MATTHEW

Chapter 2

read this chapter

STUDY:

  • Where was Jesus born?
  • What did Herod tell the wise men in verse 8?
  • How did they find where Jesus was?
  • What gifts did the wise men bring?
  • Why did Joseph go to Egypt?
  • What did Herod do when he realized he had been deceived by the wise men?
  • Where did Joseph take his family after Herod died?     

DIG DEEPER:

  • Where was Bethlehem located?  How long did it take approximately for the wise men to reach Bethlehem?
  • How was the star a sign that the Messiah had been born?
  • Something happened four times in this chapter.  What is it?

Read my thoughts on this chapter:

    QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

INTERESTING NOTES:

  • There was prophecy in the Old Testament in Numbers 24:17 by Balaam that, "...a star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel." The star that appeared, and then went ahead of the wise men, suggests that it was no normal star, but rather something supernatural that got their attention.  The wise men most likely remembered the Old Testament prophecy when seeing this star and knew the importance of following it. 
  • When we see a "manger scene" we see three wise men with their camels, bowing to Jesus- still swaddled in a manger.  However, reality is that Jesus was around two years old when the wise men came, Joseph and Mary were living in a house, and there may have been more than three wise men.