Jesus, the Great King
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Jesus, the Great King
Jesus, the Great King
The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
The central personality of the Old Testament is the coming Great King. He is told to be righteous, wise, all-powerful, the sovereign authority and ruler over the entire earth. He would have the authority and power to bruise Satan’s head and take back man’s dominion lost through sin. His scepter, according to , “shall not depart from Judah.” He would exercise a reign that would be everlasting, eternal, and forever — This could never apply to a mere human king. Only One could fulfill the Lord’s prophecy Nathan spoke to King David:
16 Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”
David’s kingdom was succeeded by David’s son, Solomon, upon whom’s death, the kingdom was shattered and divided — and yet had never been reestablished.
Yet in , God tells us of the One who was to establish this eternal kingdom.
6 “I have consecrated My King on Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 I will declare the Lord’s decree: He said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father. 8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.
The Old Testament prophets speak of this Great King as both human and divine.
Isaiah prophesied He would be born of a virgin in 7:14 and chapter 53, that He would be despised and rejected by men, oppressed and afflicted — the Lord would crush Him.
Through Micah the Lord promised Bethlehem — “One will come from you to be ruler over Israel for Me. His origin is from antiquity, from eternity.”
Danie
Zephaniah prophesied — “The King of Israel, the Lord, is among you.”
And Zechariah tells us that when this Great King reigns that every family on earth will be able to “go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts...”
And though as Peter indicated, none of the ancient writers comprehended the full nature of the One of whom they prophesied — This would be the Great King — the God Man.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when He testified in advance to the messianic sufferings and the glories that would follow.
1 Peter
His full nature and identity are presented and explained in the Gospels.
We know his authorship because his name is attached to all early copies of the manuscripts and the early church Fathers unanimously attest to him as the author.
I admire the way Matthew wrote his Gospel account. He was particularly modest referring to himself in the 3rd person and nowhere speaking of himself as the author. This is partly due to who he was, a tax collector of the Roman Empire. Though a Jew, he was seen as a traitor to his people ranking with the lowest of human society — sinners, prostitutes, and Gentiles.
Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collect when Jesus called him to be one of the twelve disciples.
9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” So he got up and followed Him.
I think the greater reason for the way Matthew wrote his Gospel account was to shine a divine spotlight that focused solely on Jesus Christ. And through one event after another, show this Jesus to fulfill all the requirement of the prophesies in the Old Testament. He is the promised Great King.
And Matthew, the first, shines a divine spotlight that focuses on Jesus Christ. And through one event after another, show this Jesus to fulfill all the requirement of the prophesies in the Old Testament. He is the promised Great King.
The message of the Gospel according to Matthew centers on Jesus’ Kingship. Virtually every paragraph of Matthew points to something of His Kingship.
Obviously from the text, Matthew wrote his gospel prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.
Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the King Revealed, the King Rejected, and the King Who Will Return.
I. The King Revealed
I. The King Revealed
As we saw last week, Matthew began his gospel with the genealogy of the Lord.
1 The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:
Jesus is painted in royal colors in this gospel as in none other.
First we see it in the Genealogy of the King. He is the Son of David — the King of Israel, who was promised that his throne would be an eternal kingdom.
16 Your house and kingdom will endure before Me forever, and your throne will be established forever.’ ”
14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a human rod and with blows from others.
1 So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest. 5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.” 7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly. 12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’ ” 13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then Nathan replied to David, “The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die. 14 However, because you treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.” 15 Then Nathan went home. The Lord struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. 18 On the seventh day the baby died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.” 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?” “He is dead,” they replied. 20 Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the Lord’s house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate. 21 His servants asked him, “What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.” 22 He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.” 24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved him, 25 and He sent a message through Nathan the prophet, who named him Jedidiah, because of the Lord. 26 Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. 27 Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply. 28 Now therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will be the one to capture the city, and it will be named after me.” 29 So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; he fought against it and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David’s head. The crown weighed 75 pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. 31 He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at brickmaking. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. 1 Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David’s son Amnon was infatuated with her. 2 Amnon was frustrated to the point of making himself sick over his sister Tamar because she was a virgin, but it seemed impossible to do anything to her. 3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, a son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, 4 and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so miserable every morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you’re sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare food in my presence so I can watch and eat from her hand.’ ” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my presence so I can eat from her hand.” 7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare a meal for him.” 8 Then Tamar went to his house while Amnon was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his presence, and baked them. 9 She brought the pan and set it down in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Everyone leave me!” And everyone left him. 10 “Bring the meal to the bedroom,” Amnon told Tamar, “so I can eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom. 11 When she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come sleep with me, my sister!” 12 “Don’t, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don’t do this horrible thing! 13 Where could I ever go with my disgrace? And you—you would be like one of the immoral men in Israel! Please, speak to the king, for he won’t keep me from you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he raped her. 15 After this, Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love he had loved her with. “Get out of here!” he said. 16 “No,” she cried, “sending me away is much worse than the great wrong you’ve already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her. 17 Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!” 18 Amnon’s servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a long-sleeved garment, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away crying out. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her: “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom. 21 When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. 22 Absalom didn’t say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar. 23 Two years later, Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 Then he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired sheepshearers. Will the king and his servants please come with your servant?” 25 The king replied to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he wasn’t willing to go, though he did bless him. 26 “If not,” Absalom said, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons. 28 Now Absalom commanded his young men, “Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong and courageous!” 29 So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the rest of the king’s sons got up, and each fled on his mule. 30 While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom struck down all the king’s sons; not even one of them survived!” 31 In response the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 But Jonadab, son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, because only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this ever since the day Amnon disgraced his sister Tamar. 33 So now, my lord the king, don’t take seriously the report that says all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” 34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain. 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons have come! It’s exactly like your servant said.” 36 Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept bitterly. 37 Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur where he stayed three years. 39 Then King David longed to go to Absalom, for David had finished grieving over Amnon’s death. 1 Joab son of Zeruiah observed that the king’s mind was on Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to bring a clever woman from there. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourning: dress in mourning clothes and don’t put on any oil. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time. 3 Go to the king and speak these words to him.” Then Joab told her exactly what to say. 4 When the woman from Tekoa came to the king, she fell with her face to the ground in homage and said, “Help me, my king!” 5 “What’s the matter?” the king asked her. “To tell the truth, I am a widow; my husband died,” she said. 6 “Your servant had two sons. They were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant and said, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother so we may put him to death for the life of the brother he murdered. We will destroy the heir!’ They would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on earth.” 8 The king told the woman, “Go home. I will issue a command on your behalf.” 9 Then the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be innocent.” 10 “Whoever speaks to you,” the king said, “bring him to me. He will not trouble you again!” 11 She replied, “Please, may the king invoke the Lord your God, so that the avenger of blood will not increase the loss, and they will not eliminate my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son will fall to the ground.” 12 Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied. 13 The woman asked, “Why have you devised something similar against the people of God? When the king spoke as he did about this matter, he has pronounced his own guilt. The king has not brought back his own banished one. 14 We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can’t be recovered. But God would not take away a life; He would devise plans so that the one banished from Him does not remain banished. 15 “Now therefore, I’ve come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought: I must speak to the king. Perhaps the king will grant his servant’s request. 16 The king will surely listen in order to rescue his servant from the hand of this man who would eliminate both me and my son from God’s inheritance. 17 Your servant thought: May the word of my lord the king bring relief, for my lord the king is able to discern the good and the bad like the Angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you.” 18 Then the king answered the woman, “I’m going to ask you something; don’t conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” the woman replied. 19 The king asked, “Did Joab put you up to all this?” The woman answered. “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from all my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave orders to me; he told your servant exactly what to say. 20 Joab your servant has done this to address the issue indirectly, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the Angel of God, knowing everything on earth.” 21 Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab fell with his face to the ground in homage and praised the king. “Today,” Joab said, “your servant knows I have found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant.” 23 So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However, the king added, “He may return to his house, but he may not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his house, but he did not see the king. 25 No man in all Israel was as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw. 26 When he shaved his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy for him that he had to shave it off—he would weigh the hair from his head and it would be five pounds according to the royal standard. 27 Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman. 28 Absalom resided in Jerusalem two years but never saw the king. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab was unwilling to come. So he sent again, a second time, but he still wouldn’t come. 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab has a field right next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set fire to it!” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” 32 “Look,” Absalom explained to Joab, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? I’d be better off if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king. If I am guilty, let him kill me.” 33 Joab went to the king and told him. So David summoned Absalom, who came to the king and bowed down with his face to the ground before him. Then the king kissed Absalom. 1 After this, Absalom got himself a chariot, horses, and 50 men to run before him. 2 He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for settlement, Absalom called out to him and asked, “What city are you from?” If he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,” 3 Absalom said to him, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king does not have anyone to listen to you.” 4 He added, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land. Then anyone who had a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would make sure he received justice.” 5 When a person approached to bow down to him, Absalom reached out his hand, took hold of him, and kissed him. 6 Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for a settlement. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 When four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I made to the Lord. 8 For your servant made a vow when I lived in Geshur of Aram, saying: If the Lord really brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.” 9 “Go in peace,” the king said to him. So he went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent messengers throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the ram’s horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’ ” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom. They had been invited and were going innocently, for they knew nothing about the whole matter. 12 While he was offering the sacrifices, Absalom sent for David’s adviser Ahithophel the Gilonite, from his city of Giloh. So the conspiracy grew strong, and the people supporting Absalom continued to increase. 13 Then an informer came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” 14 David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Get up. We have to flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! Leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 The king’s servants said to him, “Whatever my lord the king decides, we are your servants.” 16 Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind 10 concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, and all the people followed him. They stopped at the last house 18 while all his servants marched past him. Then all the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and the Gittites—600 men who came with him from Gath —marched past the king. 19 The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also going with us? Go back and stay with the new king since you’re both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland. 20 Besides, you only arrived yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I go wherever I can? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.” 21 But in response, Ittai vowed to the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means life or death, your servant will be there!” 22 “March on,” David replied to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and the children who were with him. 23 Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly while all the people were marching past. As the king was crossing the Kidron Valley, all the people were marching past on the road that leads to the desert. 24 Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had finished marching past. 25 Then the king instructed Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the Lord’s eyes, He will bring me back and allow me to see both it and its dwelling place. 26 However, if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am—He can do with me whatever pleases Him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Look, return to the city in peace and your two sons with you: your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. 28 Remember, I’ll wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there. 30 David was climbing the slope of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he ascended. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. Each of the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they ascended. 31 Then someone reported to David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” “Lord,” David pleaded, “please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!” 32 When David came to the summit where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go away with me, you’ll be a burden to me, 34 but if you return to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, my king! Previously, I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant,’ then you can counteract Ahithophel’s counsel for me. 35 Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report everything you hear from the king’s palace to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Take note: their two sons, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan, are there with them. Send me everything you hear through them.” 37 So Hushai, David’s personal adviser, entered Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city. 1 When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, was right there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a skin of wine. 2 The king said to Ziba, “Why do you have these?” Ziba answered, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for those to drink who become exhausted in the desert.” 3 “Where is your master’s grandson?” the king asked. “Why, he’s staying in Jerusalem,” Ziba replied to the king, “for he said, ‘Today, the house of Israel will restore my grandfather’s kingdom to me.’ ” 4 The king said to Ziba, “All that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!” “I bow before you,” Ziba said. “May you look favorably on me, my lord the king!” 5 When King David got to Bahurim, a man belonging to the family of the house of Saul was just coming out. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and he was yelling curses as he approached. 6 He threw stones at David and at all the royal servants, the people and the warriors on David’s right and left. 7 Shimei said as he cursed: “Get out, get out, you worthless murderer! 8 The Lord has paid you back for all the blood of the house of Saul in whose place you became king, and the Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. Look, you are in trouble because you’re a murderer!” 9 Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut his head off!” 10 The king replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, do we agree on anything? He curses me this way because the Lord told him, ‘Curse David!’ Therefore, who can say, ‘Why did you do that?’ ” 11 Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life —how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to. 12 Perhaps the Lord will see my affliction and restore goodness to me instead of Shimei’s curses today.” 13 So David and his men proceeded along the road as Shimei was going along the ridge of the hill opposite him. As Shimei went, he cursed David, and threw stones and dirt at him. 14 Finally, the king and all the people with him arrived exhausted, so they rested there. 15 Now Absalom and all the Israelites came to Jerusalem. Ahithophel was also with him. 16 When David’s friend Hushai the Archite came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 “Is this your loyalty to your friend?” Absalom asked Hushai. “Why didn’t you go with your friend?” 18 “Not at all,” Hushai answered Absalom. “I am on the side of the one that the Lord, the people, and all the men of Israel have chosen. I will stay with him. 19 Furthermore, whom will I serve if not his son? As I served in your father’s presence, I will also serve in yours.” 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me your advice. What should we do?” 21 Ahithophel replied to Absalom, “Sleep with your father’s concubines he left to take care of the palace. When all Israel hears that you have become repulsive to your father, everyone with you will be encouraged.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now the advice Ahithophel gave in those days was like someone asking about a word from God —such was the regard that both David and Absalom had for Ahithophel’s advice.
There is no way this could be fulfilled through Solomon or any other human in his lineage. Only the One who is eternally God — Jesus Christ.
2 Samuel
His birth is dread by the jealous earthly king Herod.
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” 3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
So, the response of Herod is exactly the opposite of the Magi. They rejoiced and sought to worship Him. Herod was intensely jealous and paranoid at the mere mention of another king of the Jews — so much so, that he later ordered the murder of every male child in and around Bethlehem who were two years and under. And this fulfilled the prophesy of Jeremiah.
18 A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more.
John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, announced His kingdom.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” 3 For he is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!
Matthew 3:
In , we read of the temptation of Jesus by Satan who offers Jesus the Kingdoms of the world.
8 Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.
8 Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to Him, “I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.”
Matthew 4:
His Divine credentials are confirmed through His preaching, teaching, and the power of miracles He performed at the end of chapter 4.
23 Jesus was going all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
His Sermon on the Mount is the manifesto of the King.
The beatitudes begin and end with the statement: “because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
“because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
The sermon ends with citizenship into His kingdom comes through a narrow way.
He identifies Himself with the king’s son in a parable and makes His royal entry into Jerusalem.
Facing the cross He predicts His future reign. He stands before an earthly ruler and declares the otherworldliness of His kingdom: “My kingdom is not of this world.”
He claimed dominion over the angels in heaven.
His last words are a declaration of authority in Heaven and earth.
Jesus Christ is uniquely the Great King and Matthew revealed Him as such.
II. The King Rejected
II. The King Rejected
Though revealed as the Great King, Matthew also focused uniquely on the rejection of His Kingship.
No other gospel reveals the vile and bitter attacks like Matthew’s.
Before Jesus was born, His mother, Mary was in danger of being rejected by Joseph.
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After His mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
Matthew
But the Lord sent an angel:
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
Soon after He was born, Herod threatened His life. His parent, warned and commanded by God in a dream, fled to Egypt. This also was a fulfilment of prophesy.
15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.
Matthew
His herald, John the Baptist, was put in jail and eventually beheaded.
All during His earthly ministry He had no place to lay His head, no place to call home.
There is friend, no loved one, at the foot of the cross — only mockers and scorners.
is where it’s recorded that Jesus cries from the cross.
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Only a Gentile centurion speaks a favorable word.
54 When the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “This man really was God’s Son!”
When the guards report His tomb is empty, the Jewish authorities paid them to lie and say His disciples stole His body. .
Though revealed to be the Great King, the shadow of rejection is never lifted from Matthew’s story.
Yet the story of this Great King doesn’t end in rejection — but in triumph because He is the King Who Will Return.
III. The King Who Will Return
III. The King Who Will Return
30 “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
This Great King will ultimately return to judge and to rule. And all the earth will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
and 25, often referred to as the Olivet Discourse, is Jesus’ prophecy concerning first the destruction of Jerusalem and second His second coming.
This portion of scripture has become one of the most controversial chapters in all of Scripture. Some have even predicted the exact date of Jesus’ return and the end of the world, even though He poignantly stated that no one knows the day or the hour.
36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son —except the Father only.
Though solid, Bible-believing Christians and scholars debate the various details of this discourse, and whether it supports the premillennial, post millennial, or amillennial view of end times or whether there is a pre, post, or mid-tribulation rapture — or any rapture at all.
Amid all the minor questions that arise from and 25, regardless of the details about when or how or where these things will happen, arises the overwhelming reality and truth —
Regardless of the details about when or how or where these things will happen
Are you ready for the
Jesus Christ is the Great King, not only revealed and rejected — but He as King has all the authority and power as King who sovereignly controls the future.
Approximately 40 years after Jesus spoke these words, around A.D. 70, Roman armies began surrounding the city of Jerusalem to overtake it. When they did take the city, the Roman army destroyed the temple and made sacrifice to false gods, declaring Titus, the Roman emperor, to be supreme.
However, the second reality of this discourse is yet to take place. For the Lord of history who spoke with sovereign authority about the destruction of Jerusalem, not only knows the future — He ordains it. He also spoke of His return one day and that too will happen.
And this leads us to this all important question:
Are you ready? Will you be ready for the return of the Great King
13 I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. 14 He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.
Daniel
This is Jesus, the Great King.
And He Left a clear conclusion in chapter 25 that Matthew records: There are only two eternal Destinations that await all of us. Every individual is created by this Great King and will stand alone before Him at judgment.
Are you ready? Will you be ready for the return of the Great King?
These words of John Owen serve as a fitting conclusion:
“This is somewhat of the word which he now speaks unto you: Why will ye die? Why will ye perish? Why will ye not have compassion on your own souls? Can your hearts endure, or can your hands be strong, in the day of wrath that is approaching? … Look unto me, and be saved; come unto me, and I will ease you of all sins, sorrows, fears, burdens, and give rest to your souls. Come, I entreat you; lay aside all procrastinations, all delays; put me off no more; eternity lies at the door…do not so hate me as that you will rather perish than accept of deliverance by me.”