The Humble King

ADD

December 15th 2024

Series: Christmas Past, Present, and Future

Sermon Title: The Humble King

Topic: Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in New Testament texts and applied to Now Testament living

Key Passages: Luke 2:1-12, Luke 1:1-4, Micah 5:2 & 4, Isaiah 11:1-3, Jeremiah 33:14-16, Ezekial 37:24, Hosea 3:4-5

Sermon Blurb: In this message, we will see what can be learned from Dr. Luke and the shepherds who celebrated Jesus life.

Sermon

Hello Family Church!!!

Family Moment

Welcome to Family Church… whether you are here in person or watching online…

We are so glad you are with us today

We are in the middle of our Christmas series…called “Christmas: Past, Present, and Future”

This month, we will look at the birth story of Jesus…or the REAL Christmas Story… as told by two people in the Bible.

Matthew and Luke.

We will focus on some specific Old Testament prophecies referenced and fulfilled in those books of the Bible.

And, as we ALWAYS do at Family Church, we will apply some truth nuggets to our lives today!

We’re highlighting what Jesus’ birth meant before the moment Jesus came to earth,

What it meant to people living during that time,

And how it impacts future generations, including us today.

So… Christmas past, before Jesus came to earth,

Christmas present, to people living in the time of Jesus,

And Christmas future, to those living after Jesus came.

Grab your Bible… open to the Book of

Luke 2

New Person Bible Connection:

If you do not have a Bible, that is ok!

After service, we will give you an AMAZING leather-bound study Bible!

Just go to ADD YOUR CAMPUS PLACE and get one for FREE!!

PAUSE

Before we read… I want to remind you that Dr. Luke is writing this letter.

Luke wrote this book for a Roman audience.

Matthew, who we have been reading over the last two weeks, wrote for a Jewish audience.

PAUSE

As we all know, who you are writing for will influence what you say and how you say it.

This is likely why Matthew quotes the Jewish Scriptures all the time.

Because his audience would have known the Jewish scriptures and the prophecies about Jesus

That would have helped him connect with them.

PAUSE

Luke does not directly quote the Old Testament to his audience because his readers have no context for it.

Romans did not follow God or know much about him.

Quoting Jewish prophecy would make minimal if any, impact.

So, Luke does not directly quote the Old Testament like Matthew.

Luke wanted to convey accurate, factual, and meaningful truth… in a way that would best suit his readers.

PAUSE

All of that is necessary to mention… because today…

…we will NOT highlight a “direct quote” from the Old Prophecies.

RATHER… we will highlight the clear CONNECTIONS TO the Old prophecies.

Luke does NOT quote prophecy…

But Luke DOES connecthis readers to the prophetic truths that came to life when Jesus was born.

And I’ll show you that.

So let’s start reading Luke 2 beginning in verse 1…

Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,

because there was no guest room available for them.

Let’s stop here.

CHURCH, help me out today, and I will say this right out of the gate….

These are NOT a trick questions…

WHO wrote the Book of Luke?

Luke!

Does anyone remember WHAT Luke did for a living? What was his job?

Luke was a doctor!

Flip back with me quickly to Luke chapter 1… it’s in your notes and on the screen as well…

Luke 1:1-4 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,

2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning,

I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,

4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

What did Doctor Luke say?

The doctor explains to his readers how he “carefully investigated everything.”

SO THAT,

His readers would “know the certainty of things” that Luke discovered about Jesus.

Luke verified the CRAZY stories the Romans had been hearing about Jesus.

Validated claims.

He sought the testimony of eyewitnesses.

He cross-referenced these eyewitnesses to build a factual story.

PAUSE

Most scholars even believe that Luke got Jesus' birth story DIRECTLY from Mary herself!

From the mouth of Jesus’ mother.

And YES… the Holy Spirit is ALSO helping Luke write this letter through Divine Inspiration.

PAUSE

And here’s the other thing…

Luke didn’t know that this letter would be in the Bible one day.

Luke didn’t realize that God would make his research a part of the Bible!

The reality is that NONE of the authors who wrote the books of the Bible had ANY KNOWLEDGE that God was going to use their writings to compile what we know as the Bible today.

They just wrote what they remembered or what they were inspired to write.

And God pulled it all together to tell a single, harmonious story…

HIS-STORY, which we know as the Bible today!

PAUSE

A Roman tasked Doctor Luke to investigate claims about Jesus.

He then reported everything back to that Roman named Theophilus.

He had NO reason to embellish the story,

He would not gain anything by making up stuff.

He just wrote what the eyewitnesses said and what God conveyed.

PAUSE

So, think of it this way…… BOTH God AND eyewitnesses are helping Luke tell the story.

And if you can’t believe God AND reliable eyewitnesses… well, then you aren’t going to believe anything!

You are just CHOOSING to be a skeptic or doubter.

LONG PAUSE

Notice also that Luke provides details that anyone could have fact-checked!

Just like Matthew did, which we read last week…

Luke offers his readers an opportunity to fact-check his claims.

He gives vivid details that any skeptic, any doubter, ANYONE could go research.

He drops names like Caesar Augustus and Quirinius.

He talks about a regional census.

He gives the name of the earthly father Joseph, and that he was from Galilee.

He says that Jesus was in the family line of David, a SUPER FAMOUS King…

Every detail could be validated or invalidated.

PAUSE

IF even ONE detail is off…

Even one detail is incorrect…

Then someone could debunk the entire claim.

And STILL… Luke gives these details…

WHY?

Well, because he has NOTHING to hide.

Everything he wrote was true.

Every detail he gave happened.

PAUSE

CHURCH This is something I LOVE about Christianity and the Bible……

No matter how hard someone tries to disprove it, they can’t.

People have tried, tried, and tried to debunk the claims of the Bible and every time, they have failed.

PAUSE

Now, remember, Luke does not quote a lot of Old Testament because he is writing to a Roman audience.

BUT… Luke DOES referencethe Old Testament.

He doesn’t directly quote it, but it informs his message.

And I want to show you…

PAUSE

Look back at Chapter 2 verse 4,

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

Stop there.

You might be thinking, “Where is the reference?”

Again, there is no direct quotation… so you must look closer.

Luke ties to a specific prophecy concerning Jesus.

In fact, Luke ties TWO of the prophecies in just one verse!

PAUSE

The first prophecy here is about Jesus’ birthplace.

The ancient prophets foretold how Jesus would be born in Bethlehem.

Hundreds of years before Jesus, the prophets spoke about this truth.

Look at Micah 5:2…

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Help me out Church… Where did the prophet Micah say the Savior will come from?

Bethlehem!

Jesus HAD TO be from here to be a potential for Messiah and Luke adds this detail.

And let’s read just a little more of Micah’s prophecy…

Because Micah elaborates on HOW the Messiah, or Jesus, would lead and some of the characteristics of his rule.

Micah 5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

Look at what it says… He will SHEPHERD his flock!

And they will live SECURELY under His reign!

Here's the point that I want you to write down…

Christmas Past: The Messiah would be of humble origin and be a humble leader.

Repeat

Micah says that Jesus would come from a “small” clan in Judah… but that He would rise to be a wonderful leader and shepherd.

That Jesus would be a humble ruler.

A careful King.

An attentive leader.

The people waiting on Messiah had some insight into where Jesus would come from and how Jesus would lead.

PAUSE

So, that is the first prophetic reference.

Then, in the same verse… in Luke 2:4, we find the second reference to Old Testament prophecy.

Luke tells us about Jesus’ family lineage.

He tells us how Jesus is in David's bloodline.

Which that was said by FOUR different prophetic voices from the Old Testament.

I want to show you all four…

The first is from the prophet Isaiah…

Isaiah 11:1-3 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

Isaiah talking about the coming of the Messiah said he would come from the stump…or roots…of Jesse.

Who is Jesse?

Jesse was David’s Father!

PAUSE

Luke 2:4 also points to a prophecy from Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 33:14-16 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.

15 “‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’

Here again… where will the “Righteous Branch sprout from?”

From DAVID’s line!

David’s royal bloodline.

PAUSE

Let’s look at another Old Testament prophet, Ezekial.

In Ezekial 37… which is the famous passage that deals with the Valley of Dry Bones coming back to life…

Ezekial 37:24 “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.

They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.

This prophet echoes the others…

He confirms the bloodline of Messiah being from David.

AND how Jesus will be both KING and SHEPHERD!

Just like we talked about last week!

PAUSE

There’s one more… the prophet Hosea.

Hosea 3:4-5 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods.

5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Notice the name “David” again?

Each of these prophets was inspired by the Spirit of God.

Four different prophets proclaimed one necessary truth… Jesus HAD TO come from the line of David.

And HE DID!

PAUSE

So, Luke is writing to a primarily Roman audience.

Even though he doesn’t directly quote the prophets, Luke is crystal clear about these truths.

Jesus came from the royal bloodline and was born in a specific place… both of which were necessary to be the Messiah.

So, write this down:

Christmas Present: The Messiah would be a humble king.

Repeat

PAUSE

Even the smaller details of the text indicate God’s humility.

Look back at verse Luke 2 verse 7…

Luke 2:7-12 She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

CHURCH… if you had the choice between sleeping in a 5-star hotel OR sleeping in a cow barn… which would you choose?

A 5-star hotel, right?

When it says there was no room in the Inn and that she laid him in a manger……that means they were in a barn or cave!

That’s right!

The Son of God was born in a place where most of us do not even let our dogs sleep anymore!

But that is God… that is Jesus.

Jesus is a humble leader.

PAUSE

Let’s keep reading…

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Okay, let’s play out another scenario together…

CHURCH help me out here…

If you could invite anyone in the world to your birthday, who would it be?

A celebrity,

A famous youtuber.

Someone of royalty.

A sports superstar.

A family member or close friend.

How many of us would prefer a visit from a random group of rag-tag rejects who smell like manure?!?

Anyone?

The reality is that if you and I were God, we wouldn’t likely have invited these shepherds to visit.

Not many of us would choose to invite random people!

We can understand why Jesus gets a visit from certain people…

But why shepherds?

PAUSE

Why did Luke emphasize this part of the story?

Why did God want us to know about these details?

I think it is because Jesus is available to ALL people.

He isn’t only available to rich people.

Influential people,

People who look good or seemingly have it all together.

People like the Wise men from last week…

Jesus is just as available to a kid from the streets as He is a King in a palace.

He is the Humble King and Savior to all people.

Write this down:

Christmas Future: The Messiah is available to ALL people!

Repeat

PAUSE

Here’s the simple beauty of Jesus.

He is available to all people!

The lofty and lowly alike.

He came for everyone!

Last week, we learned about wealthy, influential Wise Men who bowed and worshipped Jesus.

Today, we saw an invitation to lowly, dirty, shepherds to encounter King Jesus.

Jesus is available to you.

Regardless of your social status.

Your title or position.

Your job or career.

Your family or heritage.

Your situation.

Your personality.

Your popularity.

Your “goodness” or “badness.”

Jesus came for YOU!

He welcomes you to a relationship with Him.

To place your trust in Him.

To surrender your life to Him… knowing that He is God and He is good to ALL who will humbly come.

PAUSE

Life Application: Have you opened Jesus's gift of salvation? If not, are you ready? If yes, who will you share this gift with this Christmas? As a result of today’s message, I Will __________________