The Jewish people looked back to the reign of David as a golden age, and he was revered as their ideal king. However, the reason for their admiration was that David was a ruler who conquered their enemies and expanded his realm, bringing them great glory. When Jesus appeared, therefore, many of them could not see him as David’s successor. He was born in a stable, grew up in Nazareth (which was regarded as a backwater) and worked as the village carpenter. He went among the people, seeking out the marginalised and despised, and criticised those in authority for the way they looked down those they considered as inferior.
Kings live in royal palaces, in splendid surroundings, with servants to attend to their every need. This king, however, declared that he had nowhere to lay his head (Luke 8:58). He identified with his people so much that he said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me” (Matt. 25:40).