Jesus the King

Introduction

Intro:

Jesus CHRIST = Anointed one

Three roles in OT that were anointed for God’s service

Prophet, priest, king - served as mediators

Munus triplex

Three roles of Christ

Idea started with Augustine fleshed out with Calvin and other Reformers

Jesus perfectly fulfills all three roles that men called by God throughout the OT could only imperfectly fill.

In one sense these roles reveal aspects of God’s Word, His presence, and His power

Human men who filled these roles were all types of the Messiah.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

They would listen to the prophets of the OT and look for the Messiah but when he came, they missed him. How? They were looking

After prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi there was more than 400 years of prophetic silence.

The Expected Jewish King

The Jews were looking for a political warrior.

to upset political structures and kingdoms.

Following their return from exile, Jews rebuilt the temple.

330’s BC. Persians were removed as a world power as Alexander the Great made his advance to conquer the world.

After Alexander’s death, Jews were controlled by the Egyptian empire ruled by one of Alexander’s four main generals

200 yrs before Jesus, the Syrian Empire took over Israel and banned the Jews from practicing their religion - even turning the temple into a pagan shrine.

The Jews fought back and gained some independence, even cleansing the temple and starting sacrifices again (Hanukkah)

Self-rule with the Maccabeans but some Maccabeans became corrupt, dictatorial, pagan.

Roman power grew and Jews asked Rome to help settle internal fighting.

Romans did, but did so by ruling the Jews.

During the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, the Jews experienced major political unrest and longed for the peace when God was the center of their nation.

They despised their Roman overlords and looked forward to messiah coming as their king.

“Behold, O Lord, and raise up unto them their king, the son of David, in the time which thou, O God, knowest, that he may reign over God and Israel thy servant; And gird him with strength that he may break in pieces them that rule unjustly. Purge Jerusalem from the heathen that trample her down to destroy her, with wisdom and with righteousness.”

Psalms of the Pharisees, 17:23-51 (Psalms of Solomon) (1st-2nd c AD)

The Jews were hoping messiah would redeem Israel.

to her former glory as under King David.

They longed for the peace on every side, the stability of the kingdom, the time when Israel was a world power.

The Maccabeans attempted to bring peace and make Israel independent and even a power in her own right, but they did not bring stability because they were not righteous.

They expected Messiah to come boldly, richly, loudly. They believed the Messiah was coming to bring riches, comfort, and wealth.

Then from the sunrise God will send a king,

Who will make all earth cease from evil war,

Killing some, others binding with strong oaths.

Nor yet will he by his own counsels do

All these things, but by excellent decrees

Of God persuaded. But again the people

Of the great God with wealth will be weighed down,

With gold and silver and purpose ornament,

And of good things will earth and sea be full

— Sibylline Oracles, iii: 776-784

The Jews were longing for victory over their enemies.

The greatest enemy they could see was Rome.

If only messiah would get Rome out of the way they could worship well, right?

What the Pharisees (and many other Jews) were not willing to hear was that Jesus WAS the long expected Messiah because they had their own expectation of the messiah who would be king.

ILLUST:

David Greenglass was a World War II traitor. He gave atomic secrets to the Soviet Union and then fled to Mexico after the war. His conspirators arranged to help him by planning a meeting with the secretary of the Soviet ambassador in Mexico City. Proper identification for both parties became vital. Greenglass was to identify himself with six prearranged signs. These instructions had been given to both the secretary and Greenglass so there would be no possibility of making a mistake. The signs were: (1) once in Mexico City, Greenglass was to write a note to the secretary, signing his name as ‘‘I. Jackson''; (2) after three days he was to go to the Plaza de Colon in Mexico City, and (3) stand before the statue of Columbus, (4) with his middle finger placed in a guide book. In addition, (5) when he was approached, he was to say it was a magnificent statue and that he was from Oklahoma. (6) The secretary was to then give him a passport.

The six prearranged signs worked. Why? With six identifying characteristics, it was impossible for the secretary not to identify Greenglass as the proper contact. How true, then, it must be that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah if he had 456 identifying characteristics well in advance and fulfilled them all.

Source:

John Ankerberg, John Weldon, and Walter Kaiser Jr., "If Specific Prophecies Were Fulfilled by the Messiah, Does the Science of Probability Consider This Proof There Is a God?"

The OT is filled with prophecies of the coming Messiah:

1 Messiah would be born of a woman.

Genesis 3:15 “15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.””

2 Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 “2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

3 Messiah would be born of a virgin. 4 Messiah would come from the line of Abraham. 5 Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac. 6 Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. 7 Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah. 8 Messiah would be heir to King David's throne. 9 Messiah's throne will be anointed and eternal. 10 Messiah would be called Immanuel.

Isaiah 7:14 “14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Matthew 1:23 “23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”

11 Messiah would spend a season in Egypt. 12 A massacre of children would happen at Messiah's birthplace. 13 A messenger would prepare the way for Messiah

Isaiah 40:3-5 “3 A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””

Luke 3:3-6 “3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ””

14 Messiah would be rejected by his own people. 15 Messiah would be a prophet. 16 Messiah would be preceded by Elijah. 17 Messiah would be declared the Son of God. 18 Messiah would be called a Nazarene. 19 Messiah would bring light to Galilee. 20 Messiah would speak in parables. 21 Messiah would be sent to heal the brokenhearted. 22 Messiah would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek. 24 Messiah would be praised by little children.

23 Messiah would be called King.

Zech 9.9 “9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Mark 11:7-11 “7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”

Jesus, the Unexpected King

Jesus was the king, but not the king they had expected.

The Jews were looking for a political warrior. Jesus is a spiritual Savior.

They expected Messiah to gain power by taking life — Roman life. Instead, Jesus showed his power as he gave his life into the hands of the Romans.

The Jews were hoping messiah would redeem Israel to their “rightful place in the world.” Jesus came to redeem the world into a right place with God.

They needed to listed to Zechariah the Prophet:

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus the King was not coming to bring comfort and wealth, he was coming to bring righteousness and salvation.

The Jews were longing for victory over their enemies. Jesus came to give victory over our ultimate enemy — sin and death.

This leads us to the effects of Jesus as King.

The Effects of Jesus as King

The King currently rules.

His kingdom never ends. He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus currently rules.

While we wait for the final and full reign of Jesus on earth, there are a couple of ways in which Jesus reigns as king now:

Jesus reigns over your world

John 1:3 (ESV)

3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:17 (ESV)

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

It was a very dark and difficult season for the Jews as they waited for God’s promise of the messiah.

God seemed silent and far.

BUT GOD’S PROMISES ALWAYS COME TRUE. and the King currently rules.

The One through whom all things were made and in whom all things hold together — He still rules.

The One whom wind and waves obey can still bring peace to the storms of your life.

I think we sometimes think like the ancient Jews — God is gone. He’s not here. He may be coming someday, but that doesn’t really affect me today. I need to figure things out. I need to take control, and we begin to try to rule.

Jesus reigns in the hearts of believers

John 18:36 (ESV)

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

His kingdom supersedes all other kingdoms.

The kingdoms of this world

If Jesus is the king then he has a claim on my life.

Just because we are waiting for his return does not mean Jesus is not currently the King.

Jesus the King reminds us to focus / worry less about lower level kingdoms around us and more on the kingdom of God.

Jesus didn’t come to save us from or upset earthly kingdoms. He came to establish and focus us toward the Kingdom of God.

Do we really think God could name Cyrus hundreds of years before he ruled but is surprised by our political leaders today?

(My kingdom is not of this world)

If you want to be political - pray for your leaders. Pray for your enemies. That’s counter cultural

The kingdom of your heart

The kingdom of God is already here but not yet. It exists and expands in the hearts of believers.

Jesus as king means we live a different kind of life, one that is often counter cultural

The kingdom of God continues to expand through the hearts of believers and the church as believers live out the values of the king.

And believers continue to call others to recognize Jesus as the King.

Because there will be a day when the rule of Christ will be universally recognized. One day when:

Philippians 2:9–10 (ESV)

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,

Revelation 19:16 (ESV)

16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

How do you respond to this King? The same way Mary did:

Luke 1:38 (ESV)

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”