Thursday 25 August 2011

King Jesus

The birth of Christ is recorded by Matthew and Luke, in their gospels.

Luke tells us that the good news was announced to poor, humble shepherds, who went to worship the baby in the animals' stall. Matthew tells us that wise men from the east came with their gifts to worship him.

Putting those together, we see the glorious twin truths: the gospel largely bypasses the high and mighty but is revealed to the humble "nobodies" who believe. And yet, in the proper time, Christ was and is destined to be worshipped as the king of all nations.

The humble shepherds were doing their ordinary work on an ordinary night, when a choir of angels revealed the glory of God to them - and they went up to worship, whilst the great and important of Judea were passed by. The wise men from the east were summoned by a star and by ancient prophecies, and made their long journey to do homage and acknowledge the world's true king, arriving at a later date yet not too late to praise him.

Shepherds and wise men pointed together to the two sides of the future of the new-born Son of God.

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