Majesty: Full Devotion
Pastor Rollan Fisher
Focus: We will worship Jesus with full devotion when we recognize his majesty trumps that which the world exalts.
Unusual Attraction
Two Responses
His Majesty and the Second Coming of Christ
Unusual Attraction
The qualities for which we worship Jesus are not the things which the world exalts.
Isaiah 53:1-5
Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
What does the world find appealing and attractive?
What draws people to spend hours flipping through social media or fantasizing about a different life?
What the Scripture above is saying is that there would have been nothing in the natural that made Jesus appealing to us.
The things that made Jesus savior were contrary to what the world valued.
The very description of Jesus would have been the things we run from, rather than gravitate toward, in the world.
We hate suffering.
We try to avoid grief.
We often have a low tolerance for sorrows.
But these are the very things that Jesus took up to heal us in his life and at the cross.
*It is that which would have repelled us away from and caused us to overlook Jesus that actually saved us.
*He had no beauty that we should desire him.
This is a sobering statement.
*Could it be that in our superficial attractions, shallow affections, and surface-level attachments we could also miss Jesus today?
We will if we prioritize things other than what God esteems.
So what questions should we ask ourselves time make sure that we do not miss what Jesus wants to do in and through our lives?
What does the world characterize as beauty?
What are the differences between what God characterizes as majestic and what the world esteems?
For example, the world often exalts certain culturally derived standards of physical beauty, putting oneself forward and perceived strength in the ability to best one’s competition.
Yet Jesus was holy and different.
Jesus came as the standard of beauty, but was unassuming; was able to boast, but came to lift others up; able to dominate, but chose to serve.
Of all people, Jesus could rightfully demand justice, but extended mercy.
Jesus could have been spiteful to those who rejected, despised and betrayed him, but expressed kindness and grace instead.
He had a pathway to exact retribution, but chose self-sacrifice for our forgiveness at the cross.
The first coming displayed Christ’s humility; the second coming will display his strength.
The majesty which Jesus displayed at his first coming prevented people from attempting to come to him for the wrong reasons.
If you were only coming to God to see what you could get rather than what you could give in worship, the majesty of Jesus would seem undesirable and the cross of Christ an offense to you.
Think - considering all of his attributes, though no greater picture of God or man exists, what are some of the reasons that prevent people from desiring Jesus today?
Always remember that in your pursuit of God:
God often calls beautiful what we say is rejected.
God often calls majestic what we call despised.
Make sure that you have the right lense and God’s perspective.
Two Responses
There are only two responses when we are confronted with the majesty of Jesus - rebellion or submission.
Matthew 2:1-12
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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘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.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 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.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
What caused Herod to miss the majesty of Jesus?
Jesus did not come with the force and pomp of a military commander.
Jesus came in humility as a child and thus Herod thought he could rid himself of the need to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
Herod’s response did not begin with outright rebellion.
It looked like he was in line with the prophetic words and mission of the Christ, until it challenged his independence and sovereignty.
Herod was used to doing things as he wanted and when he wanted.
He picked and chose how he wanted to associate with God, doing what was right in his own eyes.
He built the temple for the people but was a murderer of anyone, even family, that threatened his autonomy.
The issue was that Herod did not want his independent rule challenged, over the region of Judea or his own life.
Herod responded to the majesty of Jesus with manipulation and murder.
The Magi responded with meekness and marvel.
Matthew 2:16-18
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 and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
What were the signs of Herod’s rebellion?
Herod acknowledged the word of God, but picked and chose what he would obey
Herod used others to his own advantage to try to preserve his chosen way of life
Herod disposed of those who would threaten his autonomy and self-rule
The same happens with people today.
People are willing to acknowledge the reality of Jesus, his coming and his mission, but are threatened by the implications of his total rulership in their lives.
Which way have you responded?
Two Options: Threatened or Totally Submitted
What allowed the Magi to acknowledge the majesty of Jesus?
Scholars believe that the wise men may have come from the region of Bablylon, where the exiles of Israel had been scattered many years before during a period of judgment.
The Magi were outside of the citizenship of Israel, but would have been exposed to the Word of God, having more than likely heard the prophecies and good news of the coming Messiah from the Jewish Diaspora in exile in the East.
They took God at his word and humbled themselves, rearranging their lives to submit to the Lordship of Jesus.
The Magi were willing to inconvenience themselves to honor and worship the Lord, even in his infancy.
They knew that the things that most defined their lives, their time (journey to find Jesus), their talent (great learning) and treasure (their gifts) were the things that God would look to receive in their worship.
It is no different for us today.
Whether you’ve been walking with God for years or are just beginning, recognizing Jesus as Lord over all areas of your life - your time, your talent, your treasure and even your relationships, is key.
This is what it means to submit to the majesty of Jesus.
What was the sign of the Magi’s submission?
The Magi diligently searched for the meaning of the Scripture and how it would apply to each of the aforementioned areas of their lives.
The Magi allowed the Scripture to dictate their actions, making the long trip to meet with and worship Jesus. (In stark contrast, Americans today average church attendance approximately 1.4 times per month).
The Magi lived a life of sacrifice, going to great lengths to offer their time (the long journey), treasure (presenting Jesus gifts) and talents (great learning) in worship of Jesus.
They displayed the attitude of the great King of Israel, David, when he said,
2 Samuel 24:24
“But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
Even the gifts they offered Jesus were them sowing into the ultimate cause of Christ.
The gold allowed the flight to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod.
The frankincense and myrrh were used in the process of embalming during burial
(What a birthday present if not for the fact that the Messiah would be born to die, to save his people from their sins! - Isaiah 52+53).
Who will you be like this new year - Herod or the Magi?
*We must understand that indifference is a response and actively places us in the camp of functionally despising the majesty of Jesus.
Think about the indifference of a marriage proposal unanswered.
It is no different than the invitation that God makes to you in Jesus today, thus the continual references to the marriage banquet of the Lamb at the second advent of Christ (Matthew 22:1-14).
When he comes, Jesus will come as Lord of all.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
His Majesty and the Second Coming of Christ
Acknowledging the majesty of Jesus should shape our lives in preparation for his second coming.
The second coming of Jesus will evidence how his majesty trumps that which the world exalts.
The second coming will fully reveal the majesty of Jesus where we receive the reward of our response - eternal life with an imperishable inheritance for those who received him; eternal judgment for those who rejected his Lordship.
Matthew 2:19-23
But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
The second coming
What application does this have for us today?
What you find yourself doing, though it may lack the esteem of the world, is for the glory of God when done in faith and obedience to God’s word.
Your praying, your giving and your going to make disciples of the nations may not always come with the praise or recognition of those around you, but God sees it all.
He will reward your faithfulness, and like the Magi, will use your efforts as part of his ongoing story to reveal the majesty of Christ, bringing his eternal salvation to the world.
Because Jesus is coming again in the Second Advent, like the Magi, we order our lives accordingly in worship, which means service to him.
We’ll end with an excerpt from Sacred Structures which gives perspective on how we should order our lives in response to the majesty of Jesus:
“The story of three bricklayers is a multi-faceted parable with many different variations, but is rooted in an authentic story. After the great fire of 1666 that leveled London, the world’s most famous architect, Christopher Wren, was commissioned to rebuild St Paul’s Cathedral.
One day in 1671, Christopher Wren observed three bricklayers on a scaffold, one crouched, one half-standing and one standing tall, working very hard and fast. To the first bricklayer, Christopher Wren asked the question, “What are you doing?” to which the bricklayer replied, “I’m a bricklayer. I’m working hard laying bricks to feed my family.” The second bricklayer, responded, “I’m a builder. I’m building a wall.” But the third brick layer, the most productive of the three and the future leader of the group, when asked the question, “What are you doing?” replied with a gleam in his eye, “I’m a cathedral builder. I’m building a great cathedral to The Almighty.”
Let us acknowledge the majesty of Jesus and give our all to worship him, joining in the building of his heavenly Kingdom!
Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher