Jesus as King

Well, good morning. It's good to have you all here, even though there's a lot of snow outside

! and the cold weather, so we're glad that you're all here. If you haven't had the chance to meet me,

my name is Daniel. I've been able to serve as the intern here for the past eight months or so,

and it's just been a pleasure. And so I'm honored to be able to just bring God's Word to you today

as well, as we've just been able to celebrate through Advent the coming of Christ as the prophet,

the priest, and today we'll be talking about him as king. And so I just want to actually open this

up in a word of prayer. Lord, we thank you so much for sending your Son, Jesus, and even just the

opportunity we have every year to be reminded specifically of the incarnation of Christ,

who came and lived as a man who died on our behalf on the cross and who rose again and is victorious.

And so we praise you, Father, who is Lord of heaven and earth, and we pray that your kingdom would come

on earth as it is in heaven, that your will would be done, and that we would submit ourselves to your

rule and to your reign in all things. I pray that you'd give me wisdom as I speak your Word,

that it would be clearly presented, and that we would be able to worship you as your people

together. In your name I pray. Amen. So if you'd like to open up with me to begin in Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

1, we're going to read verses 1 through 3 together. And just as a review, we've talked about the prophet

that Jesus is fulfilling a four-fold office. First, he is the prophet who brings the Word of God.

We have a slide up there. The priest brings the presence of God. The king brings the rule of God.

And the shepherd brings the heart of God. These offices that Christ fulfills are not merely abstract

concepts, but they are necessary realities. We need Jesus to be the true prophet who brings the Word of

God perfectly to us, who reveals God to us. We need him to be the true priest who brings God's presence

to us, who mediates for us, who mediates for us between God and man. And then today we're talking

about how he is the true king who brings God's rule, who will rule over us. And then next week we'll end

our Advent series by talking about how Christ is the true shepherd who will bring the heart of God.

Each Sunday we have opened up with Hebrews 1, 1 through 3, which attributes these offices to Christ.

And the first point today is that Jesus is the king God appointed. It says in Hebrews 1, 1 through 3,

long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. In these last days he has

spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. And he upholds the universe by the

word of his power after making purification for sins. He sat down at the right hand of the majesty,

on high. Jesus is the divine king whose word creates and sustains the universe.

You can even just see in the first couple of verses that long ago, in many ways, and in many times,

God had spoken to his people, to the fathers of the audience of the book of Hebrews, by his prophets.

So there's this many, many prophets that God has spoken through to give his word.

And in the last days, he has chosen to speak through his Son.

His Son does not replace the prophets, but he is the fulfillment of what these prophets were looking

forward to. And so we only have one word from God,

Jesus,

who is now also our king.

The king that God has appointed is a unique king.

He is unlike any other king because he actually is

the word of God.

The other kings in the Old Testament

were not able to

speak God's word, but they actually had to look to the prophets

to know what God had to say for them.

But now we have a king

who also is

the word of God.

He is the Son of God.

Jesus is the fulfillment of what these prophets were looking forward to from the Old Testament.

Jesus does not just receive the word of God,

but he is

the true word

sent from God.

He's not just the means as well

that

that we also hear about God,

but he is also the means by which

the world was created.

Just looking at

verse 2,

he is the heir

of all things

and through whom

God created the world.

So in Genesis 1,

when it says,

God spoke and it was so,

Jesus is the word of God

that all things were created.

He is also the exact imprint

of God's nature.

So when Jesus rules,

it means that he is ruling

in relationship

to God's character.

He is reflecting.

He's the radiance of God's glory,

so he reflects God's glory

when he rules.

So when Jesus becomes king,

he is actually mediating

God's glory

and God's presence

and God's character

perfectly.

And then we see in verse 3

that Jesus fulfills

the priestly function as well.

He makes purification

for sins.

So last week

when we were talking about

Jesus as the mediator

and Jesus as the one

bringing God's presence,

he's the one who makes

the purification for sin.

It adds to the layer

of what it means

for Jesus to be king.

Jesus is not just a ruler,

but he is the one

we worship

and he's the one

who makes worship

of God possible.

When Jesus rules,

we can worship

because he is bringing

the rule of God.

He's making that possible.

I won't be able

to work through

everything that

Hebrews 1, 1 through 3

is saying,

but just thinking

for a moment

about what it means

for Jesus to bring

God's glory

or to reveal

God's glory.

I was reminded of

what Moses asked God

in Exodus.

He asked,

please show me

your glory.

And God replied to him

saying,

I will make my goodness

pass before you

and I will proclaim

my name,

the Lord,

but he said,

you cannot see my face

for man shall not

see me and live.

God would not even

show Moses

his glory,

but instead he shows

Moses his goodness.

He says that

man cannot see

the face of God

and live.

So,

when Jesus speaks now,

reflecting the glory

of God perfectly,

he reveals

the special

glory of God

to us.

He reveals

the glory

and nature

of God

in a unique way

that even Moses

wasn't able

to experience

or see.

Moses could not

see God's glory,

but Jesus is the

radiance of God's glory.

Therefore,

Jesus' speech

carries divine

authority.

Jesus is the

greater prophet

because he is the

eternal and one

prophet.

Jesus is the

greater priest

because he brings

God's presence

perfectly.

There were many

priests in the

Levitical priest line,

but Jesus is the

one priest

who had the

one perfect

sacrifice.

So we don't have to

look to a different

priest or to

many sacrifices

over our lifetime,

but we get to

look to one

sacrifice and

one priest.

And now,

he is also

the one king.

We don't have

many rulers

or many kings,

but we have

one king who

has established

the one rule

and one kingdom

of God

that we all

get to be

subjects

of him

together.

together.

So,

already in

these first

three verses

in Hebrews,

you can see

the special

authority that

Christ has.

He is the

son,

as you can

see in verse

two.

He is the

heir of all

things.

He is the

creator.

He reflects

the glory of

God.

He is the

imprint of

God's nature.

He is the

upholder of

the universe.

And he sits

at the right

hand of the

majesty of

God on

high.

And then in

verse four,

it says that

he has been

made much

more superior

than the

angels.

And the

author of

Hebrews uses

two verses

from the

Old Testament

to argue

his point.

He uses

Psalm 2

and 2 Samuel

7.

And both

of these are

talking about

the sonship

of Christ.

And I just

wanted to just

take a moment

to point out

that for the

author of

Hebrews,

the Old

Testament is

not just a

bunch of

things that

the New

Testament

reveals or

makes more

relevant to

us today,

but he

actually looks

at the Old

Testament as

pointing forward

to Christ.

And the New

Testament is

the fulfillment

of what was

already prophesied

about in the

Old Testament.

And so when

the Old

Testament prophesied

prophesies that

there will be

a son,

and the New

Testament talks

about how

Jesus is the

son,

the Old

Testament helps

to create this

picture of what

that son will

actually look

like.

And so we

actually get to

know Jesus

even more as

we look through

the Old

Testament as it

kind of depicts

this picture of

what we need

in this

prophesied

Messiah, this

Christ, this

Son of God.

God.

And so I

just want to

look through

Psalm 2

and just

reading the

first three

verses to

start.

It says,

Why do the

nations rage

and the people

plot in vain?

The kings of

the earth set

themselves and

the rulers take

counsel together

against the

Lord and

against his

anointed,

saying,

Let us burst

their bonds

apart and cast

away their

cords from us.

these first

couple verses

reveal the

nations raging

and rebelling

against God.

And the rest

of the psalm

will then talk

about how God

still reigns.

So, though

the nations

rage, God

still reigns.

Mankind's

response is

rebellion.

Mankind's

response to

God's rule

is rebellion.

rebellion.

Even though

God has

selected and

set apart

for himself

one to

rule,

the nations

will rage

against him,

they will

plot in vain,

and they will

continue in

rebellion.

Like, even

thinking about

our own

culture,

the idea

of authority

and kingship

is very

against our

nature.

We hate

the idea

of submitting

to someone

else.

I was just

even doing

a search

on what

people would

respond to

when they

think about

the words

of king

or ruler.

And often

there are

people who

would think

that kingship

sounds like

someone else

telling them

what to do

or trying to

control their

lives in a way

that they

would not

like.

It sounds

like restriction,

oppression,

or self-deprecation,

and the loss

of self-determination

or self-worth.

And it's the

loss of freedom.

And our

culture values

freedom,

not loyalty

to someone

else or to

some ruler

or authority.

We love to

feel that we

have a sense

of control

over things.

And so,

that's why

the kings

in Psalm 2

respond to

God's authority

by rebelling.

They don't

want to submit

to someone

else's

rule.

Rather,

they want

to establish

their own

rule,

their own

kingdom.

But,

Psalm 2,

4 through 6

reveals God's

response.

It says,

He who sits

in heaven

laughs.

The Lord

holds them

in derision.

He will

speak to

them in

his wrath

and terrify

them in

his fury,

saying,

As for me,

I have set

my king

on Zion,

my holy

hill.

God's

response

is anointing

his own

son.

He has

set his

king

on the

throne.

Even just

that first

phrase,

he who

sits in

heaven,

the literal

Hebrew is

just the

anointed

one.

The anointed

one in

heaven.

And so,

just the

contrast between

the kings

of this

earth and

the anointed

one in

heaven

is striking.

It reminds

me of

the

Tower

of

Babel

and

the

nation,

all the

people of

the world

gather together

and they

decide that

they want to

build this

tower to

reach God

and actually

to overthrow

God.

But as

they're building

this tower,

God

casts them

and changes

their language

and confuses

them,

just revealing

the strike

contrast between

all of the

people of the

earth rebelling

together,

isn't even

able to

overthrow God

in his power

and his

authority.

No one is

able to reach

the throne

of God.

God is

able to

bring all

nations and

all kings

down.

The throne

of God in

heaven is

too high for

any man to

reach.

His authority

is too great

for any man

to compare

to.

God is

the only

one who

sets his

king on

the throne.

God does

not directly

threaten the

kings of the

earth,

but he

does announce

that he

has established

his king.

And so we

are to look

forward to

this king

who will

bring down

all rules

and all

authorities

of this

earth.

Psalm

2,

7-9

says,

I will

declare,

I will

tell of

the decree

the Lord

said to

me,

you are

my son,

today I

have begotten

you.

Ask of

me and I

will make

the nations

your heritage

and the

ends of

the earth

your

possession.

You

shall

break

them

with a

rod of

iron

and

dash

them

in

pieces

like

potter's

vessel.

These

couple of

verses reflect

God's speech

to his

anointed.

This is

the verse

that was

quoted in

Hebrews

1-5,

arguing for

the superiority

of Christ.

The son

is begotten

of the

father.

He has

a special

relationship

with the

father,

with the

lord

almighty.

His

authority

comes

directly

from

God.

The

king who

rules,

who is

the heir

of all

nations

and the

possessor

of all

the ends

of the

earth,

he will

act as

a judge

over the

nations.

He will

rule as

a son

of God.

His

authority

is directly

tied to

the

authority

of

God.

And it

is important

to note

that this

psalm does

not see

the son

as some

easily

manipulated

king,

but as

one who

will shatter

and break

the nations

of the

earth with

his rod

of iron.

He will

judge them.

He will

judge the

earth.

So for

Christ to

be king

means that

he is

judge.

I spent

most of

my time

in my

study just

thinking

through the

question

though,

why do

we need

a king

in the

first place?

What does

it mean

that Christ

is king?

Why can't

we just

call him

our savior

or our

priest

or our

prophet?

Why king?

Why doesn't

God just

be king?

Why does

it have to

be a man?

Why does

it have to

be Jesus

who is

God?

Yes.

But why

did he

have to

take on

human flesh

to become

a king?

God

and

the first

idea is

that

this is

because of

the created

order.

God

when he

created

man

when he

created

Adam

and Eve

it says

that he

blessed them

and gave

them

dominion.

Just reading

from Genesis

1 26

it says

God gave

Adam

dominion

over the

fish of

the sea

and over

the birds

of the air

and over

the livestock

and over

all the

earth

and over

every creeping

thing that

creeps on

the earth.

Again it

says in

verses 28

through 28

God blessed

them and

God said

to them

be fruitful

and multiply

and fill

the earth

and subdue

it and

have dominion

over the

fish of the

sea and

over the

birds of

the sky

and over

every living

thing that

moves on

the earth.

So even

in creation

God

blessed

Adam

and Eve

and humanity

with the

ability to

have dominion

over creation.

So built

into the

created order

is God's

giving

his creatures

mankind

the ability

to have

dominion

over his

creation.

Their

dominion

their ruling

on the

earth

was meant

to represent

God.

It was

meant to

exercise

God's

authority

and it

was meant

to rule

creation

on God's

behalf.

Not that

God was

incapable

of ruling

on his

own

but he

gave

Adam

the special

ability

to rule

creation

for him.

sinned.

It just

shows the

special

relationship

that God

had with

mankind

as well.

But

when Adam

and Eve

sinned

they

acted in

autonomy

to God.

They

failed to

represent

God's

authority.

They fell

short of

what it

meant

to exercise

authority

on God's

behalf

behalf

and they

no longer

ruled

on God's

behalf.

They

decided that

they wanted

to be

God

themselves.

When they

took the

apple and

disobeyed

God

they were

demanding

to be

king

themselves

over

God.

Not on

behalf of

God

but over

God.

And so

for creation

to be

redeemed

for Christ

to be the

true and

better Adam

that we

sang about

he also

had to

be the

king that

Adam was

supposed to

be.

He's

supposed to

rule creation

the way that

Adam was

supposed to

have dominion

over creation.

And he's

going to

establish the

kingdom of

God the

way that

Adam was

supposed to

establish the

kingdom of

God on

creation.

And that

had to be

as a

man.

Jesus had

to do

that as

a seed

as an

offspring

of Adam

and Eve.

Second,

God

established a

king because

of our

fallenness.

Our

fallenness

demands

a king.

Genesis

49, 9-11

prophesies that

the scepter

will not

depart from

the line of

Judah.

So already

in the Old

Testament there's

this looking

forward to

and expecting

of a king

who will

come.

And so

God promises

to Jacob

that his

son Judah

and Judah's

descendants will

have this

scepter,

this kingship

lineage.

And later

in Deuteronomy

there's these

laws concerning

kings.

So there's this

idea already in

the first five

books of the

Bible,

the Pentateuch,

looking forward

to a king.

Although in the

book of Joshua

and Judges we

don't have a

king yet in

Israel's history.

Instead in

the book of

Judges God

appoints various

judges to rule

at specific

times to

provide Israel

with relief

from their

enemies for

a time.

But if

anyone knows

anything about

the book of

Judges it's a

downworld spiral.

Every time

God appoints a

new judge

Israel gets

worse and

worse.

The

problems they

face get

worse and

worse.

The judges

they receive

actually get

worse and

worse.

The narratives

get longer

and more

details and

complexities

arise.

These judges

know less and

less about God.

They know less

and less about

God's law.

They know less

and less about

God's word.

And they don't

rule the way

that God

intended for

them to rule

over his

people.

people.

And so as

soon as the

judge dies

the problems

arise immediately

after.

The people go

right back into

idolatry.

And so we get

to the last

couple chapters

of Judges

and this

refrain is

repeated twice.

It says,

in those days

there was no

king in Israel

and everyone

did what was

right in

their own

eyes.

The book of

Judges reveals

the fallenness

of humanity.

Earlier in the

book of Judges

it says,

like Gideon was

talking to the

people of Israel

and he was

actually saying

that God was

their king.

He says,

I will not

rule over you

and my son

will not rule

over you.

The Lord

will rule over

you.

So the idea

in the book

of Judges

is that God

was their

king.

Not as a

physical ruler

but as

their God,

their ruler,

a spiritual

ruler.

But that was

not enough

for Israel.

They needed

a physical

king and

a physical

kingdom

establishing

a physical

rule of

justice and

righteousness and

peace that

comes from

God.

And so when

we open up

in the book

of 1 Samuel

the question

arises from

the people.

Like,

where's our

king?

We need a

king.

And so they

demand from

Samuel in

1 Samuel 8

5,

now appoint

for us a

king to

judge over

us like all

the other

nations.

So the

request wasn't

bad.

Requesting

for a king

was not

bad.

But the

intent behind

it was

wrong.

They wanted

a king who

will rule

like the

nations.

And God

told Samuel

in response,

Obey the

voice of the

people in

all that they

say to you,

for they have

not rejected

you, but

they have

rejected me

from being

king over

them.

So instead

of them

asking for

a king,

a king from

God, they

wanted a

king like

the nations.

And so

by doing so

they actually

rejected God

as their

king.

And so

the first

king they

receive is

Saul.

And all

we know

about Saul

is he

was handsome,

he was

tall, and

he ended up

ruling like

the nations

ruled.

You know, he

had some

military success,

but he was

not God's

king.

He was the

king that

the people

wanted.

Saul could

not bring

God's

rule.

But after

Saul came

David,

the king,

the kind

of king

that God

would appoint.

David reflects

the kind

of king

that we're

looking for,

the kind

of king

that came

in Christ.

He was a

man after

God's own

heart.

He was a

man who

sought the

Lord, who

meditated on

God's word

day and

night.

And he

established

justice and

righteousness and

peace on

God's behalf.

Although,

we know that

David also

fell short.

He was

incapable of

being the

promised king

that we

needed.

And so,

in 2 Samuel

7, the

second passage

that the

author of

Hebrews quotes

talking about

the sonship

of Jesus,

God promises

to establish

a son through

the line of

David.

God will

establish his

kingdom

through a

son.

And he

promises that

this son will

build God a

house.

He will bring

God's presence

to God's

people.

He will reign

in justice and

righteousness,

and he will

bring the peace

of God to

this earth.

He will be a

military ruler

who will wipe

out all of his

enemies before

him, and he

will act in

wisdom like

King Solomon.

God's

kingdom.

So, just

thinking through

that, we need

a king because

of our

fallenness.

Our

fallenness demands

a king.

Without a

king, there is

no worship,

there is no

justice of God,

there is no

peace from our

enemies.

We need a

king who will

establish God's

kingdom and

God's rule.

We need a king

because we

cannot rule

ourselves.

We need a

king because

without the

rule of

Christ, humanity

always collapses

into rebellion.

Jesus is not

just a king, he

is the king we

were created

for, the king

we lost in

Adam, and the

king God

promised through

David.

God's kingdom

is an

everlasting

kingdom.

That's our

final point.

And just to

go through this

quickly, the

book of Daniel

helps to depict

what it means

for his kingdom

to be an

everlasting

kingdom.

At the

beginning,

Nebuchadnezzar

has this

dream of the

statue with

different layers,

and at the

end of this

dream, he

sees a stone

cut without

human hands

that crushes

and shatters

the statue,

symbolizing that

God's kingdom

will shatter the

kingdoms of the

earth.

And then in

chapter 7, it

says that the

son of man is

that kingdom.

Daniel says,

I saw in the

night visions,

and behold,

the clouds of

heaven there

came one like

a son of man,

and he came to

the ancient of

days and was

presented before

him.

And to him

was given

dominion and

glory and a

kingdom that all

peoples, nations,

languages should

serve him.

His dominion is an

everlasting dominion

which shall not

pass away, and

his kingdom one

that shall not

be destroyed.

The kingdoms of

this earth will

pass away, but

the kingdom of

our God will

never end.

It is an

everlasting

kingdom.

Christ's kingdom

is eternal and

unshakable.

At the end of

Hebrews, the

author says,

therefore, let us

be grateful for

receiving a

kingdom that

cannot be shaken,

and thus, let us

offer to God

acceptable worship

with reverence

and awe, for

our God is a

consuming fire.

The author of

Hebrews declares

that the kingdom

is an eternal

and unshakable

kingdom.

We can have

assurance because

his kingdom will

never end.

It will never be

thwarted by any

other power or

authority.

authority.

And so, when

Paul writes in

Colossians that

we have been

transferred from

the domain of

darkness into the

kingdom of his

beloved son, we

don't have to worry

because we know

that our citizenship

is in heaven.

We don't have to

worry about our

king failing morally.

We don't have to

be concerned about

his rule coming to

an end or any

other power coming

over him or

against him because

he's going to

subject all of his

enemies under his

feet.

Rather, he will

perfectly rule and

represent the rule

of God on earth.

He will be the

ruler that Adam

should have been.

And he will rule

creation on God's

behalf.

So, in response,

what can we do

except for worship

him as our king?

Revelation 4

through chapter 5

just talks about

these different

reasons why we

should worship God,

why God is worthy.

And so, in

Revelation 4

11, it says,

worthy are you,

O Lord and

God, to receive

glory and honor

and power.

For all things

were created

through you and

by your will,

they existed and

were created.

Jesus is worthy

because he's our

creator.

And then Revelation

5, 9 through 10

says,

worthy are you to

take the scroll

and to open its

seals.

For you were slain

and by your blood

you ransomed people

for God from every

tribe and language

and people and

nation and you have

made them a kingdom

and priests to our

God and they shall

reign on earth.

And so, he is worthy

as our redeemer.

And then finally,

it says,

worthy is the lamb

who was slain to

receive power and

wealth and wisdom

and might and honor

and glory and blessing.

To him who sits on

the throne,

to the lamb be

blessing and honor

and glory and might

forever and ever.

He is worthy because

he is our king.

Since he is the

representative ruler of

God and as the true

and better Adam,

he rules in justice

and righteousness

and peace.

And so, we're going

to have the chance

today just to hear

the testimonies of

two members or

soon to be members

here at Maranatha

of just their

stories of hearing

what God has done

in their lives

and examples of

those who have

submitted themselves

to the kingship of

Christ and how God

has transformed

their lives.

And so, I'm just

going to close us

in prayer.

Lord, we thank you

so much for the

kingdom that your

son has established

on our behalf and

we look forward to

the coming again

of Christ.

Christ, I just

ask that you'd

help us to

worship you because

you are worthy.

You are our

creator, our

redeemer, and our

king.

And it is only

through you that we

can have true

peace.

And so, I ask that

you'd help us to

submit to your rule

and your reign.

In your name I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

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