Two Kings, Two Kingdoms, Two Worships Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Introduction: The Inescapable Confrontation
The story of the magi is not a quiet, sentimental scene for a Christmas card. It is a declaration of war. It is the announcement of a hostile takeover. We have become so accustomed to the tinsel and the carols that we have domesticated a story that is, at its heart, about the collision of two kingdoms. The arrival of Jesus Christ on the earth was not a polite suggestion; it was an invasion. He came to establish a beachhead in enemy-occupied territory, and the local potentate, Herod, understood the political implications immediately. He was right to be troubled. His days were numbered.
This passage in Matthew’s gospel sets before us two kings, two kinds of worship, and two ultimate destinies. On the one hand, you have Herod the Great, the counterfeit king of the Jews. He is an Edomite, a usurper, a man who clawed his way to power through political maneuvering and maintained it through paranoia and bloodshed. He is the epitome of the kingdom of man: built on fear, sustained by violence, and terrified of any rival. On the other hand, you have Jesus, born in a backwater town, the true King of the Jews, whose kingdom is not of this world, but is destined to grind every other kingdom to powder.
And caught between these two kings are two groups of people. You have the magi, pagan astrologers from the east, outsiders, who see a sign in the heavens and travel a great distance to bow down and worship the true King. And then you have Jerusalem, the holy city, along with the chief priests and scribes, the religious insiders, who have the prophecies in their hands but are paralyzed by fear, complicit in their silence, and troubled along with their murderous king. This story forces a question upon every one of us, a question that cannot be dodged: When the true King is revealed, which king will you worship? Will you be a wise man, or will you be a fool with Herod?
The Text
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” And when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A LEADER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’ ” Then Herod secretly called the magi and carefully determined from them the time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” Now after hearing the king, they went their way; and behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, was going on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And after coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi departed for their own country by another way.
(Matthew 2:1-12 LSB)
The Royal Proclamation and the Troubled Tyrant (vv. 1-3)
The story opens by setting the historical and political stage.
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.'" (Matthew 2:1-2)
Matthew places us squarely in history, under the reign of a specific king, Herod. This is not a fairy tale; it is an event that ruptured the timeline of the world. Into the capital city of this king come these magi. We don't know how many there were, but they were not three bedraggled men on tired camels. They were likely a significant delegation of king-makers from Persia or Babylon, men of immense learning and political standing. Their arrival in Jerusalem would have been a major political event, the equivalent of a foreign diplomatic convoy showing up unannounced.
Their question is dynamite. "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?" They do not ask if a king has been born. They state it as a fact. God had revealed it to them through a celestial sign, what they call "His star." This is a profound irony. God uses the faulty science of pagan astrologers to lead them to the truth, while the religious experts in Jerusalem, who have the clear word of prophecy, remain inert. God is sovereign over all means, and He will call His elect from every nation, tribe, and tongue, even from the ranks of pagan star-gazers.
Their stated purpose is explicit: "and have come to worship Him." The word for worship here is proskuneo, which means to bow down, to prostrate oneself in homage. This is the central issue of the entire Bible. Who is worthy of worship? These Gentiles have traveled hundreds of miles to bow before a baby they have never seen, based on a star. Their faith puts the unbelief of Israel to shame.
Herod's reaction in verse 3 is entirely predictable.
"And when Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matthew 2:3)
The word for "troubled" means to be agitated, stirred up, shaken. Herod was a notoriously paranoid and vicious ruler. He had murdered his own wife and several of his sons to protect his throne. The news of a rival claimant, one with a cosmic birth announcement, was not welcome. Herod understands that two kings cannot occupy the same throne. If this child is the true King of the Jews, then Herod is a fraud and a dead man. This is the logic of every worldly power. Christ is a threat to every autonomous man, every ruler who will not have this man rule over him.
But notice that "all Jerusalem" was troubled with him. Why? They should have been rejoicing. The long-awaited Messiah, the consolation of Israel, had come. But they were compromised. They had made their peace with the counterfeit king. Their lives, their economy, their religious establishment were all entangled with Herod's corrupt system. The arrival of the true King meant disruption, confrontation, and the upsetting of their comfortable arrangements. They preferred the devil they knew. This is a perpetual warning to the church. When we become too comfortable with the world's Herods, the news of Christ's true kingship will trouble us as well.
Biblical Knowledge Without Saving Faith (vv. 4-8)
Herod, the man of action, immediately consults his religious experts.
"And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet...'" (Matthew 2:4-6)
Here is another tragic irony. The chief priests and scribes know the right answer. They can quote Micah 5:2 from memory. They have the biblical data down cold. They know the "what" and the "where" of the Messiah's birth. But this knowledge is dead. It is academic. It does not move them to worship. They give Herod the correct information and then, apparently, go back to their business. It is a five-or-six-mile walk from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. They could have been there in two hours. But they do not go. The pagan outsiders are seeking the King, while the religious insiders, who have the map, stay home.
This is a terrifying picture of dead orthodoxy. It is possible to be an expert in the Bible and yet have a heart that is completely unmoved by the Christ of the Bible. It is possible to have a head full of correct theology and feet that will not take a single step toward Bethlehem. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Their knowledge served only the murderous agenda of a tyrant.
Herod then moves from consultation to conspiracy.
"Then Herod secretly called the magi... and he sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.'" (Matthew 2:7-8)
Here we see the second kind of worship on display: false worship. Herod cloaks his murderous intent in the language of piety. "I want to worship him too." This is the worship of the hypocrite, the worship of the politician, the worship that uses religious language as a smokescreen for self-preservation and rebellion against God. The kingdom of man is always willing to feign worship if it will help to eliminate the true King. From Herod to the modern secular state that wants to co-opt the church for its own purposes, the tactic is the same. It is the kiss of Judas.
True Worship and Divine Gifts (vv. 9-11)
The magi, having received their instructions, depart. And God, who guided them by a star, now guides them again.
"And behold, the star, which they had seen in the east, was going on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." (Matthew 2:9-10)
The star reappears. This is no ordinary astronomical event. It moves, it guides, it stops over a specific house. This is a supernatural sign for a supernatural event. And the response of the magi is pure, unadulterated joy. "They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy." The Greek piles on the language to emphasize the intensity of their delight. This is the joy of finding what you have been seeking. This is the joy of faith finding its object. While Jerusalem was troubled, the Gentiles are ecstatic.
Their journey ends not in a palace, but in a common house. And their response is the centerpiece of the story.
"And after coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)
Notice the object of their worship. They saw the child with his mother, but they fell down and worshiped Him. Mary is present, but she is not the object of worship. The worship is directed solely to Jesus. This is true, biblical worship. It is rightly ordered. They prostrate themselves, acknowledging His supreme authority and worth, even as a toddler in a humble home.
And true worship is never empty-handed. It brings gifts. They open their treasures and present Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are not random gifts; they are prophetic. Gold is the gift for a king, acknowledging His sovereignty. Frankincense was the incense used in the temple by the priests, acknowledging His deity and His priestly role. Myrrh was an embalming spice, used for burial, acknowledging His humanity and foreshadowing His sacrificial death. These pagan wise men, guided by a star, understood more about who this child was than all the scribes in Jerusalem. They worshiped Him as King, as God, and as the sacrifice for sin.
Divine Intervention and the Other Way Home (v. 12)
The story concludes with God protecting His Son and His new Gentile worshipers.
"And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi departed for their own country by another way." (Matthew 2:12)
God intervenes directly. He warns them in a dream, thwarting the plans of the wicked king. The sovereignty of God is absolute. Herod may plot, but God in heaven laughs. The king is a pawn on God's chessboard, and God will protect His Anointed. The magi obey God rather than man. They had come to Jerusalem and submitted to the de facto king, Herod. But now, having met the true King, their allegiance has shifted. They go home by "another way."
This is more than just a geographical detour. It is a picture of the Christian life. When you have truly met and worshiped Jesus Christ, you cannot go back the way you came. You cannot return to Herod's kingdom. You now belong to another King, and you must walk a different path. Your life is reoriented. Your allegiances are realigned. You go home by another way.
Conclusion: Whose Kingdom?
This story sets the conflict for the entire Gospel of Matthew, and indeed, for all of human history. There is a King who has been born, and His name is Jesus. And there is another king, the prince of this world and his earthly puppets like Herod, who are terrified of Him. There is no neutrality. You are either in Jerusalem, troubled by His arrival, or you are on the road to Bethlehem, seeking to worship Him.
The question the magi asked still echoes today: "Where is He who has been born King?" The world does not want to hear this question. It has its own kings, its own rulers, its own systems of power. But the star has appeared. The King has been born. And He demands our worship, our allegiance, and our treasures.
The nations are His inheritance. The prophecy of Psalm 72 says, "May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!" The visit of the magi is the first fruits of this great Gentile harvest. It is the down payment on the promise that Jesus is not just the King of the Jews, but the King of kings and Lord of lords.
So you must answer the question. Do you have biblical information about Jesus, like the scribes, but a heart that remains in Jerusalem? Or do you have a heart that rejoices exceedingly with great joy at the sight of the King? Do you offer the false worship of Herod, using religious words to cover a rebellious heart? Or do you offer the true worship of the magi, falling on your face and presenting to Him the treasure of your life?
Have you met the King? If you have, then you know that you can never go back to Herod. You must go home by another way.