Matthew 2:7-9, Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.
The deceit of Herod is on full display here. Herod was known as a ruthless leader - and his terror is recorded in the Bible and in other historical sources. He would kill his own family members if it was thought they might be challenging some of his power. He has no intent to worship Jesus here, but rather intends to kill the child, as evidenced by the story later in the chapter, a fulfillment of yet another prophecy surrounding the birth of the Messiah. Ironically, Herod acknowledges Hebrew prophecy here in discovering the location fo the child’s birth. He believes there must be something to this, and yet, if it’s a challenge to his kingship, he’ll have none of it. He sends the wise men to Bethlehem, the place where the prophet said he would be born. The Lord’s protection over Jesus is seen here as well, as the wise men had to be warned in a dream not to return to Herod (v. 12). They went a different way home, escaping the clutches of Herod, and thereby exhibit even more faith in God.
It cannot be lost on us that children were killed at the birth of Jesus. Bethlehem was not a large village at the time, and so the number estimated to have been killed age 2 and under was about 20. Nonetheless, it’s an extraordinary tragedy, but one not unknown by God. Jesus comes into the world in the midst of death and devastation, to bring peace on earth. He is a light shining in the darkness - making a way that all death, pain, poverty, isolation, and sin can be done away, making absolute peace between God and those who trust in Him. As one theologian has put it, “there is not one thing in your life that you will ever face that the baby in the manger wasn’t prepared to deal with.” God knows pain, he would incur it himself, and he says ‘no more.’ I give them a way to eternal peace, and it’s through the blood of the cross.
Hymn for Reflection: Do You Hear What I Hear? Here’s a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f5cyiTH3KI