Searching for Jesus (Matthew 2:1-23)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: "'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 shepherd my people Israel.'" Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:1-9 NIV)

The Magi were not Israelite believers.  This is important because the Savior/Messiah was going to be a blessing to "all nations" just as it was promised to Abraham.  They were simply star-observers.  Because they studied the stars, they recognized when a new one appeared in the sky and they followed it.  We don't know how they knew the star signified "one who has been born king of the Jews," but they did.  Their journey took them to Jesus.

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 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, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:10-12 NIV)

While they did not believe God before, they believed Him now.  Worship and adoration was given to young Jesus.  They brought gifts to him as well.  God began reaching out to all nations even at his birth.  God really does want everyone to walk together with Him.  God even spoke to the non-Israelite Magi in a dream.  He warned them not to go back to Herod and, once again, they followed these instructions.

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." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 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." (Matthew 2:13-15 NIV)

Once again, events completely out of this child's control moved him to another country.  Once again, this movement fulfilled another prophecy about the Savior/Messiah.  Born in Bethlehem, called out of Egypt, and being a light in Galilee - Jesus fulfilled them all.  These geographic clues may not have made sense before the birth of Jesus, but they made perfect sense now.  Jesus is the one.

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. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: "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." (Matthew 2:16-18 NIV)

Even Herod's temper-tantrum, costing the lives of all boys two years old and younger, fulfilled a prophecy about the Savior/Messiah.  Remember, prophecies come true because God sees into the future, not because He makes it all happen.  His plan allows us to choose whether we will walk with Him or not.  Herod obviously did not choose to walk with Him.

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 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." So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 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, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:19-23 NIV)

Sometimes people used this prophecy quote as a reason to not believe in Jesus.  It's not a "clear" quote of the Old Testament.  It's good to remember that just because we sometimes struggle with interpreting the text, the writers of Scripture understood what they meant and saw no contradiction in what they were writing at the time.  Whether Matthew was referring to the Savior/Messiah being despised (i.e. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?) or the word-play about the Savior/Messiah in Isaiah 11:1 (i.e. The Hebrew word "Netser" is translated "branch" in our English texts.), once again the geography of Jesus fulfills prophecies about the Savior/Messiah.  Jesus, being called a Nazarene, fulfilled another prophecy about the Savior/Messiah.  Matthew saw it.  We can too.

What about you?  Do you see Jesus fulfilling all these many prophecies about the Savior/Messiah?  Do you struggle with some or all of them?  What would help you see things through the eyes of the writers?  What would help you see things through the eyes of God?  The one you are searching for is Jesus.