“Matthew 2; Luke 2,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Matthew 2; Luke 2
Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. Angels announced His birth to shepherds. Jesus was presented in the temple. Simeon and Anna bore testimony of His redeeming mission. When Jesus was a young child, Wise Men from the east visited and worshipped Him. Joseph was warned in a dream of Herod’s evil intentions to have Jesus killed, so he took his family to Egypt to keep them safe. Herod ordered the death of young children in the area surrounding Bethlehem. Joseph learned in a dream of Herod’s death and took his family to Nazareth. When Jesus was 12 years old, He taught in the temple.
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Background and Context
What do we know about the Wise Men?
There has been much speculation about the identity, origin, number, and names of the Wise Men. But Matthew did not provide these details. He used the Greek word magi to refer to the men. That word refers to an ancient group of astronomers and priests belonging to the Zoroastrian religion in Persia. Regardless of who the Wise Men were or where they came from, their visit shows “that they were righteous men sent on an errand to witness the presence of the Son of God on the earth.”
The exact time of the Wise Men’s visit is unknown. However, Matthew 2:11 suggests that some time had passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The Wise Men found Jesus in a “house,” not a manger, and He was a “young child,” not a baby.
What do we know about the gifts the Wise Men gave to Jesus?
The Wise Men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor and worship Jesus.
Gold has long been valued for its luster, beauty, malleability, and resistance to corrosion and tarnish. People throughout the ancient world associated gold with royalty, immortality, and deity.
Frankincense originated in Arabia and northern Africa. It is a dried tree resin that has been used in perfumes and incense for thousands of years. Historically, frankincense was a highly valued commodity. It was burned as incense during temple worship in ancient Israel.
Myrrh is also a dried resin from thorny shrubs and trees found in Arabia and northern Africa. Myrrh has been used in perfumes, incense, and medicines for thousands of years. Ancient Israelites used myrrh in temple worship as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil for consecrating kings, priests, and the tabernacle.
What kind of man was King Herod?
Historians refer to the Herod mentioned in Matthew 2 and Luke 1:5 as Herod the Great. Roman leaders appointed Herod as king of Judea even though he was not a Jew. Herod ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is known for various building projects, including the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Herod was also an immoral and distrustful man. During his life, he ordered the death of one of his wives, three of his sons, and other extended family members.
Feeling threatened by the birth of Jesus, the true King of the Jews, Herod ordered the massacre of the children who were two years old and younger in Bethlehem and the surrounding region.
What were the circumstances of the Savior’s birth?
Bethlehem was approximately 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary lived. The trek to Bethlehem was at least four to five days if walking—perhaps longer for the couple, considering Mary’s condition.
The King James Bible uses “inn” for the Greek word kataluma found in the Greek New Testament. This word as it is used in Luke 2:7 means “lodging place” or “guest room.” The Greek word kataluma is also used in Luke 22:11 and refers to the room where Jesus and His disciples shared the Last Supper. Here the word can be translated as “guestchamber” or “guest room.” A guest room was often an upper room. Luke 2:7 says there was no room for Mary and the newborn Jesus in the guest room.
For this reason, they may have stayed on the ground floor, where animals were kept inside through the night and would eat from mangers. The ground floor may have been the location of the Savior’s birth.
The Savior’s willingness to be born in humble conditions illustrates one way He descended “below all things.”
What are “swaddling clothes”?
Swaddling clothes were generally blankets or strips of cloth wrapped tightly around infants. To swaddle means to “wrap snugly.”
Why did Mary make an offering in the temple?
According to the law of Moses, women were ceremonially unclean after giving birth. To become clean, Mary was required to go to the temple and offer a sacrifice. “And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles [turtledoves], or two young pigeons.” That Mary presented turtledoves or pigeons instead of a lamb indicates that she had little material means.
What do we know about Jesus’s childhood?
Elder James E. Talmage wrote, “[Jesus’s] boyhood was actual boyhood, His development was as necessary and as real as that of all children.” As He grew, Jesus “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” When Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph found Him talking to “the doctors,” or teachers, in the temple. The Joseph Smith Translation reveals that these men “were hearing him, and asking him questions” rather than the other way around. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “When still a boy [Jesus] had all the intelligence necessary to enable Him to rule and govern the kingdom of the Jews, and could reason with the wisest and most profound doctors of law and divinity, and make their theories and practice to appear like folly compared with the wisdom He possessed.”
Learn More
The Nativity
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Russell M. Nelson, “The Peace and Joy of Knowing the Savior Lives,” Ensign, Dec. 2011, 16–21
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Eric D. Huntsman, “Glad Tidings of Great Joy,” Ensign, Dec. 2010, 52–57
The Wise Men
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Wendy Kenney, “We Three Kings,” New Era, Dec. 2009, 24–27
Media
Videos
“The Wise Men Seek Jesus” (5:41)
“The Christ Child Is Presented at the Temple” (2:04)
“Young Jesus Teaches in the Temple” (2:29)
Images
The Announcement of Christ’s Birth to the Shepherds, by Del Parson
The Birth of Jesus, by Carl Heinrich Bloch