One of our great Christmas traditions is opening our homes to visitors who come to help us celebrate—like gift-bearing grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors—which reminds me of the fact that Joseph and Mary welcomed visitors who came to celebrate the royal birth of King Jesus.
Interestingly, the first visitors were not highly positioned people, as you might think, but shepherds who were considered lowly occupants of the bottom rung of the social ladder. Which makes an important point: this King would be a King who came to bless and benefit even the weak and marginalized. But, just in case we assume that those were the only visitors, let’s not forget that royalty, kings from the East, trekked a star-led journey to visit the King Jesus with extravagant gifts. And, bowing before the King of the Jews, they gave us an early look into this baby’s claim that he would be the King of Kings.
In a world of rulers who in their self-serving, politicized agendas often breed chaos, confusion and fear in the lives of their subjects … our King of Kings will ultimately reign over a Kingdom that offers peace in the place of chaos, clarity in the place of confusion and confidence in the place of fear.
And just to prove the point that this royal child born in Bethlehem is indeed the King of Kings, Scripture assures us in Philippians 2:10-11 that the day is coming, when, like those early visitors, all kings who have ever lived will bow before Him, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Which means that it is not just Kings that will bow in his presence, but all of us will bow and worship him as King.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for that day!
