Matthew 2:1-12

Read Matthew 2:1-12

Helpful Background Information: 

• There are two scenes in Jesus’ earthly life where He’s referred to as the king of the Jews: the first is at His birth by the wise men (Matthew 2:2), the second is at His trial and crucifixion (Mark 15:2). In each case, we learn a good deal about the political and messianic expectations that were associated with the title.

• Toward the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, we find wise men from the east saying they have identified “the one who has been born king of the Jews” by following a star to Bethlehem (2:1). When King Herod found out about this, he received it as a threat to his own authority (2:3). This seems to indicate that, by Jesus’ day, there were at least some political connotations surrounding the coming king of the Jews. 

• By the end of Jesus’ life, we see the phrase crop up at another important moment. All four of the Gospel accounts mention that “King of the Jews” was the phrase chosen by Pilate, with respect to Jesus. A Roman governor like Pilate wouldn’t have put a native Jew on death row just for violating Jewish religious customs. He would only get involved if a political threat to Rome was perceived. In this case, Jesus was crucified with the cause for his sentence inscribed above His head: “King of the Jews.”

Reflection Questions: 

• Earthly rulers often preserve power through fear and self-protection, but Jesus rules through truth, sacrifice, and love. How does this reshape the way you understand authority?

• The inscription above the cross was meant to be a charge against Jesus, yet it proclaimed a deeper truth. In what sense was Jesus truly the king the Jews were supposed to be looking for? 

• How does Jesus as the King of the Jews show that He came not only for Israel, but as good news for the whole world—and what does that mean for us today?