Born King
Two Responses to Jesus at Christmas
Aaron Lee | December 21, 2025 | FCBCW Children’s Worship
Introduction
What were the two responses when baby Jesus was born?
1. Worship
The first response to Jesus is worship:
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” … (Matthew 2:1-6)
King Herod heard about this, asked where Jesus would be born, and was told this prophecy from Micah 5:2:
… 6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” (Matthew 2:1-6)
Application
The wise men from the east were Gentiles. They recognized Jesus appropriately as the king.
All must worship Jesus by honoring him as our king, our ruler, and our shepherd.
2. War
The second response to Jesus is war. Herod tries to kill Jesus, but can’t find him because an angel had warned Joseph to hide in Egypt. He further escalates this war:
… 16 Then Herod, when he realized that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men. … (Matthew 2:13-18)
Prophecy is fulfilled from Jeremiah 31:15:
… 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they are no more. (Matthew 2:13-18)
Application
God took care of Jesus’s family the entire time. God knew this was going to happen and wrote it in his word.
No one can defeat God’s purposes, so we can trust God’s word comes true.
Gospel
Jesus survived Herod’s war, but he would still face opposition all throughout his life:
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. 23 Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene. (Matthew 2:19-23)
The thing about Nazareth is that nobody liked Nazareth. This was where the Roman soldiers were based. If you came from Nazareth, you were with with the enemy. Jesus would still face opposition all throughout his life, eventually giving it up on the cross for our salvation:
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, (John 1:9-12)
To spiritualize and broaden the text, I want to say that we do more than not receive him – but we reject him. We rebel against him. This is spiritual war. Christ died to reconcile us. He calls our allegiance to him.
Receive him as the light, receive him as the Son of God, receive him as the king.
Big Idea
The right response to Jesus the King born into the world is to worship him.