Christmas: The King Came Quietly, He Returns in Glory

Uploaded: 2026-08-29T06:00:00+00:00
Description: Christmas is more than garlands, lights, gifts, good meals, and family gatherings. All these beautiful things are centered on one person: a King who came.

Introduction

Christmas is more than garlands, lights, gifts, good meals, and family gatherings. All these beautiful things are centered on one person: a King who came. An infinite God who drew near to finite beings, like a newborn lying in a manger. The question this Sunday isn't whether you'll celebrate Christmas well. It's whether you truly see this King. Because he came once, about 2000 years ago, almost invisible to the eyes of the world. And he will come a second time, on a white horse, as King of kings. Between the two, you're living in a time of grace, and your heart is waiting for an answer: does this King reign inside you?

Message outline

1. Matthew, the gospel that presents Jesus as King

The four gospels present Jesus from four angles. Mark highlights the Servant, who came to serve us. Luke traces the genealogy back to Adam and emphasizes Jesus as Son of Man, born of a woman. John opens with "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1) and presents Jesus as the Son of God. Matthew opens his gospel with a genealogy running from Abraham to David and then to Jesus: it's the line of kings. Jesus is presented as the descendant of King David, the King Messiah.
More proof in Matthew: right from chapter 2, magi from the East arrive asking, "Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). High-ranking, learned people who study the stars spend months traveling to Bethlehem, bow down, and offer him gold, frankincense, and myrrh, gifts fit for a king.
Before their arrival, God had been silent for about 400 years, between the last Old Testament prophet and John the Baptist. Then, suddenly, everything moves: angels sing and deliver messages, old couples like Zechariah and Elizabeth are stirred, godly figures like Simeon and Anna, and even nature itself with a star. God is preparing the arrival of his King.
The scene is loaded with paradox. There is indeed a "king" in Jerusalem: Herod, a cruel, half-Jewish king, who immediately feels threatened. "Herod was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (Matthew 2:3). The true King has just been born in Bethlehem (the city of David), a tiny village of barely a few hundred people, and already another "king" wants to eliminate him.

2. A hidden King, almost invisible to the eyes of the world

The King came, but for most people of that time he remained completely hidden. And today in Paris, as around the world, he's still hidden for many. People don't see in Jesus a King, a Savior, or someone sent from God. It takes eyes of the heart to see him.
His coming is a complete paradox. A King born in a stable and laid in a manger. Not in a palace, but in a despised place. An infinite God taking on the body of a weak baby. And in the end, a King who dies on a cross, between two criminals, with a sign above his head: "King of the Jews," written in three languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, so it could be read by the whole world (John 19:19-20).
In the Gospel of Mark, everyone wonders who this man is. Even the disciples don't understand right away. Jesus himself often asks that people not talk about his miracles. The revelation is gradual: only at the end, after his death, resurrection, and ascension, do the disciples finally understand. Jesus's kingship isn't imposed; it's revealed.
Yet from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus proclaims something very clear: "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Good News" (Mark 1:15). That's the summary of his gospel. The King announces that his reign has arrived. And to enter it, he gives two simple words: change and believe.

3. The inner reign before the outer reign

One day, some Pharisees try to trap Jesus and ask him when the Kingdom of God is coming. His answer upsets their expectations: "The Kingdom of God doesn't come with observation; neither will they say, 'Look, here!' or, 'Look, there!' for behold, the Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). In other words: the reign begins in the heart, not on a visible throne.
Ever since humanity sinned, it has been separated from God. Many were expecting a political Messiah who would overthrow Rome, drive out enemies, and restore a powerful outward kingdom. Jesus says no: for the outward world to change, the inside of each person must change first. The first step is to restore a relationship with God.
This intimate relationship restores three areas at once. First, your relationship with God: that's reconciliation through Jesus. Then your relationship with yourself: when you receive God's love, you're healed of wounds, past baggage, resentment, and bitterness. You become gentler, less "prickly" when someone touches a nerve. Finally, your relationship with others: without that first reconciliation, your relationships with your spouse, your children, your friends, your coworkers stay fragile; with it, you can love, forgive, and open your arms.
The King also tells you who you are. Your new identity: you are a child of the King, you belong to a kingdom, you have a future. One day, your body will be transformed: what is mortal will become immortal, what is weak will become strong. The arm that won't move, the head that aches, the illness that weighs you down, all of it will be renewed. You are called to reign alongside Jesus. This King tells you: "You are precious in my eyes, I love you, I came to die for you."

4. The second coming: the triumphant King of Revelation 19

Jesus's first coming opened a time of grace that has lasted about 2000 years now. But this time will come to an end. One day, the King will return a second time, and this time it will be final. He won't come quietly anymore: he will come visibly, with power, on a white horse, as a triumphant King.
Revelation 19 describes it this way: "I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns... he is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called 'The Word of God'... And he has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS'" (Revelation 19:11-16).
This is no longer a weak baby. This is no longer a hidden King. Everyone will see him. He will destroy his enemies, bring judgment, and reconcile heaven and earth. His outward, universal reign will be established over all creation. He will set up his final kingdom: the new heavens and the new earth, centered on the new Jerusalem.
That day will be glorious for those who welcomed him, but terrible for those who ignored him. Jesus often speaks of Gehenna, the fire of judgment (Mark 9:43-48). This isn't about scaring people, it's about telling the truth: there are only two kingdoms, one of light and one of darkness. If you're not in one, you're in the other. Images of burning buildings, like the recent ones in Hong Kong, pale in comparison to that day. As long as the door is open, you need to walk through it.

5. Your response: welcoming the King onto the throne of your heart

Christmas isn't just eating, drinking, decorating, giving gifts, singing carols. It's taking time to welcome a person: your King. Prepare your heart. Where are you with your relationship with him? Does he know you personally? Or does your life resemble those who will one day say, "Lord, Lord, we ate and drank in your presence," and to whom he will answer, "I don't know you" (Luke 13:26-27)?
The real question of Christmas is the question of the throne. Who is sitting on the throne of your heart right now? Is it you, calling the shots, making the decisions, doing whatever you want? Or have you invited Jesus to sit there? Following Jesus means telling him every day: "My King, you are my joy, I want your will, I'm getting ready for your second coming because I know you're coming back."
Hebrews 12 connects these two times, today's grace and tomorrow's final reign: "Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can't be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29). The key word is unshakeable. Everything humans build can collapse, and burning towers remind us of that. But the kingdom the King is preparing for you cannot be shaken.
How do you enter it? With a grateful heart, in worship that adores the King, making the most of this time of grace to tell the people around you that a King has come and a King will return. The Church's first mandate is to proclaim this still-invisible King to those who haven't yet seen him. Sometimes a word is enough, a gesture, a gift, an invitation to a Christmas service. God takes care of the rest.

Key takeaways

Christmas isn't primarily a family holiday: it's the coming of a King. Matthew opens his gospel with a royal genealogy and brings in magi who worship him as a King.
This King came quietly, almost invisibly: born in a manger, dying between two criminals with "King of the Jews" written above the cross. It takes eyes of the heart to see him.
His first coming first inaugurates an inner reign: "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). It changes your relationship with God, with yourself, and with others.
His second coming will be visible, glorious, and final: "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" on a white horse (Revelation 19:11-16), with judgment for all.
The time of grace is still open. Your response is to let the King sit on the throne of your heart, and to proclaim his coming to those who haven't yet recognized him.

Personal application

Do you see Jesus as a King, or only as a pleasant Christmas character? What would change this week if you truly treated him as your King?
Who is sitting on the throne of your heart right now? Be honest with yourself: which recent decisions were made by you, without consulting him?
In which relationship do you most need the King's inner reign to bring healing: with God, with yourself, or with someone you struggle to love or forgive?
Are you truly waiting for Jesus's second coming? If you knew he was coming back in a year, what would you change starting this week?
Who around you hasn't yet seen the King? Write down one specific name and one simple idea to invite them to a Christmas service, a meal, or just a conversation.

Verses quoted

Frequently asked questions

Why do we call Jesus a "hidden King" when he was born amid the angels' praises?

Because the vast majority of people at the time didn't recognize him. He's born in a manger, in Bethlehem, a village of a few hundred people, under the rule of another cruel "king," Herod. He lives thirty years in obscurity, then three public years that confuse everyone, including his own disciples. He dies on a cross, between two criminals, with the only royal mention being a sign written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. His kingship isn't forced on anyone; it's revealed gradually, and it takes "eyes of the heart" to see it. Even today he remains hidden for many, and Christmas is precisely an invitation to recognize him.

What's the difference between Jesus's first and second coming?

The first coming is that of a hidden King, in weakness: a baby, a manger, a small town, the death of a condemned man. It first inaugurates an inner reign: Jesus comes to reign in the hearts that welcome him, reconciling them with God, with themselves, and with others. The second coming, described in Revelation 19, will be visible, glorious, and final. Jesus will return on a white horse, with many crowns on his head, bearing the name "King of kings and Lord of lords." He will judge the world, destroy his enemies, and establish an eternal kingdom: new heavens and a new earth. Between the two, you're living in a time of grace where the door is still open.

Practically speaking, how do I "let the King sit on the throne of my heart"?

It begins with an act of faith: recognizing that up to now you've lived as your own king, and entrusting your life to Jesus. Mark 1:15 sums up entering his reign in two words: change (repent, turn away from what separates you from God) and believe (in the good news that Christ died and rose again for you). From there, it's lived out daily: consulting him in your decisions, obeying him, worshiping, serving, letting his Spirit heal your inner wounds and change your character. And finally, it overflows: you become a spokesperson for this King to those who don't yet see him. Christmas is one of the best times of the year to make that choice, or to renew it if you've already made it.

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