A Devotional Thought From Matthew
…Where is he that is
born King of the Jews?...
Matthew 2:2
We were
at the church this morning, my wife and I, helping to decorate for Christmas. It
was one of those nice times of fellowship that puts us in the mood for
Christmas celebration. Later when I read my devotions for the day it included
the story of Christmas from the Magi’s point of view. They asked this question:
Where is he that is born King of the
Jews?
Herod did not know who it
was specifically, although he correctly surmised it was Messiah. He did not
know exactly where the birth was to take place, although he remembered that the
scriptures gave that information. And, as the wise men discovered through their
journey, and then their interaction with Herod, and their arrival in Bethlehem,
the King of the Jews was the Messiah who is Jesus.
This
incident with beautiful pinpoint accuracy summarizes the central truth of the
incarnation revealed in Christmas.
That
phrase, the King of the Jews, comes
up again at the end of the gospel story also. Unable to bring himself to free a
clearly innocent Jesus, Pontius Pilate puts a public sign on the cross, it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and
Latin (John 19:30), and it stated JESUS
OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS (John 19:29).
From
the beginning of the story to the end Jesus is the King of the Jews:
The baby in the womb was King of
the Jews.
The baby in the manger was King
of the Jews.
The boy in the temple was King
of the Jews.
The preacher on the road was
King of the Jews.
The teacher of the disciples was
King of the Jews.
The crucified savior is King of
the Jews.
The risen Lord is King of the
Jews.
The coming King is the King of
the Jews.
The Creator and King of the
Universe is the King of the Jews.
The promised One sent for all peoples
is the King of the Jews.
Merry Christmas! Celebrate the
King! Joy to the world the Lord is come!
No comments:
Post a Comment