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, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:1-12
As I open my Facebook on Christmas Day, there is an unescapable fact I can’t help but notice: people of all walks of life celebrate Christmas. Devoted Christians, nominal Christians, followers of Christ, rebels of Christ, Catholics, Baptists, Evangelicals, are celebrating Christmas today. Now of course, that could be because I am in the Philippines, and since this country has more Catholics than the entire Vatican City (I think?), it would make sense that people in my newsfeed will be seen celebrating Christmas.
Now of course, not all are celebrating by going to masses or church services. Some are celebrating Christmas with friends, booze, and loud music (apathy, apathy, apathy comes to mind). Very often this kind of celebration draws the ire of many faithful churchgoers, who will insist that Christmas is about Christ, not jingle bells, exchange gifts, or raffle draws. Yet I believe such celebrations are still a welcome sight, compared to places in the world where there are no celebrations of Christmas at all.
What kind of King is Jesus that many people around the world would celebrate His birth? I believe the story of the Magi visiting King Jesus would help us answer this question. I think this story can help explain why many, despite the general unbelief of the world towards Jesus, will still celebrate Christmas in our age. It can also show us the why Jesus is the King you can welcome today in your life (if you haven’t already).
Jesus is the kind of King that draws all people to Him.
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, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:1-2
Kings of other nations have a limited kind of people allowed to be in their presence. Those with great achievements, great wealth, and great status would probably be allowed, but not those of poor status. Those of the same ethnicity will be allowed, but foreigners would be kept at arms length. Many people are used to not being able to come to their king, and very often, we do the same with King Jesus.
Some of us think we are not worthy to come to Him. Some of us think we are too brash of a person to be even in His presence. Some of us feel we are too dirty and despicable to be allowed to even pray to Him. But King Jesus is a different kind of King.
Wise men, pagan, from afar, came to King Jesus. We also know that shepherds came to the King. Old men and women like Simon and Anna also saw the Lord Jesus. Why does the Bible describe these wide range of people coming from different backgrounds – rich, poor, young, old, far, near – drawing near to Jesus? God’s message for us is this – Jesus is the kind of King that draws all kinds of people to Him. People from far or near, young or old, rich or poor can draw near to Him – and He will not hinder them from coming to their King.
So today, you may feel unworthy to come before your King. Don’t trust your feelings. Trust His Word. You who are unworthy, unclean, afar, undesirable, welcome King Jesus.
Jesus is the kind of King that troubles proud hearts.
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
Are there people who are troubled with King Jesus like Herod was? Yes of course. They are people with proud hearts. There are those who know they are sinful, and are troubled of attending a worship service where the preaching is about sin. There are those who are irreligious and find it uncomfortable when the Christmas party they are attending has a preacher sharing a devotion from God’s Word. The often-seen response – shifty eyes, crossed arms, and a propensity to visit the rest room or take some fresh air.
Yet, it’s actually good if you are troubled when God’s Word is preached this Christmas. The trouble you feel is a good symptom of the condition of your heart. You are troubled because of pride. Your pride refuses to let King Jesus be King over your life. You still want to be King. You want King Jesus to be the one that owes you, and not you owe Him. You want to be king, not Him, just as Herod felt.
The reason why King Jesus wants to expose your proud heart is not so that you will experience anxious trouble all the days of your life. No, He wants your allegiance to Him because He wants to order your messed up life. He wants you to see that there is only one King. His name is Jesus, and He is the kind of King who can turned messed up lives into ordered lives.
So today, if you have a proud heart, don’t rebel against the King. Welcome King Jesus.
Jesus is the kind of King that the world (and you) needs.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
One fascinating this about Christmas is that it turns many people nice. People give more, think of others more during this season. You would greet your masungit na neighbor “Merry Christmas” even if you would probably ignore him from January to November next year. You would still give aguinaldos to your inaanaks even if you had posted on Facebook that they need to submit proper documentation to prove that you are in fact their Ninong.
Why all this giving? Why all this gifting? Why spend more even if you could actually save your 13th month for future emergencies? The reason we see is that King Jesus is the kind of King that makes givers out of receivers. Kings would often focus on receiving, rather than giving. Yet the gifts that the wise men gave – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – tells us that He will be the kind of King that will give His life away for the salvation of His people (Matthew 1:21).
The gold tells us that He was born to be a King. The frankincense tells us that He is the type of King that will be a sacrifice. The myrrh tells us that His sacrifice will ultimately be death. He is the King that gives. And His giving produces a heart of giving among people who know Him far and wide. This Christmas, if you gave gifts to someone, you are doing so because you have the same kind of King – one who gives to benefit the one who is given.
Yet, the kind of person you need to be, is a person who is good and righteous and kind not only on Christmas. You know you need to be a person who does what is right from January to December. You know you want to be that kind of person. The good news is that King Jesus is the kind of King who can turn you into that kind of person. He gave His life for you, so that you will be a person who gives his life for others.
Do you want to be the kind of person that is good and upright? Then, welcome King Jesus.
How do I welcome King Jesus?
So you want to welcome Him as King but don’t know how. Here’s how.
First, draw near to Him. Not in a place, statue, or posture – but in a prayer. Second, confess your proud heart. Tell Him in your prayer how you have been too proud before to come to Him, but now, you humbly want to turn to Him. Third, Ask Him to come and be your King. Receive Him as your King and Master. Let Him rule in your life.
The good news is, King Jesus would honor your prayer. So pray.
King Jesus, I come to you in prayer. Forgive me for my proud heart. Forgive me from turning away from your Word every time you speak to me. I confess I’ve been too proud to submit to you. King Jesus I submit my life to you. Be my King and Master. Rule over my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.