Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - The King Who Brings Outsiders In | The Gospels | Matthew 2:1-12

Episode Date: September 9, 2026

What happens when the King you’re looking for isn’t the King you expected? Why were the Magi moved to worship while Herod felt threatened? What do you do when you see the signs pointing to Jesus? In today’s episode, Jensen explores how Matthew 2:1-12 reveals Jesus as the promised King who came to draw outsiders in, and invites us to seek, surrender, and worship him. Read the Bible with us! This year, we’re exploring the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—and it's never too late to join! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passage: Matthew 2:1-12

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. My guess is you've probably heard the Christmas song We Three Kings. Even if you've never celebrated Christmas as a religious holiday, it's hard to escape the nativity scene. Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the shepherds, the angels, the animals, and three wise men. Now today, Matthew will tell us the story of those wise men. Now today, Matthew will tell us the story of those wise men. And spoiler alert, he never says that there are three of them. All we know is that a number of wise men journey to see Jesus. Other spoiler alert, he never says they come to the manger the night of Jesus's birth, just that they find Jesus who has already been born in a house in Bethlehem. But that's just some fun Bible facts for you. I'm interested in not what we've culturally added to the story Matthew is telling. telling, but what Matthew is intentionally teaching us through his retelling of the story of the wiseman. Now, if we want to find that out, then we have to remember the purpose of Matthew's gospel and all that he's already kind of taught us. Matthew is one of four gospels. He's writing with his

own purpose, and scholars agree that Matthew, as a Jewish man, is primarily focused on telling us how Jesus is the Messiah, which means the anointed one. the Christ, the king, who fulfills the Old Testament promises of God. And so far in the first chapter of Matthew, through the genealogy and birth story, Matthew has made connections from the Davidic line of kings and the line of Abraham directly to Jesus. Now, both of these biblical patriarchs hold with them specific covenant promises given by God to them. David, that one would come from his line who would reign on an everlasting throne, and Abraham, that God would turn him into a great nation, give him a promised land, and that God would use that nation to be a blessing to all

nations. And it's with that context in mind that Matthew begins chapter two with the story of the wise men. So we'll look specifically at the first 12 verses today, and in them, I hope to uncover what Matthew is trying to teach us about the kind of king Jesus came to be in fulfillment of these Old Testament promises. So let's dive in Matthew chapter 2 verse 1. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Okay, so first, let's notice that Matthew names Herod as king. Herod was appointed by the Romans to rule over Judea. He was not Jewish, and he is historically

known for ruling in a violent and tyrannical way. He killed his own mother-in-law, his wife, and his sons. He was brutal in his protection of the throne. And knowing this, it brings even more tension to the story as he meets these magi. Magi from the east, clearly not Jews, These are Gentiles. Many scholars believe they are Babylonian magi or wise men. And in this time period, being a magi or wise men was something akin to being an astrologer. In Daniel, the Babylonian wise men were brought out to deciphered dreams or unveil certain knowledge. They were known to reveal secrets and meaning using magical wisdom or reading of the stars.

And so it is unsurprising that these men have found themselves before Herod because they saw a star that in some way communicated to them that following it would lead them to a baby that had been born king of the Jews. And it is interesting. In these first two verses, we learn of King Herod, king of Judea, and then this new king, not a baby who would someday become a king, but who was born as king of the Jews. And this tips us off to the otherness of this new king. In Numbers 2417 in a prophecy we read, I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel. So we see this Old Testament prophecy tying a ruler who will come out of the bloodline of Jacob, tying that to a star. And here come these magi astrologers who have followed a star that revealed to them the birth of the king of the Jews.

See, the weight of what the magi have said is not lost on Herod. So Matthew can continues in verse 3 saying, when King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all of Jerusalem with him. So Herod is disturbed, and you know the whole of mamma ain't happy sentiment, well, it fits with Herod. If Herod is disturbed, all of Jerusalem is with him. When Herod is threatened, no one feels safe. But Herod knows his limits, so he calls together Jewish religious leaders to get more information. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. In Bethlehem, in Judea, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written. But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means

the least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Okay, so again, here we have more from Matthew linking Jesus to the Old Testament promises of the Messiah, the king. These religious leaders, they don't need time to figure out the answer, they're Jews. They know about the promised Messiah. They know where he will be born. So they pull from some Old Testament prophecies. In Micah 5, verse 2 and 4, we read, But you Bethlehem, Ephrotha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old from ancient times. He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord and the majesty

of the name of the Lord, his God, and they will live securely. For then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. You see, Matthew is telling us more about the kind of king this king of the Jews is going to be. He will come from Bethlehem. He will rule over Israel. But not just them, verse four tells him, he will reign like a shepherd, caring for his flock and his rule will reach to the ends of the earth so that his people will live securely in safety. There's no more threat. This king is king of all. And so it's no wonder that Herod is worried, because this king of the Jews is nothing like the kind of king that he is. He will not be a tyrant, but a shepherd. In Ezekiel 34, we read a passage where God is rebuking the rulers over Israel. He refers to them

as shepherds, but tells them that they have not tended to their flock well. They've abused their power, and because of this, they will be removed. But God will not replace them with another human. No, he goes on to say that he himself will be their shepherd. Verse 11. For this is what the sovereign Lord says. I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so I will look after my sheep.

I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. Can you see the picture that all of this imagery and all of these Old Testament prophecies are painting of this baby who is born the king of the Jews? He is no mere man. Ezekiel points to the divinity of Jesus. God himself in the person of Jesus will be the one who fulfills the Old Testament. covenant he made of this people, he will be the shepherd. Jesus, a Jewish baby, born king, pulls together both the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Jesus is the king of the Jews, a descendant of David, who will rule on the eternal throne, but he's also the one through whom God will fulfill his promise to Abraham to bless the nations. To call all of his people to himself

from the nations, he will gather his flock and tend to them. It is a, beautiful picture for those of us who desire to live under the kingship of the gentle king. But to Herod, it's a threat. So he tells the Magi to return once they found the child so that he too can worship. But we know the story. The Magi never return because of a warning they receive, letting them know that Herod doesn't intend to worship but to harm the child. And they heed that warning, because they, unlike anyone else in this story, recognize who Jesus is and worship him for it. The religious leaders who had all the pieces of the picture are indifferent to this news of the king. Herod, threatened by another kingship, is disturbed and full of hatred for another who would try

to threaten this throne. But these magi, sinners, foreign sorcerers, men outside of the fold of Israel, unfamiliar with the prophecies outside of the covenant, they give up everything to find and worship the king. After they had heard the king, King Herod, they went on their way. And the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. They opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It's such an unexpectedly beautiful picture of the gospel, of who Jesus is, of what he came to be. Gentiles, outsiders, lost and wandering, following a

star to the king of the Jews to worship and bow down and relinquish gifts before him. They are brought into his home and welcomed. Jesus is the king unlike any other. He came to be a shepherd to rule on a throne that will never be overturned, to seek out people from all nations, to bring the outsider in, to leave the door open to all. It's a beautiful gift to have a king like Jesus. Matthew is showing us up close that beauty. All are welcome in Jesus' kingdom. But he's also giving us a warning. Not all will come. Not all will recognize. Not all will worship. Jesus' kingship is good news. It is the best news. But there are many who will not see it as such. Caught up in our own narratives, our own agendas, our own expectations we can ignore,

miss out on, or outright reject the rule and reign of Jesus, wanting our own throne, our own rule, our own way, threatened by the call of Jesus. Will you see the signs like the magi? See the king for who he is. Will you come and worship? Not letting your own shame, your own story, your own belief about why Jesus wouldn't want you in his fold to get it. in the way of knowing and loving him.

The shepherd king has come to search out the lost, to go out into the nations and bring you into his fold. He has come to be a blessing to the nations, a king to all. The kingdom of God is here. Its doors are open. Follow the footsteps of the Magi. Seek Jesus, find him, surrender to him, and worship him. today.