This article is part 3A of a short series titled “The Kingdom and the King.”
The series traces the story of Jesus from promise to reign, showing how the Kingdom of God unfolds across the Gospels. Part 2 of the series can be found at The Kingdom and the King: Part 2 – Promise of a Coming King
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Part 3A — The Revelation of the King
From Bethlehem to the Jordan
Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy of Jesus, but Luke begins differently. In Luke 1, the story starts with the announcement of the one who would prepare the way—the forerunner, John the Baptizer. Before the King appears publicly, the way must be made ready.
Both Matthew and Luke record angelic visitations that frame these births as a divine announcement, not human planning. In Matthew 1, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream, assuring him that the child conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel appears first to Zechariah, announcing the birth of John, and then to Mary, announcing the birth of Jesus. Heaven itself testifies that something extraordinary is unfolding. The birth of the promised King—the Messiah—is being announced.
Luke 2 records the birth of Jesus. This passage is beloved by many and is often read each year as part of the Christmas story. Yet it is far more than a seasonal tradition. It is the arrival of the King.
The child is born not in a palace, but in a humble setting—a manger. Shepherds, not rulers, are the first to receive the announcement. And yet the scene is anything but ordinary. A multitude of angels appears, praising God and declaring peace. Heaven celebrates what earth scarcely understands.
The King has arrived—but not in the way most expected.
The Circumcision of the King
Eight days after His birth, Jesus was circumcised and formally given the name Jesus (Luke 2:21). This brief detail is easily overlooked, yet it is deeply significant.
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant given to Abraham (Genesis 17). By undergoing this rite, Jesus was publicly identified as a son of Israel—a child of the covenant promises. The One who would fulfill the Law, first submitted to it. From the very beginning, the King stood within the story of His people.
Luke also records that Mary and Joseph brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him at the temple (Luke 2:22–38). There, two faithful servants of God—Simeon and Anna—recognized what others did not. Simeon took the child in his arms and declared that he had seen God’s salvation—“a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel.”
Luke adds that Joseph and Mary were amazed at the things
which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His
mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in
Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own
soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Early Childhood: Recognition and Rejection
Matthew adds details about Jesus’ early childhood that Luke does not include.
Sometime after His birth, wise men from the East—often called Magi—arrived in Jerusalem (Matthew 2:1–12). They had seen a star and understood it as a sign that a king had been born. Their question troubled the city: “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
The irony is striking. Foreign scholars traveled to worship Him, while many in Jerusalem were disturbed by His arrival. The Magi eventually found the child and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—gifts worthy of royalty.
But not all welcomed the news. King Herod, fearing a rival, ordered the massacre of male children in Bethlehem two years old and under (Matthew 2:16–18). The King’s arrival immediately provoked opposition. The pattern that would define His ministry—revelation followed by resistance—appears from the beginning.
Warned in a dream, Joseph took Mary and the child and fled to Egypt (Matthew 2:13–15). There they remained until Herod’s death. Matthew notes that this fulfilled the words spoken by the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Just as Israel had once come out of Egypt, so the true Son retraces that path.
After Herod died, the family returned, but instead of settling again in Bethlehem, they made their home in Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 2:19–23; Luke 2:39–40). Nazareth was an unremarkable town in an often-overlooked region. The King grew up far from the centers of power and influence.
Luke summarizes these years simply: “The Child grew and became strong; He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” The King’s early life was marked not by spectacle, but by quiet faithfulness.
This
progression—from covenant sign, to prophetic recognition, to foreign worship,
to violent rejection, to humble obscurity—quietly sets the stage for everything
that follows.
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The King has arrived.
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He is recognized by the faithful.
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He is opposed by the powerful.
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He grows in obscurity until the appointed time
of public revealing.
The Boy in the Temple: A Glimpse of the King
Luke alone records one event from Jesus’ youth. When He was twelve years old, His family traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, as they did each year (Luke 2:41–52). Passover commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt—a reminder of redemption and covenant identity. It is fitting that this scene takes place in that setting.
After the feast, Mary and Joseph began the journey home, assuming Jesus was traveling with relatives. After a full day’s journey, they realized He was not among them. Returning to Jerusalem, they found Him three days later in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Those who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
When His parents expressed their distress, Jesus responded with words that reveal a growing awareness of His identity: “Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).
This statement is remarkable. At twelve years old, Jesus speaks of the temple as “My Father’s house.” The language anticipates what He will later declare during the cleansing of the temple. The authority He will one day exercise openly is already present, though quietly.
Yet the scene ends not with confrontation but with submission. Luke tells us that Jesus returned with His parents to Nazareth and was obedient to them. The King who would one day command storms and confront religious leaders first lived in humble obedience within an ordinary household. Luke summarizes these years simply: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
The moment in the temple is a brief unveiling—a glimpse of who He is. The Father’s house already claims His attention. The King already understands His mission. But the time for public revelation has not yet come. For now, He returns to Nazareth.
The years of silence continue. The King grows in obscurity until the day when a voice will cry out in the wilderness, and the Jordan River will become the stage for His unveiling.
“The hidden years
end; the Jordan now sets the stage…”
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Stay tuned for Part 3B "Kingdom and the King: Part 3B – The King Revealed and Tested" which is to follow.
Part 2 of the series can be found at The Kingdom and the King: Part 2 – Promise of a Coming King
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