GOOD NEWS OF A KING

THE GOOD NEWS IS POLITICAL.

Luke 2:8–14 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 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. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

THE BIRTH OF JESUS WAS POLITICAL. HE WAS BORN A KING!

Luke is setting up a Kingdom Contrast in the introduction to his gospel.

Luke 1:5 ESV

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

Luke 2:1 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

Who is Caesar? King. Lord. Savior.

Why does he take a census? Exercising authority and power over his kingdom. Taxes!

How? Under threat of violence from his army.

Jesus is born and announced by His army.

King born in a manger. Witnessed by shepherds. Announced by angel army.

The announcement: Peace on earth!

Matthew does the same thing!

Matthew 2:1–18 ESV

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. 13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” 16 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 men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

THE MESSAGE OF JESUS WAS/IS POLITICAL.

It’s about how we live!!!!

Matthew 4:17 ESV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He calls his disciples to “follow Him.”

Matthew 4:23–25 ESV

23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT IS A POLITICAL MANIFESTO.

He teaches us how to rule as God’s people.

He reminds us who we are: blessed. Blessed to be salt and light.

He teaches us how to deal with anger and murder, lust and adultery - the use of power in relationships.

He teaches about covenants and oaths - how to use power in relationships.

He teaches us how to deal with our enemies. How to care for the poor.

He teaches us how to pray: Your Kingdom come....

Then he teaches us how to view life as bigger than simply the here and now. We’re made for more.

This teaches us how to view money and power. Sets us free from anxiety.

Lets us love people instead of judging them.

He reminds us that we are God’s children and that we can and must ask Him to share life with us.

He commands us to treat others as we would be treated. Use our power and authority for good.

He concludes by calling for a decision: the gate is wide to destruction: narrow to life.

He gives warning of false followers.

It ends this way:

Matthew 7:24–29 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 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.” 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Then He shows us.

The plan was always for a human to perfectly embody God’s rule and reign.

Humans have been unable to actually achieve political order in the world because we try to rule and reign on our own. Inevitably leads to factions and redefining of good and evil to benefit ourselves at the expense of others.

So God comes and does it. He becomes man. He becomes King and opens the doors of God’s kingdom wide.

For a human king to truly exert God’s rule and reign over a rebellious humnaity is for the King to become the passover lamb.

The same God of Genesis 1 is asserting His reign and rule over the world by taking to world’s evil into Himself, allowing it to crush Him and kill Him - to destroy Him. This God’s love for life is so strong He won’t allow our evil, our twisted politics to have the final word.

So the King is “enthroned” on a cross.

Crown, robe, sign, rod, lifted up.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 28:16–19 ESV

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,