At the dawn of the world's first Christmas we read that the wise men from the East came to Jerusalem and inquired there for the newly born King of the Jews. We all know the story as given in the second chapter of Matthew, and we see how little Herod's duplicity and savagery availed to save himself or his dynasty, for there was not a single quality within the range of his thought which had any relation to the "everlasting king" of Jeremiah's prophecy,—the "King of nations,"—whose kingship endures whether men recognize it or not. It is good to realize that the wise men must have known what real kingship meant when they undertook their long journey, and were prepared to offer it their hearts' purest worship, even though its earthly representative was but a babe cradled in a manger. We read that when they saw the star which signalized its appearing on the human plane "they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." In commenting upon the appearing of the Christ-idea through "the Bethlehem babe," Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (Pref.. p. vii), "The Wisemen were led to behold and to follow this daystar of divine Science, lighting the way to eternal harmony."
When the angel announced to Mary the coming of Jesus, the announcement held this promise: "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." As we ponder these words we are reminded of another hour when Jesus stood before Pilate, his offense being that he had in his three years' ministry done what no one before him had ever attempted, much less accomplished. At the beginning of his earthly ministry he had declared the ever presence of the kingdom of God, and in substantiation of his words had healed all manner of sickness and had even raised the dead to life. At Pilate's judgment seat, however, the technical charge against him was that he claimed to be a king, and when Pilate sought to press home the accusation Jesus responded. "My kingdom is not of this world," to which he added, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth."
This, then, was the meaning of the angelic message, though it is quite possible that Mary interpreted it in a material way and was possibly disappointed when her son devoted all his time and energy to the healing of the sick and the reforming of sinners. Be this as it may, the kingdom of God stands forever and the everlasting kingship of divine Truth must be upheld and honored by all those who claim to be followers of Christ Jesus. Let "the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing," the Christ-idea of the divine right to rule men and nations, so gloriously demonstrated by the Nazarene Prophet, has ruled the world in all the intervening centuries wherever justice and right have prevailed, and in the glorious future which lies before humanity all other claims to kingly power must disappear before it. Respecting this rule of the Christ-idea, Paul has this to say in his first epistle to the Corinthians: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
