Scripture · Psalm 119:18
Matthew 2:1-12
The Middelburg Altarpiece (Bladelin Altarpiece)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and learned from them the exact time the star had appeared. And sending them to Bethlehem, he said: “Go and search carefully for the Child, and when you find Him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship Him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with great delight. On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
The Nativity occupies the centre, but recognition happens at the edges. An emperor on one wing and the Magi on the other respond to visions of the child.
About the artwork
On the left, Augustus and the Sibyl look toward a heavenly apparition. On the right, the Magi kneel before a star containing a child. These scenes come from the Golden Legend. They make rulers in the West and East turn toward the same small figure whom Mary adores in the central panel.
A man in black kneels conspicuously close to the birth. Often identified as Pieter Bladelin, though Berlin’s museum leaves the identity uncertain, this donor extends the response into the painter’s own time. The wings range across the world; his portrait brings the question of recognition back to one person beside the manger.
Featured in: Top 20 Famous Nativity Paintings, Explained
What does Matthew 2:1-12 mean?
Matthew 2:1–12 follows the Magi’s search for a king, ending with their gifts and worship. It also includes a ruler who responds differently: Herod is disturbed by the news. The altarpiece’s legendary Augustus offers a more harmonious image of power yielding to Christ. Read together, the panels and passage make homage a choice rather than an automatic reaction—even when a king or emperor is the one being asked to kneel.
Sources
Gemäldegalerie Berlin on Google Arts & Culture. Gemäldegalerie account of the Golden Legend scenes, worldwide homage and the uncertain identification of the donor.
Matthew 2 — Berean Standard Bible. The paired text read in its surrounding chapter.
Also from Matthew:Marriage of the VirginThe Dream of Saint Joseph