sometimes connected in ancient astrology with the Hebrews.

Many details can be fitted to this suggestion (Alf; R.E.

Brown, Birth of Messiah, pp.

172–73; DNTT, 3:735; Maier), not least that medieval Jews saw messianic significance in the same planetary conjunction.

Moreover the conjunction occurred in May, October, and November of 7 B.C. ; and one of the latter two appearances could account for 2:9.

But there is no solid evidence that the ancients referred to such conjunctions as “stars”; and even at their closest proximity, Jupiter and Saturn would have been about one degree apart—a perceived distance about twice the diameter of the moon—and therefore never fused into one image.

2. Kepler himself preferred the suggestion that this was a supernova—a faint star that violently explodes and gives off enormous amounts of light for a few weeks or months.

The suggestion is no more than guess: there is no confirming evidence, and it is difficult on this theory to account for 2:9.

3. Others have suggested comets, what some older writers refer to as “variable stars.”

The most likely is Halley’s Comet (cf.

Lagrange), which passed overhead in 12 B.C. ; but this seems impossibly early.

Matthew uses language almost certainly alluding to Numbers 24:17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”

This oracle, spoken by Balaam, who came “from the eastern mountains” (Num 23:7), was widely regarded as messianic

His kingly status was not conferred on him later on; it was his from birth.

Jesus’ participation in the Davidic dynasty has already been established by the genealogy.

The same title the Magi gave him found its place over the cross (27:37).

(3) Another plausible suggestion is that the supernatural phenomenon was actually an angel sent to the Magi to announce the birth of Messiah and to guide them to Jesus so that they would be a witness to his birth through their worship.

Good angels are commonly referred to as stars (e.g., Job 38:7; Dan.

8:10; Rev. 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1), as are fallen angels (Rev.

8:10, 11; 9:1; perhaps Isa.