I'm going to incorporate the reading of the scripture into the body of the sermon today, and so we won't read it at the outset, but we will in just a few moments.

So you can keep your Bible handy.

When Jesus was born at Bethlehem of Judea,

wise men came from the east to Jerusalem. The question they asked was, where is he who is born

king of the

before his birth or back before his birth the angel had come to

Mary and she had said concerning Jesus,

the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His Father David

and He will reign over the House of Jacob forever.

Years later, when Jesus begins his ministry,

Philip goes to get his brother Nathaniel, you remember,

brings Nathaniel to Jesus.

Nathaniel in a burst of enthusiasm says to Jesus,

Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are the King of Israel.

Then through his ministry, Jesus spoke again and again of the kingdom of God and numerous times said it was his kingdom.

In addition... said it was his kingdom.

In addition, he rides on Palm Sunday

into Jerusalem as a king.

In addition to that, he's accused by his enemies of forbidding tribute to Caesar on the grounds that he claims to be the true king.

And when Pilate tests him on this, he says, you say that I am. I am a king. And then the early church confessed

and believed that when Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended to the right hand to Father and took his seat on the throne and rains today as king until,

1st Corinthians 15 says, puts all his enemies under his feet and someday

...