UBF Daily Bread

WORSHIP THE SHEPHERD KING JESUS

Passage: Matthew 2:1~12

Key verse: 2:6b

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,^(A) during the time of King Herod,^(B) Magi^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem ²and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?^(C) We saw his star^(D) when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵“In Bethlehem^(E) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁶“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’^[b]”^(F)

⁷Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.^(G) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts^(H) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned^(I) in a dream^(J) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4

First, a ruler, shepherd (1-8). Jesus, the Savior King was born in Bethlehem in Judea as God had promised. No one realized except the truth seekers, the Magi of the east. They searched day and night, saw his star (Num 24:17), left everything behind and came to Jerusalem to worship him. But King Herod was greatly disturbed. He summoned Bible scholars to find the place (Micah 5:2) and the time pretending to go and worship him but actually to kill him secretly. But the newborn King of the Jews came not to kill but to die as a good shepherd for his people. He is the true king to be searched to worship. Second, Magi worshiped the baby Jesus (9-12). The Magi overjoyed to see the star again! They followed the starlight as GPS and found the little baby in a manger. They worshipped him offering the gifts of gold to eternal King, the frankincense for his high priesthood, and the myrrh for the dying Messiah who will be raised to live eternally. They returned experiencing great joy after offering everything to the Lord. They outwitted Herod's evil scheme by taking another route.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending the shepherd King Jesus. Let me purely worship Jesus as one of today's wise men.

One Word: Jesus, my good shepherd king, I worship you!

Daily Bread

WORSHIP THE SHEPHERD KING JESUS

Passage: Matthew 2:1~12

Key verse: 2:6b

The Magi Visit the Messiah

Footnotes

Cross references

Daily Bread Data Base

Bible Resource Data Base

UBF Daily Bread App