Jesus and King Herod

Both Matthew and Luke set Jesus' birth in the context of King Herod's reign. I have already written about Herod and some of his power issues.

Late in his reign several Eastern Star Gazers came before him asking him where the new King of the Jews was born. They had noticed that the stars were lining up in such a way that they concluded there was a very important Jewish king coming into the world. Without a doubt Herod was shocked at this new information (the Bible also says that all of Jerusalem had caught wind of the new birth). In order to protect his position Herod craftily asked the chief preists and scribes where this new child might be born so that he too could pay reverence. In reality, he only wanted only to kill the child. The chief priests and scribes willingly offer Herod the information that the Jewish scriptures say that a new king would be born in Bethlehem.

The fact that the chief priests and scribes willingly gave up this information implies that they were in some kind of political arrangement with Herod. Whether this arrangement was one based in fear, or based in political advantage, or both the scribes and chief priests did offer the king crucial information that endangered the political future of their own people.

The star gazers did find the child and on their return to the East, they went another way, thus avoiding Herod entirely, which elevated Herod's cruel ire. Herod killed all the children in Bethlehem 2 years old and younger. Fortuneately for Jesus, his parents were already on their way to Egypt because Jesus' dad (Joseph) had a dream telling him to go.