For many, the image of Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son, visited by wise men and shepherds, captures the essence of Christmas. However, considering there were no cameras and paparazzi in those days, any Nativity Scene picture you see is unlikely to reflect what took place on that day accurately. Yet, as we revisit this story, we recognise that the true Nativity Scene transcends the images we often see.
In this article, I invite you to delve with me into the biblical account recorded in Matthew 2:1-18, which provides profound insights into the birth of Jesus and its implications for us today.
The Birth of Jesus in Time and History
Matthew opens his account with these words:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king…”
This is not a “once upon a time” fairy tale but a historical event rooted in time and space. Matthew is so confident about the story’s veracity that he cites it alongside other historical events that can be independently verified. If Herod was a historical figure and his reign took place in history, then the story of Jesus’ birth and the wise men’s visit can be corroborated.
While we may not know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, the historical fact of His arrival is undisputed. For Christians, Christmas is the day we commemorate this miraculous event. But beyond the celebration, we must ask: Why was Jesus born?
Matthew answers this in Matthew 1:18-21, where an angel reveals to Joseph:
“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Birth
Who are these people for whom Jesus was born to save? To answer this question, we must go to the beginning of creation. In Genesis 1, we read that man was created in the image and likeness of God to reflect his glory and character. Just as a statue is supposed to project the glory of the person it represents, man was created in the image of God to reflect his glory. When people see you, they are supposed to see the glory and character of God. But, when you consider your life, can you say for certain that you have accurately reflected God’s character to others in his love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? I certainly cannot say I have, at least not consistently. Our lives are often marked by pride, selfishness, indulgence, lust, anger, pride, envy, jealousy, and hate. That is not how God looks like. And so, Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
This means we are all below the mark in our duty to reflect God’s glory to the watching world perfectly. That is the definition of sin, falling short of God’s perfect standard, and for that, we have all justly incurred his condemnation because “the wages of sin is death.” We need to be saved from the impending judgement of God.
That was the good news the angel announced to Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
How does Jesus save people from their sins? He did so by living the perfect life we could not live and dying the death we deserve. Jesus is the only person who ever lived a perfect life. Throughout his life on earth, he never sinned; he perfectly reflected the glory and character of God. Not only that, at the age of 33 years, he was crucified on a Roman cross. The Bible says when that happened, he was taking on the punishment you and I have incurred and deserved for living below God’s perfect standard.
That sacrifice was accepted by God when he raised him from the dead 3 days after his crucifixion. God has declared that anyone who recognises their sin and comes to Jesus will be saved from God’s judgement. There will be a sweet exchange where Jesus’ perfect life will be credited to you, and all your sins will be debited to his account, which is already paid for on the cross.
We see from these verses that the birth of Jesus is not a legend or a myth. We also know that the purpose of his birth was to save his people from God’s judgement. These truths demand a response.
Responses to Jesus’ Birth
In the Christmas narrative, three groups of people encounter the news of Jesus’ birth, and their responses provide a mirror for us to reflect on our own.
The Response of the Wise Men
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
A few questions come to mind when you read these verses. Who these men are? Why are they called wise? The term “Magi” comes from the Greek word for wise men, likely referring to astrologers or scholars from Persia (modern-day Iran). How did they hear about the birth of Jesus far away in the East? How did they come to the knowledge and understanding that this King deserves to be worshipped?
As enlightening as answers to these questions might be, the Bible does not provide them – Which implies those are not the lessons God wants us to learn from their visit.
Lessons from the Wise Men
The Universal Scope of the Gospel
Is it not interesting that one of the first people to visit the Messiah after his birth were non-Jewish people? The Magi were Gentiles, yet they were among the first to worship Jesus. This is significant because, throughout the Old Testament, the Messiah was understood as the Savior of the Jewish people. We see here that the birth of Jesus is good news not only for the Jews but for all humanity, even for you, my non-Christian friend reading this.
A Hunger to Seek Jesus
Another striking lesson we learn from the Magi is their spiritual hunger. They didn’t have detailed directions—no town name, street address, or GPS. All they knew was that the King of the Jews had been born, and they were determined to find Him. Their journey of over 2,000 km would have been gruelling, especially in an era without modern transportation. How far are you willing to go, or what cost are you willing to pay to seek Jesus?
After such a long and arduous journey, I would have expected them to be grumpy, but that is not what we see. Instead, we read in verse 9 that “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy” because they found Jesus.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, are you exceedingly joyful? If you are, what is it that makes you excited about Christmas? For these men, their joy was because they found Jesus. May that be the reason for our joy as well!
Faith that Worships
Upon finding Jesus, the Magi’s response was immediate and profound. “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).
We know from the other gospel accounts that Joseph and Mary were poor people. The humble circumstances in which Jesus was born is well documented. The question is, what did the wise men see that made them fall and worship this unremarkable baby?
In commenting on the wise men’s faith, J. C. Ryle, a 19th Century Pastor and theologian, wrote,
“They believed in Him when they saw Him as a little infant on Mary’s knee and worshiped Him as a king. This was the crowning point of their faith. They saw no miracles to convince them. They heard no teaching to persuade them. They beheld no signs of divinity and greatness to overawe them. They saw nothing but a newborn infant, helpless and weak, and needing a mother’s care like any one of us. And yet when they saw that infant, they believed that they saw the divine Savior of the world. They fell to the ground and worshiped Him.”
Perhaps you are waiting for a convincing proof to consider the claims of Christianity. There is no better proof than the one provided by these wise men. They were not Christian, not even Jewish. Yet, God opened their eyes to see that this baby was not an ordinary child but the Saviour of the world. Not that God needed validation from these men to prove the truths of the Christian faith, “but this is written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The Response of the Priests and Scribes
Next, we consider the response of the chief priests and scribes to the news of Jesus’ birth. Their role appears in Matthew 2:4-6:
“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”’”
At first glance, their response might seem helpful. They provided Herod with the exact location of the Messiah’s birth, citing prophecy. However, their actions—or lack thereof—reveal a deeper issue: indifference.
As the custodians of God’s Word, the chief priests and scribes were intimately familiar with the Messianic prophecies. For centuries, Israel’s prophets had foretold the coming of a King who would deliver the people. Yet, when this long-awaited event occurred, they did nothing.
How could they, the ones most knowledgeable about the Scriptures, miss the significance of this moment? The Gentile Magi travelled thousands of kilometres to worship Jesus, yet these religious leaders, who were a short distance from Bethlehem, made no effort to seek Him.
The Danger of Familiarity
It is possible to become so accustomed to the Christmas story—or the gospel itself—that its wonder and significance no longer move us. The priests and scribes knew the Scriptures but did not allow that knowledge to lead them to worship.
As followers of Christ, we must ask ourselves:
- Have we heard the Christmas story so often that it no longer fills us with awe and joy?
- Do we, like the priests and scribes, possess knowledge without action?
A Missed Opportunity
The apostle John describes this tragic response in John 1:11-12:
“He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
The priests and scribes had every opportunity to receive their King, but they did not. In this story, they functioned more like signposts. They pointed the wise men in the right direction but had no intention of going there themselves.
Their brief and unremarkable role in the nativity narrative foreshadows their later opposition to Jesus’ ministry. Their hearts remained hardened despite their knowledge, leaving them blind to the significance of the Messiah’s birth.
A Call to Rediscover Awe
The indifference of the priests and scribes challenges us to examine our own hearts. Are we signposts pointing others to Christ while failing to seek Him ourselves?
This Christmas, let us not miss the opportunity to rediscover the awe and wonder of Jesus’ birth. May the good news of His coming fill us with the same joy and worship that inspired the wise men.
“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” Let us be among those who receive and worship Him with all our hearts.
The Response of Herod
Having considered the responses of the Wise Men and the religious leaders, let’s now turn to Herod’s response. In Matthew 2:3, we read:
“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”
This verse reveals the true state of the human heart before salvation. Like Herod, humanity does not naturally want God to be King. Acknowledging God’s kingship means surrendering control of our own lives and submitting to His will.
That was what led our first parents, Adam and Eve, to rebel against God. They rebelled because they could not accept that God would forbid them from eating the fruit of the tree in the middle of the Garden. True to form, Herod was just being human with the DNA of his first parent, which is to rebel against God.
Herod’s fear of losing power drove him to take extreme measures. First, he employed deception to gather information about Jesus. After consulting the chief priests and scribes to determine where the Messiah was to be born, he summoned the Wise Men secretly, saying:
“Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him” (Matthew 2:8).
However, God, who sees the heart and knows all things, intervened. In a dream, the Wise Men were warned not to return to Herod, and they departed by another route.
When his plan of deception failed, Herod resorted to brutality: “Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under” (Matthew 2:16).
It is difficult to read this account without feeling appalled. How could anyone justify the killing of innocent children simply to preserve their grip on power? Yet, Herod’s actions reveal the extreme lengths to which human rebellion against God can go.
A Heart Posture of Rebellion
While Herod’s cruelty may seem extreme, his heart posture is not unique. The same resistance to God’s rule exists in everyone who has not surrendered to Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Some may object: “I’m not against Christianity; I’m just not religious.” Others may say: “I haven’t done anything wrong that requires me to be saved.”
But consider this: Why do you resist when someone shares the gospel with you? Why do you feel uncomfortable when friends or family urge you to repent and believe in Jesus? Could it be that, deep down, you do not want to acknowledge God as King because it means surrendering control?
Jesus Himself said:
“Whoever is not with me is against me” (Matthew 12:30).
There is no neutral ground. Each of us must decide where we stand in relation to Jesus. Are you with Him or against Him?
A Reminder of God’s Sovereignty
In closing, let’s reflect on two important observations from this passage:
- God’s Plan is Unstoppable
Three times in this chapter, Matthew emphasises that the events surrounding Jesus’ birth occurred to fulfil what the prophets had foretold. This reminds us that history unfolds according to God’s sovereign plan.
Just as the birth of Christ was prophesied and fulfilled, so too is His promised return. This time, Jesus will come not as a Savior but as a Judge. God’s track record of prophecy and fulfilment is perfect, and we would be wise to take the predictions of Scripture seriously.
2. Kingdoms Rise and Fall, But Jesus Reigns Forever
The chapter begins with the reign of Herod, a king determined to destroy Jesus. It ends with Herod’s death and Jesus’ return to Israel as the true King of the Jews. Herod sought to preserve his kingdom by opposing Jesus, but his efforts were in vain. Two thousand years later, we continue to proclaim Jesus as the Savior of the world, while Herod’s name is mentioned only as a footnote in history.
No matter what kingdom or personal empire you build for yourself, remember this: Kingdoms rise, and kingdoms fall, but only one King reigns over all.
What is Your Response?
We have considered three responses to the birth of Jesus:
- The Wise Men sought Him and worshipped Him.
- The priests and scribes ignored Him.
- Herod rebelled against Him.
What is your response? None of us can remain neutral. We either accept Christ through repentance and faith or reject Him by continuing in rebellion.
Whatever choice you make, remember this: You will one day give an account for it. I pray that, like the Wise Men, you will seek and adore Jesus, for He is the Messiah and the world’s Saviour.
Merry Christmas!
