“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬)

One thing leapt off the page today. “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” I have two thoughts related to this sentence.

First, the growing disdain for Israel among American Christians of all stripes (Evangelical, Reformed, Catholic, and Orthodox) comes to mind. Interestingly, “Christ is King!” is being proclaimed from each quarter. On its face, “Christ is King” is a wonderful and accurate recognition of who Jesus is. After all, Revelation 19:16 says, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” However, I’m not hearing this declaration of Christ’s kingship in “normal” conversations; I am hearing it in the political sphere, used as a weapon against support for Israel. So, I find some irony in reading the wisemen’s inquiry: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

Second, on this Saturday before Resurrection Sunday, my mind shifted from King of the Jews to Savior of the world! The Apostle John records these words: “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” (‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬) John also reports on the Samaritans’ recognition of Jesus as the Savior of the world: “They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’” (‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭42)

So, on this Saturday, I worship and proclaim Jesus, the King of the Jews and Savior of the world.

Father, help me recognize Jesus for who he is, and not misuse his identity as an insult toward others. Amen.