Jesus was born King 

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 that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:1,2).

Thus begins the biblical narrative of the wise men who came to find the Hope of Israel, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For some two years, they had been following the miraculous moving star until it led them to Jerusalem. Upon their arrival in the holy city, they inquired where the long-awaited Messiah was prophesied to be born. The scribes and elders of Israel responded by telling them that it was foretold that the village of Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the Christ King.

Hearing this, the wise men began the last leg of their expedition by traveling some six miles to the quaint hamlet of Bethlehem. God continued to guide them, as the star in the sky led the way, until at last the heavenly spotlight stopped and shone just above a home where the young child Jesus and his family were living.

Matthew 2:11 reads, “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

These men (and how many wise men there actually were, we do not know) had traveled thousands of difficult and dangerous miles. Bringing with them gifts to present the One who was born King.

For the sake of clarity, and to help dispel several popular misunderstandings about the birth of Christ, consider with me some of the things we just stated.

First, by the time the wise men arrive in Bethlehem, Jesus is no longer a baby lying in a manger, but a “young child” living in a home. Which teaches us that every nativity scene that portrays wise men present at the birth of Christ is inaccurate, no matter how well-intended. When this undisclosed number of magi arrive at the home, Jesus is about two years old. This becomes even more evident by Herod’s cruel command (Mathew 2:16) to kill every male child in Bethlehem two years old and under.

Secondly, the gifts that were presented to Jesus have nothing to do with His birthday, but instead are gifts worthy of a king. Any notion or suggestion that these wise men came to present “Baby Jesus with birthday gifts” is simply mistaken. Rather, they humbly gave gold, frankincense and myrrh as symbolic gifts signifying their understanding that Jesus, though a child, was still a king.

Which leads us to my third and most important point: Jesus was born King.

Normally, someone in the royal family would be born a prince and would have to wait till the death of the king to inherit the throne, but not in this case. Jesus was born King.

It would have been customary in a monarchy for the firstborn son to be the heir to the throne, and upon the death of his father, would be appointed king. But the Father of Christ will never die. He is the Eternal God, from everlasting to everlasting. Hence, Jesus does not have to be declared king, He was born King.

The wise men knew this. In fact, apart from a few shepherds and some angels, they were among the first to know this. They had been given a keen awareness that the young child, just a toddler running around a home, would one day sit on the throne of Israel ruling and reigning in time and eternity. “Wise men” worship Jesus.

Lying in a manger Jesus was king.

Worshiped by angels and shepherds, Jesus was King.

Though ridiculed, rejected and murdered, Jesus was King.

Hanging on the cross, dying for our sins, Jesus was King.

Buried in a borrowed tomb, Jesus was King.

Rising from the dead and coming again, Jesus is King.

Jesus was born King.

It is my prayer that today, you know Christ as your King, and have bowed the knee to Him in loving submission for Jesus is indeed, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

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