Worship the New Born King

Matthew 2:1-12

Key Verse 2:11

Read verses 1-2. What did the Magi know about Jesus? How did they come to obtain this knowledge? What did they do about this knowledge they came across? What didn’t they know? What did they do with the question they had? What can we learn from the Magi in seeking the truth (about the object of worship)? About Jesus?

Read verse 3. What does “disturbed” mean? What does this passage indicate about King Herod? All Jerusalem with him? 

Read verses 4-6. What does the “Christ” mean? Who is “the prophet” referred to in verse 5? Why do you think God revealed the information (on the birth place of the Christ) in advance? Yet it appears that the religious leaders (chief priests and teachers of the law) did not do anything with the news that came to their knowledge (cf. 3). Why?  

Read verses 7-8 and compare what King Herod said and what he later did in verse 16. What does this comparison tell us about the King Herod? 

Read verses 9-10. Who (or what) assisted the Magi in getting them to “the” house (where they could meet the new born king)? What does this episode indicate about the way of [seeking the true object of] worship? 

Read verse 11a. What (or whom) did they see? Whom did they worship?  Whom did they not worship? 

Read verse 11b-12 and consider the gifts they presented to the new born king. What is each of the three gifts for? Do they have anything in common? Why do you think they presented these gifts to the child? What can we learn from them about the way of worship? Why did they not go back to King Herod?