That’s Our King In The Manger!

Uplook – December 2011 – Grace & Truth Magazine

THIS CHRISTMAS REMEMBER
That’s Our King In The Manger

When do those reading Luke’s gospel for the first time discover that the baby born in a manger is really Christ the king? Chapter 1 tells them that Jesus’ birth is really special, with an angel announcing to a virgin that she will bear a child who “will be called the Son of the Highest ... He will reign ... forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end ... that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Lk. 1:32-35 NKJV ).

In chapter 2 readers are told that this king’s birthplace was Bethlehem, where His parents had to go to register for the census, because Joseph was “of the house of David,” and David was the most renowned Old Testament king of the Jews (2:4). Then they read that lowly Jewish “shepherds living out in the fields” were surprised when “an angel of the Lord” told them: “There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (2:8-11). The angel’s references to “the city of David” and “Savior who is Christ the Lord” are all clear references to a sovereign king. Even though this king was born in obscurity, God wanted readers to know that He was definitely a king.

In chapter 1 of Matthew’s gospel readers find a genealogy that traces Christ’s lineage back to king David (Mt. 1:6,17). Then in chapter 2, they discover that wise men from the East were miraculously guided to Bethlehem by “His star” (Mt. 2:2,9) and by the Old Testament prophecy of Micah 5:2 which they quoted to Herod: “Bethlehem ... out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” And when these wise men got to the house and “saw the young child with Mary His mother” they “fell down and worshiped Him” and presented to Him gifts fit for a king – “gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Mt. 2:6-11).

When the opening chapters of Luke’s and Matthew’s gospels are read during the Christmas season, readers focus on Jesus as the babe in the manger. But it’s good to remember that first and foremost these gospels were written to introduce us to Christ, our king.

By Larry Ondrejack