Jesus, the Son

Introduction

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for, with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth He stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood. He will give to all the faithful His own self for heav'nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the pow'rs of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph, cherubim with sleepless eye, veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, “Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Lord Most High!”

Jesus, the Son

Jesus, the King

Jesus, the Light

Jesus, the Lord

The Real Silent Night

Riff on silent night

“No crying he makes”?

The proper silence of that night was awe not peace

Jesus the Son

Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for, with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand.

Psalm 2 (NIV)

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.

8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

The Son Needed

1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”

Why are the nations so wicked?

Syria

Is it money? Rich and poor nations are wicked

Is it religion? Atheistic and religious nations are wicked

Is it strength? Powerful and weak nations are wicked

The wickedness of this world stems from its rebellion against God

This is the attitude of

Adam and Eve

Cain

Pharaoh

Canaan

Jezebel

This is not how it’s supposed to be

But God has an answer

The Son Sent

4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”

God is untroubled

He scoffs at them

A dad wrestling his kids

He rebukes them in anger

He laughs, but he does not take them lightly

God’s response is to establish a greater king

Near and far fulfillment

David

Jesus

The Son Described

7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

“Son of God” in the Bible

Human Son

Adam

Luke 3:38 “38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.”

David

2 Sam 7:13-14 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.

Acts 13:32–33 “32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “ ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.’”

Hebrews 5:5 “5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.””

Israel

Exodus 4:22–23 “22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ””

Hosea 11:1 “1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.”

Matthew 2:13–15 “13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.””

Divine Son

John 1:18 “18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

The Significance of the Son of God

The Son receives the nations

Psalm 2:8 (NIV)

8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

The Son rules the nations

Psalm 2:9 (NIV)

9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

Respond to the Son

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Be Wise and Warned

Psalm 2:10 (NIV)

10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

More than a general call to wisdom, specifically a call to the wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord

Recognition of superiority

Honor

The right demonstration of this wisdom is to take warning

Sleeping giant WW2 (not Yamamoto)

Serve and Celebrate

Psalm 2:11 (NIV)

11 Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.

Fear generates service

Celebrate with trembling

This is not the fear that leads to hopelessness

The gospel enables both celebration and trembling

Kiss the Son - worship

Psalm 2:12a (NIV)

12 Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Revelation & Response

John 5:23 NIV

23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.

Take Refuge

Psalm 2:12b (NIV) Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Those who take refuge in him look forward to ruling with him

Revelation 2:26–27 NIV

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.