BIG IDEA: To follow Jesus is to share Him with everyone.
The Setup: Strangers Show Up Looking for a King (Verses 1-2)
Jesus has just been born in Bethlehem, a small town only about 6 miles from the big city of Jerusalem where strangers show up at the palace and Herod “the Great” is the King in charge. He's a powerful and corrupt ruler and he’s somewhat paranoid and ruthlessly protective of his power.
The Drama Builds: Trouble in the Palace (Verses 3-8)
Things get tense quick in Jerusalem because Herod realizes all those gifts aren’t for him and hearing about this “new king”, he’s more than disturbed and so is all of Jerusalem. Why? Because Herod’s got the power, but he’s insecure and insecurity becomes volatile.
The Peak: Joy, Gifts, and True Worship (Verses 9-11)
Now the story hits a high point. The star goes ahead of them just six miles down the road to the small town of Bethlehem, to a house where Mary is with Jesus. The scripture says they were “overjoyed” when the star stopped on that little house in Bethlehem. They see the child, and what do they do? They bow down and worship, these wise strangers realize that worship is the first reasonable response.
Not The End: God’s Protection and ongoing care (Verse 12)
The Christmas narrative in Matthew 2 is less a tale of tranquil nativity scenes and more of a raw account of real-life tension, fear, and peaceful resolve. The conflict set up by the arrival of the strangers - pitting Herod’s murderous schemes against God’s redemptive purpose resolves, even escalates into a demonstration of ongoing divine care.
- The Magi are warned in a dream: “Do not return to Herod.”
- Joseph was also warned in a dream to “flee to Egypt", escaping Herod's assault, taking Mary and the newborn King to safety, until Herod’s death.
