GOVERNOR

‘And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel’.

It would stand to reason that one who is ‘the son of David’, Matt. 1. 1, would be God’s ruler or governor over His people. The prophet Isaiah brought the two concepts together in his prophecy, ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder … upon the throne of David’, Isa. 9. 6, 7. Some seven hundred years later the angel Gabriel said in his annunciation to Mary concerning the Lord Jesus, ‘the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end’, Luke 1. 32, 33.

Yet this is no ordinary ruler who comes into office for a few years just by royal birth or popular election. Mary was told there would be no end to His kingdom. And, in today’s reading, Matthew refers us back to Micah 5. 2, where the ruler or governor’s ‘goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting’, This child who will be Governor is none other than ‘the mighty God’, the eternal ‘I Am’, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The title name of ‘Governor’ does not convey ‘God with us’ as Immanuel did, but rather God over us. This, however, brings us to the heart of a problem. Our reading shows that the message of a governor being born was not good news for king Herod! Especially not one who would rule over or instead of him. Thus he plotted His death. Israel did not reject the Lord because of His miracles but, as recorded in parabolic form in Luke 19. 14, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us’.

Many today admire the Lord Jesus’ impeccable ethics. They are fascinated with His humble lifestyle and loving meekness. They thrill to His censures of the hypocrisy of the establishment. They are encouraged with His examples of the golden rule and are amazed at the physical sufferings He courageously endured. It is as the ‘head of the church’ that He is rejected; His rule over His people today and His coming kingdom as the judging Governor over Israel and the nations.