 |
 |
||||
 he events surrounding Jesus’ birth in the gospels of Luke and Matthew are very different. The gospel of Luke tells us about the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary, the trip of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the shepherds’ visit to see Jesus, and the blessings given by Simeon and Anna in the Temple in Jerusalem. Matthew ignores those details but adds new ones such as Gabriel’s visit to Joseph, the arrival of the magi, the trip of Joseph and Mary to Egypt and back, and their trip up to Nazareth. Why are the accounts different? Luke and Matthew have different purposes. Luke wants us to know that Jesus was God in human flesh, but Matthew wants us to know that Jesus is the Messiah, and so Matthew includes fulfilled prophecy. Both Luke and Matthew want us to know that Jesus came to die for us. In our last study we saw God’s love and mercy toward the shepherds, Simeon, Anna, and Mary. Forty days had passed since Jesus’ birth. In this study, we see God satisfying the heart’s desire of some important men from the east. These men have come to seek the One referred to in ancient prophecies. They have come to see a baby.The Magi Arrive. Jesus was born during the reign of Herod the Great (35 B.C.
to 1 B.C) in Judea and while Quirinius was governor in Syria (3-2 B.C. and A.D. 6-9).
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, 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.” (NASB) Matt. 2:1-2 But before Herod died, some magi arrived in Jerusalem from an eastern country. The weight of historical testimony indicates that the magi came from the ancient Parthian Empire (old Persia). History indicates that the Roman and Parthian empires were once at war as early as 55 B.C. Tension between the two empires continued into the early childhood of Jesus. The Parthian Empire was east of the Roman Empire. The border between the two empires appears to have been along the Euphrates River which currently is in the country of Iraq and of southern Turkey. The Parthian religion was called Aura Mazda, and the priests of the religion were called “Magi.” They were known for their magic and astrology.
|
|||||
|
|||||
| Life & Heart of Jesus | |||||
