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From Heaven With Love
them to make a close search and to declare the birthplace of their
expected King. “And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for
it is written by the prophet,
And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah:
For out of thee shall come forth a governor,
Which shall be shepherd of My people Israel.” RV
Herod now invited the magi to a private interview. Wrath and
fear were raging in his heart, but he preserved a calm exterior, and
professed to hail with joy the birth of Christ. He bade his visitors,
“Search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found Him,
bring me word again, that I may come and worship Him also.”
The priests were not as ignorant as they pretended. The report
of the angels’ visit to the shepherds had been brought to Jerusalem,
but the rabbis had treated it as unworthy of notice. They themselves
might have been ready to lead the magi to Jesus’ birthplace, but
instead, the wise men came to call their attention to the birth of the
Messiah.
If the reports brought by the shepherds and the wise men were
credited, they would disprove the priests’ claim to be the exponents
of the truth of God. These learned teachers would not stoop to be
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instructed by heathen. It could not be, they said, that God had passed
them by, to communicate with ignorant shepherds or uncircumcised
Gentiles. They would not even go to Bethlehem to see whether these
things were so. And they led the people to regard the interest in
Jesus as fanatical excitement. Here began the rejection of Christ
by the priests and rabbis. Their pride and stubbornness grew into a
settled hatred of the Saviour.
The wise men departed alone from Jerusalem, the shadows of
night falling. But to their great joy they again saw the star, and
were directed to Bethlehem. Disappointed by the indifference of the
Jewish leaders, they left Jerusalem less confident than when they
entered.