3: Purpose of the King

Last week we talked about The Arrival of the King, and heard HOW Jesus was born. You’ll remember that the first people to hear of Jesus’ birth outside of His family were shepherds, but they heard of the good news in a most unusual way.

Luke 2:9-12 (NIV)

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Many of us LOVE the Christmas story, when Jesus came to Earth as a human baby. But Jesus didn’t stay that way. He grew as a human, lived a perfect life without sin, and demonstrated that He was Savior, Messiah, and Lord.

In fact…we wouldn’t celebrate CHRISTMAS if Jesus wasn’t Savior, Messiah, & Lord because he would just be another Jewish baby born in the 1st century.

You see, the focus of the Scriptures is NOT on Jesus’ birth. In fact, only 2 of the 4 gospels (Matthew & Luke) say anything about the birth of Jesus, and those passages aren’t super long (only 40 verses).

The focus of the Scriptures is on the Purpose of the King - Jesus’ death. That’s why ALL 4 GOSPEL WRITERS spilled a good amount of ink writing about the moments leading to Jesus’ death on the cross. Truth is, we wouldn’t celebrate Christmas if there was no CROSS.

The apostle Paul put it this way.

Galatians 4:4–5 (NIV)

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Christmas is the set time that God sent His Son, so that WE might become His sons…and daughters. Jesus was born of a woman to redeem us - to pay for OUR SIN and bring us into His family!

*Side note: Since Galatians was likely written before Matthew or Luke, some scholars these are the very first words written about the birth of Jesus.

But today we will look closer not at HOW Jesus came to Earth, but WHY Jesus came to Earth - the Purpose of the King.

PRAY

Luke gives us some significant details about the days just after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

Luke 2:21 (NIV)

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Remember that the angel said the child was to be named Jesus (Yeshua = Yahweh saves) because He would save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21).

Jesus was circumcised on the 8th day according to the Law (Gen 17:11-12, Lev 12:3).

According to the law, the woman must wait 33 days until she is purified from her bleeding (Lev 12:4) before she can go to the temple and participate in a cleansing ritual (burnt offering & sin offering) and she will be considered “clean from her flow of blood” (Lev 12:6-7).

We might consider all this ritual to be quite foreign and strange, but it demonstrated the seriousness the people of God were to prepare to approach God in worship.

QUESTION: Is there anything WE do to prepare to meet with God or do we just take our privilege to meet together, sing to the King, and open the Scriptures, or do we take all this for granted?

What if, before we show up to a church gathering, we took some time to get alone with God and THANK HIM for His people & His Presence? What if we asked Him to use us to encourage others?

At this point, Mary & Joseph had prepared themselves, and now - 40 days after Jesus’ birth - the whole family took a 5 mile trip from Bethlehem to the temple.

*Side note: That means Mary & Joseph had been in Bethlehem for well over a month at this point.

Luke 2:22-24 (NIV)

When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” * Ex 13:12; Lev 12:6-8

As was mentioned last week, this was the sacrifice of a poor family, as allowed in the Law (Lev 12:8).

Luke 2:25-27a (NIV)

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation [NET = restoration] of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.

Simeon was a Godly man, a man who had been expectantly waiting on the consolation [NET = restoration] of Israel.

Most Jewish people in this time expected Israel to be restored to glory when the Messiah showed up. (We see the apostles asking Jesus about this restoration just before He ascended to heaven - Acts 1:6). And this Godly man was promised by the Holy Spirit that he would get to SEE the Messiah!

And Simeon, on the exact same day at the exact same time that Joseph & Mary are bringing Jesus to the temple, was moved by the Spirit to go into the temple courts.

Luke 2:27b-32 (NIV)

When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismiss Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your Salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Think about the significance of what this man has said! He is ready to DIE because his great hope has been seen! This baby - Yeshua/Jesus - is God’s salvation! And this salvation isn’t just for Jews…it’s for Gentiles like you and me! This child will do more than restore Israel - He will restore people all over the world!

Just imagine this is YOUR child…and a Godly old man that you’ve never met approaches, asks to hold the baby, and says these words! But these aren’t the words of a crazy old man, because everything he is saying is aligning with what an angel told you BEFORE your child was born, and what shepherds proclaimed AFTER he was born.

Would you be blown away? YEP! And so were Mary & Joseph!

Luke 2:33-35 (NIV)

The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Mary will see her grown son become a source of division among the people of Israel. Some wanted to make Him KING, but others wanted to have Him KILLED. But there is one event that Mary would experience that would feel like a sword piercing her soul. What is THAT? We will consider this in a few moments.

So while Mary & Joseph are considering these claims, another person appears who has something to say.

Luke 2:36-38 (NIV)

There was also a prophet[ess], Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Anna was a worshipper with a CAPITAL W! She was consistently at the temple in Jerusalem all day long, fasting and praying. But she did more than just pray quietly. Anna opened her mouth to tell others what God said, which is why she is called a prophetess [Greek], meaning one who speaks on behalf of God (Other women referred to this way include Miriam - Ex 15:20), Deborah - Judg 4:4, Huldah - 2 Kgs 22:14, Isaiah’s wife - Is 8:3, or the daughters of Philip - Acts 21:9).

And she showed up the same day that Simeon did, and...

Luke 2:38 (NIV)

Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

2 people have spoken of this Child as bringing redemption and salvation to Gentiles and to Israel, including the people of Jerusalem. And many years later an excruciating event would take place in this same city - the city of Jerusalem - an event that would bring this salvation - an event that would evidence why the Child had been named Jesus - “because He would save His people from their sins”.

Jesus would give Himself up to be crucified. The Shepherd would give His life to save His sheep. And Mary’s soul would be pierced as she stood at close enough to our crucified King to talk with him.

John 19:25–27 (NIV)

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Can you imagine hearing this conversation? Even while dying the most painful death, Jesus is caring for His mother and His disciples.

And it wasn’t long after that conversation that Jesus completed the purpose He had come to Earth for.

John 19:28–30 (NIV)

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is finished - what’s THAT mean? The Purpose of the King had been completed. The debt had been wiped out. Our sins are paid for!

Listen to how significant this event was, as understood by the first followers of Jesus.

Here is Simon Peter’s View of Jesus’ Death

1 Peter 1:18–19 (NIV)

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

God didn’t redeem you/buy you with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ - the Messiah. The innocent One took on OUR sin to redeem/buy back sinners.

And then there’s Paul, a former persecutor of the disciples of Jesus.

Paul’s View of Jesus’ Death

Ephesians 1:7–8a (NIV)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

Paul came to appreciate the riches of God’s grace, because he understood that he was forgiven so much. Paul wrote of himself:

1 Timothy 1:15b (NIV)

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

Have you killed anyone or ripped families apart and thrown the parents in prison?

Paul did. Yet…Jesus came into the world to save the worst of sinners - like him - maybe like you.

You haven’t gone too far for God’s grace. If you’re still breathing, there’s still hope!

The story is told about Czar Nicholas I of Russia who gave his friend’s son a fine position in the army, making him responsible a large amount of treasury money.

The young man did quite well at first, but as time went along, he became quite a gambler. Before long he had gambled his entire fortune away and began to borrow from the army treasury to support his gambling addiction.

When he heard there was going to be an audit of the books the next day, he went to the safe, took out his ledger, and figured out how much money he had, then subtracted the amount he had taken. As he sat at the table, overwhelmed at the astronomical debt, he took out his pen and wrote, “A great debt, who can pay?”

Not willing to go through the shame of what would happen the next day, he took out his revolver and planned to take his own life at the stroke of midnight. As the young man sat at the table, he dozed off.

Czar Nicholas had a habit of putting on a common soldier’s uniform and visiting some of his outposts. On that very night he came to that particular great fortress, and as he inspected it, he saw a light on in one of the rooms. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He tried the latch, opened the door, and went in. There was the young man.

The czar recognized him immediately. When he saw the note on the table and the ledgers laid out, his first impulse was to wake the young man and arrest him. But, overtaken with a wave of generosity, he instead took the pen that had fallen out of the soldier’s hand and wrote one word on the paper, then tiptoed out of the room.

About an hour later the young man woke up and reached for his revolver, realizing that it was already after midnight.

Then his eyes fell upon his note: “A great debt, who can pay?”

He saw immediately that one word had been added—“Nicholas.”

The young man dropped the gun, ran to the files, thumbed through some correspondence, and found the czar’s signature - the same signature on his note!

The realization struck him—“The czar has been here and knows all my guilt. But he has undertaken my debt, and I will not have to die.” The young man trusted in the czar’s word, and sure enough, the needed monies came.

*R. Kent Hughes, John: That You May Believe, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1999), 312–313.

Your debt and my debt has been paid for as well, but His signature was signed in His blood.

Back to our text - notice that phrase Jesus came into the world - that’s not how one talks about normal human beings (so-and-so came to the earth to be an electrician or teacher. Paul recognized that Jesus came FROM HEAVEN to Earth…to save sinners.

If Jesus really died to redeem us, what’s this mean for US - a bunch of Americans 2000 years removed from this event?

What’s OUR VIEW of Jesus’ Death?

Titus 2:11–14 (NIV)

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ [Tom will talk more about that next week], who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Those who have truly been forgiven much need ACT like they are forgiven much. If we really believe God has forgiven us such a great debt, then we should say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives as we wait for Jesus to return.

If you claim to be a follower of Jesus, may this Christmas season be a time when you:

Seek Jesus Daily. Get in the Scriptures. Talk to God in prayer.

Live in Purity. Don’t give into sin desires as you remember the price that was paid for you, and walk in freedom!

Share Your Story. Tell someone else how good God is. Tell them how you KNOW He has forgiven you and then offer to help them KNOW Him!

The problem is that many of us don’t know how much we NEED to be forgiven for. And some who THINK they are okay with God, AREN’T.

This past week I talked with a lady who believed she would make it to heaven because her good outweighs her bad. I challenged her on that. “Have you lied, stolen, committed adultery, or misused God’s name?” She admitted to 3 of 4 but still told me God should let her in. I reminded her of her self-admitted condition - Lying, Adulterer, who has misused God’s Name.

When you see what a SINNER you are, you are more likely to see what a Savior He is!

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