Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? The Magi arrive without announcement or introduction, foreigners from the east asking about a king that the people of the west do not yet know has been born. Bethlehem of Judea grounds the birth in geography that carries covenant weight — the city of David (1 Samuel 17:12), the village Micah 5:2 had identified as the birthplace of the coming ruler. Herod the king provides the political frame: the Roman-appointed king of the Jews stands over against the one born king of the Jews. The star that led the Magi and the city that produced King David are already in conflict with the violence of empire.

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