Dear Christian friends:

When Christ was born in Bethlehem almost 2,000 years ago many strange and surprising things happened. Angels appeared to Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds explaining to them that the son of Mary in the manger is the promised Messiah (King).

Then in the East a strange star leads wise men to worship the Christ in Bethlehem. The angels, and the star are indeed strange and surprising, but there is something else very surprising connected with Christ's birth.

Our lesson tells of the strange, surprising meeting of Kings. The wise men are kings. Herod is a king and the babe in Bethlehem is a King. These kings meet in our lesson. God caused them to meet and by their meeting wants to teach us a very important lesson. So let us attend to:


Jesus is the King of Kings for all the world and His subjects humbly kneel before Him and serve Him.

By leading these three kings of the East to meet King Herod and then King Jesus God wants to impress upon us that Jesus is the One great King over all other kings or that He is the Son of God and Savior-King over all believers.

When the wise men came to Jerusalem and said: "Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" King Herod was troubled. Why? He misunderstood about King Jesus. He thought that Jesus was an earthly king like himself and he was afraid Jesus would grow up and steal his kingdom from him.

So he tells the wise men to go to Bethlehem and find the babe and then come again and tell him. But God warned the wise men not to return to Herod. When Herod heard that the wise men mocked him he was angry and later sent his soldiers to kill all the babies in Bethlehem who were two years old and below. In that way he hoped to kill Baby Jesus among them. That was a terrible slaughter and it was very foolish. Jesus although a King was not competing for Herod's Kingdom.

Thirty years later when Pilate asked Jesus if he was a King, Jesus answered "Yes, that is why I was born and that is why I came into the world to tell the truth. Everyone that loves truth hears MY voice. Then Jesus added: "My kingdom is not of this world."

He meant that He was the Son of God and Savior for sinners. His kingdom is the Church, the union of all believers. He does not rule with force, soldiers, swords and police like earthly kings and governments.

He rules in believers hearts by God's Word and Holy Spirit. Through God's Word sinners confess and change, trusting in Jesus' blood for remission of sins and then they freely and gladly serve and obey their wonderful Savior King.

Herod thought Jesus will steal His small kingdom of Judea. But Jesus' Kingdom is much larger than small Judea. All nations, races come to Him and join His Kingdom through faith just as these wise kings came from far away. And since that day many people sinners from every race and nation on earth, have joined Jesus' Kingdom through faith in His blood.

Millions are now in heaven and millions still on earth. Like Herod people also today misunderstand about King Jesus and His kingdom. Some think Jesus' kingdom and earthly governments should be joined. Catholics and Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and others hope for a 1,000 year reign of peace on earth.

Many Protestant ministers preach only a social gospel: Think Jesus and His Church's chief purpose is to make a better society here on earth. Their chief preaching is not about sin and Jesus' blood which washes away sin nor do they tell about heaven and hell after death.

How about you? Do you also misunderstand about King Jesus and His Church? Many deaf misunderstand. They think the church is like a social club: socials, bazaars, parties, and dinners these things are important they feel. But if you urge them to confess their sins and come to the Lord's Supper, read the Bible at home or come to Bible Class they are not interested.

If you ask them to serve on a mission committee or evangelism committee or stewardship committee which these groups truly attend to Jesus' Kingdom work, then they don't care.

The really important Kingdom things church members often overlook, but they are wild and crazy about doing little unimportant things.

Let us not like Herod misunderstand about Jesus' and His Kingdom. Herod made a very terrible mistake in that. Rather let us understand aright like the wise men did.

They show by their actions here that they understood and believed aright in Jesus. They were not troubled like Herod and the people of Jerusalem. People who misunderstand Jesus are always troubled and afraid.

The wise men rejoiced when they heard about Jesus King of the Jews and they hurried and worshipped Him and offered unto Him very precious gifts. Now remember, these wise men themselves were great and rich kings. But they were not proud of their earthly riches and power. They didn't think that was theirs and not Gods. Although they were rich kings they knew that they were only servants of God through faith in His Son Jesus. There own crowns and riches they despise and honor Jesus as their true and only King and Savior.

So we must learn to despise our own honor and glory and think that of little worth compared to Jesus our King and Savior. Let us not boast in our worldly kingdoms and powers and think America is so great. Let us boast about Jesus and that He in mercy has let us become members of His great, everlasting Kingdom.

Today people do not remember the wise men because they were kings over small kingdoms in Arabia, but all the world remembers them because they humbly knelt before Jesus, the Savior King. You, too, are not great because of your money or because you are an American. You are great and will be remembered forever, only if you kneel before the Savior and confess Him your only Savior and King.

Amen.