Born King
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. ”
Merry Christmas?
Merry Christmas! That is the greeting on everyone’s lips during the Christmas season.
In my heart, I often thought to myself, “What is so merry about Christmas?” I can accept greetings like “blessed Christmas” because the arrival of the Messiah or Saviour is an awesome blessing. But there is nothing merry about Christmas. Please do not frown at me. You would not if you know the Christmas story.
The serenity surrounding the little baby, Jesus, in the manger is a figment of our imagination. This motif has warmed the hearts of many people, Christians and non-Christians alike. I hate to spoil your long-cherished idea, but it is at best an inaccurate picture and at worst it betrays your ignorance of the Christmas story.
How could Christmas be merry when Joseph and Mary had to scramble to find a place for her to give birth? All the inns were full. They ended up in the house of a kind soul. But the only place available in the tiny house was the shed, which served as both storage space and night-shelter for animals. It was an inconvenient and uncomfortable Christmas for them.
Behind the veil in the spiritual realm on that Christmas night, God and Satan were facing off in a cosmic chess game with eternal implications. The incarnation (becoming flesh and blood) of Jesus was a closely guarded secret. Satan had no idea of the incarnation though he knew that God was up to something. Whatever that might be, Satan was watching like a hawk, ready to pounce and kill God’s plan right at its inception.
The apostle, John, caught a glimpse of this event in a vision. He saw “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems… And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron…” (Revelation 12:1-6 - ESV).
The great red dragon is Satan (Revelation 12:9) and the child is Jesus Christ, who is destined to reign as King over all of God’s created realms.
Months later, King Herod was rattled. Guided by a star, wise men from the east came to Bethlehem looking for the One who was born king of the Jews. Satan exploited Herod’s insecurity and murderous instinct. Afraid to lose his throne, Herod immediately ordered the killing of all baby boys aged two and under. He wasted no time in eliminating any potential challenge to his throne.
This massacre took place in the months following Christmas, when Christ Jesus was born! Merry Christmas? I don’t think Christmas was merry to anyone then. On the contrary, the season was marked by fear, intrigue and conflict.
Satan is Bent on Killing Baby Jesus
Jesus was only a helpless baby. Why was Satan so desperate and bent on killing Him?
On the first Christmas, Satan suddenly realised that Jesus was God’s trump card to save mankind and dethrone him as the ruler of the world. Jesus was the centrepiece of God’s redemptive plan, which the prophets had prophesied. These prophecies were recorded in many places in the Old Testament. But until then, how they would unfold was a complete mystery to the devil.
Now that Satan knew, he had to do something about it. He had to act quickly. At stake was the throne and the right to rule over the whole universe and the entire realm of God’s creation; not just Israel and the earth. Satan had been coveting God’s throne for the longest time. That was the reason he led an angelic rebellion against God aeons ago and instigated Adam and Eve to rebel against God.
Jesus, the Son of God, was born to be King. Killing Jesus at His birth was Satan’s only viable option to destroy God’s plan and perpetuating his rule over the earth. That was the reason for the merciless and brutal carnage at Bethlehem. It was his only choice. However, God intervened, and Joseph and Mary managed to escape with Jesus.
A Different Kind of King
Jesus is a different kind of king. All human kings have men fight and give their lives for the sake of their kingdoms. However, Jesus is a king, unlike other kings. He is a Saviour-King. He laid down His life for His subjects. On the cross, Jesus shed His blood and gave His life for those whom He would rule over. He redeemed them from their sins and saved them from eternal condemnation in hell.
Jesus is a different kind of king. He has absolute power. But unlike human dictators, He is loving,and He rules benevolently. In the bible, He is described as a shepherd who cares for His sheep. He protects His flock from dangers (John 10:1-18). He relates to His sheep. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).
Jesus is a different kind of king. The kings of the earth come and go. Mortality is no respecter of persons, including kings. However, Jesus is different. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and His rule is from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus’ rule is also characterised by peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7). Since the beginning of human history, peace has eluded mankind. As long as men are the rulers, peace can never be attained. The dream of utopia is a fantasy. However, the reign of Jesus will be different. Peace will prevail throughout eternity.
The King is Coming Soon
The bible contains the prophecies of Jesus’ first coming. He came as prophesied on Christmas day as a baby in a manger about two thousand years ago. The bible also contains prophecies of His second coming. He will return soon as the King of kings and Lord of lords and rule over all the earth.
He who was born King two thousand years ago is coming soon to take His throne. We look forward to that glorious day. On this optimistic note, perhaps, we can say, Merry Christmas!
Pastors Leslie & Adeline Chua