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The Parthians had arrived in Jerusalem. The arrival of this entourage caught the royal officials off guard and the city was on high alert.
Servants of the king made contact, welcoming these visitors, and here is what they discovered:
While there were a core of dignitaries and scholars—men of influence—there was also a platoon—dozens—of soldiers, armed and watchful. Their job was to keep their company of travelers safe and complete the 2,000 mile journey they had been hired for.
Their presence put the entire city on edge.
A small band of dignitaries from this group of travelers, flanked by guards, approached the palace guards in Jerusalem and asked “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
No one in the palace had heard of a “newborn king of the Jews.” But within moments, this question was relayed to the king—who showed intense curiosity about the possibility of a new ruler. So the servants in the palace ushered these dignitaries into a meeting with the king.
In the presence of king Herodus, they said again, “We have traveled over 1,000 miles in search of a child. Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
The king heard the translator and instantly felt his stomach sink. “Newborn king of the Jews?!” he said to himself, “I am the king of the Jews—Rome itself had given me this title. Who is this newborn usurper,” he thought “and what kind of trouble are these Parthians trying to start?”
Herodus had ruled for decades and had ruthlessly executed anyone who threatened his rule. He had executed one of his wives and three of his own sons. He would find out where this “newborn king of the Jews” was and deal with him as well.
He called an emergency meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is this Messiah supposed to be born?”
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” —Matthew 2:4–6
“Bethlehem?! That is only a short 5 miles from here,” the king thought. He tried to focus on this new information, but all he could think of was Rome’s inability to overcome Parthia in the past. Rome had tried to expand the empire east across the Euphrates moving into Parthian lands, but it did not go well for the Romans. Encountering heavy losses, Rome retreated.
Now he sent these teachers away and called for a private meeting with these Parthian Magi. He did his best to smile as he questioned them, “When did you first notice the star?” After a brief time of questioning, he lied to them saying, “Yes, I’ve been awaiting his arrival as well. My scholars tell me that Bethlehem is the location for his birth. Now, go and search for the child and when you find him, come back and tell me so I can worship him as well.”
The Magi left the palace and continued their search for the child on a road leading south out of the city, to Bethlehem. As they began, the star they had seen in the east now reappeared. The cloud cover that had obscured it for a time now dissipated and the star clearly moved south. With renewed hope they continued their journey a short 5 miles to Bethlehem.
Bethlehem was only a small village, and when they came upon a particular home there, the star stopped moving.
They approached the house the star now rested over and introduced themselves to the owners of the home. They told him their purpose for coming and the owner called and introduced them to the young man, Yusif.
Yusif could not help but be distracted by the horses, soldiers and others who were traveling with these Magi. “Impressive,” he thought, “but what do these travelers with strange accents want from us?” Others who lived in the village came out of their homes, curious about this foreign entourage.
The visitors now told Yusif the purpose for their journey, and he said, “Well, yes, our young child was recently born and is here with his mother.” Yusif was stunned momentarily, hearing this title for their son for the first time: “newborn King of the Jews.” But their sincerity was unmistakable.
He led them into the house.
Here the Magi saw the child with his mother, Maryam. In unison, these men lowered themselves to the ground, bowing down to worship him. Each of them stared in awe at this young child, who was the focus of the prophecies and the goal of their journey.
They called outside to servants in their language, who brought traveling chests into the home. They opened these chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Both Yosif and Maryam were overwhelmed by these strangers bowing before their son. But now to be lavished with priceless gifts?!
Grateful and in wonder, they gave thanks for the generosity of these strangers who had traveled a thousand miles to seek out their son.
Now, satisfied they had discovered the goal of their journey, the Magi knew they could return in peace. They camped the night, planning to return to the palace the next morning to inform the king on their return trip.
However, they were warned in a dream not to go back to the king. So after a brief rest and resupplying their stores they left at night, unannounced, to return home—by a different route.
But when the king learned he had been outwitted, he was furious.
Click here to continue to Day 30.
The Christmas Chronicles is a 31-day series, written by Bill Herried.
Bill is a pastor in Tacoma, Washington and is married to the most extraordinary woman on the planet. Together they have 3 adult children and 4 grandchildren. He has been the lead pastor at CenterPoint Christian Fellowship in Tacoma since 2006. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in Seattle, and Master of Divinity from Corban University in Salem, Oregon—and he loves a good biryani.
Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay
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