Good News of a King

or in this Advent series remembering the coming of Jesus I wasn't thinking about the reality of good news. What is the good news of Jesus's birth this morning? I want to think about. the good news of a king the good news of a king. Oh how we need. a good and wise King We've been thinking about the good news and specifically through the lens of the eye that the good news is political. Political in the in the medicines that it IT addresses how we are to live our lives. On a daily basis and specifically how we use power. That's at its most simple definition politics is the use of power. So we think about this good news announcement, which is a political term. About how God has exercised his power through sending us his son. The good news is political. We've been thinking about it and jumping off each week from Luke Chapter 2 verses 8 to 14 this announcement of the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds. In that same region there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night and an angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord Shone around them and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them fear not for behold. I bring you good news. I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for everyone everywhere.

for all people For unto you is Born This Day in the city of David a savior Who is Christ? The lure a savior who is King and lore This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloth. and lying in a Manger suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God and saying glory to God in the highest. And on Earth. Peace among those with whom he is feats.

You seen over the last couple weeks that.

life has been designed by God. That Humanity has been formed and fashioned by God to share with God. in the ruling of his creation All of life is political our creation. Our existence is political. We were designed by God to join him in the work of bringing order to chaos of organizing structuring the world that God has made so that life might flourish.

But like might Thrive that's why every single one of us has been put on this planet.

Wait, we saw the last couple weeks that were made for that but that we failed we fall in and of the Fall had political consequences. We were we were removed from the presence of God. We chose our own kingdoms over the kingdom of God. In a nutshell we rejected God as king that we might. The Pretenders to the throne

we saw it last week, especially the really this is the whole story of the Hebrew scriptures. Man was created to rule with God man rejected God as king the great question of the Old Testament. What is God going to do about it?

It all culminates in the birth of Jesus and it's no surprise that I'll say this morning. The birth of Jesus was political.

Not sure we're used to thinking about it this way, but we need to the birth of Jesus was absolutely political to amazing the gospel writers. They set this up for us. If we if we actually read what I wrote and pay attention to how they describe it. We've been jumping off of Luke Chapter 2 this great announcement of the Angel to the shepherd, but that take place in a context. Luke is setting it up for us. If we look back to Luke Chapter 2 Verse 1 it says this the whole thing gets started this way in those day. A decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be register. This is how the narrative of the birth of Jesus is inaugurated. This is how Luke composes the story and he's intentionally setting up a contrast of King.

a contrast of kingdom a contrast in the way power is you

in those days Caesar Augustus demanded that all should be registered. Who is Caesar. What's Caesar is the Roman Emperor at this time? He is considered not only a human Emperor. But it a manifestation of the Divine Caesar is worshipped in Rome as stoat are savior. as tree off Lord and as Christophe King motto of the Roman Empire at this time is Caesar is Lord.

Caesar is Lord Caesar savior seizure is King. So why does he take a census was exercising his authority and power he wants to number those in his kingdom. Why? Why does a king do that so that he can exercise his Rule and Reign Over them?

generally one reason taxes

But he wants to know this is a this is a manifestation of his kingship. Caesar is demanding that everybody return to their place of family origin at Great personal expense because he wants to know how many people there are that. He can't act how many people see control how many people does he rule? This is how Caesar Rule and how does he do it? Will he does it under threat of violence from his army? You go or we make you go you go or we kill you. That's how power operates with human Kings. Might makes right. I've got the biggest army. I've got the best weapons. I've got the strength to control you through fear and intimidation and the fear of death. Do what I say at the point of a sword.

Do what we say.

point of our nuclear missile

This is how Caesar rules he rules under threat of violence.

This is the introduction to the birth of Jesus. And then what what do we have in the in The Narrative of Luke Chapter 2 we have Jesus is announced by his army. but that's that's what the Heavenly Host is the combined armies, but the warrior Spiritual Beings the heavenly host and they come and they announce the birth of a new king

not one who? One who comes as the world might expect not one who rules through violent.

Not one who exercises power at the expense of others? but the one who exercises power for the benefit of other

Dear here. We have this contrast Caesar demanding and commanding taking what he can.

And here is Jesus slowly and me. In a Manger not coming to get the coming to give. The son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his very life.

the ransom for many

Luke is setting up this contrasts, do you see it? Matthew doesn't I think even more clearly The gospel of Matthew the very first words of the New Testament starts out this way. This is a record of the genealogy of Jesus the Christ Jesus the king. Son of David Son of Abraham. He's connecting the Hebrew scriptures. The development of God's response to Humanities Rebellion any open? This is a record of Jesus. Jesus the king.

And what does he do?

Says this after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king hears something. Jesus is born in a king to a land and a people that already have a king. It is a challenge. The very birth of Jesus is a political conflict.

The whole wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.

Same where is he who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it Rose and have come to worship Him. When do a sermon here a couple weeks on the star? It's going to be fun. when Herod the king heard this

he was super excited.

Because I got done with being King. I'm ready for a vacation know he was greatly trouble. And all of Jerusalem with him. Jerusalem has been conquered and reconquered Andre Concord and rebelled Andre Concord and rebelled and Nightmare. Now these wise men from the East and they're not. Mystic these are rulers princess Kings themselves. They're great astrologers. They studied the signs that God has put in the sky feel something incredible and they, they say where is the king and the Kings like me?

The birth of Jesus was political.

Infant and assembling the chief priests in the scribes of the people inquired. Where was the king to be born?

King of the Jews didn't even know the Jewish. prophecy the king

they told him in Bethlehem of Judea for so it is written by the prophet and he will Bethlehem in the land of Judah are by no means least among the rulers of Judah at 4 from you shall come a ruler who will Shepherd my people. Israel

then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertain from them what time the star had appeared? What a political sentence that is right there. Just think about that. He's some of them secretly everything's Maneuvers and imaging.

When did the star appear in he sent them the Bethlehem saying go and search diligently for the child then when you found him bring me word that I too may come and worship him.

How do you know King Herod is laying his lips are moving. I mean this is

Listening to the king they went on their way and behold the star that they'd seen when it Rose went before them until I came to rest of the place where the child was when they saw the star they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy and going into the house. They saw the child with Mary his mother and they fell down and they worshiped him the kings of the East fell down and worshipped.

Baby, Jesus probably toddler Jesus by this time probably 2 years old. What a fun age that is.

Then opening their Treasures, they offered him gifts gold frankincense. And myrrh, they worship they honor they kneel. They present offering they are acknowledging. The day kings that they are. Are in the presence of the true king?

And being warned of the dream not to return to Herod. The Departed to their own country by another way

Birth of Jesus was Let It Go.

consequences of the birth

political after they departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said rise take the child and his mother flee to Egypt. What a strange thing for the angels to say. How's that worked out in the past? But actually caught doing something amazing. Because the defining moments in the Hebrew scriptures is The Exodus 20. God called his son out of Egypt.

So God says Get Up take the child and his mother flee to Egypt remain there until I tell you for hair it is about to search for the child to destroy him. Annie Rose and took the child in his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remain there until the death of Herod. This was the fill with the Lord is spoken by the prophet out of Egypt. I called my son.

Then Herod when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men became Furious. And he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem. And in all that region who were two years old or under according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise.

But I know we celebrate Christmas as the ultimate warm fuzzy holiday, but it was unbelievably political and the consequences. brutal almost beyond belief another genocide. It shouldn't surprise us that God connects it back to Egypt where a pharaoh committed genocide against the children of Israel. Now Jesus escaped to Egypt and a genocide of Israelites takes place in their own land.

This was the film what was spoken by the Prophet Jeremiah a voice was heard in Ramah weeping and Loud limitation Rachel Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted because they are no more. consequences of his birth were political

got exercised his power.

To bring order out of chaos by sending Jesus as a Tang. And that set off a chain of events because it is a power conflict between God's kingdom in the Kingdom's. We have you served and made us are off.

Wasn't just his birth. The message and life of Jesus was political. I know we turned Jesus into this moral teacher this ancient Mystic who wandered around spouting off wise sayings. Comforting people giving them a little bit of truth, but I know we've turned Jesus into this guarantee of getting out of Earth in the heaven when we die.

That's not who Jesus actually wasn't it's not how Jesus actually lived and it's not what Jesus actually said.

Jesus was a king. And he spoke and acted as a king not like a king of this world not like Caesar. Eden Lord has power and authority over others he served.

But he served.

continue on in Matthew Matthew 417 from that time Jesus began to preach saying repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This is as I've said many times before the fundamental message of Jesus. This is what Jesus preached day-in-and-day-out you will search the gospels until you can see and read no more looking for God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. If you pray this Prayer of Salvation when you die, you'll go to heaven and not go to hell Jesus didn't say that. Now there's elements of that. They're absolutely true. But that's not what Jesus said. That's not what Jesus hot if you go to most Evangelical churches. That's almost surprising because that's what we say. The good news. The gospel is Jesus came onto the scene and this was his message repent. Change how you live your life to rethink repent means feel. Sorry. What we think repent means acknowledge that you did something wrong or you weren't quite as good as you could be for the game. We play is that we're never quite as bad as Hitler. We know we're kind of bad. So we're going to repent and I'm going to say oh God. I'm sorry. I did these bad thing, but that's not what Jesus is saying when he says, The word literally means turn around go the other way. You've been living under one king with one Kingdom. Now a new king is here and I'm opening the door for you to answer a new kingdom. This is the invitation of the king. Wife because the Kingdom of Heaven is here. Hand in your miss you don't have to keep on living in the failed kingdoms of mankind anymore for the one and true king is in Europe. For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and then what does he do? He begins begins to live it out? What's the very first thing he does after that he goes and he calls disciples to follow him. Becoming follow me teach you how to live life in the Kingdom. What were they? They were Fishers mostly cuz, I'll make you Fishers of Men. I'm going to teach you how to live in My Kingdom. I'm going to teach you how to be human.

Not human like a broken the broken World tells you Humanity should be broke Humanity as God intended. I'm going to teach you how to rule and reign with God.

Which is what Humanity was created for from the very beginning. Jesus gathers his disciples and they begin to take the message out proclaiming the gospel. Good news the political declaration. Jesus is not wandering around teaching some spiritual Parables and some moral life lesson. Jesus is going from town to town synagogue to synagogue with a political declaration has sent a new king. Don't don't get it wrong here. What Jesus did? And he demonstrates it not cheap talk. goes around proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom healing every disease and every Affliction among the people and his Fame spread throughout all serious and they brought him all the six was acquitted with various diseases and pain those oppressed by demons and paralytic said he he's exercising power on behalf of other he's doing what God created mankind to do skis ruling and reigning with God

in a way that Adam failed to do David David only dream in a way that the prophets were mere Shadows of now the one true king has come.

I love this in great crowds followed him From Galilee into the coppellisd from Jerusalem and Judea and from Beyond. the Jordan the message of the King has gone out. and the crowd, and what what does Jesus do Matthew constructs this very wisely very intentionally announces the kingdom. He invites people into the kingdom. Validate this invitation by a demonstration of the king's power and the crowds coming. What does Jesus do as the crowds come he goes up onto a mountain and he sits down. And he speaks to them. We called The Sermon on the Mount.

and we think it's

this moral spiritual lesson and we miss its true power because The Sermon on the Mount is a political Manifesto.

That's what I like. It's Jesus telling us what life in the Kingdom looks like what humanity is designed to do is Jesus telling us how we rule and reign with God as Gods images. What the Imago Dei looks like reconciled to God.

This is what he does. But think about it. I wish y'all would sit here for several hours and I can walk through it all. Maybe some of you wouldn't that's strange, but I love you.

Many of us know The Sermon on the Mount. Well, it's a political Manifesto. He teaches us how to rule as got people. He he starts out by telling us who we are. We're blessed. We're blessed not not because of our circumstances were blessed because God is with us. We're blessed for a purpose. We're blessed to be Salt and Light. How many pennies been against the teachers what it looks like to be Salt and Light ski teaches us how to deal with anger and murder lust and adultery. And what are those are the ways we use power in our relationship? That's about covenants and O. And what is that accept how we use power in our relationship?

He goes on the teachers about how we deal with our enemies and how we care for the poor and what is that? But the way we exercise and use our power. in our relations

You been teaches us how to pray.

How's that start your kingdom come? Your will be done right here on Earth where we are as it is with you.

pictures of how to view life as bigger then simply the Here and Now that were made for more were made for more than what this material Earth can offer us were made for nothing less than God himself.

Not teaches us how to view money and power in this world. It sets us free. From anxiety, it sets us free from retribution.

It lets us love people. Instead of judging them. What's that? If not the exercise of power in our relationship.

Do you need to see?

The reality of what Jesus is teaching in The Sermon on the Mount you're not just moral ideas. He's not just spiritual principle. Jesus is addressing how we live life.

in a kingdom What it looks like? He reminds us that we're God's children and that we can and must ask him to share his life with us.

He commands us to treat others as we would be treated

What is that accept using our power and authority? for good

to be the Imago Dei to organize and facilitate order out of chaos life rather than death.

Did he concludes The Sermon on the Mount by calling for a decision? Wide is the gate that leads to destruction narrow is the gate that leads to life. He warns that there will be false followers. Those who claim to follow but who really don't. And then he ends this Sermon on the Mount this way. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. Lorain spelling the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it has been founded on the Raw.

everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the Sam and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it who said something like that.

only King Only someone of great Authority and power would have the audacity to say you listen to me and if you listen to me and leave as I told you to live your life will be safe and secure. But if you don't listen to me, you will fail who says that.

When Jesus had finished these sayings the crowds were astonished at his teaching.

But he was teaching them as one who had Authority not as their scribes.

He's not an interpreter of the word is the word made flesh. You got one that points to God's kids among us Emmanuel TV live the king and when he speaks he speaks as the king good advice. It's good news.

Turn up music.

Anthony it's been three years with the disciples going from place to place to play announcing the kingdom demonstrating the kingdom pushing back the powers of Darkness.

But the powers push back.

Annie finds himself In Jerusalem, he's welcome. How is he welcome. Welcomed as a king, right he comes in Seated on a colt and the crowds gather and they wave their palm branches. And what do they cry out? Who's Anna Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord Jesus as a king?

Days Later he's given an inauguration

Anna coronation

He's lift it up as king. but if lifted up

think about that. The king is enthroned. Across if it's got all the political theater of change that he's given a crown. But it's a crown of Thor. He's given a row but the road is torn.

He's giving a sign. It says behold the king of the Jews meant to mock.

He's given a rod.

But he's beaten with.

He is lifted up and exalted. on the greatest instrument of pain and shame mankind has invented.

Jesus is enthroned as a king. on the cross by the powers and kingdoms of this world.

What's going on?

The plan was always for human the perfectly and body God's Rule and Reign and we've never been able to do that humans mess it up every time because inevitably we tried to rule and Reign for our own benefit. This inevitably leads to factions in the redefining of Good and Evil to benefit ourselves at the expense of others.

Look back at history look back at it at Every Act of genocide every atrocity. That we look at and consider evil. If you could go back and talk to the people in that time. And in that place, they didn't think they were doing evil. They thought they were doing good.

But that's the reality of humanity wheat we have this incredible and tragic capacity of convincing ourselves that what we're doing is good and right even when it's terribly evil and wicked.

God comes in.

He becomes man. He becomes king in the opens the doors of God's kingdom wife. And for a human King to truly exert God's Rule and reign.

over rebellious humanity is

not like the kings of this world in order for that to happen. The king must become the Passover Lamb.

the same God of Genesis 1 Is asserting his Reign and rule over the world. by taking the world evil into himself allowing it to crush him to kill him to destroy him. We're all human appearances to fail.

This God's love for life is so strong that he won't allow are evil.

Are twisted politics? have the last

what look like the greatest failure was actually the greatest Triumph. In surrender and submission to the will of God. By accepting God's Rule and Reign Jesus defeats the power of sin and death. Buy tasting death teeth defeat the power of Jesus's righteous life and his love is greater than the power of This Is Our Hope and Foundation. Jesus proved his kingship.

but in the end. Our King has risen. Our King is glorified. Our King is alive and our King rain doesn't look like it sometime it certainly doesn't feel.

but our king ring

birth of Jesus is good news.

Is incredibly good news, politically it teaches us and shapes us and guide us in how we are to live our lives.

in the kingdom of God

Hebrews chapter 12 does this therefore since we are surrounded by such a cloud of

Hebrews chapter 11 right that chapter faith. I may just walks through the story of the Hebrew scriptures. story of faith because we're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses those who have gone before.

Adam raises his boy righteous Abel's blood Cries Out eating off in Abram David and Solomon Elijah and Elisha

jonan melachi

their voices sound out

the glory of God

I hear another voice there this morning. penny joins his voice for the chorus of witnesses that have gone before.

What do they say?

They tell us lay aside every weight. Lay aside every sin that clings so closely and run with endurance the race that is set before you. Live your life as long as God gives it to you. We sang it this morning if you're here. He's not done with you yet.

Live your life in the Kingdom live your life as Jesus called you to rule and reign with God's bring order out of chaos life. Not love not hate.

fa how do we do that?

looking diseases

looking to Jesus the author and Perfecter of our faith.

Who for the joy that was set before him?

endure the cross

That's messy life is hard life is brutal because of sin.

But Jesus for the joy set before him in drawer. La Crosse Despising the shame. and the result and is now seated at the right hand. Of the Throne of God. Jesus was in throne.

I wasn't on a cross.

Not on the cross anymore. Now Jesus sits on the throne.

So we lit.

Like that's true. because it it your eyes may tell you that it's not true. You read the news you'll think certainly it's out of control.

But remember, that's what it looks like on the cross. It looks like evil with it looks like the enemy gets the last laugh, but God flipped it upside down and the cross the symbol of Shame becomes the symbol of our salvation.

He is on his throne and he will return. to live everyday with the reality that Jesus is King. Live in the Kingdom repent for the kingdom of the heavens. It's right here. and now

because of Jesus We can be. Who God made us to be and we can do what God is calling us to do. The gospel is good news. Amen. Amen, father. I thank you so much.

for the B