Born The King #4

Recap

Christmas is about the coming of a King

Jesus is a threat to anyone who sits on a throne

Mary had to constantly say “Let it be to me according to your word”

Intro

“How many kings step down from their thrones How many lords have abandoned their homes? How many greats have become the least for me? And how many gods have poured out their hearts To romance a world that is torn all apart How many fathers gave up their sons for me?” ~ Downhere

Why did the King step down from his throne and walk with us? What were those promises?

Last week I pointed out that it is not just the hard things that Mary was submitting to, it was also the great promises.

Why did the King step down from his throne and walk with us? What were those promises?

So what was the purpose of Christ’s coming? Why did the King step down from His throne?

Isaiah 53:1–7 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:1-7

Luke 2:30–33 ESV

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation 31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

Salvation, redemption was promised.

For the people of Israel, all they knew at the moment was brokenness and an unfulfilled promise.

We take redemption for granted. We have resources to redeem us. We have our hard work. When we can redeem ourselves, who needs a savior?

But into a world of oppression, and futile attempts move forward as a nation, came the king.

As we have seen earlier, it wasn’t without tension or difficulty because Jesus is always a threat to anyone on a throne.

In Jesus’ own words

Jesus reveals the reason the King stepped into our lives in John.

John 3:1–21 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Nic can see that Jesus must have a connection to God

Jesus starts defining what redemption looks like.

Abraham was promised a physical nation (therefore the redemption would look national), but being part of Jesus’ Kingdom required a different birth (It is a different looking redemption)

This would have been SO hard to Nic to understand

This wasn’t a new idea for Nic, but he wasn’t connecting the dots. He thought he knew what the promised redemption would look like.

Then Jesus show us the enormity of the work of redemption he is doing. And that our natural inclination is to put redemption into a box or think we can save ourselves.

Jesus makes it clear that only He can save.

What needs redeemed for you?

Is it a relationship?

Is it a loss?

Is it sin?

Submit to the King. It is time to realize that only He has the authority to Redeem, and that is His purpose. It is available for you, will you pursue it?