Once and Future Kings - "Jesus and a Time to Reflect"
[powerpress] Transforming Truth: The King Comes to Rule the Nations
This transforming truth speaks to both the scope of the church of God and your role in it. As we traverse the Christmas plain, we have moments to reflect. Before we can effectively move forward in the new year, we must consider where we have been and where Jesus wants to take us. To do so, we look to the Epiphany, which is a celebration of the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. This benevolent king came to rule the nations. When Jesus sets up rule in a life, this rule comes with a change of priorities. In studying the response of the religious leaders, King Herod, and the Magi to the Advent, we will be able to ask ourselves the penetrating questions necessary to align our hearts with Jesus.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12 NIV)
What we can learn from the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law
I like to think of priorities as "Prior" "I" "Ties" - things that have had a grip on you or you are unwilling to let go. They can be positive when submitted to Jesus or shallow and destructive when driven by your own untethered ambition.
The chief priests were those who, along with the high priest, made up the Sanhedrin (the governing body of the Jews), overseeing the temple activities, treasuries, and priestly orders. The teachers of the law originally had the responsibility of reading, writing, and making copies of the Scriptures, but by the time of Jesus were those who were experts in interpreting the Law. They were the lawyers of the time.
It is ironic that those who were obviously most familiar with the law and its predictions about the coming King were the least zealous to make every effort to welcome Him. It is the same when we think about the comforts that we enjoy today. Jesus is ready to move in your life, this city, and the nations with the gospel. Many times we're just too distracted to hear or recognize what Jesus is willing to do in or through our lives. This is why He continually made an appeal to those who had "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" (Mark 8:18). What are the things that distract you?
Once you have settled into your routine of a steady paycheck, friends, a stable place in society, and satisfying station in life, it is hard to want to change anything.
Bethlehem, though the birthplace of King David, the home of His ancestors Ruth and Boaz, and now, the birthplace of the Messiah, was a small and seemingly insignificant village during the time of Jesus. How would you have responded and how do you respond to small beginnings? Will you go out of your way to be a part of Jesus' redemption story no matter how glorious it looks at the beginning? Never forget that salvation for the world began in a stable.
These leaders of the people had become too comfortable with their undisturbed "slice of the pie." They were slow to respond to the coming of the King, though they seemingly knew everything they needed to be the first responders to His impending mission. Unfortunately, many of the religious leaders, without correcting this heart course, ended up being some of Jesus' strongest opponents during His earthly ministry. Have you fallen into the same religious malaise? Will you allow Jesus to light you ablaze through a pursuit of a relationship with Him and a cultivation of passion for His purposes?
What we can learn from Herod
“When we have to change an opinion about any one, we charge heavily to his account the inconvenience he thereby causes us.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
During the first century, an expectation circulated that a ruler would arise from Judea. Even the Roman biographer and historian, Seutonius, author of Lives of the Caesars wrote, "Throughout the whole of the East there had spread an old and persistent belief: destiny had decreed that at that time men coming forth from Judea would seize power (and rule the world)." Herod, the ruling governor for the Romans in Judea, was more than likely unsettled by the large caravan that the Magi had with them. It would have included servants and a possible military escort to protect themselves and the gifts that they would present to the child. Herod had taken great pains to protect himself from former invaders from the East and was suspicious of anything that threatened his right to rule - his freedom to determine to do with his life and realm exactly what he wanted.
Herod was a representation of a king who couldn't give up control in his realm when the true king arrived. It is the difference between a steward's mentality and a king's. We are to be stewards like Prince John in Robin Hood until the good King Richard arrives. May we not be like Herod with Jesus. We should be willing to relinquish both honor and the reigns in our lives in the areas that are important. These are: How we spend our time and what we do with it The commitments that we make Where we go and who we go with How and for what we use our finances
These things were submitted and represented well by the Magi.
What we can learn from the Magi
The Magi were Gentiles, from foreign nations.
“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.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 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. (Micah 5:2-4 NIV)
The term "Magi" in early records referred to a priestly caste in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) who used a combination of the science of astrology, diplomatic wisdom, and magical incantations to interpret present and future events. Persia was where the Israelites had been exiled during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Israelites were allowed to return to Israel under King Cyrus (Ezra 1), but a large colony of Jews remained in the East after the Exile (i.e. - the book of Esther), particularly in the regions of Babylon, Arabia, and Parthia. This left the people of this area with an exposure to Judaism, its religious practices, and also the prophetic anticipation of the Messianic King (Numbers 24:17; II Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16). If the Magi came from the region of Babylon, they would have traveled approximately 900 miles to Jerusalem and taken several months to travel with a caravan from the time of the initial citing of the star. They would have had to endure the smell of their animals, those traveling with them, and be committed to them despite their temperments, attitudes, and strength of vision or commitment to meet the Messiah.
Here is a truth that you will never escape: You must inconvenience yourself to meet the King. It is equally true about being useful in His gospel purposes.
They had an idea of god with their likely exposure to Zorastrianism, but to truly worship the King, they had to first go to the place where they could meet him.
“An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.” ― G.K. Chesterton
To be able to see the King and participate in His story of redemption of this city and the nations, you must be willing to embrace the adventure that God has for you with His people.
Many times the Gentile world puts the people of God to shame. What can we learn from the Magi's example?
The Magi taught us how to honor the King.
We've lost a sense of honor in our culture. In biblical times, when approaching royalty or people of high religious, political, or social significance, gifts were brought to demonstrate deferential respect.
You honor the king with gold, incense, and myrhh: - Gold was valued monetarily as a means of exchange and a precious metal for making jewelry, ornaments, and dining instruments for royalty. The sacrifice of this in your life is obvious by comparison and is really a question of who you want to honor most. Will you commit your treasure in obedience to Jesus for gospel advance? - Frankincense produced a sweet odor when burned and was used as a perfume, but was also used in Israel as the only incense permitted on the altar. The Bible often spoke of prayers as incense that are a sweet fragrance to God (Revelation 5:1-10; 8:1-5). Will you commit to consistently offering your prayers for Jesus' salvation and rule to reach the people of the city and the nations? - Myrrh is a mixture of resin and gum. The oil myrrhol was used in incense, as a perfume for garments or a lover's couch, as a stimulant and as packing in the wrappings of the clothing of the deceased to stifle the smell of a decaying body. Will you move to a place of pursuing genuine love for and intimacy with Jesus, allowing the gospel of His death, burial, and resurrection to be at the forefront of your thoughts and pursuits?
These things are what it takes for God's redemptive plans to be executed in this city and the nations. Let's align ourselves accordingly to welcome the rule of the King.
Second City Church- Once and Future Kings Sermon Series 2013