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."
Matthew 2.1-2
Unlike Luke, Matthew does not tell us about the shepherds coming to visit Jesus in the stable. His focus is immediately on foreigners coming from the East to worship Jesus. Here the first worshipers are court magicians or astrologers or wise men, not from Israel, but from the East-perhaps from Babylon. They were Gentiles. Unclean.
Matthew also closes his book with this same theme, showing that Jesus is the universal Messiah for all the nations, not just for Jews. The last words of Jesus are, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28.18-19).
This not only opened the door for the Gentiles to rejoice in the Messiah; it added proof that Jesus was the Messiah because he fulfilled the many prophecies that the nations and kings would, in fact, come to him as the ruler of the world. For example, Isaiah 60.3 says, "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." So Matthew adds proof to the messiahship of Jesus by showing that he is a King and Promise-Fulfiller for all nations, not just Israel.
This is a excerpt from 'Joy to the World-Daily Readings for Advent' by John Piper.
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