Jesus is the promised King

Sermon Transcript

What’s the greatest promise that anyone has ever made to you? Maybe you’ve endured more suffering than most, but you had a friend who promised to walk with you in it to the end. If you’re walking through suffering, the promise of a friend to walk with you lightens your burden, quiets your loneliness, and gives you at least a glimmer of hope. What’s the greatest promise that anyone has ever made to you? The greatest promise that any person has ever made to me is undoubtedly Andrea’s promise to be my one-flesh wife for better or worse until death parts us. Since my wife has promised to have me for better or worse, I can be hopeful even in the worst of times because they aren’t going to take her love away. That great promise has changed my life. The greatest promise that God ever made to his people was the promise of a Ruler, a King. It’s a promise that, if you receive it, will truly change your life. In our passage this morning, Matthew quotes one of the times in the Old Testament that God promised this Ruler, this King. Matthew quotes the promise in order to teach and remind us that Jesus, the child born in Bethlehem, is God’s promised king. Matthew 2:6 –

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

That brings us to the big idea of our passage this morning: Jesus is the promised King. Jesus is the promised King. Our passage this morning unfolds a bit like a tale of two kings. On the one hand, there is Herod. Herod is troubled at the birth of another King because Herod’s rule was about being served, not serving his people. Have you ever had a boss, a superior, or even a parent like that? Their rule is terrible news. Now contrast Herod with the description of Jesus the promised king. The promise that Matthew quotes describes him as “a Ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.” He’s a Ruler who leads like a shepherd. That kind of Ruler is great news.

Throughout the Old Testament, God himself is described as a Shepherd who leads, feeds, protects and restores his people. As we learned last week, Jesus the promised King is Immanuel; God with us to rule us like a shepherd. In fact, later during his ministry, Jesus the promised king described himself with these words, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Herod maintained his rule by destroying life, but Jesus ruled like a Shepherd who laid down his life on the cross to save us from our sins and is coming again to make all things new. Jesus is the promised king and if you’ll receive His rule, it will change your life now and forever. Ok – what should we do? What should we do now that we know Jesus the promised king came to rule us like a shepherd who laid down his life to save his sheep from our sins and is the promised king who is coming again to make all things new? Our passage provides two answers and they are our two points this morning. What should we do? 1. Don’t reject Him 2. Worship Him.

DON’T REJECT HIM

In the days after Jesus’ birth, Roman occupied Israel was ruled by King Herod, who was appointed by the Roman emperor. Herod was so ruthlessly protective of his kingship that he even murdered his wife and several of his own sons to maintain his rule. Keep that in mind as we step into our passage. Matthew 2:1-2 – Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” The Magi were speaking better than they knew. Herod was not “born” king of the Jews because his family didn’t descend from the royal line of David. In fact, the Jewish religious leaders were often at odds with Herod because he was only half-Jewish. I have a Jewish father and a Gentile mother. Herod had a Jewish mother and a Gentile father. Like me, Herod was Jew-ish – Jewish with a side of bacon. He wasn’t the one the Magi were searching for, the one born King of the Jews, and he knew it. So, you can imagine Herod’s internal reaction when the Magi tell him that they’ve come to worship another king, the one born king of the Jews. Matthew 2:3 – “When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled…” Herod was troubled because the arrival of the promised king threatened his little kingdom. So, Herod left the Magi and and assembled the Jewish religious leaders to ascertain the location where God promised that Christ the King was to be born. The religious leaders tell him, “Bethlehem.” Then Herod went back to the Magi. Listen to what this gem of a man told them. Matthew 2:8 – And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” Though I doubt that the Magi were convinced that Herod’s supposed desire to worship the promised king was genuine, God removes all doubt. After the Magi found the promised king, listen to the way our passage closes. Matthew 2:12 – And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. And of course, we know better than the Magi that Herod wasn’t really seeking the promised king to worship him. We read in Matthew 2:16a – Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem… Herod committed infanticide to try and get rid of the promised king so that he could maintain his little kingdom. Ok, let’s begin to take this personally…

Jesus is the promised king who rules us like a shepherd and Herod provides us with a case study in how to reject Him. Herod’s example of rejecting the promised king helps us learn how to not reject him ourselves. Do you remember how Matthew described Herod’s internal reaction to the Magi’s announcement that they had come to worship Him who was born king of the Jews? Matthew says that Herod was troubled; the promised king threatened him. Jesus is the promised king: how does that threaten you? We participate in Herod-like rejection of the promised king whenever we feel threatened rather than comforted by absolute rule of the King who leads us like a Shepherd. We participate in Herod-like rejection whenever we choose to remain king over our lives and call the shots. Let’s take an example like forgiveness. In His word, Jesus the promised king says, “Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:29). This is what it looks like to live under the rule of the promised king who leads us like a shepherd and it sounds wonderful until it doesn’t. It sounds wonderful to be kind until that kindness has to be directed toward someone who doesn’t treat you in a particularly kind way. It sounds wonderful to be tender hearted until you need to have a tender heart toward a brother or sister in Christ who is sinfully harsh toward you. And forgiveness sounds amazing until you need to forgive a brother or sister in Christ who has hurt you deeply or repeatedly. But when we choose to be harsh, bitter-hearted, and unforgiving because we think that surely that’s the smarter way to go in your complex situation, you’re actually participating in Herod-like rejection because you’re choosing to remain king over your life. We participate in Herod-like rejection whenever we seek to remain king over our money, our bodies, our sexuality, our time, our worldview, and so forth. Herod’s example shows us just how ugly it can become when we reject the Promised King to remain in charge of our lives and maintain our supposed autonomy. Herod murdered all the precious little boys, image-bearers of God, in the region of Bethlehem. It’s hard not to see the way this Herod-like rejection is repeated in mass today. Dear friends, the evil of the abortion industry in the United States is nothing new. Two thousand years ago, there was a man willing to slaughter the innocent for the sake of his autonomy too. How do we see ourselves in Herod’s rejection of the promised king? Jesus is the Promised King; don’t reject his shepherd-like rule. Herod is not the only example of rejecting the Promised King in our passage. Do you notice what the religious leaders did after they heard of the arrival of the promised king and told Herod exactly where he was to be born? Nothing! We participate in scribe-like rejection through apathy. Do you see yourself in their rejection of the Promised King? They knew all about Him, but they didn’t seek to know, glorify, and enjoy Him.

Citylight Church – let’s not live in the doldrums of functional rejection of the Promised King, in either Herod or scribe-like ways. After all, He is the Promised King who rules us like a shepherd. Though he was eternally in the form of God, he did not count his equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself of his divine privileges and humbled himself by taking the form of a servant. He was tempted in every way that we are yet without sin so that he can be our righteousness before God. He laid down his life for us so that we can be saved from our sins and adopted as the very fold of God himself. He rose and is now ruling so that all things work together for good for those who love Him. He is coming again to make all things new and nothing can separate us from the love of God in Him. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Why would we ever want to walk in functional rejection of Him? Wherever you see yourself in Herod or the scribes, turn from that burden and receive his mercy and walk a new direction by his grace. And as you turn from rejecting Him, secondly…

WORSHIP HIM

We’ve examined Herod and the religious leaders, but let’s turn our attention now to the Magi. The Magi are not Jewish. They are foreign dignitaries from the east. Their name and the fact that they are willing to follow a star for hundreds of miles reveals that among other things, the Magi were probably astrologers. And given the consistent biblical prohibition against astrology, the Magi are the most unlikely people in the narrative to be seeking the Promised King of the Jews. But this is just what God promised would happen when the Promised King arrived. Throughout the Old Testament God promised that he would send an offspring of Abraham, a king from David’s line whose rule would be good news not just for some people, but all people who receive Him as their king. God even foreshadowed that when the Promised King arrived that foreign dignitaries would bring him an offering of wealth and worship him as king. A thousand years before the Magi traveled to Jerusalem to worship the Promised King from David’s line, the Queen of Sheba traveled to Jerusalem to meet David’s immediate son Solomon and present him with royal gifts. This is just what God promised would happen when the Promised King arrived because his rule is for everyone from every tribe, tongue, and nation who will receive Him as their King who rules them like a shepherd.

To our shock, Matthew uses the Magi as a positive example of what it looks like to worship the Promised King. Herod and the Scribes show us how to reject Him, but the Magi surprisingly teach us how to worship him. I say to our shock and surprise because, as I said before, the Magi were clearly, among other things, astrologers and throughout the Bible astrologers are condemned by God. Isn’t it wonderful that even godless astrologers who manipulate people by satanic powers can turn from their ways and worship the promised king. You’re definitely not too far gone for the king.

How do we worship the promised king? First, we seek Him. If you’re new to Christianity and church, but you feel a draw, an interest in Jesus the promised king, take your cues from the Magi and seek him. I know life is busy, but the Magi traveled a solid 800 miles to seek Jesus the promised king. It’s worth your time to keep coming to church, to ask someone here to read the Bible with you, and to ask Him to reveal himself to you so that you can repent of your sins and worship Him. Seek Him. Second, rejoice in him. Matthew 2:10 – When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “I do not think the church rejoices enough. We all grumble enough and groan enough: but very few of us rejoice enough.” Dear friends, the Promised King, the Good Shepherd delights to save us from our sins and we delight to be saved and secure in Him forever. The height of adoration is enjoyment. Speak and sing words of rejoicing to Him and for Him. Speak better than you feel. Rejoice in Him. Third, sing to him. Matthew 2:11a – And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. The Magi bow down and worship and the most common form of worship in the Bible is singing. Citylight, I love you and I need to tell you something I fear. I fear that many of you are forfeiting so much joy and withholding so much worship by treating gathering to sing to the Promised King as a mere weekend option. For about 2,000 years, the people of the promised king have assembled every Sunday – the Bible calls it the Lord’s Day – to do nothing but sing and sit under his word as worship. It’s the most appropriate and psychologically healthy thing we do all week. Finally , we serve him by offering him our treasure. Matthew 2:11b – Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. God has willed that we live in a world that runs on currency, money. Money opens doors and is the means by which we obtain what we need and what we want. We don’t have to be embarrassed to live in a world in which what we do with our money displays what we love and value. The Magi offered the promised king their money, leaving us an example to follow because Jesus himself said that what we do with our money reflects the allegiance of our heart. Serve the king by giving your money to advance his kingdom regularly, sacrificially, and with a heart of joy. Don’t put it off. Take that step of worship to the promised king today.

CONCLUSION

A great promise changes everything. Earlier I mentioned that the greatest promise I’ve ever received is Andrea’s promise to have me as hers for better or for worse. Poor woman; I really did my best to present the best me when we were dating. If she had only known, who knows if she would have made the promise. My dear friends, the Promised King sees us better than we see ourselves. He knows every way that we’ve cast off his rule in our thoughts, words, and deeds. And yet our Promised King came to be our Good Shepherd, lay down his life for us, and he’s coming again to make all things new. The One who knows us the most died and rose to save us from our sins and be with us forever. Don’t reject the Promised King. Worship Him.