“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” Matthew 2: 1,2
New Year’s day brings a sense of closure on the past events and hope for better days in the year ahead. It also moves most people on in their thinking from the birth of Christ – Christmas is over, a new year has begun, and we need to think about summer holidays or buying a new car!
It was wise men who asked the question, ‘where is He that is born king of the Jews’? They did not view the birth of Christ as a one-day event that could be put out of their minds as they returned to the East. Their meeting with Christ changed their lives. T.S. Eliot captured this in his famous poem, the Journey of the Magi when he wrote:
“We returned to our places, these Kingdoms, But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation, With an alien people clutching their gods.”
Those men asked a question that has never been asked since – where is He that is born King? Men are not born kings. Prince Charles may be King someday, but he was born a prince and remains a prince. He is the heir apparent to the throne of the United Kingdom. A prince may have the legal right to reign, but circumstances can prevent him from reaching the throne.
There is certainty behind the wise men’s inquiry, an understanding that nothing can prevent Christ from being King of the Jews. The Bible is full of such confidence. Christ was born to reign! He has been appointed by Divine decree. He is the eternal Son of God who became man and has inherited as a man all that is rightfully His.
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee”. Psalm 2:6,7
And while the wise men understood this, they viewed His kingdom as the nation of Israel. But the Bible throughout makes it clear that Christ will reign over the Universe! He is not an heir apparent. He is the appointed heir of all things because He created all things!
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” Hebrews 1:1,2
The year 2020 has seen social and political upheaval in the world on a scale unknown outside of wartime. It has become evident that governments and politicians do not have the answers to the world’s problems. They have undertaken to do the impossible – protect us from disease and death.
The answer to this world’s problems is Christ the King.
“Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:1,2
The King is a man who because He is also God can be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest. We do not need to wait for Him to take the throne; we can come to Him today and acknowledge our inability, weakness, failure and sin. He will shield us from the storms of life. He alone can save us from the judgement of God that is coming upon this world.
“Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:12