-6IntroductionChristmas is incomplete if it does not celebrate the arrival of our king. Democracy has hindered our Christianity because we have lost our respect for the kingOur appreciation for the King is drastically different than that of Israel’sIsrael was birthed under a theocracy Left in the hands of unredeemed people to put someone in charge, there is no telling what you might end up with (1 Sam. 8:4-5)Saul ruled well for awhile but was then impeachedKings were looked to for guidance and protection, which is different from our view of kings now, we want to do it our way Matthew’s gospel focuses on Jesus as Messiah as compared to the other synopticsWe should celebrate the birth of Christ because God has given us a king to rule over us (Isaiah 9:6-7)He Challenges Our WorshipThe new Kings arrival sent shockwaves throughout the landscape and exposed the hearts of the peopleHis arrival was atypical – compare it to the president or other dignitaryWe celebrate the proximity because his presence is significantJesus did not get the typical welcome although the expectation had been brewing for 700 yearsMagi didn’t show up until 2 years after the birth of JesusHis presence should challenge our worshipYou may not have been aware of who Jesus was before you met him, but your response should reflect your appreciationWhat drew the wise men to Bethlehem (Numbers 24:17) – the wordAnticipation – “Where is he who was born king of the Jews”Magi present one response, Herod presents another With Herod there was great animosity because the world is not big enough for two kingsHerod brought peace but not peace for the Jews The world cannot handle two kings because: Herod was an unworthy king – illegitimate in the sight of the JewsHerod was an insecure king – Herod killed any threat to the throneHerod was an uninformed kingHe Changed The WorldThe arrival of the king changed the entire landscape of our worldBethlehem goes from being too little too little to be among the clans of Judah to being great among the clans of JudahJesus didn’t just level the playing field he turned it upside down – the first shall be last and the last first Jesus became the ruler of the Jews and the Gentiles Jesus is our ruler Jesus is not just a ruler, Jesus is also a shepherd We tend to throw around the label king when people come along who change the way we view or appreciate something:The King of Rock & Roll – ElvisThe King of Blues – B.B. King The King of Basketball – Lebron James The King of my Soul – JesusThe King of the world – JesusJesus kingship was radically different from that of any other KingSaul the first King David the warrior KingSolomon the wise KingHerod the King of PeaceJesus the king of kings