Matthew 2:7-10 "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."
The wise men were following a star that was leading them to Jesus. Scholars tell us that, depending on exactly where they came from in the east, they had been traveling for two to six months before reaching Jerusalem. That time does not take into account the time they would have spent preparing to make such a journey. Whatever the exact period may have been, it was not quick and it was not easy.
Herod was extremely interested in the journey of these wise men. He asked them how long they had been seeing this star. His interest was very genuine, and genuinely for the wrong reasons. It seems that the wise men were able to see something that Herod was not, else Herod could have simply followed the star the same as the wise men. Instead, he asked the wise men to come back and tell him when they found Jesus under the pretense of desiring to go and worship Him also.
Once the chief priests and scribes had brought word from the scriptures that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem, Herod sent the wise men on their way. It would be less than another day’s journey for the wise men to reach Bethlehem. Herod assumed that within two or three days he would be told where to find Jesus. He was looking forward to putting a stop to this King of the Jews (and the whole earth).
The star that Herod could not recognize continued to lead the wise men. It came to the house where Jesus, as a young child, was to be found. They saw the star, and they rejoiced. Their rejoicing was not because of the star, but because of the One the star had led them to.
Dear ones, the light that leads us to Jesus is not something everyone can see. Not everyone who reads about Him is going to want to serve Him. They may even encourage you to betray Him. But, just as God was with the wise men then, so He is with the wise today who follow His light in the service of His Only Begotten Son. May we rejoice today in Jesus Christ, the light of the world!