When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
The arrival of the wise men searching for the newborn King of the Jews made the whole nation aware of His coming and stirred excitement and public interest throughout Jerusalem. Herod was troubled because envy and fear made him see the child as a rival with a higher claim to the throne, and as a man of alien descent hated by the people and dependent on Rome he feared losing his rule to a Jewish king. He hid his alarm behind courtesy while plotting to kill Christ, and Jerusalem shared his trouble with surprise and fear but without joyful recognition, turning from shock to indifference because the people were absorbed in their own ambitions. The priests and rabbis had already heard the shepherds' report yet pride and envy kept them from investigating, and when the wise men's questions forced them to consider the prophecies they still refused to go to Bethlehem, and that refusal began a rejection that hardened into hatred. God instead revealed the truth to Gentile shepherds and Eastern magi who heeded the light they had, leading students of the heavens by a star wrought by angels and by the prophecies of Scripture to worship the child in His humble birth at Bethlehem, while God watched over Jesus amid the opposition and directed His refuge in Egypt.
Herod and Jerusalem Troubled
The strangers from the East came asking where the newborn King of the Jews could be found, and their arrival made the whole nation aware that he had come and fixed attention on what was taking place. Their search stirred excitement and public interest throughout Jerusalem, moving the city with shock at the news.
Herod was troubled because envy and fear made him regard the infant as a possible rival who threatened his rule. He saw in the child one with a higher claim to the throne, one born to rule, and feared the people might rally to him. That fear was sharpened by his own position, for he was of alien descent, hated by the people, and dependent on Rome's favor for security. He was opposed to the prospect of a Jewish king ruling over a temporal kingdom, and his mistaken expectation of what such a Messiah would be helped fuel the crisis.
He hid his distress behind apparent courtesy while he was already planning against Jesus. His alarm did not stop at uneasiness but led him to seek to kill and destroy Christ.
All Jerusalem was troubled with him, yet the news met with no joyful recognition. The questions of the visitors brought surprise and fear, mixed with contempt. The first shock gave way to indifference, for the Jews as a whole were so absorbed in their own ambitions that they did not recognize his coming.
Leaders Reject, Gentiles Receive
The priests and rabbis had already heard the shepherds' report of the angels' announcement, but pride and envy led them to dismiss those reports and refuse to investigate them. When the wise men's inquiries about the newborn Messiah stirred Jerusalem, that public attention brought those same leaders to consider the prophecies concerning the Messiah and the birth that had just taken place. Yet they refused to go to Bethlehem themselves, and they led the people to treat interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement and fanaticism. Their mistaken expectation of a forceful political Messiah who would rule a temporal kingdom helped fuel the crisis.
That refusal was the beginning of their rejection of Christ, which hardened into hatred. While God was opening the way for the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were shutting themselves out and closing the way to themselves. So it was the shepherds and the Eastern magi who had heeded the light they received to whom God revealed the truth. Magi from a foreign land came to worship him while Jerusalem, absorbed in its own ambitions, did not recognize his coming and missed him.
The verse belongs to the account of God leading wise men from the East, who were not Jews, by a star and by signs in the heavens suited to people who studied the heavens. That star was the work of angels and moved before them as they set out. The star in the East guided them to find Jesus, to the manger where he lay and to the child in Bethlehem. Their study of Scripture and its prophecies had led them to recognize the time of Christ's coming.
They came to worship him in his humble birth, which was part of the plan of redemption as he entered human life to meet its temptations and needs. They understood his exalted character, true position, and the honor due the Son of God more definitely than his own later disciples who received his instruction and beheld his mighty miracles. They bent in homage before him while he was but a babe cradled in a manger and presented him with precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, proving that no sacrifice is too costly to offer him. Their arrival and search made the nation aware of his coming and focused attention on what was taking place, and amid the opposition their news stirred, God watched over Jesus. He directed Joseph to take him to Egypt for refuge, where the family found safety and where the gifts from the wise men helped sustain them.
The arrival of the wise men searching for the newborn King of the Jews made the whole nation aware of His coming and stirred excitement and public interest throughout Jerusalem. Herod was troubled because envy and fear made him see the child as a rival with a higher claim to the throne, and as a man of alien descent hated by the people and dependent on Rome he feared losing his rule to a Jewish king. He hid his alarm behind courtesy while plotting to kill Christ, and Jerusalem shared his trouble with surprise and fear but without joyful recognition, turning from shock to indifference because the people were absorbed in their own ambitions. The priests and rabbis had already heard the shepherds' report yet pride and envy kept them from investigating, and when the wise men's questions forced them to consider the prophecies they still refused to go to Bethlehem, and that refusal began a rejection that hardened into hatred. God instead revealed the truth to Gentile shepherds and Eastern magi who heeded the light they had, leading students of the heavens by a star wrought by angels and by the prophecies of Scripture to worship the child in His humble birth at Bethlehem, while God watched over Jesus amid the opposition and directed His refuge in Egypt.
Herod and Jerusalem Troubled
The strangers from the East came asking where the newborn King of the Jews could be found, and their arrival made the whole nation aware that he had come and fixed attention on what was taking place. Their search stirred excitement and public interest throughout Jerusalem, moving the city with shock at the news.
Herod was troubled because envy and fear made him regard the infant as a possible rival who threatened his rule. He saw in the child one with a higher claim to the throne, one born to rule, and feared the people might rally to him. That fear was sharpened by his own position, for he was of alien descent, hated by the people, and dependent on Rome's favor for security. He was opposed to the prospect of a Jewish king ruling over a temporal kingdom, and his mistaken expectation of what such a Messiah would be helped fuel the crisis.
He hid his distress behind apparent courtesy while he was already planning against Jesus. His alarm did not stop at uneasiness but led him to seek to kill and destroy Christ.
All Jerusalem was troubled with him, yet the news met with no joyful recognition. The questions of the visitors brought surprise and fear, mixed with contempt. The first shock gave way to indifference, for the Jews as a whole were so absorbed in their own ambitions that they did not recognize his coming.
Leaders Reject, Gentiles Receive
The priests and rabbis had already heard the shepherds' report of the angels' announcement, but pride and envy led them to dismiss those reports and refuse to investigate them. When the wise men's inquiries about the newborn Messiah stirred Jerusalem, that public attention brought those same leaders to consider the prophecies concerning the Messiah and the birth that had just taken place. Yet they refused to go to Bethlehem themselves, and they led the people to treat interest in Jesus as fanatical excitement and fanaticism. Their mistaken expectation of a forceful political Messiah who would rule a temporal kingdom helped fuel the crisis.
That refusal was the beginning of their rejection of Christ, which hardened into hatred. While God was opening the way for the Gentiles, the Jewish leaders were shutting themselves out and closing the way to themselves. So it was the shepherds and the Eastern magi who had heeded the light they received to whom God revealed the truth. Magi from a foreign land came to worship him while Jerusalem, absorbed in its own ambitions, did not recognize his coming and missed him.
The verse belongs to the account of God leading wise men from the East, who were not Jews, by a star and by signs in the heavens suited to people who studied the heavens. That star was the work of angels and moved before them as they set out. The star in the East guided them to find Jesus, to the manger where he lay and to the child in Bethlehem. Their study of Scripture and its prophecies had led them to recognize the time of Christ's coming.
They came to worship him in his humble birth, which was part of the plan of redemption as he entered human life to meet its temptations and needs. They understood his exalted character, true position, and the honor due the Son of God more definitely than his own later disciples who received his instruction and beheld his mighty miracles. They bent in homage before him while he was but a babe cradled in a manger and presented him with precious gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, proving that no sacrifice is too costly to offer him. Their arrival and search made the nation aware of his coming and focused attention on what was taking place, and amid the opposition their news stirred, God watched over Jesus. He directed Joseph to take him to Egypt for refuge, where the family found safety and where the gifts from the wise men helped sustain them.