Unlikely- Part 3- “Jesus-Seekers”
Matthew 2:1-12

In today’s passage, our story is about people looking for the same person, but with different
mindsets. Herod (Herod the Great) and the Magi are both looking for the same child.
But their motives are different, and that sends them on very different journeys.
What are you looking for in Jesus?
Herod was trying to hold his throne; he saw Jesus as a threat to his power. Gentiles from the
East saw Jesus as one to be worshipped. They sought him out because they believed the
child had a divine purpose. Both were Jesus seekers, but not both were genuine worshipers.
Let me share something that we will continue hearing throughout this message: What are
you going to do about Jesus?
This morning we will see two very different reactions to the birth of Jesus: One from a King
named Herod and one from a group of wealthy, wise men named the Magi.
Both answered this question: What are we going to do about Jesus?
TRANSITION TO SCRIPTURE:
FIRST POINT: WHO WAS HEROD?
“The time of King Herod”— Matthew 2:1
 Matthew 2 places Jesus’ birth during the reign of Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1). That gives
us a firm historical anchor, because Herod’s death is one of the best-documented dates in
ancient history.
 From other historical materials, we know that Herod died in 4 B.C. 1
 The birth itself is probably to be dated around the year 6 B.C. A comparison of vv. 7 and 16
suggest that perhaps one to two years have elapsed since Jesus’ birth. 2
 Herod the Great was a half-Jew, half-Idumean (an Edomite), who, through accommodation
to the Romans, ascended to power as client-ruler of Israel in 37 B.C. 3
 He was known as a great builder of public works and a shrewd diplomat in his dealings with
both Romans and Jews, but he laid oppressive taxes on and conscripted labor from the
Israelites. 4
“When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed” — Matthew 2:3
 “Disturbed” is too weak a translation of his reaction; “in turmoil” or even “terrified” (cf.
Weymouth, “greatly agitated”) would be more accurate. 5
 Herod now had to answer the question: What I am going to do about Jesus?
1 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
62.
2 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
61–62.
3 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
62.
4 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
62.
5 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
63.

 Herod was cozy with the Romans, and he liked his throne. So if the Messiah is born, and the
prophecy is true, he is about to have a different life.
 Herod makes this decision: I LIKE MY LIFE. I DON’T WANT TO SHARE MY
THRONE. JESUS…GO AWAY.
 Herod died approximately two years after Jesus was born. It would have been very close to
the time that he made the decision to wipe out all of the male babies two years old and
younger.

Who were the Wise Men?
 The Magi were not kings but a combination of wise men and priests, probably from Persia.
They combined astronomical observation with astrological speculation. They played both
political and religious roles and were figures of some prominence in their land. 6
 They were Gentiles who had been especially called by God to come and pay homage to the
newborn King. There may be a reference to the miraculous star in Balaam’s prophecy in
Num. 24:17. 7
 The prophecy of their coming and gifts is reflected in Isaiah 60:6.
o 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from
Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of
the LORD. 8 — Isaiah 60:6

APPLICATION:
- Everything comes down to a single point, and that same point is this: If Jesus is the true
king of kings and Lord of Lords, then what does that mean for your life?
- Herod…Herod wanted control. The promised Messiah was, according to the prophecy,
going to

2:1–2 How long after Jesus’ birth these events take place is unknown. The birth itself is probably to
be dated around the year 6 B.C. A comparison of vv. 7 and 16 suggests that perhaps one to two years
have elapsed since Jesus’ birth. Verse 11 describes Joseph and Mary now living in a house, so they
obviously have left their temporary lodgings described in Luke 2:7. From other historical materials
we know that Herod died in 4 B.C. (The calendrical confusion was caused by the switch from a
Roman to a Christian calendar in the sixth century A.D., based on the faulty calculations of Dionysius
Exiguus, who did not have accurate information about the time of Herod’s death.) Jesus’ birth itself
almost certainly did not occur on December 25. This date became associated with the celebration of
Christmas later because it coincided with a Roman holiday known as Saturnalia, during which
Christians had time off work to worship. Perhaps Jesus was born in the spring, when shepherds
would have been watching their flocks by night, because lambs might be born 9
6 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
62.
7 Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 17.
8 The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Is 60:6.

“All Jerusalem” probably refers primarily to the religious leaders of Israel who dominated the city,
many of whom were also personally installed by Herod. The rejection of Jesus by Jerusalem
foreshadows his similar fate at the end of his life. 10

9 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992),
61–62.
10 Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1992), 63.