Title: Advent 1 - Jesus our King
Date: November 29, 2009
Verse: Matthew 2:1-6
Introduction
- Matt 2:1-6 - “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
- saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
- When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
- So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
- "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."
- This is the first week of Advent – a countdown towards Christmas, the day when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, the day when God stepped down from heaven and became a helpless baby who would grow up to become the Savior of mankind.
- This man Jesus, who was also God, was destined to be our King.
- So now I am lighting this first Advent candle to commemorate Jesus coming as our King
- Today we are going to examine what it means for Jesus to be our King
Jesus the King of the Jews!
- Jesus was born to be the King of the Jews
- Mat 2:2 - Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
- Jews were called to be a special people to God
- Ex 19:5-6 – Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
- The Jews were God’s special people – they were chosen to be lights in the world, to be an example of God’s rulership as King, in a very dark and pagan world
- The Israelites would sin and as a result they had to pay the consequences
- The role of the Messiah was to be the deliverer of the Jews, to come as a Savior of his people
- This is why the Jews, and the disciples, expected Jesus to come at that time as the King of the Jews
We too are Jews, spiritually
- Rom 2:28-29 – For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
- We too have been chosen to be Gods special people
- 1 Pet 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light
- We too messed up and sinned, and have been paying the consequences
- Jesus has come as our Messiah, our deliverer, to save us from our sins
He is the King over the Kingdom of Heaven
- Mat 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
- Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was there, it was no longer represented by a future Messiah, but the King was standing right there
- The kingdom was at hand, it was able to be touched, it had approached and was available to them at that moment
- This kingdom of heaven has a King, Jesus
- It has territory, our heart and life
- It has rules, the command that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves - these rules are for our benefit
- The King has gone before us, living these rules and showing the way
- He showed us how to serve each other, how to have compassion for a hurting world, how to give it a message of hope, both of eternal life on into the future, and of abundant life in the present.
- He showed the way to peace and healing and release from sin that has held us captive all our lives
But the Kingdom of heaven is not only in our hearts today
- Jesus will return to this earth as a King
- Zech 14 describes how Jesus will return
- His feet will stand again on the mount of Olives
- He will rule the nations and show what God’s government is all about
- God wants people to live with his own heart of compassion and hope
- Mat 25:31-46 –
- When Jesus returns he will not lie in a manger as a little baby, but sit on a throne
- He will judge people, some will be invited into his kingdom, and some will be left out
- The basis for determining whom he will choose will be those who evidenced his own heart for people
- People who care about the hungry, poor and needy
- This was evidenced in the way they conducted their lives – v.40
- The others, who refused to live that way, are cast out, into hell fire – v.41
- This is because they did not want to live according to the terms of the kingdom
- They did not want Jesus telling them what to do, or how to conduct their lives
- This was shown by how they conducted their lives, during this lifetime
- So the way we live today will have an eternal impact
- The Kingdom of heaven is for now, in a limited sense, but in the future will come in all its fullness, with Jesus as its King
Summary
- Jesus was born the King of the Jews
- We are spiritual Jews, as we have accepted him as our king
- Jesus does not rule as a tyrant, but is a kind ruler of his people
- He lives and rules in our hearts, when we accept him as our King
- Today, he is with the Father in heaven. The kingdom of heaven is here only in a limited sense, in the hearts of believers
- But one day, Jesus will return to this earth as King
- He will come with a shout and the voice of the archangel
- The dead in Christ will be raised and believers will be changed and receive their glorified body
- Jesus will establish the Kingdom of Heaven, on earth – first in Jerusalem and Israel, and then expanding to fill the whole world
- The whole world will experience the blessing of having Jesus as their King
- The question is, will we be part of this awesome event, or will we be on the outside looking in?
- The only way for us to make sure of this, is to allow him into our life, as our King
- This means that we are bowing the knee before him and asking him to reign: in our thought life and in our actions
- He will not force himself on us
- It is our choice
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