BETHLEHEM Born in David s City for a reason! Where Jesus was born signals God s plan is in play

GNOGJ #3 Sunday, December 9, 2018 BETHLEHEM Born in David s City for a reason! Where Jesus was born signals God s plan is in play OPENING VIDEO (7:39) David A. Staff Five words. Five words in the angel s good news of great joy that anyone could easily miss. They are in the city of David. What do they mean? And why are they important? The simplest answer is that the angel was telling the shepherds WHERE Christ the Lord had been born. The shepherds were out in the fields; if they wanted to see the Savior, they would have to go into the village, find a place where animals were sheltered at night, and look in the feeding trough (i.e., the manger). But the important question of WHY remains. I mean Why did Joseph and Mary need to make the difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Why did God so arrange the timing of history and decrees and Roman taxation so that a young couple had to travel, only to have Mary deliver Jesus in that village, the city of David? More questions flow from those two for example Why was it important that both Mary and Joseph come from the ancestral line of Israel s ancient King David? Even more, why was it necessary that Jesus, the Savior, be BORN of David, i.e., that He come from David, from the Tribe of Judah, and ultimately from the loins of the father of the Jewish nation, Abraham? Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, 2 Timothy 2:8-9 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation 22:16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. Why is Jesus, born of David, good news of great joy? Believe me. It s worth asking. It s worth asking and understanding because the greatest things the world needs are the very same 1 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

things the world hasn t been able to provide. Our world has never been able to ERADICATE EVIL: The defeat and eradicate sin and its tragic, difficult consequences ENDOW WORLD-WIDE BLESSING: Bring about the enrichment and blessing of every human being, every family ESTABLISH JUSTICE: To prevent the perpetration of unthinkable miscarriages of justice ENTHRONE A RIGHTEOUS RULER: Find a human leader fully anointed, empowered, and filled with the wisdom of God ESTABLISH LASTING PEACE: Bring about a lasting peace 55 years ago, in the year that this church began as a basement Bible Study, President John F. Kennedy addressed graduating class of American University on Monday, June 10th. Known for his inspiring speeches, Kennedy spoke on his vision for peace. Our problems are man-made therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants; no problem of human destiny is beyond human beings Man s reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable. And we believe they can do it again. President Kennedy, of course, was half-right. Our problems are man-made. He was even correct when suggesting we use the reason and spirit God has created in us to look for solutions and remedies. But he was wrong when suggesting that no problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. The truth is that we cannot solve our greatest problems. We need a Savior a Savior born in the city of David. Here is God s good news of GREAT JOY BORN OF DAVID S LINEAGE, JESUS ALONE SHALL COMPLETELY FULFILL GOD S GREATEST PROMISES TO THE WORLD May I show you this from Scripture by raising and answering two key questions: #1 What does the human lineage of Jesus tell us? #2 What should we expect from the One born of David? QUESTION #1 What does the human lineage of Jesus tell us? The NT Gospel writers give us two ancestory.com tracers of Jesus human lineage. We find them in Matthew s Gospel, chapter one (1:1-16), and Luke s Gospel, chapter 3 (3:23-38). 2 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

Matthew s GENEOLOGY The LEGAL right to David s Throne (through the father) Luke s GENEOLOGY The PHYSICAL line to David to Adam (through the mother Mary) JESUS the CHRIST ^ Son of DAVID (son Solomon 1:6) ^ Son of ABRAHAM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Abraham to David (thru Judah) Matthew 1:2-6a David to Jeconiah Matthew 1:6b-11 (exile to Babylon) Jeconiah to Joseph the husband of Mary Matthew 1:12-16 Matthew presents Jesus to the Jews as the rightful Messiah- King from David who fulfills all the Old Testament prophetic markers Compare the two genealogies, and you can pretty easily identify the key ancestral milestones. Adam is a key starting point: God sent Jesus (His Son) through the loins of Adam for a reason. Abraham is a key milestone: God sent Jesus through the loins of Abraham for a reason. Judah is a key milestone: God sent Jesus through the Jewish tribe of Judah for a reason. David is a key milestone: God sent Jesus through the person of David for a reason Why through Adam, then through Abraham? Why through Judah? Why through David? Because God made promises to humanity through spoken revelation to these men. Promises to the world to fulfill through someone born of Adam, someone more narrowly born of Abraham, someone more narrowly born through Judah, someone even more narrowly who is of David. Bottom line: Jesus human lineage that he was OF DAVID (linked to a specific ancestry) was a billboard from God. An announcement that HE ALONE could and would fulfill God s most important promises to the world. JESUS (supposed son of Joseph 3:23, born of virgin Mary 1:27) ^ DAVID (son Nathan 3:31) ^ ADAM (son of God) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Jesus from Zerubbabel from David/Nathan from Judah from Jacob from Isaac from Abraham from Shem from Noah from Methuselah from Enoch from Seth from Adam Luke presents Jesus to the Greek and Roman world as the remarkable son of man QUESTION #2 What should we expect from the ONE born of David? 3 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

Promise #1 God has promised to ERADICATE EVIL BORN OF A WOMAN S SEED, JESUS CRUSHES THE SERPENT S HEAD Gen 3:15 The ultimate defeat of evil 14 The Lord God said to the serpent, Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring[a] and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel. Promise #2 God has promised ENDOW WORLD-WIDE BLESSING BORN OF ABRAHAM S SEED, JESUS BLESSES EVERY HUMAN FAMILY Gen 12:1-3 The blessing of humanity Genesis 12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, And to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one, And to your offspring, who is Christ. Promise #3 God has promised to ESTABLISH JUSTICE (thru conquering His enemies) BORN OF JUDAH S SEED, JESUS IS DESTINED TO CONQUER HIS ENEMIES Gen 49:8-10 The authority to execute justice Genesis 49:8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion's cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him? 10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, i nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Isaiah said this about Him (11:3-4) He shall not judge by what His eyes see Or decide disputes with what his ears hear But with righteousness he shall judge the poor And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth And with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked 4 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

Promise #4 God has promised to ENTRHONE A RIGHTEOUS RULER 5 P age Good News of Great Joy#3 BORN OF DAVID S SEED, JESUS WILL REIGN OVER THE NATIONS 2 Samuel 7:16, cf. Psalm 89:20-24, 34-37 God s anointed ruler 2 Samuel 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever. Psalm 89:19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. 20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, 21 so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. 22 The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. 23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. ii 34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. 37 Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies. Selah Luke 1:31 ANGEL TO MARY And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. The PROMISE to eradicate evil, to endow world-wide blessing, to establish justice, to enthrone a Righteous Ruler Promise #5 God has promised to ESTABLISH EVER-LASTING PEACE BORN IN DAVID S CITY, JESUS S GREAT PEACEFUL REIGN WILL EXTEND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Micah 5:2-5a The Prince of Peace Micah 5:1 Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike the judge of Israel on the cheek. 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 Therefore He shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And He shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. 5 And He shall be their peace. REASONS FOR WORSHIP & ANTICIPATION God has begun to fulfill all those promises through the birth of His Son, through the power of His life, the sacrifice of the cross, and the victory of His resurrection. His promises to Sin s penalty has been satisfied, sin s power has been dethroned Blessing is available to every family, every person in the world The ultimate triumph of justice the righting of all wrongs has been assured. A righteous ruling King awaits the signal of His Father to return There is coming a day when the world will bend the knee and openly declare the name of the Prince of peace. iii The Good News of Great Joy is this: Jesus is the Davidic King the world truly needs. He alone can and will fulfill God s greatest promises His first coming started it: His second will complete it. You may ask, Pastor David when will these promises be fully fulfilled? When can we expect all of this to finally unfold? There are two parts to the answer. First in our present age, we ANTICIPATE their fulfillment. Hebrews 2:6 It has been testified somewhere, What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor 6 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

8 putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Second in the coming age (in the age which will unfold on the earth in history when Jesus returns), we will EXPERIENCE their fulfillment. The Scriptures of God promise it; the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish it. There is coming an age, on the earth when Isaiah 11:9-10 shall be fulfilled Isaiah 11:9-10 They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. Today s message is not going to be much help if you ve come for help raising your kids, or having a better marriage, or being more successful in your education and career. You ll get next to nothing about whatever your most immediate concerns are today. Yet Jesus, born of David, God the Son, is the key to everything you need and everything you will have. He rightly claims to be the hope of your heart and life, the hope of your family, the hope of God s full blessing unfolding, the hope of an age to come, the hope of an eternal future. What you can deeply know is this: All of what God has promised what he has done and will do will happen through the One who was the son of Adam, the son of Abraham, the son of Judah, the son of David. His human name was Jesus. It means God saves. He can save today, and He will save tomorrow. And I can promise you this. If you stake your hopes, you faith, and your future on Him, then you are READY for everything that is soon to come. This young man, this Jesus BORN OF DAVID S LINEAGE, JESUS ALONE SHALL COMPLETELY FULFILL GOD S GREATEST PROMISES TO THE WORLD 7 P age Good News of Great Joy#3

APPENDIX from Dr. Alva J. McClain, Forgetting for the moment what has been accomplished in the natural world by those great intrusions of supernatural power in the course of history, and confining our attention wholly to what man under God has done, we know that Some physical diseases have been conquered Some wars have been prevented Some hazards to life and safety have been eliminated Some years have been added to the brief span of human life Some social and political evils have been corrected If this be so, why then should there not be an age in which all wars will be stopped, all diseases cured, all the injustices of government rooted out, and a full measure of years added to human life? Why should there not be an age in which all such unrealized and worthwhile dreams of humanity will at last come true on earth? If there is a God in heaven, if the life which He created on earth is worthwhile, and not something evil per se, then there out to be in history some worthy consummation of its long and arduous course. It is just there that we must part company with any theological school which dogmatically asserts that there will never be such a Golden Age upon earth in history, which argues that for the present we must be satisfied with a mere pittance of progress in such matters, that the world which now is must continue with its terrible needs, its tragic handicaps, struggles, and problems, to the very end. And then God will suddenly write a catastrophic finis to the whole of it, abolish human existence on its first and natural plane, and thrust us all, saved and unsaved, out into the eternal state. But where Biblical interpretation may be in question, surely the right view should display clearer marks of rationality than the wrong one. And such a philosophy of history, as I have been describing (in the previous paragraph), seems to me to be utterly irrational such a philosophy of history has no proper goal. To borrow a figure once used by the late President E.Y. Mullins in another connection, it is like a man building a great staircase. Step by step he sets it up, laboring wearily, often suffering painful reverses because of tragic hazards and poor materials. And now at last it is finished. But lo, it is a stairway that goes no place! It is just a staircase and nothing more. Such a philosophy of history not only flies in the face of the clear statements of Scripture, but also runs contrary to the reason of man in his finest moments and aspirations. The premillennial philosophy of history makes sense. It lays a Biblical and rational basis for a truly optimistic view of human history. Furthermore, rightly apprehended, it has practical effects. It says that life here and now, in spite of the tragedy of sin, is nevertheless something worth-while; and therefore all efforts to make it better are also worth-while. All the true values of human life will be preserved and carried over into the coming kingdom; nothing worth-while will be lost. Furthermore, we are encouraged in the midst of opposition and reverses by the assurance that help is on the way, help from above, supernatural help Give the King thy Judgments, O God in His days shall the righteous flourish all nations shall call him blessed (Psalm 72:1,7,17). iv Copyright 2018 David A. Staff All rights reserved i Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders said to me, Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. ii 24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. 25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. 26 He shall cry to me, You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation. 27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. iii Cf. Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:9-11 iv Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom: An Inductive Study of the Kingdom of God (Winona Lake, IN: BMH Books, 1959, Moody Press Edition 1968, BMH Edition, 1974), 530-531. 8 P age Good News of Great Joy#3