Worship the Shepherd King [Matthew 2]

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 2"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:
    6'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH,
         ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH;
         FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER
         WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'"

Did you come today looking for your king?   Did you come to worship Him?  Worship Him because He came to shepherd God's people.  He came as a ruler to shepherd.  A ruler to shepherd?  Shouldn't a ruler come to rule in order to lead us?  Instead He comes to lead us as a shepherd leads.  One who lives among us not off in a palace. One who is known by His sheep who can hear His voice. In John 15:3-11, Jesus tell us that He is the good shepherd, "He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice" (Holman CSB).

Do you recognize His voice?  Do you know Him?  In the rest of the chapter we see Joseph two more times following immediately when the angel of the LORD speaks to him in a dream (vs. 21 and 22).  He followed God because he recognized God's voice.

May we know the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep, so intimately that we recognize His voice and worship Him in response.