The LORD's Day December 21, 2008

Where is the One Who has been Born King of the Jews?

Matthew 2.1-12

The scripture is living and active. It is dynamic. It is explodes with Truth. It is Truth.

This statement in verse one and two is loaded with the rising of the Kingdom of God on earth and the falling of other kingdoms.

Jesus- His name means “Jehovah is salvation” the Hebrew pronunciation, “Joshua”

Bethlehem was David’s place of birth. It was the place Micah the prophet had proclaimed:
5.2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, Whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.
Royalty had come from Bethlehem and Humility at the same time:
4 He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then His greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth. 5 And He will be their peace.

This was fulfilled during the time of King Herod. Herod was the Roman puppet King. He represented Rome, the world dominating power which brought Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, or so it was thought. God was overriding the whole thing

Herod wielded his power. Pity the people under the rule of such a man A commentator said this week that the proof democratic rule has come to Iraq was in the shoe throwing incident at our President in Baghdad this week. The reporter that did this was arrested. Under Saddam Hussein he would have been taken out and shot- no questions asked. Under the democracy he has rights which are protected. In the streets people joined with the protest. Protesters seldom realize that the very fact they are permitted to do so shows that they are free They don’t realize it...

Herod was a wicked ruler, a vicious man. He tried to deceive the Magi.

Let’s talk about them for a bit then we’ll come back to Herod. One of the things happening here is this little Baby was rocking the world powers. He still is. No government can win against the Kingdom of God. No government ever will The power of Love is a force that no one can beat. The kingdom of God endures

These Magi, wise men, or kings from Orient as a hymn calls them came to worship Jesus. They represented foreign powers. They were noblemen. Their coming was very upsetting* to Herod.
*to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro) to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturbing, to disquiet, make restless, to stir up, to strike one's spirit with fear and dread, to render anxious or distressed, to perplex the mind of one by suggesting doubts
The reason all Jerusalem was troubled with him was because they knew when he got in this state of mind he was capable of anything. That is the price one pays for living under a tyrant. He wanted to kill Jesus as a baby.

He died but his son, Herod Antipas, had John beheaded and had Jesus appear before him in Jerusalem during one of the stages of Jesus’ trial.

King Herod’s father was a close personal friend of Julius Caesar. Both of these men were murdered. Both were power hungry.

Perhaps this contributed to King Herod being so paranoid. He worried that a baby would replace his throne so he devised a wicked scheme to get the wise men to lead him to Jesus. The deceiver was deceived. The wise men went back to their own country by an alternative route. When Herod realized this he was furious. He was angered beyond measure. He had all the boys 2 years of age and under living in the vicinity of Bethlehem put to death. It was a horrifying thing... inconsolable.

World forces were at work here right at the beginning of Jesus’ Life. They will be at the end as well before He comes as we read this week in The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

1. Contrast The King of Kings to these kings of the earth.

The kings of this earth seek to hold onto their throne and power.
Fidel Castro is nearing the end of his rule. Yet he is trying to hold on through his brother. We have watched rulers depart. Perhaps one the most dramatic was when Gorbachev lost his power as the Soviet Union was no longer a union. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 46.6 “Nations are in uproar. Kingdoms fall.”
In seeking to hold onto their power it slips right through their hands. Kingdoms fall.

Jesus left His position in heaven to come to this earth and die on a cross.
Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him the Name that is above all names.
Jesus told us that if we wanted to be great then become a servant. That is where true greatness (love) lies. Love conquers all. Jesus could have destroyed people who didn’t believe but He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

The kings of this earth are very self promoting. Not so with our King. His greatest promoters are His servants. Saddam Hussein put huge pictures of himself all over Iraq, He had a huge monument of his likeness built in Baghdad. Lenin had the same thing in Russia. Jesus left us with a feast to remember Him by which speaks of His love for us- His sacrifice. He erected no monuments, left no sculptures of Himself.

When He was a child Herod sought to kill Him. An army going after a baby. When He was a man and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane they had just a little sword among them while the Temple Guard showed up with clubs, swords and spears.

His Kingdom is not of this world.
2. Contrast the Roman Empire, the last one to dominate the earth to the Kingdom of God.

The Roman Empire fell.

Decline in Moral Values
A Decline in Public Health
Political Corruption
Economic and Financial Problems
Hoarding and Deficit The leaders were interested in themselves not the people.

The Kingdom of God stands

It is a matter of righteousness. (His Kingdom and His righteousness) Romans 14.17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...

The kingdom has a tremendous impact for health and healing- always has- always will... Hospitals around the world... medical missions.

God sometimes must clean house- our leaders have spiritual qualifications.

Giving is a mark of being in the kingdom. We pay taxes to “Caesar” but we give to God (Mark 12.17)


3. Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away but God’s Kingdom endures forever

Our beginnings were in Bethlehem.
Least among the clans of Judah
Our king was born in manger

Our greatest victory was viewed as our defeat- when Jesus died on the cross
This kingdom is different from any kingdom on earth.

His Kingdom (as we read a few weeks ago in Revelation), and in Psalm 145.13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

You are part of this kingdom

Follow the King
Seek first His Kingdom
Pray for His kingdom to come

Joy To the World