Wise Men Come to Visit Jesus

Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.

When King Herod heard about this, it upset him as well as everyone else in Jerusalem.

Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Messiah would be born.

Then Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star.

But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country a different way.

Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt

After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, “Get up! Take the child with his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back.”

Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This gave full meaning to what the Lord said through the prophet: “I called my son to come out of Egypt.”

Herod Kills the Baby Boys in Bethlehem

Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, and he was very angry. So he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now two years from that time. So he said to kill all the boys who were two years old and younger.

Joseph and Mary Return From Egypt

While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream

But he heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Then, after being warned in a dream, he went away to the area of Galilee.

Herod Thinks Jesus Is John the Baptizer

About that time, Herod, the ruler of Galilee, heard what the people were saying about Jesus.

How John the Baptizer Was Killed

Before this time, Herod had arrested John. He had him chained and put in prison. He arrested John because of Herodias, the wife of Philip, Herod’s brother.

John had told him, “It is not right for you to be married to Herodias.”

Herod wanted to kill him, but he was afraid of the people. They believed that John was a prophet.

On Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced for him and his group. Herod was very pleased with her.

Herodias told her daughter what to ask for. So she said to Herod, “Give me the head of John the Baptizer here on this plate.”

King Herod was very sad. But he had promised to give the daughter anything she wanted. And the people eating with Herod had heard his promise. So he ordered what she asked to be done.

And the men brought John’s head on a plate and gave it to the girl. Then she took the head to her mother, Herodias.

They sent some men to Jesus. They were some of their own followers and some from the group called Herodians. They said, “Teacher, we know you are an honest man. We know you teach the truth about God’s way. You are not afraid of what others think about you. All people are the same to you.