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Two Kings

Vicar Kirk Hulvey
January 8, 2012

Grace and peace you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

“We three Kings of Orient are... bearing gifts we traverse afar.” That's the picture we often have as we celebrate Epiphany, isn't it? We picture three wise men on camels, following a star, intending to visit Jesus. Three royal figures that appear on the scene of Jesus' birth, dressed in expensive robes and bringing special gifts before a baby in a manger. At least that's how it usually comes to mind.

When we think of Epiphany in this way, it's mostly correct. Wise men did come to find Jesus. They brought gifts to Him out of worship. They did follow a star and they knew of one who had been born king of the Jews. But nowhere in our text does it say that there were three. The number of wise men is not designated. It also doesn't say that they were kings. They are simply referred to as wise men... magi... scholars who studied astrology and astronomy. Tradition has us think of three ... one king for each gift: frankincense, gold, and myrrh. We've even named the kings! Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar. I'm not saying that we shouldn't view the wise men in this way as tradition holds. I'm simply saying that three kings are not mentioned in the text of the Bible.

But two kings are mentioned in today's Gospel reading! It's those two kings that I'd like to focus on.

But before we get into that, I have few questions for you to consider. What are the ideal characteristics of a ruler or an authority figure? For example, how would you desire our president, our governor, or even your boss at work to conduct him or herself? Furthermore, who is it that rules your life? Who makes the decisions, guides your thinking, determines your future? Is it your spouse? Is it your children who demand your time and energy? Is it your parents who tell you when to go to bed and what chores you have to do? Is it some self-perceived ruler, like perfectionism or materialism, which drives you to act the way that you do? Or are you your own person, your own king or queen so to speak? I invite you to think about such things as we look now at our text.

Our Gospel reading from Matthew 2 mentions two kings. The first is Herod. Herod was born in 73 BC and was appointed king over the lands of Judea and Samaria by the Romans in 39 BC. History refers to him as Herod the Great. Some aspects of his rule were truly great... others not so much.

Under Herod's rule, the Jewish temple was rebuilt. He restored the land of Samaria after centuries of turmoil. He brought peace and stability to the land. He took an area that was formerly in upheaval and used his power and strength to subdue it and make it peaceful again.

But how did Herod achieve such great things? He did so by force. He used the Roman legions at his disposal to unify Jerusalem after he took power. His building projects were completed by forced labor and through heavy taxes imposed on his people.

Even in his personal affairs he sought to achieve his own purposes by using force. Before he had become king, he had witnessed his father's murder, an event which caused to Herod to keep his authority close to the chest. He was so power-hungry that when he felt that his throne was threatened, he had two of sons murdered along with one of his wives. He wasn't even going to allow his own family to get in the way of his pursuit of power and authority.

Herod was completely paranoid! And our text makes this clear as well. In verses two and three, when the wise men came and mentioned that they were seeking one who had been born king of the Jews, Herod was troubled... he freaked out. It was so bad that the whole capitol city was troubled along with him! The people of Jerusalem knew what could happen when Herod flew off the handle. They knew he could kill whoever he wanted and get away with it. They knew he could use his armies against his own people if only because he slept poorly the night before. Herod was so troubled by the Magi's news that he would later have all the male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding region who were two years or younger drowned! Herod was crazy: a deranged tyrant, a prideful man. And although he wanted for nothing, he was afraid of losing everything.

Herod himself was not a Jew, but an Edomite, which meant that he was decedent of Esau. His family had converted to Judaism, but in name only... their allegiance was more toward the Roman Empire than toward God. According to God's law, Herod was not supposed to be the ruler of God's people. But because Herod wielded the sword and inspired fear among the people, the Jews of the region bowed to him as their king. He was a worldly king, set up by worldly authorities, conducting worldly affairs. His power was limited to a specific region at a specific time in history. And even though he ruled over the Jewish people he was completely ignorant of the one who had been promised from long ago. He did not expect anyone to contest him as king of the Jews.

But a second King did come.... The second King did not grow up in magnificent palaces. He was not born in a capitol city. He was born instead in a lowly village, a simple suburb, a town that, until His coming, had been viewed as least among the towns of Judah. Yes, a great King-King David-had come from Bethlehem centuries before. But what did that matter? That was so long ago! Now Bethlehem was barely a spot on the map, a pit stop five miles outside Jerusalem, a watering hole for shepherds and their flocks. Not a birthplace for a King!

But King Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph! He appeared weak and powerless. He did not have Roman legions at his beck and call. He did not have building projects to complete and countries to stabilize. He was not recognized by the people as a ruler who was to be feared and respected. As the son of carpenter, he held no earthly status whatsoever.

But the reality was that King Jesus held-and continues to hold-all power and authority! Even though Jesus came as a baby and took on our human flesh, He was still the ruler of all things. Jesus described it this way... He said: “All things are delivered to me by my Father. (Mt. 11:27) All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. (Mt. 28:18)” Jesus was clear: “Everything-all people, tribes, and languages-have been placed under My feet.” (Ps. 8:6, Eph. 1:22, 1 Cor. 15:27)

Unlike Herod, Jesus does not rule His Kingdom by the ways of the world. His ways are much different! Jesus rules His kingdom by grace, with love and forgiveness, with patience and service. As we read earlier from Psalm 72, Jesus came to judge the peoples in righteousness and the afflicted with justice. He came to save the children of the needy. His grace is so abundant that it is like rain falling on a mown field, like showers that water the earth. He pours out His grace on people-on you and me-and by that grace and through His Holy Spirit He creates faith, so that we believe in Him.

Herod was a tyrant king. Jesus is our gracious King. And as our gracious King, sometimes He looks more like a shepherd than like a King. For out of Bethlehem “shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” (Mt. 2:6, Micah 5:2-4) As a shepherd King, He seeks after those who are lost; He leads and comforts His flock by His rod and His staff; He even lays down His life for His sheep. Like a shepherd, He came to guide and to serve people... not only the people of Israel but all people who believe in Him.

The fact that the wise men recognized Jesus as “the King of the Jews” foreshadowed His death. That was the exact sign that Pontius Pilate ordered to be placed on the top of the cross when Jesus was crucified: “The King of the Jews.” (Mt. 27:37) That phrase offended Herod. It also offended the Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus' death. And it continues to offend people still today. But for us-for we who believe in King Jesus-that title, that sign of His authority makes known to us our salvation. Our King loved us so much that He was willing to die for us! Our King was so gracious to us that He took all our sins upon Himself and won for us forgiveness! Our King became more than a servant by taking the punishment we deserved upon Himself!

Unlike Herod, Jesus' kingdom was not limited by death. Herod died in 4 BC, and his kingship died along with him. Jesus died on the cross, but He rose again on the third day. His kingdom was not defeated by death. In fact, His rule has had victory over it! And now His kingdom lasts unto all eternity! King Jesus will come again to reign in glory and splendor, in power and might, and every kingdom that is set against Him-the kingdoms of this world, the kingdom of Satan, and the kingdoms of our sinful lives-will be completely defeated. As King, as the One who was born in Bethlehem, He will be all in all!

So I ask you again: what are the ideal characteristics of a ruler? And who has authority over your life? I'm not asking so much about politicians and government authorities, although it's important to consider how they act and who they should be. But I'm talking more about who is King of your life. In our sin, we were all our own Herods-power-hungry tyrants who would not give up rule over our lives to anyone, defending our autonomy to the bitter end, at all costs. But now, in Jesus, we have a new King, THE King. One who not only came to live among us but one who also came to die for us out of His grace and love.

Are there three kings, or two kings or any number of kings? No. There is one King, your King: King Jesus! Amen.