“He doesn’t look like a king.”
The tightly bound bundle in the cattle trough struggled to break free of His wrappings. His tiny, dark eyes slowly scanned the room, taking in a new world outside the womb. A donkey brayed, startling the newborn and causing his toothless cries to pierce the midnight sky. He was so helpless. So dependent. So weak. So unspectacular to everyone other than the poor, young couple who brought Him to Bethlehem.
But, hidden among the swaddling strips was sovereignty. A visitor could not have seen it, but this baby was royalty. And His arrival into this world began His ascent to the throne.
When the wise men journeyed from the east to meet “the one born king of the Jews,” they first went to Jerusalem, the capital city and the center of Israel’s political and spiritual life. However, they were redirected to Bethlehem, about six miles south. This was in keeping with Micah’s prophecy about the Messiah,
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times. (Micah 5:2)
Though Bethlehem was insignificant in comparison to other cities, it would be the birthplace of a ruler with eternal roots. That Jesus was born here set in motion the confirmation of His royal identity.
Let’s take a few minutes to appreciate geography. Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth, a town in the tribal land of Naphtali. Caesar’s census decree forced them to travel to Bethlehem, located in the tribal land of Judah. When Jacob blessed each one of his sons (who became the 12 tribes of Israel), he prayed over Judah:
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his. (Genesis 49:10)
The “scepter” and the “ruler’s staff” would continually come from the tribe of Judah. And all the nations would bow before such a person. This is the language of royalty. Hundreds of years after Jacob’s blessing, David was anointed king over Israel. And guess where David was born? In Bethlehem of Judah! And, through David’s line, all the kings of Israel would proceed. Beth-lehem wasn’t just the village down the road; It was the birthplace of kings. And so, the baby in the manger possessed a royal bloodline—descended from David, of the tribe of Judah, a king for the nations.
The royalty of Jesus was confirmed over and again throughout His life. The angel Gabriel told Mary about her Son, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32-33). The Magi were foretold that Jesus was a king. He preached frequently about His kingdom. When Pilate asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus agreed, “Yes, it is as you say” (Luke 23:3). He was crucified with a nameplate over His head that said as much. And, the book of Revelation announces that, when Jesus returns, He will be heralded as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).
Jesus isn’t an authoritarian figurehead ruling only in a way that pleases Himself. He is a benevolent, perfect, righteous, and loving King who possesses absolute sovereignty as He reigns eternally. Presently, Jesus our King is seated at God’s “right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20-21).
LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING
What is the proper disposition of citizens on earth to their heavenly King? They bow.
Bending at the waist or going down to one knee makes a person physically lower than another. It’s a sign of submission and surrender, humbling oneself in the presence of greatness.
For God’s people today, worship is how we bow. In fact, the word “worship” in both Hebrew and Greek means “to fall down or prostrate before.” Worship is not an event we attend on Sunday morning for an hour. It’s whatever we do that exalts the worth of Jesus as our Lord and King. We worship with our mouths, speaking the kind of language that honors Jesus. We worship with our hands, serving others as an extension of serving our King. We worship with our giving, showing the kind of generosity that is never too much for our Lord. We worship with singing, exuberantly declaring our love and loyalty to Him. We worship with our relationships, honoring our neighbors as God’s sovereign inheritance. Worship is a reorientation of all my life under the rightful rule of Jesus, my King.
The bowing of our lives in this way only occurs as the distance between our humanity and Jesus’ majesty becomes greater. John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). As the gap increases, worship ignites.
Consider Isaiah’s experience, caught up in a heavenly vision of the Lord—seated on His throne, His robe trailing behind Him in the temple, a chorus of angels singing, the earth’s foundations quaking, and billows of smoke curling around the sanctuary columns (Isaiah 6:1-4). John writes that Isaiah was actually encountering Jesus (John 12:41)! No Broadway production could ever match the theatrics of this awesome scene.
Overwhelmed by this reality, Isaiah cries out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (v. 5). As King Jesus became infinitely greater in his sight, Isaiah perceived his smallness. And the result was worship. By the time the episode was over, Isaiah had surrendered himself to God’s purposes.
Look into the manger and see the kid who would be King. Jesus is our royal Sovereign, deserving of all our worship. Surrender. Fall on your knees. Let your whole life bow with all of heaven and earth to Jesus Christ who is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).