Matthew 2

Matthew 2

Magi from the East came to Jerusalem to see The Who was born to be king of the Jews. Herod called together the chief priests and teachers of the law who knew the prophesy that the messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Herod sent the Magi to find the baby and not the chief priests. 

The magi may have been from Parthia near the site of Babylon. Parthia was an enemy of Rome and as powerful. 

The magi presented gold and incense and Myrrh. Gold for a king, incense for a God, and Myrrh, which was used for embalming, to foreshadow the death. 

God directs Joseph to take his family to Egypt to avoid the killing of boys due to Herod’s jealousy. 

God then directs Joseph to come back from Egypt when Herod dies but Herod’s son is ruling in Jerusalem so Joseph goes to Nazareth. 

Herod, like most Jews of that time thought that the messiah would be a great military ruler and fight for political freedom. Jesus came instead to wage a spiritual battle and fight for souls.