Jesus was born as the Messiah and the king. His birth fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies that God would unveil His kingdom of peace and eternal life through him. Isaiah 7:14 - Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. The followings are discussed: The King is born; The King is sought, and The King is Worshipped.
The King is born: Mary was pregnant during the time she was pledged to be married. Her husband, Joseph had been planning secretly to terminate the engagement (betrothal), knowing they had not married and had no sexual relations. Such development would be treated as adultery with serious consequences that Joseph could not bear. As Joseph was considering what to do with the strange development, the angel of God appeared to him and told him not to fear because Mary's pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit (Mathew:18-21). Mary remained a virgin throughout the time of conception to the birth of her child.
Christ's conception was a miracle that occurred only once in humans and will never occur again. Joseph was relieved by the message from the angel and was confident to take Mary to himself and care for her. Christians should learn from Joseph's experience that when faith in God is tested and happenings are contrary to the expectations, they should keep trusting God. He has purpose for any circumstances and plans the best for those faithfully serving Him. He worked through unusual event Joseph experienced to give the promised Messiah
With the birth of Jesus the old testament prophecy was fulfilled (Isaiah 7:14). 'Immanuel' means God with us, and Jesus, 'the Lord saves'. The presence of Christ is synonymous with the presence of God, and salvation he has brought to the world shows extent of God's love to all people. While Jesus was on the earth he possessed both human and divine identity and his mission was to reconcile people to God and save lives.
The King Sought: Following the birth of Jesus, wise men from the east saw the sign that signified the birth of a king and followed it to locate the King's birth place (Mathew 2: 1-2). The wise men are also known as the astrologers, those who study and define signs of stars. They were pagans but God reached out to them and brought them to Jesus. Their action pointed to Christ's mission which is to reach out to the sinners and lead them to God, the Father. Christians should do all they could to reach out to the lost and bring them to Jesus.
When king Herod got the news of the birth of the new king which was according to old testament messianic prophesy, he sent for religious leaders to give him detailed information about the birth place (Mathew 2:3-8). His plan was to prevent another king from emerging in his kingdom. He called the wise men who were being led by the star and told them to locate the child and come back with the information. The star had disappeared by the time the wise men got to the king, but it appeared again when they had left Herod and resumed the journey.
The King is worshipped: The star was very special in that it led the wise men as they moved until they got to exact place Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Mathew 2:9-10). Just as the wise men were neither tired nor distracted to loose the direction to Jesus, Christians should continue in the right direction and ensure they lead others to Christ. Finally the wise men saw Jesus and worshipped him. They didn't go with empty hands, they gave him valuable gifts. With the sacrifice of their time and other resources they acknowledged arrival of the Messiah. Lesson texts: Matthew 1:1:18 through 2:23.
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