There is Hope in King Jesus

Introduction:

Illustration:

The successful movie producers are good at one major part of the business. They are good at making you feel what the actors are portraying. They are able to draw you into the movie through passion and emotion. This results in various feelings. Sometimes the feeling you have is anger or sadness or excitement. Then, there are times when the feelings are of hopelessness or shock. In the last Marvel Comics movie, the ending was one of those types of endings. It was the best and worst ending ever. In every superhero movie, you expect that the good guys win. The movie draws you in and makes you feel the desire of victory and even makes you taste the victory of the good guys. That is, until time is supernaturally rewound and the nemesis appears to win, and the movie ends with him sitting on his seat watching the Sun rise.

Like this, God’s people were supposed to be the winners in the Old Testament. They were supposed to be the ones who ended on top; but as the Old Testament is coming to a close, they are destroyed and exiled.

Our immediate text reveals to us a people who are in heavy sorrow for the loss of their children. In spite of this tragic situation, the Lord commands these people to stop weeping because there is hope that the Lord will restore what was lost.

Psalm 30:5 KJV 1900

For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

The point that Jeremiah's message is making is that though the people are in this sad situation, there is hope in the LORD and in his promise.

While there are many places to look to for perceived hope today, it is my prayer that you will not be deceived by any other potential source of hope.

- Some have lost a loved one or a relationship and they feel as though there is no hope.

- Some know that there is hope in the Lord but they live without really experiencing that hope.

- Others believe that their hope is in removing all suffering.

- Others hope that if they turn over a new leaf, then there will be hope.

- Some hope that if they could just have a child, then everything will be ok.

- Others hope that if their government would be fixed, all will be ok...

The Lord Himself provides a hope that is beyond anything we could ever conceive.

The Lord Himself provides a hope and He calls us to consider this Hope.

If and when this Hope is received and believed, then we can cease from this saddened condition.

Proposition: My prayer for you today is that you will join me in this story to see how the Lord provides a hope that truly sets us free!

The setting in the time of Jeremiah is quite troubling. The Southern Kingdom of Israel (Judah) have been taken captive by Babylon. This captivity included the deportation of the people to a foreign land.

Jeremiah is the prophet of the Lord whom God has sent forth to preach to the remnant in the land and to send messages to those in captivity in Babylon. Jeremiah's message is not as well-liked as that of the false-prophets. While the false prophets were telling those in slavery that they would be out of captivity in 2 years, Jeremiah is giving the true message of the Lord that the captivity would last 70 years. See ,

Jeremiah 29:4 KJV 1900

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;

Jeremiah 29:8–10 KJV 1900

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord. For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

Judah had been unfaithful in their covenant vows to the LORD. They had willfully overlooked what it meant to be a people who were in relationship with the LORD.

Their condition was a spiritual condition. See ,

2 Chronicles 36:11–16 KJV 1900

Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. And he also rebelled against king Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God: but he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the Lord God of Israel. Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

Jeremiah 31:12–14 KJV 1900

Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, And shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, For wheat, and for wine, and for oil, And for the young of the flock and of the herd: And their soul shall be as a watered garden; And they shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, Both young men and old together: For I will turn their mourning into joy, And will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, And my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord.

This unfaithfulness led to the exile and banishment that they had experienced now.

Illustration:

Over the last couple of months Josiah has been taking our dog to training classes. One of the things that they’ve been taught is to see when Oreo (the dog) is trying to exert his dominance by putting his paw up. Josiah has to then submit Oreo through a discipline. It works quite well. Josiah gets Oreo, lays him down on his side, and rubs him to calm him down and re-establish that Josiah is in charge. It is like a little “doggie time-out”. Oreo gets submitted when he does things deserving of the discipline.

Similarly, the LORD is submitting his people. They are deserving of this because they have asserted their dominance and refused to be faithful to the God of their covenant.

This gives us a brief view of the condition of all mankind. Adam and Eve were unfaithful to the Lord. This led to a banishment from the presence of the Lord. This led to a captivity under sin and Satan. It is a condition that they deserved because of their rejection of the Lord.

In like manner, we would like to think of ourselves as good people. The truth is that "There is none righteous, no not one." To be unrighteous is to be a sinner. To be a sinner is to be one who is accountable to the holy God. To be a sinner is to NOT meet the standard of this holy God. Though, we as his creatures, should be thankful and grateful to Him, we have rebelled against Him in our hearts, and our enslaved, captivated condition is both suitable and evident:

- we are enslaved to our pride

- we are enslaved to our popularity

- we are enslaved to pleasure

- we are enslaved to...

And what we find at the end of all of these pursuits is emptiness. We are left in a perpetual state of emptiness and sadness. We are left with emotions that are dark. Depression is rampant. Suicide is on the rise, and yet we won't face the fact that these are all evidences of our condition. Our condition is that we are slaves to sin/darkness, and we are justly in this condition. It is a condition to be mourned.

The suitable condition of the people.

The command of the Lord here seems to be either anti-natural or just insensitive. The loss of the people would clearly bring about these kinds of feelings, so for the LORD to command this seems wrong.

This kind of command does a couple of things to the original hearers. First, it would force them to consider a few thoughts: (1) The LORD is testing the faithfulness or the heart of those who are in immense suffering. Now that they have lost everything, will they turn to the Lord?

(2) The Lord is sovereign over suffering, so much so that nothing can stop the Lord from using the suffering to bring about his purposes. The Lord commands them, in their suffering, to stop their crying and consider his promise.

So it is today. We often think that suffering is to be avoided, but what really should happen in our hearts is that we should allow suffering to challenge us in our hearts, "Do we really trust the Lord?" In addition, suffering is an opportunity to see whether we believe that the Lord is really sovereign over all. Is the Lord able to bring about victory in the midst of suffering.

Illustration:

A 17-year-old young man is sold into slavery. From the time he is sold, he does not see his family for over 13 years. He becomes a slave in the house of a wealthy man. Over time, he was prosperous and this led to several promotions in his life. Eventually, he became so prosperous that he rose in the ranks of the entire nation and was second in command. It was then that Joseph was met by those who sold him into slavery, and notice what Joseph said about all of the evil that happened to him:

Genesis 50:19–20 KJV 1900

And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

The New Testament consistently reveals for us that in suffering, we should be caused to look to the Lord, to trust the Lord, to consider Christ. The Christians have a different perspective on suffering because they have Jesus Christ. The Christian perspective on suffering is in view of what is to come: See .

Romans 8:18 KJV 1900

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

In addition, we know that God is sovereign over suffering, meaning that God uses suffering to accomplish his purposes in the lives of his people -

Romans 8:28–29 KJV 1900

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

For an unbeliever, you cannot have this kind of hope or perspective because suffering is to be avoided at all costs. The only hope you have is to minimize the suffering temporarily because you are uncertain of your future or you think this life is all that there is; but the truth is that if you reject Jesus Christ now, incomparable suffering awaits you for all of eternity, and it is just. This leads us to our next point that the Lord gives a reason for this obedience.

It is one thing if the Lord just gives us a command and no reason for the command; but the Lord is gracious to give his reasoning creatures a command and he gives a reason for obedience to that command.

The suitable condition of the people.

The straightforward command from the LORD.

The presumed cause that the Lord gives to the mourning people is that the Lord would reward their work, and that the people would be brought back into the land from which they were exiled. It is a promise that there would be a restoration.

They are to obey because they have hope because of the LORD'S promise. The word "hope" means to have expectation or an optimistic outlook. It is something that you expect will take place that is not a current reality. It requires a belief in the One who is making the promise. This belief and hope has immediate impact upon our current behavior. , instead of using the word hope, the writer uses the phrase an expected end.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV 1900

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Illustration:

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'Mighty Ducks' Goalie Shaun Weiss Busted for Stealing Again - TMZ

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Should this sense hopelessness be pervasive among God’s people? No. Not according to the scriptures. Thus, it becomes clear that the LORD expects his people to be people who live right now in light of the hope that they have. See

Romans 8:24 KJV 1900

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

God's people, of all people, should be people who have a optimistic outlook because they are confident that there is an expected end - regardless of the current suffering they are enduring.

The question is with regards to how the Lord will bring about this expected end? How is the Lord going to bring about this expected end?

Transition:

The suitable condition of the people.

The straightforward command from the LORD.

The supposed cause for obedience to the LORD.

It is somewhat astounding to see the events that lead Matthew to quote an almost 600-year-old passage; yet, we must note what Matthew has in mind for his Jewish audience.

In the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, King Herod sees that the wise men are NOT going to disclose the whereabouts of the King of the Jews. As a result, all of the children who are 2 years old and under are slain. This prompts a cry from the people that reminds Matthew of something that he'd read about and heard about in Jeremiah.

In Jeremiah, the children of Israel are mourning the loss of their children being exiled.

In Matthew, the Jewish people are mourning the loss of their children.

In Jeremiah, there is the hopeful promise that the children of Israel would be restored to their land.

In Matthew, there is a surprising turn that appears to be inconsistent. The One who is exiled is a different person. It is Joseph who takes Mary and Baby Jesus down into Egypt, and then this same Jesus is brought back out of exile to the land.

Thus, hope and fulfillment in Matthew is not found in the return of the children of Israel. Hope and fulfillment is found in the return of the CHILD. Hope and fulfillment is not found in the life of the sons of Jacob; but rather hope and fulfillment is found in the life of the only begotten son of God.

You see, Jesus did not merely come to bring a people back into their geographical boarders. He came to restore people who had been banished from the presence of God.

He did not merely come to fix the physical problems of mankind, but Jesus came to bridge the spiritual gap that existed.

He did not merely come to make sure Israel had a claim to land, but Jesus came to make sure that all mankind had hope with God.

How does Jesus fulfill the hope in surprising fashion? Jesus Christ, the King, willfully goes to where the captives are. Jesus, the King is wilfully exiled from Heaven to come to this earth. Jesus Christ willfully enters into enemy territory to bring back to God what was rightfully His.

Jesus Christ specifically does this by bring about the New Covenant. It is here that we understand that Jesus Christ, through his death for sins, burial, and Resurrection - now fulfills what Jeremiah could only faintly see in .

Jeremiah 31:31–33 KJV 1900

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant With the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers In the day that I took them by the hand To bring them out of the land of Egypt; Which my covenant they brake, Although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, And write it in their hearts; And will be their God, And they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:6–13 KJV 1900

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

The passage in is only the beginning of a life that would fulfill scripture. It is the beginning of a life that would prove that God is really in control and not Herod. It is only the beginning of a life that would expose the putrid evil that mankind is capable of - as we see Herod jealously and evilly kill babies because he perceives his crown to be challenged.

The scripture points out clearly that men in their sin are enemies of God; but where the rule of darkness is present, we must see that the real King has willingly entered into our exiled and dark condition so that we could be brought back to the Lord.

This is the surprising conclusion that brought hope - the King Jesus has come crashing into the exiled, captive, darkness of this world - so that He might bring about a new covenant by his blood: a covenant where the hearts of men are converted to His rule.

The suitable condition of the people.

The straightforward command from the LORD.

The supposed cause for obedience to the LORD.

The surprising conclusion that brought hope to the people.

Illustration:

There is a song we used to sing in church while we were growing up. It is called, “It is no secret.” The song goes on to say, “It is no secret what God can do. What he’s done for others, he’ll do for you. With arms wide open, He’ll pardon you.”

Some of us are living as if there is some secret we are waiting for God to reveal. We are waiting for a surprise. What really should astonish us is what He has already done.

As you consider the coming of Jesus Christ, you must know that hope of being right with God, hope of eternal life, hope of union with God is only found in receiving Jesus as your Lord!

- King Jesus is a threat to lesser kings, so know that there is no one and nothing that is worth rejecting Jesus Christ.

- King Jesus deserves complete devotion and worship, so offer your heart and life completely to Him.

- King Jesus is the only One who can give you the desire to and power to live over sin: so come to him today.

There is Hope in King Jesus

People in Deep Sorrow

Contemporary Application:

(1) The suitable condition of the people -

The Setting

The Prophet & His Message

The condition of the people of God is suitable for one major reason:

Contemporary Application:

Transition:

(2) The straightforward command from the LORD -

An anti-natural command?

Couple of truths:

Contemporary Application:

Transition:

(3) The supposed cause for obedience to the Lord -

The Cause

The Hope

Contemporary Application:

Transition:

(4) The surprising conclusion that brought hope to the people -

A Jewish Audience

The Matthew Setting

Matthew vs. Jeremiah

A Different Exile

Hope & Fulfillment

Jesus is the fulfillment

How is this made possible?

is only the beginning

The reality of all mankind

The surprise?

Transition:

Conclusion: