Title: Jesus! You are the king of kings
Contents
Text: Matthew 2:1-12
Jesus is the King of kings who is superior among all kings. There is no king greater than him, no king more honorable. He was humble and was not born in a palace, but in a stable (Luke 2:7), but he is a king, who cannot help but kneel before his name, whether in heaven or on earth or in the other world (Philippians 2:10). He is the eternal Lord of heaven and earth, this time and the life to come.
Comparing the Gospel accounts, which contain the life and lessons of Jesus' 33 years,
The Gospel of Mark describes Jesus as the “Son of God”, the Gospel of Luke describes Jesus as “the Son of Man and Savior,” and the Gospel of John describes Jesus as “the Word that existed before the world.” So, how does Matthew explain it?
1. The Jesus of Matthew is the “King of kings”.
Jesus came as a king who served rather than reigned. That is why Matthew 20:28 also says, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… ”.
Matthew 1 begins with the genealogy of Jesus. In verse 1:1, “The world (genealogy) of Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham and David,” the author of Matthew emphasizes the kingship of Jesus by appealing to King David, who was the greatest in the history of Israel, at the beginning of the genealogy of Jesus.
In Matthew 2, today's text begins with the appearance of the wise men. In verse 2, the magi who arrived in Jerusalem said, "Where is the one who has been born a king? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." You can see the close-up of the birth of the king as the birth of a king.
In Matthew 3, through the prophet John the Baptist, Jesus is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire, and even the great prophet John the Baptist cannot dare to touch or lift Jesus' shoes, testifying of Jesus as the great King. Judging from this, Jesus is more precious than King David, more precious than wise men, and more precious than prophets, the King of kings. Hallelujah!!
Matthew 4 testifies of Jesus who overcame the temptations of the devil three times and was even served by an angel. In general, it is not easy to defeat the devil's temptation, but it is also portrayed as a person who defeats three times and receives the attendant of a heavenly angel, emphasizing his being the King of kings.
Chapters 5-7 of Matthew contain the sermons of Jesus, and chapters 8-9 record the miracles and powers of Jesus. In “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 9:27), the word 'Son of David' means the son of a king, that is, a king.
In Matthew 12:23, when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, people said in unison, "Isn't he the son of David?", indicating that Jesus is king. In Matthew 15:22, we can see a scene where a Canaanite woman came to Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter and confessed, “Son of David,” pleading that only you, the king, can heal my demon-possessed daughter.
This great king, Jesus, was born in a stable in Bethlehem (David's hometown). You came from a high place to a low place. This means that he is the Lord of all and the king whom anyone can meet.
2. In today's text, there are two types of people who want to meet the baby Jesus.
One was the paksi from the East who studied the stars, and the other was King Herod, who held and shook the power of that time. But Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus, and the wise men sought to worship him. Herod, who was desperate to harm the baby Jesus, unexpectedly committed the sin of killing a lot of children in the vicinity, and the wise men from the East who came to worship the baby Jesus offered gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus in Mary's arms. I returned to my home country with the joy of giving and worshiping.
In this precious Christmas, evil thoughts, hatred, envy, jealousy, resentment, and quarrels should not be placed in the manger of the heart to receive the baby Jesus. In a manger of such a heart, the baby Jesus cannot be laid. The baby Jesus is in a manger with an obedient heart, ready to die like Mary. A place to worship like the wise men. Baby Jesus is in the place of praise like an angel.
Dear members of Shepherd Church,
This Christmas too, like an angel in heaven, like a shepherd in the field, like a magi who has come a long way to worship, put the weight of your life on welcoming the baby Jesus only. The baby Jesus will surely be in the hearts of such people. To make this year's Christmas more meaningful than any other year, I pray that you will become saints who do not neglect to prepare for the reception of the King, Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen.