What Child Is This? - part 3

preached Dec 30, 2018

The role of the king

The king in the Old Testament was to govern on God’s behalf.

When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you a king the LORD your God chooses.

Deut. 17:14-15a

Moses provided a law governing kingship though it would not be until Samuel’s day that Israel decided it needed a king. There is a slight tension in the story of Samuel, because Samuel told the Israelites they were sinning by asking for a king—they already had one, Yahweh. However, God conceded to their request in order to teach them a lesson. Saul was first chosen to be “a king like other nations”. He was tall and charismatic. He led the armies and acted as other kings did. However, he also fell to sin’s control (like other nation’s kings) and his kingship was taken from him. God then pointed Samuel to a different kind of king, David. In short, David took over the throne, and became “a man after God’s own heart.” Now, he did still fall to sin, however, because of his repentance, God allowed David to remain and much more.

God promised David that his sons would always be on the throne. The rightful heir to Israel’s throne would always be in the line of David. This promise finds fulfillment in Christ. Let’s begin with that promise as we look at Jesus as King.

Jesus as Israel's King

1. Prophecy to King David "always have an heir on the throne"

“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”

2 Samuel 7:11-16

When God established the throne of David over Israel, He made it clear that David's family would be the royal line for Israel. And despite David's descendants mostly being poor kings, and despite the time of exile for Israel, God maintained the Davidic family. Up to the time of Christ, the Jewish nation held family records. When Matthew and Luke record their genealogies, they would have had access to legal records to do so.

2. Eternal Kingdom found in Daniel

“I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13-14

David's dynasty was the precursor to the fulfilled kingdom of the Messiah. Where God established an earthly kingdom, He would then unite Heaven and Earth through an Eternal Kingdom.

3. Genealogy of Jesus in Matt 1

Matt 1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham

6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah

16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

These three passages connect the dots from David to Jesus. Once more, Matthew has done something a bit creative with his genealogy. Notice the numbers in verse 17. Matthew demonstrates 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to the Exile, and 14 from the Exile to Christ. There are six 7s in the life of Israel. Jesus brings about the 7th Seven. "For six days shall you labor, then on the Sabbath, you shall rest." Israel has labored under the pains of sacrifice and exile. Jesus brings them into a Sabbath rest.

Side Note on Mary

The legalist bunch are quick to note that if Mary conceived as a virgin, then Joseph is not the father which rules out Jesus as a legitimate heir to the throne of David. However, early in Church History, Mary has also been called an heir to the throne as evidenced by Luke's genealogy. There is still a large debate that happens when you research the two genealogies, mainly because the two are different.

On a personal note, this debate is an example why I get annoyed with the nitpicking the letter of the law. People end up missing the forest for the trees. Hear this, if Mary was descended from David as Luke's genealogy describes, then Jesus is the rightful heir. If Mary was not descended, then by virtue of Joseph adopting Jesus as his earthly son, then Jesus once again becomes an heir. In either case, Jesus has a place on David's throne. If we add Romans 1:1-3 to our discussion, Paul plainly states that Jesus was "made a seed of David according to the flesh".

Personally, I have no problems looking at Luke's genealogy as Mary's family line. If you look at Luke 3:23, in most translations there is a parenthetical for "as supposed" in reference to Joseph. Now, as translated, it simply means tradition upholds Jesus was the son of Joseph--meaning Jesus was Joseph's legal son. That makes Jesus a legal heir. However, if we remember Greek does not have parenthesis and suppose Luke meant "people supposed Jesus was the son of Joseph, but actually he was the son of Heli, Mary's father, then Jesus is in physical descent to David via Mary's lineage. So, I'll let you chew on the debate and pray for God to clarify any questions you might have, but I will stand firm in saying this: Jesus was the legal heir to the throne of David, whether by law through adoption or law through physical birth.

Again, the trees are how Jesus was an heir, the forest is: Jesus is heir to David's throne.

Putting it together

Now, if we take all these verses together, a picture emerges.

Jesus, as heir to David's throne, is Israel's true king.

Though Rome ruled the Western World, including Israel, and Herod acted as a token king, Jesus was the true king of Israel.

Jesus did acknowledge his kingship, however he did not assert his authority as king over Israel.

Jesus absolved his earthly reign in favor of His heavenly kingdom.

Throughout Matthew, Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven. He teaches how someone can see and enter. He describes it through parables and stories. However, the kingdom is not of this world, and so Jesus does not seek to establish an earthly reign. Look with me at John 18:36:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Even as Jesus is facing the cross, He chooses not to assert his authority. He willingly goes to the cross to fulfill his mission and make the way for us to enter into his heavenly realm.

Jesus knew Israel needed a Savior more than a King.

Jesus as Heaven's King

So then the question becomes “What authority does Jesus have in heaven?”

To answer that, let’s look back at Jesus’ roles as Messiah. The first week we looked at Jesus fulfilling the role of prophet. Jesus revealed the Word of God, because he is the Incarnate Word of God. He is God made flesh. Jesus, as God, was at the beginning of Creation, because

“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made”

John 1:3

Likewise in Colossians 1:16,

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”

Creation is through Christ.

Second, Jesus has taken his place of authority in Heaven. Now, do not get confused, Jesus has always existed as God in Trinity. What changed in time was that God entered the timeline of history and became man. Jesus the Divine eternally existed and exists. Jesus the Man has a birth in history. That is why we celebrate Christmas. He had a death in history—that is Good Friday. But, unlike other men, he also had a resurrection—that is Easter. One day, Jesus will return as the God-Man. He will split the clouds, a trumpet will sound, and the dead and alive in Christ will be caught up with him in the heavens. In the meantime, while we wait for his return, Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father.

Remember with me Hebrews 1:3 that we looked at a couple of weeks ago:

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high”

The writer calls Jesus the “exact imprint of his nature”. Jesus, though man, shared the divine nature of God, because He was God. And where is Jesus after making purification for sins? He is at the right hand of the Majesty on high—in other words, Jesus the Man sits with God. His human nature is now joined with the Divine nature.

If that is confusing a bit, remember we are talking about the nature of God. We cannot fully grasp it anymore than an ant can grasp what it means to be human. This is how cults and heresies are formed—someone goes further than what is revealed in Scripture in an attempt to explain the unexplainable.

Jesus is on the throne of Heaven, because He is God.

Jesus as Our King

Let’s recap where we have come.

Jesus fulfilled the role of prophet by being the Incarnate Word of God. He revealed the character and message of God, because He is God made man.

Jesus fulfilled the role of priest by offering himself up as the needed sacrifice to atone for our sins. Where we deserved death, Jesus took on that punishment for our sake. By dying on the cross for our sins, He offered redemption and reconciliation for all who will trust in Him.

Jesus fulfilled the role of king by establishing a heavenly kingdom that supersedes the kingdom of Israel.

These three great theological points beg the simple question, “Now what?” As Charles Colson wrote, “How now shall we live?”

There are two answers that should drive us.

First, as King, Jesus is Head of the Church.

The Christian Church exists because she is a body of people who have been reconciled to God through Christ. Our faith is in Him for the redemption of our sins, and because He is God who made us, He is the best one to teach us how to live. Whether about our families, our work, or our local church bodies, Jesus is the Designer and Head. If we want to live wisely and with peace, we must learn from Him. The old Sunday school answers are still correct: pray daily and read your Bible. Talk to and listen to your creator. He will show you the way. He promised to send His Holy Spirit to teach us, and for anyone who has called on the name of the Lord to be saved, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. All you have to do is listen. Second, the Bible is the recorded history and teachings God has given us. It is your guide to life. The reason many Christians stay ignorant of the great mysteries and glories of God is they simply haven’t opened their Bibles. In our day and country, we have access to everything we need to understand the Bible better. It’s just a matter of discipline.

It’s like living healthy. I can tell you all about eating right and exercising. I’m still fat, because I lack the discipline to do what I need to do to be healthy. Christians, especially in America, are spiritually weak, not because they have no access to spiritual food, but because they lack the discipline to focus on their spiritual life. I don’t want to come across as “too judgy”, I just want to state the facts: I’m fat because I like tacos more than vegetables. Church-going Christians are weak because they like Netflix more than their Bibles.

This brings us to the second answer.

Second, as King, Jesus is Lord of our lives.

Church people like to lament the failings of society and how things used to be. We are in a bizarre time. Globally, the world is actually doing better than it has in history in terms of health, prosperity, and technology. Spiritually, though, the great bastions of Christianity have all fallen. The fastest growing churches are in Asia and the Middle East, ironically where Christianity is outlawed.

But if we want to see revival in our own country, or more specially, in our own town, it starts in our own hearts and families. Rather than worrying about all the things Christians have to deal with outside the walls of the church, rest peacefully with God who has ordained history and wants to live through you. Remember, Jesus said he had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come and teach us. If your faith is in Christ, the Holy Spirit is in you now, waiting for you to stop worrying about everything and start listening. Jesus is King, so listen to Him!

Now, I have one last point for you to consider:

These three roles existed in the Garden of Eden through Adam and Eve. Because our first parents were created without sin, they had complete and full contact with God daily in the garden. They were prophets in the sense they heard God and could make that plain to others (at least the others that would be). They were priests in that they could make offerings to God. Now, at first they were without sin, so they would simply be praise offerings. Last, they were king and queen, because God had given them dominion over the Earth. They were to be God’s administrators over the Earth, caring for the Garden and animals.

These roles were subverted by sin. Because of sin, people could no longer hear from God. They could no longer approach God with offerings. Remember the presence of God did not manifest in worship until Moses setup the tabernacle. And lastly, humans lost their dominion over the earth. Instead being administrators over nature, they became subject to nature’s chaos.

When Christ came and ended Satan’s hold on humanity, He also re-established our roles as prophets, priests and kings. If you’ll recall, we talked about the inheritance we have because of Christ. We inherit heaven, because Jesus has reconciled us to God and renewed the promise given to Adam. As Christians, we now have the jobs of prophets, priests and kings.

As prophets, it is our job to listen for God’s teachings and make them known to others.

As priests, it is our job to pray on behalf of others and offer praises to our God.

And we are kings and queens as well. Though it may not seem like it now, consider these passages:

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Revelation 3:21

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp nor sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:5

“When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!”

1 Corinthians 6:1-3

Paul’s chastisement against the Corinthians is that they were taking each other to court rather than working out their differences. The reason Christians shouldn’t sue each other isn’t because it’s mean, it’s because Christians should be wise enough to work out their problems. The mature Christian is one who seeks the wisdom of God and flees sinful desires. Our grievances with one another fade away when we do these two things.

INVITATION

Today, we have much to consider. First, for some it may be that Jesus is so foreign that viewing Him as prophet, priest or king is completely new. For you, I say take the step of faith. Taste and see the Lord is good. God has come to us to save us. He wants to save you as well. You can be freed from your sin and live a life of peace.

For some, you remember placing your trust in Christ, and you remember being saved. But you don’t remember much after that. Today is the day to journey further in your faith. Open your Bible and learn what it means to be a Christian—a royal priesthood, a chosen race, redeemed from the grip of death so that you will live forever as an heir to the kingdom of Heaven.

For others, you have been a Christian for a long time and studied much.

But I ask you this:

Where in your life have you played the prophet?

Do you have others that you teach and speak the truth of God to? You don’t have to lead a Sunday school class (though that’s good, too). But you should have at least a few younger Christians that you help disciple. Even if you don’t feel like a teacher, there is someone that would benefit from you taking them and leading them through the Bible or just to talk with regularly about living life.

Where in your life have you played the priest?

Do you have a list of people you pray for? Do you have others that you are interceding on behalf of—whether lost people who need to surrender to Christ or those dealing with the problems of this world. Take the time to meet with them and intercede for them.

Where in your life are you a king/queen?

I don’t mean your house or your porcelain throne. I mean, consider Eph 2:6 which says, if we are raised in Christ, then we “are seated above with Christ”. Or consider Col. 3:1-2, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Kings and queens do not trouble their mind with lower things—they have people for that. They focus on higher matters. As a Christian, you have a higher duty. Administer your life in such a way that it makes heavenly matters a priority. I don’t mean ignore your earthly duties, I simply mean do not neglect the higher matters of faith and heaven.

Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you. Look at the big picture of eternity when planning your day.