King of Kings Luke 1:26-56 Calvary Church of Pacific Palisades December 20, 2015 * Christmas Sunday Worship Page 1 of 5 Introduction: Heading into election year Inundated. Topic of conversation, occupies thoughts. Each of us has our top priorities Economy, Environment, National Security? Most feel our government is broken and needs to be fixed. We long for a government that will rule in righteousness and justice. God s Word tells us governing authorities (GOVERNMENTS) are instituted by God. Romans 13:1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. God establishes governments, gives them power. God raises up governments and when He has accomplished His purposes through them, he takes them down removes them from power. Amazing, God used the Assyrians and Babylonians (powerful nations) to discipline His chosen people, and then it s as if they vanished. Mighty Assyrians took Northern Tribes captive 722. Fell to Babylonians 75 years later. Mighty Babylonians took Southern Tribes captive 586. Fell to Persians 50 years after. While Nations rise and nations fall, we long for an eternal Kingdom of justice & peace. We long for God to send a ruler who will govern justly. And He has. King of Kings. Well known Christmas story in Luke 1:26-56. Please open your Bibles to Luke 1. Page 830 Takes place in Nazareth, at the church of the Annunciation. Annunciation = the announcement of Jesus birth by angel, Gabriel to Mary. 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Introduced to a virgin whose name is Mary. 1. She s from Nazareth a run down town, still run down - a bus depot. John 1:46 reminds us of how obscure and backwater it was Nathaniel Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? It is unusual that she, the mother of the King would come from Nazareth.
Page 2 of 5 2. She s a virgin. She had never had sexual relations with anyone. In her own words, she has never known a man. Symbol of Purity. Greek word for virgin is parthenos the Parthenon. Where Greeks worshipped Athena, the virgin goddess of Athens and built a grand temple in her honor. 447 BC. 450 years before Jesus birth. Generally believed Mary was between 12-15. Let s say she was the 14 year old virgin. This was in fulfillment of the prophecy made by Isaiah 700 years earlier. Isaiah 7:14 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah foretold an amazing miracle, I m sure everyone thought he was nuts. 3. She s BETROTHED. Engaged to be married. In the culture engaged meant she was legally bound she and groom had already signed the marriage certificate. The pledged themselves to one another. Betrothal was a legally binding agreement. In those days if you wanted to break the engagement you would have to literally get divorced; even though you would not have consummated the marriage, you would not have had sexual relations, you would not be living together that comes later. The angel Gabriel announces that She s HIGHLY FAVORED. Greek word used is charis grace. Mary is graced. Chosen by God, not because she was better or perfect or divine, but because of His grace, His unmerited favor. The same way God chooses and saves us, by grace. God delighted in her, and chose her, an unlikely choice. Nothing more Encouraging than to hear the message the Lord is with you. Yet she was not just troubled she was greatly troubled. Disturbed her. 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. Luke tells us who Mary is, where is she from, that God has chosen her The Angel Gabriel announces the birth and tells us who this child is 1. His name is to be Jesus yeshua = salvation. Joshua, deliverer who leads the chosen people into the promised land. Jesus savior who would free us and give us life in the land of promise. SAVIOR - Save us from Sin, cleansed, no more guilt and shame. Completely forgiven.
Save us from selfishness, set us free from making everything in life about us. Save us from boredom, adventure of being fully alive. Not drudgery, abundance. Save us from wasting life, purpose that is satisfying and lasting. Give us abundant and eternal life promised land. Page 3 of 5 2. Son of the Most High. Jesus is Emmanuel, God with us Jesus reveals Father to us. ill. Like Father like Son. Father and Son Brian and Colton - look alike, act alike. Jesus said, Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. John 14:9 Jesus said, I and the Father are one. John 10:30 3. Seated on a throne, his kingdom will never end. KING OF KINGS 1st coming came to be born live and to die, to bring us to God. 2nd coming Jesus will come to bring peace, and rule over an Indestructible and Everlasting Kingdom. This government will not fall, it will last forever. This 14 year old girl had an encounter with the angel Gabriel in Nazareth She received unbelievable news. You are going to have a baby, not just any baby, this baby will be born to save (yeshua), to reveal God (like Father like Son) and to rule (to sit on Davids throne). With genuine astonishment she asks 34 How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? Here the word in the Greek text is different, not parthenos. It is actually three words, The three words are man, not, known, in that order. Her question is literally How will this be since I have not known a man (in a physical sexual way). She is asking Gabriel Please, can you explain it to me. How will this work? I think if you were her, knowing that there had never been any sexual physical contact with any man, you might ask the exact same question. 35 The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail. Mary was the human instrument, HS was divine instrument. Jesus became God/Man. Now this is an amazing miracle. Takes faith to believe. Outside the normal. Ladies, imagine that you are a 14 year old, never been married, never been with a man, and now YOU HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY AN ANGEL THAT YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE ONE WHO WILL SIT ON THE THRONE. Imagine what you d be feeling excitement, mixed with anxiety and fear. Troubled.
Page 4 of 5 Imagine what you would be thinking how am I going to explain this to my parents. And what is everyone who knows me going to think about me? I wonder how Joseph will respond to the news? Will he want to break off the engagement? Likely, she doesn't know to what extent she will be ridiculed for this. No one is going to believe her. Would you? Have you ever met a virgin who was pregnant? NO! Matthew tells us that even her own finance didn t believe her and was going to divorce her quietly; that is, until an angel appeared to him in a dream (Matt 1:20) to tell him that the conception was from the HS, and that this was a fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy in 7:14 that the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, call him Emm. This was not an easy time for Mary. She must have been excited but this wasn t going to make her life better. It wasn t going to make her life easier. We all know how difficult life is for single teen moms. She did not choose this, God chose her for it. This was scary, lots of unknowns. YET she RESPONDED SAYING 38 I am the Lord s servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her. She embraced God s announcement saw herself as a servant, a vessel for God to use to bring glory to Himself. After the angel left her, she had to tell someone. She had to share the news. I mean, you just can t keep this kind of news a secret. So she travels to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who is also pregnant she knows Elizabeth is pregnant because the angel Gabriel told her. Joyful greeting filled with blessing. JB leaps. And with that Mary breaks out in song. She is so happy, she is so blessed. Amazed, grateful that God chose her to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Kings. Luke tells us who Mary is, where is she from, that God has chosen her The Angel Gabriel announces the birth and tells us who this child is the fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy Isaiah 9:6,7a 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. Most English translations read "and the government will be on his shoulders." In our modern culture when we say the word "government," the image that comes to mind is our government
Page 5 of 5 From personal experience and from world history, we know how quickly things can change from one election cycle to the next. The power of rulers is temporary and the nature of government is temporary. Governments rise and fall. If we don't like who is in office now, we wait a few years and elect someone else. But this government, this kingdom, yet to come (2nd coming) will last forever. It will be a government we can trust and believe in. Just and righteous. When Isaiah prophesies that the government will be on his shoulders." It s possible for us to miss the full meaning of what Scripture is saying. Jesus will rule as King of King Jesus will be in control, His authority and power are supreme, undeniable, unchallenged, unquestioned. Regarding His reign, we get a sense of royalty, supremacy, undiminished authority and power, ability to accomplish whatever is needed or desired, complete control. This kingdom will rest on His shoulders. ill. Ancient Greek Titan Atlas. Statue in Rockefeller Center in mid-town Manhattan Holding world. Jesus is all-powerful OMNIPOTENT. Not just in the future, but right now, Everything rests on His shoulders. And His shoulders are STRONG shoulders. When weary His Shoulders provide strength. He will hold us, carry us. When burdened His Shoulders bear burdens. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. His Shoulders picked up a cross and carried it on our behalf. His Shoulders lean forward to pick up a fallen one. Remember the woman caught in adultery. How in the face of a good thirsty self-righteous mob He defended her. Jesus has broad shoulders hide behind them as He defeats our enemies. He has soft shoulders to lay our head on. When our heart aches, Shoulders that embrace us tenderly with love that never lets go. Prodigal God. Shoulders that shake with laughter as He delights in us. Zephaniah 3: 17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. If longing for a government that is indestructible, powerful, merciful, righteous and just. Look to Jesus! TRUST HIM! A savior has been born, Christ the Lord. Jesus, the King of Kings is more than enough. He has abundant power/authority for every need. For whatever may be happening in our lives right now. King Jesus has really big shoulders. Lean into Him. Jesus, Son of Most High, IS the ruler who s Kingdom will last forever. He is King of kings and Lord of lords Forever and ever and ever.