Encore Post: The coming of the wise men from the east is a beloved part of the story of Christmas — even if the church doesn’t get around to celebrating it until the twelfth night of Christmas. (Stay tuned!) It really was logical for them to stop in Jerusalem. Where else would you find an infant crown prince? Yet that stop set in motion unintended events that are not so pleasant.
Herod the Great was a master politician and a loyal client of Rome. He was a master builder, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, constructing the port of Caesarea Maritima out of nothing among other projects. He was also paranoid, executing anyone he thought was plotting to take his throne, including his favorite wife and several of his sons. The standard joke in Rome was that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his son. (as a Jew, he did not eat pork) No wonder his court was upset when foreign scholars wanted to worship the newborn king of the Jews!
When the wise men were warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the king took no chances and ordered all young boys in Bethlehem to be executed. True to his name, Jesus’ foster father Joseph heeded a angel who appeared to him in a dream and took his family to Egypt. This may sound strange to us, but it was not odd during the time. Egypt was then a province of Rome, the route there well traveled and relatively safe. Many Jews lived in Egypt, especially in Alexandria, the intellectual capital of the empire. Egypt had for centuries been very friendly to Jews.
On the Church’s calendar, December 28th is celebrated as Holy Innocents Day. We remember the boys murdered by Herod as Martyrs for Jesus, even though they did not realize it. We also remember all the children sacrificed by their parents for various reasons and dedicate ourselves to preserving the life of infants — born and unborn.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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You said that Jesus’ foster father, Joseph was “true to his name.” I’m not sure what that meant.
Any faithful Jew named Joseph would take dreams of Angels very seriously. After all, there was a very famous Joseph in the Old Testament God directed through dreams.
How old was Jesus at the time the wise men made the journey to Jerusalem.
We don’t know for sure. Based on Herod’s order, less than 2 years old.