My King

Whenever people came face to face with Jesus, they knew something was different.  This started from the time he was born.

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. (Luke 2:22-33 ESV)

Simeon waited his whole life to meet Jesus, his Messiah and King.  That same day, Jesus was recognized by another Spirit-filled person.

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:34-38 ESV)

These people recognized Jesus as the Christ, the King of the Jews.  But Jesus wasn’t just a King.  Jesus was The King – The King they had all been waiting for these thousands of years.  Jesus was their King.

How about you?  Is Jesus your King?

The Wise Seek Him

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12 ESV)

You may be thinking, “Pete, you missed a day.  Your title talks about wise men, but the Scripture is about the shepherds.”  I didn’t miss a day, though.  The title is about the wise, not just the Magi.  You see wisdom comes from God and the shepherds received wisdom that night.  That wisdom led them right to the newborn King.

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. (Luke 2:15-17 ESV)

They didn’t keep this wisdom to themselves.  They shared it with others – anyone who was willing to listen.  The Magi were known for their eastern “wisdom,” but God used that wisdom to lead them to true wisdom.  God gave them a new star that would also lead them right to the newborn King.

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.” (Matthew 2:1-2 ESV)

Herod, the king of the area where Jesus was born, was also given the opportunity to receive wisdom from God as well.

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.” (Matthew 2:3-8 ESV)

The shepherds, magi, and Herod were all given the same wisdom: The King is Born.  What they do with that wisdom, however, determines whether or not they are wise.  The same is true for us today.  We have the same wisdom about Jesus that billions of others have been given.  What we do with that wisdom determines whether or not we are wise.

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. (Matthew 2:9-12 ESV)

This is why we refer to the Magi as “wise men” and we would even call the shepherds “wise,” but the word “wisdom” does not get applied to Herod.  Herod rejected the wisdom of God for his own power and glory.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” (Matthew 2:13 ESV)

How about you?  Have you received wisdom from God?  Does it point you straight to Jesus as King?  What do you do with that wisdom?  Would others call you “wise?”  Would God?

Mary and Joseph

The Elizabeth, Zechariah, and the prophets weren’t the only ones who knew that Jesus would be born as their King.  Mary and Joseph knew too.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:26-28 ESV)

Mary found out even before she knew she was pregnant.  Gabriel, the angel, was sent to her – letting her know what would happen.

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:29-33 ESV)

Yes, Mary knew that Jesus would be King.  Joseph would find out in a similar way, but only after finding out his fiancée was pregnant.

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:19-21 ESV)

Joseph, too, knew that Jesus would be King.  They both learned that he would be more than King, though.  He would save his people from their sins.  He would be called the Son of the Most High (God).  He would be God with us.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:22-23 ESV)

How about you?  Does the virgin birth help your faith in Jesus?  Do you see him as your King?  Do you see him as your Savior?  Do you see him as God with us?

Zechariah and Elizabeth

Zechariah and Elizabeth knew that Jesus is King.  They learned this through their experience having a child.

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years. (Luke 1:5-7 ESV)

They were about to go through an “Abraham and Sarah” type of experience.  Elizabeth was unable to have a child and now she was “advanced in years.”  That’s a nice way of telling us that she isn’t going to have any children now.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:8-13 ESV)

We just read a story a couple weeks ago about a Levite serving as a false priest in Micah’s house and then for the whole tribe of Dan.  Zechariah, however, is a true priest.  He is in the right linage and, as we are told, he lives a life worthy of his calling.  He and Elizabeth are both walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statues of the Lord.  When you walk with God, you shouldn’t be surprised when you encounter God.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:14-17 ESV)

Zechariah and Elizabeth had an important part to play in God’s plan.  God was going to miraculously give them a child in their advanced years.  This child would proclaim the way of the Lord as predicted by the prophet, Isaiah.

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” (Luke 1:18-20 ESV)

Zechariah doubted God at first.  That’s why he ended up struck dumb until his son was born.  When it came time, though, Zechariah stayed true to God’s instructions.

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:57-66 ESV)

Zechariah and Elizabeth both knew that Jesus is King.  Their miraculous, late-in-life son was born for this purpose: to make way for the Lord.

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. (Luke 1:67-80 ESV)

How about you?  Do you walk blamelessly with the LORD?  Do you encounter God as a result?  Does God work in your life to remind you that Jesus is King?

Prophets, Old and New

I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:17-18 ESV)

God promised to bless all nations through Abraham.  This promise would have more details added to the description throughout the ages.  People, speaking on behalf of God, would tell us more about the way all nations would be blessed.  These special messenger-people are called prophets.

I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:18-19 ESV)

Prophets would be given miraculous signs and short-term predictions to confirm that they were not speaking for themselves.  They were speaking on behalf of the LORD.  Their words were not their own.  They came from God.

“If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 ESV)

These prophets brought many messages throughout the years.  Some of these messages were for the people of that day.  Some of the messages were to give hope to them about something great God would do in the future.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14 ESV)

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And he shall be their peace. (Micah 5:2-5a ESV)

When Jesus arrived, born in Bethlehem, prophets still spoke from God about the blessings that all nations would receive through this Messiah (Christ) child.

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.(Luke 2:34-38 ESV)

How about you?  Do you believe God’s spokespersons: the prophets?  Do you believe Jesus is the Christ?  Do you believe he is the one through whom all nations are being blessed?

Jesus is King

The last couple months has been focused on the time in Israel’s history when they had no king and so they did whatever they wanted.  This was the time period of the Judges.

Today, we run the same risk in many places around the world.  Even with political systems in place to lead us, many of us still do whatever we want…and it is not good.  The Israelites needed a King.  We need a King, too.  God knows that.  That is why God sent His Son, Jesus.

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. (Luke 2:1-5 ESV)

Jesus came here as God in the flesh for many reasons.  One of those reasons was to introduce us to our King.  God is the perfect King.  He upholds Justice perfectly.  He loves us unconditionally.  He leads us into life eternally.  Jesus is the perfect King.

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  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.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33, 36-37 ESV)

This Christmas, we are not just celebrating the birth of a baby.  We are celebrating the birth of a King.  No, we are celebrating the birth of THE King – The King of Kings.  Jesus is a King who’s throne is above all thrones.  He is The King above all Kings.  His reign will last for ever and ever.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:11-16 ESV)

How about you?  Are you celebrating the birth of The King?