Pastor Spencer walks through Matthew 2:1-15, tracing the very different responses to the birth of Jesus, from worship to hostility, from joy to indifference. As the wise men search for the newborn King, King Herod responds with fear and resistance, revealing that while there are many ways to reject Jesus, there is only one way to truly receive Him.

This message invites us to examine our own hearts and consider how we respond to Jesus as King. In a world marked by grief, power struggles, and uncertainty, we are reminded that God is near, His purposes are unfolding, and darkness does not get the final word.

In this message, we see:

- How God draws all kinds of people to Himself using all kinds of circumstances

- Why many reject Jesus—not only through open hostility, like Herod, but through quiet indifference

- The tension we feel when Jesus’ kingship confronts our desire for control

- Why Scripture is essential for truly knowing where God is leading us

- What it looks like to receive Jesus by faith through joy, worshipful submission, and generosity

- How the gifts of the wise men point not only to a King, but to a Savior who would suffer and die in our place

- This sermon reminds us that although grief, opposition, and suffering are real, death and darkness do not have the final word. Jesus, the true and better King, entered our broken world not to take power—but to give His life, inviting us to receive Him by faith.