The king of the Jews and the kin-dom of God (Matthew 2:1-12)
In Matthew, Jesus’ identity as king is the major source of conflict.
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The magi want to find the king of the Jews. So does Herod. Even as an infant, Jesus’ identity as king provides the source of conflict for Matthew’s story. The conflict never resolves itself. Matthew’s story establishes Jesus’ royal identity right from the beginning, an issue that remains contested even upon the cross. Today we still debate whether it is appropriate to speak of Jesus as king.
