Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
After Jesus is born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king, upright Gentile philosophers from the East come to Jerusalem asking where the child born King of the Jews is, because they have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him. The star is an unusual, large and bright new light in the heavens, which is a distant company of shining angels in the form of a star, given by God in a way suited to men who study the heavens to guide them toward Judea and then to the birthplace. They have studied prophecy, including Balaam's prophecy of a star coming from Jacob, believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and are moved by the Spirit of God to understand the star as announcing his advent. The child they seek is the promised Messiah and Saviour, worthy of worship even as a babe in a manger, to whom they bow and offer gold, frankincense and myrrh, which also provides for his poor parents in the flight to Egypt and represents the Gentile nations coming to him. Their question stirs Jerusalem and reaches Herod's palace, yet though the chief priests and scribes know the prophecy naming Bethlehem, they reject the report from pride and remain in darkness, while Herod sees the newborn ruler as a rival and conceals a plan to destroy him.
Wise Men and Setting
The men who ask where the newborn King is are upright philosophers from the East, belonging to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. While many of that class imposed on the credulity of the people, these men studied the indications of providence in nature and were honored for integrity and wisdom. They are Gentiles from the East and not Jews, regarded by the Jews as heathen, yet they are not idolaters but honest men who want the truth and wish to do God's will. They live according to the light they have received, are more faithful to that light and purer in God's sight than those with greater religious privilege who profess piety but do not live by it, and are more ready to receive light from heaven than priests hindered by selfishness and pride.
They are also described as neither Jews nor Gentiles, who lived up to the light they had, searched the Scriptures, and traced prophecy to determine the time of Christ's coming. After Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, they come to Jerusalem asking where the child born King of the Jews is. They ask because they have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him, with the star signaling that the Messiah has come and their errand identifying the child as a King worthy of honor. Their question in Jerusalem expects joyful recognition, yet it meets surprise and fear rather than rejoicing.
Star and Its Guidance
The sign in the heavens was unusual, large, bright, luminous and new, a star that had not been seen before and was recognized at once as an event worth investigating. It was understood as the announcement that the Messiah had come, and it was followed in search of the newborn King so that He might be welcomed and worshiped.
It was not a fixed star or planet but a distant company of shining angels appearing in the shape of a star, a luminous angel-star accompanied by angels. The light first seen was the glory surrounding the angels who came to the shepherds, and after that glory faded what looked like a new star was taken as the possible sign that the Messiah had come.
God directed the journey by that star, which moved ahead and guided the seekers toward Judea and Jerusalem and then on to the birthplace, to Bethlehem and to the manger where the child lay, thus marking His birth. Their search and offerings in following it became part of God's provision for sustaining Jesus and His poor parents on the journey to Egypt and during the stay there, where He was kept safe from the wrath of a tyrannical king.
As they neared Jerusalem, even as far as the temple, the star was hidden, left them, ceased guiding them, or grew too dim to guide them. Because of this they asked where the newborn King was, confidently expecting His birth to be widely celebrated and expecting the Jews to know the exact time and place of His birth.
God revealed Christ to them in a way suited to their understanding, for they studied and read the heavens, so He used the remarkable star, accompanied by angels, to reach them and lead them toward Jesus.
Prophecy and Expectation
The wise men had studied prophecy and believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and they watched for a sign so they could welcome and worship him when he appeared. They were Gentiles from the East who lived according to the light they had received, and they were more faithful to that light and more ready to receive light from heaven than Jews who had greater religious privilege but did not live by it. Though the Jews called them heathen, they were not idolaters but honest men who wanted truth and wished to do God's will, and God knew their hearts and could trust them. A large, bright, unusual star appeared after heavenly messengers announced Christ's birth to the shepherds, and the Spirit of God moved them to follow it and seek Jesus as the newborn King of the Jews so they could worship him. When the star ceased guiding them and was hidden near Jerusalem, they asked where he was.
As they studied the heavens they sought the Creator's glory and then turned to the Hebrew Scriptures for clearer knowledge. Their study of nature and the Scriptures taught them to expect the Star arising from Jacob and the coming of one who would bring light and salvation to the Gentiles, while Jerusalem's religious teachers remained in darkness. Prophecies preserved in their land taught them that the Saviour's coming was near and that the knowledge of the Lord's glory would fill the world.
Balaam's prophecy of a star coming from Jacob and a scepter rising from Israel directed their thoughts to the promised Messiah, recalled his first advent, and helped them recognize the unusual star as the sign of the newborn promised King. The star that marked his first advent and guided them to Bethlehem where they came to worship him was not a fixed star or planet but a distant company of shining angels, though they did not know what it was and were only impressed by its special meaning. Dreams instructed them to seek the newborn Prince, and the Holy Spirit also inwardly impressed them that they were divinely guided.
Though they did not hear the angels' announcement or see the angels as the shepherds did, the Spirit of God moved them to understand the new, luminous star as announcing the advent of Christ whose birth they had been watching for. Signs and wonders in the heavens were given to them in the East as they searched for Christ, guiding them to recognize his advent. The star guiding them was a sign that bore witness to Christ and attested his mission. It bore testimony that he was the Son of God, together with the heavenly hosts singing his praise over the plains of Bethlehem, the sea obeying his voice, disease and death yielding to his authority, the sun hiding its light from his dying anguish, and the rocks breaking at his dying cry, while even inanimate nature thus recognized Christ and testified of him though priests and rulers did not know him and rejected the evidence of his divinity.
Christ as Worshiped King
The child sought in the question is the newborn King of the Jews, the promised Messiah and Saviour, the Redeemer and the Star of Bethlehem, a King worthy of worship. The star signaled that the Messiah had come, and those who saw it sought Him in order to honor Him. Their errand to search for Jesus and to worship Him identifies Him as exalted royalty, and their attention to the star reflects an expectation formed through prophecy that His coming was near. Their announcement that they had seen the star in the East and had come to worship Him carried the news of His birth to Jerusalem.
They came to worship Him and to bow before Him even though He was a babe lying in a manger. Though He was only an infant in lowly circumstances, they understood His exalted position and honored Him as worthy of worship. Their recognition of who He was surpassed that of His own disciples, who later showed Him less honor. His glory was revealed to them at His birthplace, and their frankincense and myrrh were offered in pure, uncorrupted faith.
Their visit led them to offer Him their most precious and costly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They were guided to the child Jesus to find Him and to bring those offerings in worship. Their search and their valuable gifts were part of God's provision for Jesus and His poor parents. The gifts sustained the family during the flight to Egypt and the stay there, where Jesus was kept safe from the wrath of a tyrannical king.
The visit of these visitors from the East represented the Gentile nations coming to the Saviour. It anticipated people from all lands being drawn to Him, like the Greeks who sought Jesus near the end of His life. In this God was opening the way to the Gentiles and opening the door to them.
Jewish Leaders and Herod
The inquiry about the newborn King stirs Jerusalem, alarms the city, and reaches Herod's palace, making the whole nation aware of the journey from the East and of the important events surrounding the birth. It directs public attention to the event prophecy had foretold would occur at that time and makes the birth known beyond the child's family. Even jealousy is made to serve, for the stir and the public interest cause priests and rabbis to consider the prophecies about the Messiah.
The travelers come expecting the chief priests and scribes to know of the birth, and expecting the Jews to know the details of the Messiah's advent, including the exact time and place. The leaders do in fact know the prophecy identifying Bethlehem as the birthplace, and they already know of the angels' announcement to the shepherds, but they have dismissed it as unworthy of notice. They themselves could have found Jesus and could have led the wise men to His birthplace.
Instead of joy and recognition, the questions meet surprise, fear, and contempt rather than rejoicing. The priests and teachers reject the report out of pride and envy, show contempt for the reports that excite Herod and Jerusalem, will not go to Bethlehem to see whether these things are so, and lead the people to regard interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement. They remain in darkness, having lost the true sense of Old Testament prophecy, while Gentile seekers guided by study of nature and the Hebrew Scriptures discern the Star arising from Jacob. This marks the beginning of the rejection of Christ by priests and rabbis, with pride and stubbornness growing into settled opposition and hatred, even as God opens the way to the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders close the door to themselves.
They misunderstand His kingship as temporal rule, expecting the Messiah to take David's throne by force, overthrow existing powers, and restore Jewish political privilege. They misapply prophecies of Christ's second coming in glory and universal rule to His first coming, reading Scripture through pride rather than seeking God's glory or conforming their lives to it. Herod likewise sees the child as a rival with a higher claim to the kingdom because He is born to rule, while Herod's own hold on the throne depends on Rome's favor. His apparent interest in honoring the child conceals envy and a plan to destroy Him, beginning an attempt to kill Jesus.
Faithfulness and Present Application
The inquirers from the East were Gentiles and not Jews, regarded by Jews as heathen, yet they were upright philosophers who studied nature and prophecy, honest men who were not idolaters but wanted truth and wished to do God's will. They had studied prophecy and believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and they watched for a sign so they could welcome and worship the newborn King, following the unusual bright star when it appeared though they had not heard the angels' announcement to the shepherds. Though they had less religious privilege, they lived according to the light they had received and were more faithful to that light than Jews who had greater privilege but did not live by it. They were purer in God's sight than those who professed piety but did not live by the light received, and God knew their hearts and could trust them, so they were more ready to receive light from heaven than the Jewish priests, whose selfishness and pride hindered them. Their coming to worship the newborn King of the Jews shows that God reveals truth to those who respond faithfully to the light given them, and that those who live by the light they have may recognize and honor Christ, while pride and unbelief cause others to miss the time of their visitation.
The star in the East that guided the seekers to find Jesus also represents the guidance that leads people to find and love Him. It stands for divine guidance that can direct a person's way when human judgment cannot. When the wise men from a distant country were guided by the star and found Him, they brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their gifts stand in contrast to Christmas giving that forgets Jesus, for the celebration should remember Him, the great Giver, rather than focus on selfish indulgence.
The newborn child is the Redeemer and the Star of Bethlehem. His birth was announced not to the priests and rulers, who had lost the true sense of Old Testament prophecy, but to humble shepherds. This shows that the light of Christ is for people of every rank.
After Jesus is born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king, upright Gentile philosophers from the East come to Jerusalem asking where the child born King of the Jews is, because they have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him.
The star is an unusual, large and bright new light in the heavens, which is a distant company of shining angels in the form of a star, given by God in a way suited to men who study the heavens to guide them toward Judea and then to the birthplace.
They have studied prophecy, including Balaam's prophecy of a star coming from Jacob, believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and are moved by the Spirit of God to understand the star as announcing his advent.
The child they seek is the promised Messiah and Saviour, worthy of worship even as a babe in a manger, to whom they bow and offer gold, frankincense and myrrh, which also provides for his poor parents in the flight to Egypt and represents the Gentile nations coming to him.
Their question stirs Jerusalem and reaches Herod's palace, yet though the chief priests and scribes know the prophecy naming Bethlehem, they reject the report from pride and remain in darkness, while Herod sees the newborn ruler as a rival and conceals a plan to destroy him.
Wise Men and Setting
The men who ask where the newborn King is are upright philosophers from the East, belonging to a large and influential class that included men of noble birth and comprised much of the wealth and learning of their nation. While many of that class imposed on the credulity of the people, these men studied the indications of providence in nature and were honored for integrity and wisdom. They are Gentiles from the East and not Jews, regarded by the Jews as heathen, yet they are not idolaters but honest men who want the truth and wish to do God's will. They live according to the light they have received, are more faithful to that light and purer in God's sight than those with greater religious privilege who profess piety but do not live by it, and are more ready to receive light from heaven than priests hindered by selfishness and pride.
They are also described as neither Jews nor Gentiles, who lived up to the light they had, searched the Scriptures, and traced prophecy to determine the time of Christ's coming. After Jesus is born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, they come to Jerusalem asking where the child born King of the Jews is. They ask because they have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him, with the star signaling that the Messiah has come and their errand identifying the child as a King worthy of honor. Their question in Jerusalem expects joyful recognition, yet it meets surprise and fear rather than rejoicing.
Star and Its Guidance
The sign in the heavens was unusual, large, bright, luminous and new, a star that had not been seen before and was recognized at once as an event worth investigating. It was understood as the announcement that the Messiah had come, and it was followed in search of the newborn King so that He might be welcomed and worshiped.
It was not a fixed star or planet but a distant company of shining angels appearing in the shape of a star, a luminous angel-star accompanied by angels. The light first seen was the glory surrounding the angels who came to the shepherds, and after that glory faded what looked like a new star was taken as the possible sign that the Messiah had come.
God directed the journey by that star, which moved ahead and guided the seekers toward Judea and Jerusalem and then on to the birthplace, to Bethlehem and to the manger where the child lay, thus marking His birth. Their search and offerings in following it became part of God's provision for sustaining Jesus and His poor parents on the journey to Egypt and during the stay there, where He was kept safe from the wrath of a tyrannical king.
As they neared Jerusalem, even as far as the temple, the star was hidden, left them, ceased guiding them, or grew too dim to guide them. Because of this they asked where the newborn King was, confidently expecting His birth to be widely celebrated and expecting the Jews to know the exact time and place of His birth.
God revealed Christ to them in a way suited to their understanding, for they studied and read the heavens, so He used the remarkable star, accompanied by angels, to reach them and lead them toward Jesus.
Prophecy and Expectation
The wise men had studied prophecy and believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and they watched for a sign so they could welcome and worship him when he appeared. They were Gentiles from the East who lived according to the light they had received, and they were more faithful to that light and more ready to receive light from heaven than Jews who had greater religious privilege but did not live by it. Though the Jews called them heathen, they were not idolaters but honest men who wanted truth and wished to do God's will, and God knew their hearts and could trust them. A large, bright, unusual star appeared after heavenly messengers announced Christ's birth to the shepherds, and the Spirit of God moved them to follow it and seek Jesus as the newborn King of the Jews so they could worship him. When the star ceased guiding them and was hidden near Jerusalem, they asked where he was.
As they studied the heavens they sought the Creator's glory and then turned to the Hebrew Scriptures for clearer knowledge. Their study of nature and the Scriptures taught them to expect the Star arising from Jacob and the coming of one who would bring light and salvation to the Gentiles, while Jerusalem's religious teachers remained in darkness. Prophecies preserved in their land taught them that the Saviour's coming was near and that the knowledge of the Lord's glory would fill the world.
Balaam's prophecy of a star coming from Jacob and a scepter rising from Israel directed their thoughts to the promised Messiah, recalled his first advent, and helped them recognize the unusual star as the sign of the newborn promised King. The star that marked his first advent and guided them to Bethlehem where they came to worship him was not a fixed star or planet but a distant company of shining angels, though they did not know what it was and were only impressed by its special meaning. Dreams instructed them to seek the newborn Prince, and the Holy Spirit also inwardly impressed them that they were divinely guided.
Though they did not hear the angels' announcement or see the angels as the shepherds did, the Spirit of God moved them to understand the new, luminous star as announcing the advent of Christ whose birth they had been watching for. Signs and wonders in the heavens were given to them in the East as they searched for Christ, guiding them to recognize his advent. The star guiding them was a sign that bore witness to Christ and attested his mission. It bore testimony that he was the Son of God, together with the heavenly hosts singing his praise over the plains of Bethlehem, the sea obeying his voice, disease and death yielding to his authority, the sun hiding its light from his dying anguish, and the rocks breaking at his dying cry, while even inanimate nature thus recognized Christ and testified of him though priests and rulers did not know him and rejected the evidence of his divinity.
Christ as Worshiped King
The child sought in the question is the newborn King of the Jews, the promised Messiah and Saviour, the Redeemer and the Star of Bethlehem, a King worthy of worship. The star signaled that the Messiah had come, and those who saw it sought Him in order to honor Him. Their errand to search for Jesus and to worship Him identifies Him as exalted royalty, and their attention to the star reflects an expectation formed through prophecy that His coming was near. Their announcement that they had seen the star in the East and had come to worship Him carried the news of His birth to Jerusalem.
They came to worship Him and to bow before Him even though He was a babe lying in a manger. Though He was only an infant in lowly circumstances, they understood His exalted position and honored Him as worthy of worship. Their recognition of who He was surpassed that of His own disciples, who later showed Him less honor. His glory was revealed to them at His birthplace, and their frankincense and myrrh were offered in pure, uncorrupted faith.
Their visit led them to offer Him their most precious and costly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They were guided to the child Jesus to find Him and to bring those offerings in worship. Their search and their valuable gifts were part of God's provision for Jesus and His poor parents. The gifts sustained the family during the flight to Egypt and the stay there, where Jesus was kept safe from the wrath of a tyrannical king.
The visit of these visitors from the East represented the Gentile nations coming to the Saviour. It anticipated people from all lands being drawn to Him, like the Greeks who sought Jesus near the end of His life. In this God was opening the way to the Gentiles and opening the door to them.
Jewish Leaders and Herod
The inquiry about the newborn King stirs Jerusalem, alarms the city, and reaches Herod's palace, making the whole nation aware of the journey from the East and of the important events surrounding the birth. It directs public attention to the event prophecy had foretold would occur at that time and makes the birth known beyond the child's family. Even jealousy is made to serve, for the stir and the public interest cause priests and rabbis to consider the prophecies about the Messiah.
The travelers come expecting the chief priests and scribes to know of the birth, and expecting the Jews to know the details of the Messiah's advent, including the exact time and place. The leaders do in fact know the prophecy identifying Bethlehem as the birthplace, and they already know of the angels' announcement to the shepherds, but they have dismissed it as unworthy of notice. They themselves could have found Jesus and could have led the wise men to His birthplace.
Instead of joy and recognition, the questions meet surprise, fear, and contempt rather than rejoicing. The priests and teachers reject the report out of pride and envy, show contempt for the reports that excite Herod and Jerusalem, will not go to Bethlehem to see whether these things are so, and lead the people to regard interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement. They remain in darkness, having lost the true sense of Old Testament prophecy, while Gentile seekers guided by study of nature and the Hebrew Scriptures discern the Star arising from Jacob. This marks the beginning of the rejection of Christ by priests and rabbis, with pride and stubbornness growing into settled opposition and hatred, even as God opens the way to the Gentiles and the Jewish leaders close the door to themselves.
They misunderstand His kingship as temporal rule, expecting the Messiah to take David's throne by force, overthrow existing powers, and restore Jewish political privilege. They misapply prophecies of Christ's second coming in glory and universal rule to His first coming, reading Scripture through pride rather than seeking God's glory or conforming their lives to it. Herod likewise sees the child as a rival with a higher claim to the kingdom because He is born to rule, while Herod's own hold on the throne depends on Rome's favor. His apparent interest in honoring the child conceals envy and a plan to destroy Him, beginning an attempt to kill Jesus.
Faithfulness and Present Application
The inquirers from the East were Gentiles and not Jews, regarded by Jews as heathen, yet they were upright philosophers who studied nature and prophecy, honest men who were not idolaters but wanted truth and wished to do God's will. They had studied prophecy and believed the time of the Messiah's coming was near, and they watched for a sign so they could welcome and worship the newborn King, following the unusual bright star when it appeared though they had not heard the angels' announcement to the shepherds. Though they had less religious privilege, they lived according to the light they had received and were more faithful to that light than Jews who had greater privilege but did not live by it. They were purer in God's sight than those who professed piety but did not live by the light received, and God knew their hearts and could trust them, so they were more ready to receive light from heaven than the Jewish priests, whose selfishness and pride hindered them. Their coming to worship the newborn King of the Jews shows that God reveals truth to those who respond faithfully to the light given them, and that those who live by the light they have may recognize and honor Christ, while pride and unbelief cause others to miss the time of their visitation.
The star in the East that guided the seekers to find Jesus also represents the guidance that leads people to find and love Him. It stands for divine guidance that can direct a person's way when human judgment cannot. When the wise men from a distant country were guided by the star and found Him, they brought Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their gifts stand in contrast to Christmas giving that forgets Jesus, for the celebration should remember Him, the great Giver, rather than focus on selfish indulgence.
The newborn child is the Redeemer and the Star of Bethlehem. His birth was announced not to the priests and rulers, who had lost the true sense of Old Testament prophecy, but to humble shepherds. This shows that the light of Christ is for people of every rank.