Born to be King

Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy which probably isn't the best way to start a bestseller, so why does Matthew do it? Matthew 1:1 tells us why. It says, "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham." This genealogy establishes the fact that Jesus was a descendant of David and was therefore eligible to be the Messiah. 

Messiah is a Hebrew word that simply means “anointed one.” You may remember that David was anointed as king many years before he actually became king. In the same way, when God revealed that one of David's descendants would reign forever over a kingdom that would extend to the ends of the earth, God’s people began to think of this descendant as having already been anointed king. They were just waiting for him to take the throne.

When we read the Christmas story we find this emphasized over and over again. Jesus was born to be king. This is overwhelmingly clear in Luke's birth account as well, but for the sake of space let's stick with Matthew's gospel. 

Matthew 2:1-2 says that "Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?'" The wise men came looking for a king! And in the rest of chapter 2 Herod set out to kill not just any baby but a king. 

If we fast-forward through the gospel, we find the same emphasis many years later at Jesus’ death. Matthew 27:37 says that as Jesus was crucified, “above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” So, that phrase, the "King of the Jews" hangs over both Jesus’ birth and His death in the gospel of Matthew. It was the king of the Jews that the Magi came searching for at His birth, and it was the king of the Jews that the Romans crucified at His death.

And yet somehow, today Jesus has been robbed of his kingship. Churches present Him as a Savior and a friend but never as a king. Certainly Jesus is the only Savior and He is our closest friend, but not until He is first our King! So, this Christmas let’s not just kneel before the manger in wonder at the baby. Let’s not just kneel before the cross in awe of the Savior. This Christmas, let’s also kneel before the throne and swear allegiance to the King.

Creation Puts Us To Shame

Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 38:8-11

A few weeks ago, I went to the beach on vacation. I love to watch the waves crash into the shore. It's almost like the hit a barrier that they cannot pass. In fact, this is basically what the passage above saves is true. At creation God told the seas, "You can go this far and no further," and they continue to obey Him perfectly. They never go beyond the boundaries He set for them except at His command. The same is true of the stars and celestial bodies. God set them in their course, and they keep to it, never deviating from it except at His command. In fact, Psalm 74:17 says of God, "It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth..." God placed boundaries on all His creation, and the whole of creation obeys His command to this very day, never transgressing the boundaries He has put in place... except for man.

You see, God has placed boundaries on mankind as well. Particularly on our behavior. He has told us, "You may go this far and no further." But we transgress His command, don't we? Ever since Adam and Eve transgressed that first boundary our hearts have been unruly and untamable. In this way, creation puts us to shame. It is perfect in obedience, where we are anything but. 

That is why Christianity must be about more than just forgiveness of sins. It must also be about lordship. Becoming a Christian is more than just asking for forgiveness for all the times you've transgressed God's boundaries. It is also about submitting yourself to His boundaries and ordering your life by His authority again. Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

So, let all of us who have confessed Jesus as Lord, take a lesson from the rest of creation, and submit ourselves to the limits God has placed on us. He created us, and He has the right to tell us "You can go this far and no further." 

Have you been coloring outside the lines? Is there a boundary you have been crossing? If so, it isn't a trivial thing. Ask forgiveness and submit yourself to God.