Matthew 2

Paul Bukauskas

Matthew • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 67 views

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Chapter 2

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

Introduction

MacArthur

Matthew records the good news about the most significant events in all of history — the birth, life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Each gospel writer wrote from a unique perspective and for a different audience. As a result, each gospel contains distinctive elements. Taken together, the four Gospels form a complete testimony about Jesus Christ.

Matthew wrote primarily to a Jewish audience, presenting Jesus of Nazareth as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and rightful King. He opens his book with a genealogy, which, unlike Luke’s, focuses on Jesus’ royal descent from Israel’s greatest king, David. The primary purpose of chapters one and two is to establish Jesus’ right to Israel’s kingship. To any honest observer, and certainly to Jews who knew and believed their own Scriptures, these two chapters vindicate Jesus’ claim before Pilate: “You say rightly that I am king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world” ( Jn 18:37 )

Consistent with this purpose of revealing Jesus to be the Christ ( Messiah ) and the King of the Jews, Matthew begins his Gospel by showing Jesus’ lineage from the royal line of Israel. If Jesus is to be heralded and proclaimed King, there must be proof that He comes from the recognized royal family.

McGee

— Each Gospel was directed to meet the needs of a particular group of people

— Matthew was written to the nation of Israel

— It is for religious people

— Recorded here is the fulfillment of four prophecies.

— The purpose of this chapter is to show how these Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled at the birth of Jesus

— Here are four (4) prophecies that were fulfilled at the time of Christ's birth:

(1) He was to be born in Bethlehem (see Mic. 5:2);

(2) He was to be called out of Egypt (see Hos. 11:1);

(3) There was to be weeping in Ramah (see Jer. 31:15); and

(4) He was a root from the stem of Jesse and therefore to be called a Nazarene (see Isa. 11:1)

Hendriksen

— According to God’s promise ( 2 Sam 7:12, 13 ) Jesus is the rightful heir to David’s throne

— He is the son whose throne will be “established forever” ( cf. 2 Sam 7:13, Lk 1:32, 33 )

— Matthew makes it clear that there is a close connection between chapters 1 and 2

— Chapter 1 has shown that Jesus deserves royal honor

— Chapter 2 shows that He receives it

Fools and Wise Men ( 2:1-12 )

— In this section we will meet both fools and wise men

— Two thousand years later men fall into one of these same categories

The Right to Rule

Matthew will provide three additional evidences of Jesus’ right to the throne of David

— The powerful king makers from the east, the magi, who pay homage to the infant Jesus, “He who has been born King of the Jews” ( 2:2 )

— The hatred of Herod the false king towards Christ the rightful king

— The fulfilment of four prophecies during Christ’s infancy as recorded by Matthew

Q: How do our traditions about “the wise men” compare with what the biblical text actually says?

The Arrival of the Magi ( 2:1-2 )

( 2:1-2 ) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

— These events probably a few months after Jesus’ birth

— We know from ( 2:11 ) that the family is staying in a house rather than a stable where he was born ( Lk 2:7 )

— What a great example of God’s provision, planned centuries before Jesus was born

McGee

— The record doesn't tell us who were three wise men

— There should be doubt that three wise men would have disturbed Herod or have excited Jerusalem

— Maybe three hundred men would have done so?

— These wise men who came from the East evidently came from different areas

— They had been studying the stars, and when this new star appeared, they joined forces and came to Jerusalem

Going Deeper

— We know this as at least 40 days later because when she made her offering of purification ( Lk 2:21-27 ) she offered a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” ( Lk 2:24 ) instead of the normal lamb ( Lev 12:6-8 )

— if the magi had visited before her purification she could have bought a lamb, but they were poor

— The magi probably arrived within two years of his birth because Herod ordered all males under two years of age to be killed

— We don’t know how many magi arrived, some have speculated three because they gave three gifts

— During the middle ages they were numbered as 3 and given names

— Casper

— Balthazar

— Melchior

( 2:1 ) wise men from the East

— Historians tell us that no Magi mastered science, agriculture, mathematics, history and the occult

— No wonder that they are called “wise men”

— The fact that they came from the East would have been assumed by most people in NT era

— Magi were part of the priestly-political class of the Parthians (Iran) who lived east of Palestine

— These magi ( or magicians or astrologers or possibly Zoroastrian scholars from Persia ) may have had knowledge of the Hebrew OT that could be traced back to Daniel ( cf Dan 5:11 )

( 2:2 ) “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

— The Greek construction suggest that they were questioning everyone they met ( present participle )

— They apparently assumed everyone in Judea would know the baby’s whereabouts

— They much have been more than a little shocked that no one seemed to know what they were talking about

Herod the King

— Herod was the king of Jerusalem but only by the “right” of military force

— He was not Jewish but an Edomite

— He had no right to be the Jew’s king but married Mariamne, from a prominent Jewish family

Going Deeper

— Mariamne was a heiress to the Jewish Hasmonean house

— The Hasmonean family reigned Judea from 140 until 63 BC at the conquest of Pompey

— In 37 BC Herod took the title of King of Judea

— In the same year Cleopatra married Mark Anthony

— Herod’s mother in law Alexandra asked Cleopatra for help in making Mariamne’s brother Aristobulus a high priest

— Herod was so fearful that this family member might take the throne that he ordered him assassinated

— He then had Mariamne killed, and then her mother and two of his own sons.

— Five days before his death ( about a year after Jesus was born ) he had a third son executed

— He had all of the distinguished citizens of Jerusalem arrested shortly before his death with orders that they all be killed the moment he died — in order to guarantee that there be mourning in Jerusalem

— That was only exceeded by his order to kill all male children under 2 years of age ( Matt 2:16 )

The Agitation of Herod ( 2:3-8 )

( 2:3-8 ) When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

Q: What was Herod’s response to the Magi ( 2:3 )? How was that different than the response of the Magi ( 2:2 )?

— His response is the opposite of the Magi

— His intense jealousy and paranoia and the mention of another king sent him into a frenzy

— All of Jerusalem was troubled as well, but Herod was terrified (the original word means to shake in terror)

— His first act was to gather the priests and scribes; he connected the king with the Messiah

— The expectation was that Messiah would be a political power to deliver his people ( Acts 1:6 )

— Notice this hypocrisy that I may come and worship Him also ( 2:8 ), and his cruelty, the destruction of Bethlehem’s infants ( 2:16 )

Micah’s Prediction

( 2:6 ) But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Hendricksen

— What is often passed by in silence is the fact that neither King Herod nor the Jewish Sanhedrin for a moment doubted that the reference in Mic. 5:2 and the ultimate reference of 2 Sam 5:2 were to a person (not a nation)

— When anyone reads such OT passages without seeing Christ in them, is he not reading them blindly ( Gen 3:15; 22:18; 49:10; 2 Sam 7:12, 13; Is 7:14; 8:8; 9:6; cf. Luke 24:25-27, 32 )

Going Deeper

The Six Herods of the Bible

— Herod the Great ( ruled 37-4 BC ): Christ Story; dies at 69, chronic kidney disease complicated by a case of maggot-infested gangrene of the genitals

— Herod Archelaus ( ruled 4 BC - AD 6 ): One of Herod the Great’s three sons, Joseph and Mary fled to Nazareth

— Herod Antipas ( ruled 4 BC - AD 39 ): Jesus called him “the Fox” ( Lk 13:32 ); Killed John the Baptist

— Herod Philip the Tetrarch ( ruled 4 BC - AD 34 ): Married his niece Salome, the daughter of Herodias (Herod Antipas’ wife-of-sin)

— Herod Agrippa I ( ruled AD 37-44 ): Eaten by worms

— Herod Agrippa II ( ruled AD 50s - AD 93 ) : Trail of Paul in Caesarea

The Adoration of the Magi ( 2:9-12 )

( 2:9-12 ) When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

— The Magi did not know Herod’s wicked intent but now knew where to find the Christ child

— Matthew is careful to say that the Magi worshiped Jesus and not his mother( 2:11 ) they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh

— Their gift giving was not in addition to their worship but a part of it

— Right worship is always, and must be, the only basis for right giving and right learning and right service

— Giving that is generous but done apart from a loving relationship with God is empty giving

Q: What does Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Represent ( 2:11 )?

Gold— Nobility and Royalty

— Matthew continually presents Christ as the King and gold is an appropriate royal gift

Myrrh— Also a perfume mentioned often in scripture

— Some suggest it represents a gift emphasizing Christ’s humanity

— Others associate it with Christ’s death and burial

Frankincense— Beautiful smelling incense used only for special occasions

— It was used in the grain offerings ( Lev 2:2, 15-16 ) and at weddings if it could be afforded

Going Deeper

Origen

— Having arisen they open their treasure chests and present the child with gifts

— gold, as to a king

— myrrh, as to one who is mortal

— and incense, as to God

McGee

— Interesting note on His second coming as recorded in Isaiah 60:6:

— “The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah;

All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.” ( 60:6 )

— What gift is left out at His second coming? Myrrh!

— They do not bring myrrh because that speaks of His death

— When He comes the second time, nothing will speak of His death

— The next time He comes, He won't come to die upon a cross for the sins of the world

— He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords

( 2:12 ) Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

— Finding Jesus, the Magi were warned not to return through Jerusalem as they intended

— Finding Jesus may mean that your life must take another direction, one that is responsive and obedient to God’s word

— Just as the Magi were warned to disobey Herod ( 2:12 ) now Joseph is told to flee to Egypt

— We all come up with our own ways to solve our problems; the Lord told the wise men “no”

— Divine guidance comes only to prepared hearts

— Today, God’s Word gives us guidance when faced with difficult decisions

Q: What are the life lessons we can glean from the “wise men”? See if you can list at least five

— The biblical depiction of the wise men is different than the “world view” of the birth of Christ

( 1 ) We are to think “biblically” when viewing world events

— Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind ( Ro 12:2 )

— Your view of the inerrancy of scripture will inform your world view

( 2 ) The wise men returned to their country another way and did not obey Herod - we are to obey God and not “Caesar”

— Civil government is invested with divine authority to rule the state— God has not granted civic rulers authority over the doctrine, practice, or polity of the church

( 3 ) The wise men sought the King of Kings

— All who seek him will find him ( Jer 29:13 )

( 4 ) The wise men offered gifts

— Giving that is generous but done apart from a loving relationship with God is empty giving

( 5 ) Herod’s reaction to the announcement of the birth of Messiah was anger

— The magi sought to worship Him

— Everyone must make a similar choice

The King Fulfills Prophecy ( 2:13-23 )

Q: The wise men sought and worshiped Christ; Herod attempted to kill Him. In what ways ( if any ) are these men representative of people’s response to Jesus? ( 2:11; 2:13-15 )

The Escape to Egypt ( 2:13-15 )

( 2:13-15 ) Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” 14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

— Short lived rejoicing

— They had to flee to the safety of Egypt beyond the reach of Herod

— It was 75 miles to Egypt and another 100 miles to a place of safety

— The city of Alexandria was a haven for Jews and had a population of at least one million Jews 40 years after Christ’s death

— The command to go to Egypt was given supernaturally

— But the trip and the stay were not supernatural

— They had to make the tiresome journey on their own

— God may supernaturally guide us but we are still to work out our faith with here and now

— As an infant nation Israel fled to Isreal as Jesus did as a child

— God led Israel out of Egypt ( Hosea 11:1 ) and God brought Jesus back

— Both events show God working to save His people( 2:15 ) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

— Matthew tells us why they went to Egypt

— To fulfill OT prophecy and one more proof that Jesus was the Messiah

— The death of Herod ( v.15 ) Recent scholarship sets this date at 4 BC. It probable that the stay in Egypt was very brief — perhaps no more than a few weeks

Going Deeper

Hendricksen

— The sword of which Simeon spoke ( Luke 2:34, 35 ) is even now beginning to pierce Mary’s soul

— They are to flee immediately to Egypt and stay there until further notice

— Herod is bent on destroying the child

The Slaughter of Ramah ( 2:16-18 )

( 2:16-18 ) Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

— In all probability it did not take many days for Herod to conclude that he had would never see the Magi again

— After they left him he waited a day, two days perhaps

— He now realized that his command, When you have found him report to me, was not not be obeyed

— He now flies into a rage; how sin enslaves men!

— Herod is unable to realize that a Higher Hand is moving the pieces and the pawns on the chess-board of life

— The third fulfilled OT prophecy is the brutal slaughter in Bethlehem

— Matthew quotes Jeremiah ( Jer 31:15 )

— Put to death all the male children

— Herod’s act is all the more heinous in light of his full knowledge that the Lord’s Anointed One was the target of his murderous plot

( 2:18 ) A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

— Ramah was a place where foreign conquerors ordered the defeated multitude to be assembled for deportation

— Because of its location it was able to represent both kingdoms (Israel - North and the Judah - South )

— Here, speaking of the great sorrow of the mothers of Israel when they were carried into Babylonian captivity

— They represent the women of Bethlehem who are weeping

Going Deeper

Ramah

— was the border between Northern and Southern kingdoms; were the Jews were assembled to be deported to Babylon ( Jer 40:1 )

Rachel

— The wife of Jacob-Israel, mother of Joseph and Jacob’s most treasured wife

— Having given birth to Joseph, the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, could represent Israel, the kingdom of the ten tribes

— Rachel was the mother of Benjamin who was in the Southern kingdom

Weeping

— Rachel has cause to weep again, even as the Messiah Himself would later weep over Jerusalem because of His people’s rejection of Him and the afflictions they would suffer as a consequence ( Lk 19:41-44 )

— She, who was eager to have children, Give me children or I die ( Gen 30:1 ) — sees how some are killed, others driven away to foreign soil

— It seems that early on Matthew wants to display the rejection of the Messiah

— The chief Priests and Scribes who must have heard about the Magi’s message of the one “who has been born King of the Jews” showed no interest in finding him or worshipping him ( cf Matt 2:2-5 )

— Herod’s rejection of Christ both reflected and represented the Jew’s rejection of Christ

The Return of the Nazareth ( 2:19-23 )

( 2:19-23 ) 19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

Q: Up until (2:19-23 ) Matthew has already mentioned 3 fulfilled prophecies in chapter 2. Can you name them?

— ( 2:6 ) Christ would be born in Bethlehem ( Mic 5:2 )

— ( 2:15 ) Out of Egypt I called My Son ( Hosea 11:1 )

— ( 2:18 ) There would be great weeping and sorrow in Ramah (Bethlehem ) ( Jer 31:15 )

The fourth Prophecy

—The fourth prophecy in chapter 2 speaks of the journey of Jesus from Egypt to Nazareth

— Now that Herod was dead the family could return

— ( 2:21 ) Not only Herod but also “those who sought the young Child’s life are dead “

Josephus

The historian Josephus reports that Herod the Great “died of this, ulcerated entrails, putrefied and maggot-filled organs, constant convulsions, foul breath, and neither physicians nor warms baths led to recovery”

— They heard that Archelaus, Herod’s son was reigning over Judea, and they were afraid to go there so they went to Nazareth

— God spoke to them in a dream and told them to go Galilee

— This fulfilled another OT prophecy ( Judges 13:5 )

( 2: 23 ) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

— Nazareth was an obscure town 70 miles north of Jerusalem, a place of lowly reputation and mentioned nowhere in the OT

— “Nazarene” was a synonym for someone who is despised or detestable — that was how people from the region were often characterized ( cf. John 1:46 )

Going Deeper

Matthew says this was said of by the prophets; we don’t know which prophets but only that more than one

— This specific wording is not in the OT

— These could be verbal prophecies not recorded in the OT

— The Holy Spirit obviously felt it was enough that we simply know that the prediction was made and that it was fulfilled

— Jesus the Nazarene was a title of reproach, thus fulfilling many other prophecies that depict the Messiah as “despised and forsaken of men ( Is 53:3; cf 49:7; Ps 22:6-8; 69:20-21 )

A Timeline of the Christmas Story

Circa 4 BC: the Birth of Jesus

1. Ussher believed Jesus was born at the onset of 4 BC, and this is consistent because the king, Herod the Great, died near the end of that year, and Jesus was born during his reign

2. Because of the Roman census, Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem from their hometown of Nazareth. Contrary to the idea of Jesus being born in a stable. He was likely born in the lower room of a house where animals often stay and subsequently laid in a manger (Luke 1:26–27; 2:4–7)

3. The shepherds visit following the angelic announcement (Luke 2:8–12, 20)

4. The angels worship the Christ (Luke 2:13–14)

Eight Days Later

1. Jesus was circumcised. This probably did not occur in Jerusalem but a local synagogue or perhaps a priest came to them, as was the case for John the Baptist (Luke 1:59; 2:21; Leviticus 12:3)

2. Jesus was given His name (Luke 2:21)

At Least 41 Days After the Birth of Jesus

1. The Law stipulated a woman wait 40 days following the birth of a son to finish her purification (Leviticus 12:1–8). So Mary and Joseph went to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice of two doves or pigeons, which signified they were poor (Luke 2:22–24). This suggests the magi had not visited yet to offer their expensive gifts; otherwise Joseph and Mary probably could have afforded the lamb and dove required by the Law for those with adequate means

2. At the Temple, Simeon held Jesus, blessed God and the family, and prophesied in the Holy Spirit about Jesus (Luke 2:25–35)

3. Anna, a prophetess, saw the Christ at the Temple (Luke 2:36–38)

Soon After the 41st Day

1. The family returned to Bethlehem—not Nazareth, as some have suggested. After all, they were still in Bethlehem when the wise men later visited, and they apparently planned to return there following the flight to Egypt.3 As such, it is unlikely they would have packed up everything to go to Jerusalem for offering sacrifices. So they would have returned to Bethlehem where they left their belongings (Matthew 2:5–9)

2. They were now staying in a house (oikian)—perhaps the same one, but probably not in the stall area since the guest room (kataluma) may have been available at this time

Within the Year

1. Alerted by the so-called Christmas star, an unknown number of magi from the East (perhaps Persia4) made their way to Herod's palace in Jerusalem to inquire of the Christ child (Matthew 2:1–4)

2. Contrary to popular opinion, the star was probably not a typical event in the heavens (e.g., supernova, planetary alignment, comet, etc.) Instead, it was truly a miraculous and special star (Matthew 2:2, 7, 9–11)

3. Jewish chief priests and scribes informed Herod that, according to Micah 5:2, Bethlehem was to be the birthplace of the Messiah (Matthew 2:4–6)

Maybe Within the Year

The Magi Arrive

1. These magi followed the star, which moved ahead of them, bringing expensive gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus—who was now a young child living in a house (Matthew 2:9–11)

2. They worshipped the Christ Child (Matthew 2:11)

3. Jesus is called a “young child” (paidion, Matthew 2) instead of babe (brephos, Luke 2:16) at the time that the magi arrived. Brephos specifically refers to a baby, whether born or unborn, while paidion refers to an immature child, possibly an infant (Matthew 2:11), so we should not be dogmatic about His age

4. The magi returned to their homeland via a different route after being divinely warned in a dream not to go back to Herod (Matthew 2:12)

Herod and the Flight to Egypt

1. Soon after the wise men left, Herod realized that they were not going to return and he ordered the killing of all boys in and around the region of Bethlehem who were two years of age and under (Matthew 2:16). Herod knew the approximate timing of the star’s appearance (Matthew 2:7), which may be the time that Christ was born. With this information, Herod, who was paranoid about the crown and did not want anyone taking over, would have made sure to kill the child. So he may have at least doubled the time from when the star first appeared to the wise men, thinking this would guarantee that the child would be killed, even if the information was off.

2. An angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to protect his family. This trip would ultimately fulfill a prophecy (Hosea 11:1). Perhaps the new gifts helped finance that trip (Matthew 2:13–15).

3. Baby boys two years and under in Bethlehem and surrounding region were slaughtered (Matthew 2:16)

Late 4 BC to Early 3 BC

1. Herod died in 4 BC in Jericho and was buried in Herodion approximately 25 miles away. Reports are that the procession travelled with the body one mile per day. So it was likely 3 BC when he was buried.6 Herod’s son Archelaus succeeded him (Matthew 2:22)

Early 3 BC

1. An angel informed Joseph that they could move back since Herod had died (Matthew 2:15, 19).

2. Since Joseph and Mary had completed the laws and commands (Greek nomos) of the Lord, they returned to the land of Israel from Egypt and settled in Nazareth of Galilee, which became the hometown of Jesus and was where Joseph and Mary lived prior to going to Bethlehem for the census.7 (Matthew 2:22; Luke 2:39).

3. Jesus would be called a Nazarene, fulfilling a spoken prophecy (Matthew 2:23)

Additional Resources

MacArthur, John. Matthew 1-7. Moody Press, 1985.

MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.

MacArthur, John. Who were the wise men? — https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/2182/who-were-the-wise-men

MacArthur, John. One Perfect Life. Thomas Nelson, 2012

Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011.

Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church. https://www.gracechurch.org/news/posts/1988

J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

Bible Study Questions: https://www.bible-studys.org/Bible%20Books/Matthew/Matthew%20Chapter%202.html

Herods in the bible: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2014/how-many-herods-are-there-in-the-bible

Researchers Diagnose Herod the Great: https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98107&page=1