1
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,840
I've been very aware for quite
a while that a few of you like to

2
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,120
play a little game on a Sunday.

3
00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,960
And that is, what hymn are we
going to sing next?

4
00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,640
And you've confessed to me
that I've ruined it for you because

5
00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:24,280
I've now told you what we're
going to sing.

6
00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:26,000
However, let's be honest.

7
00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,420
How many of you thought of a
perfect song From Matthew, chapter

8
00:00:29,420 --> 00:00:31,500
2 and verses 1 to 12?

9
00:00:32,060 --> 00:00:34,460
We 3 Kings of Orient are.

10
00:00:34,780 --> 00:00:36,500
Don't worry, we're not going
to be singing it.

11
00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:39,580
You'll be glad to hear,
because this is exactly where We

12
00:00:39,580 --> 00:00:41,100
Three Kings comes from.

13
00:00:42,060 --> 00:00:46,420
And it's one of the songs that
we sing, or indeed we hear at Christmas,

14
00:00:46,420 --> 00:00:50,220
that speaks to us about the
visit of the wise men to Jesus.

15
00:00:50,540 --> 00:00:54,420
Now, it was written by an
American Anglican rector and hymn

16
00:00:54,420 --> 00:00:58,210
writer called John Henry
Hopkins, Jr. And it was written in

17
00:00:58,210 --> 00:00:59,210
1857.

18
00:00:59,210 --> 00:01:01,610
It wasn't sung until 1863.

19
00:01:02,410 --> 00:01:06,130
And as much as it is a song
based on this passage from Matthew's

20
00:01:06,130 --> 00:01:09,810
Gospel that we're looking at
this morning, Hopkins also took reference

21
00:01:09,810 --> 00:01:11,450
from Psalm 72.

22
00:01:12,330 --> 00:01:16,130
And there are two verses there
that foretold of the kings of foreign

23
00:01:16,130 --> 00:01:18,810
lands coming to worship the
messianic king.

24
00:01:19,130 --> 00:01:23,650
And verses 10 and 15 of Psalm
72 say, the kings of Tarshish and

25
00:01:23,650 --> 00:01:25,770
of distant shores will bring
tribute to him.

26
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,440
The kings of Sheba and Seba
will present him gifts.

27
00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,240
Then verse 15, long may he live.

28
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,800
May gold from Sheba be given him.

29
00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,960
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.

30
00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,239
And as we know with the
Psalms, they're mainly written about

31
00:01:42,239 --> 00:01:47,200
the life of David and the
covenant kings of Israel, but they're

32
00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,480
also Messianic or prophetic.

33
00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,380
They point us to the true king
of God's people, people who comes

34
00:01:53,380 --> 00:01:53,620
along.

35
00:01:53,620 --> 00:01:56,340
And that's what we look at on
Sunday evenings in Second Samuel,

36
00:01:56,340 --> 00:01:58,180
who is the true king of God's people.

37
00:01:59,140 --> 00:02:03,300
And so when you consider Psalm
72 along with Matthew chapter 2 and

38
00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:07,220
verses 1 to 12, then you
understand why Hopkins presented

39
00:02:07,220 --> 00:02:09,860
three kings bearing the three gifts.

40
00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:13,660
And he went as far as to
include the traditional names of

41
00:02:13,660 --> 00:02:17,940
these kings, Melchar, Caspar
and Belshazzar.

42
00:02:18,780 --> 00:02:23,620
Now, these names are not
Jewish names, but to fulfill the

43
00:02:23,620 --> 00:02:28,460
prophecy of Psalm 72, they are
names that come from distant lands.

44
00:02:29,740 --> 00:02:34,259
Now, perhaps We Three Kings is
a favorite song of yours that you

45
00:02:34,259 --> 00:02:35,820
enjoy singing at Christmas.

46
00:02:36,380 --> 00:02:40,780
And I don't want to burst any
bubbles here this morning, but the

47
00:02:40,780 --> 00:02:44,660
text itself that we read
doesn't say that there were kings,

48
00:02:45,380 --> 00:02:48,020
nor does it say There were
three of them.

49
00:02:48,740 --> 00:02:50,420
Verses one and two tell us.

50
00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:53,580
After Jesus was born in
Bethlehem in Judea, during the time

51
00:02:53,580 --> 00:02:57,780
of King Herod, Magi from the
east came to Jerusalem and asked,

52
00:02:58,020 --> 00:03:00,820
where is the one who has been
born King of the Jews?

53
00:03:00,980 --> 00:03:04,660
We saw his star in the east,
and we have come to worship him.

54
00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,260
Now, even in these first
verses, we actually learn quite a

55
00:03:08,260 --> 00:03:08,500
lot.

56
00:03:08,900 --> 00:03:12,300
First, the visitors coming
from the Easter called Magi.

57
00:03:12,860 --> 00:03:15,580
Now, both the King James
Version and the English Standard

58
00:03:15,580 --> 00:03:17,900
Version translate them as wise men.

59
00:03:18,780 --> 00:03:22,380
The Magi were, in effect, counselors.

60
00:03:23,820 --> 00:03:28,780
That is, their wisdom would be
sought on particular matters, and

61
00:03:28,780 --> 00:03:31,500
they would advise, so they
would give counsel.

62
00:03:32,780 --> 00:03:34,300
They weren't kings.

63
00:03:35,580 --> 00:03:39,060
And while they bore three
gifts, their number, which is not

64
00:03:39,060 --> 00:03:43,140
recorded here, was large
enough to cause a stir in Jerusalem,

65
00:03:43,140 --> 00:03:45,400
as we see in just a few verses.

66
00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,920
So any notion that we have of
three kings comes exclusively from

67
00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:52,520
Hopkins Christmas Song.

68
00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,960
And that influences much of
popular thinking regarding the visit

69
00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:57,160
of these Gentiles.

70
00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,640
Now, the second thing we learn
is that they are learned men.

71
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:06,680
They say that they have seen a
star in the east, and they acknowledge

72
00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,640
that this has meant the birth
of a new king.

73
00:04:10,270 --> 00:04:14,470
And for these Gentile
counselors of foreign lands or coming

74
00:04:14,470 --> 00:04:18,750
from foreign kings, there's a
fine line between their astronomy

75
00:04:19,470 --> 00:04:21,310
and their astrology.

76
00:04:22,030 --> 00:04:27,270
Astronomy is the study of
stars and constellations, while astrology

77
00:04:27,270 --> 00:04:32,670
is trying to interpret what
the placement of these stars mean.

78
00:04:34,270 --> 00:04:39,400
Now, scripture both prohibits
and it mocks astrology.

79
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:44,480
And it does that in Jeremiah
chapters 8 and 19, and in Isaiah

80
00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,160
47.

81
00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:51,160
And still today, 2,000 years
later, if you flick open a magazine

82
00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,600
or if you flick open a
newspaper or even do a search online,

83
00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:01,520
you will find astrologers
still trying to tell you what you

84
00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,110
should do based on the
alignment of stars.

85
00:05:07,110 --> 00:05:10,070
Scripture says that is nonsense.

86
00:05:11,190 --> 00:05:12,790
Scripture mocks it.

87
00:05:13,350 --> 00:05:17,270
But Scripture warns us not to
be involved.

88
00:05:17,270 --> 00:05:23,510
It is not simply good fun to
read your stars or your horoscope.

89
00:05:24,550 --> 00:05:27,110
These are things not of truth
and light.

90
00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,240
They're in the dark places.

91
00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,160
And by the way, if you really
do look at them, they're so general,

92
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,160
they could fit well into
anyone's life at any time.

93
00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:44,600
So please be warned by
Scripture not to be involved in these

94
00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,080
things, because they are
dangerous and they only lead us on

95
00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:53,320
a path that draws us further
away from the Lord because they are

96
00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:54,160
not from Him.

97
00:05:55,300 --> 00:05:59,860
So scripture prohibits and
mocks astrology, and you can find

98
00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:04,340
it there in Jeremiah chapters
8 and 19 and Isaiah 47.

99
00:06:04,340 --> 00:06:10,299
Yet God reversed expectations,
and he spoke to these stargazers

100
00:06:10,299 --> 00:06:12,260
in language that they understood.

101
00:06:13,540 --> 00:06:19,060
And in that language of
following this star, he called these

102
00:06:19,060 --> 00:06:21,260
Gentiles to Jesus.

103
00:06:22,140 --> 00:06:26,260
And so, guided by a star, God
fulfills prophecy by stating that

104
00:06:26,260 --> 00:06:29,900
the Gentiles would come and
would worship the Messiah.

105
00:06:30,620 --> 00:06:35,220
But they do cause quite a stir
in the royal palace and in Jerusalem,

106
00:06:35,220 --> 00:06:38,940
because verse three tells us
that when King Herod heard this,

107
00:06:39,180 --> 00:06:42,300
he was disturbed and all
Jerusalem with him.

108
00:06:43,420 --> 00:06:45,340
Now, let's think a moment
about Herod.

109
00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,240
Herod was the puppet king of Rome.

110
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:52,320
He had no real power, nor did
he have any authority.

111
00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:57,760
And he was positioned on the
throne as a political tactic by Rome

112
00:06:57,760 --> 00:06:58,960
to keep the Jews happy.

113
00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:00,960
The Jews at last could have a
king of their own.

114
00:07:01,599 --> 00:07:05,440
His position was more like a
ceremonial mayor who looked good

115
00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:11,840
in office, but could only rule
within the confines of Roman rule.

116
00:07:12,770 --> 00:07:16,370
And so, being Rome's puppet
and being happy to have the position,

117
00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:21,090
Herod wasn't going to rock the
boat and risk losing what he had.

118
00:07:21,730 --> 00:07:27,690
So he certainly wasn't seen as
a Jewish nationalist leader as many

119
00:07:27,690 --> 00:07:28,610
were looking for.

120
00:07:29,570 --> 00:07:34,770
So when these wise men arrive,
the throne starts to feel a bit shaky

121
00:07:35,490 --> 00:07:39,690
as he's confronted with news
of the birth of a new king.

122
00:07:41,290 --> 00:07:44,210
And in this verse, in verse
three, the inclusion of the comment

123
00:07:44,210 --> 00:07:47,130
about Jerusalem would indicate
that their entrance into the city

124
00:07:47,130 --> 00:07:50,490
was noticed as well as their
message known.

125
00:07:50,570 --> 00:07:54,930
So this was not simply three
people walking in, because one or

126
00:07:54,930 --> 00:07:59,450
two, or even the three in fine
clothes would have been interesting,

127
00:07:59,450 --> 00:08:03,170
but wouldn't have caused a
stir, because Jerusalem was a place

128
00:08:03,170 --> 00:08:05,090
where the world travels through.

129
00:08:06,610 --> 00:08:12,130
And so this tells us that
there were more, simply three of

130
00:08:12,130 --> 00:08:12,370
them.

131
00:08:13,090 --> 00:08:16,930
There was more than just what
we think all based a song.

132
00:08:17,730 --> 00:08:20,730
And as we've seen with other
foreign travelers to Jerusalem in

133
00:08:20,730 --> 00:08:24,530
Scripture, long journeys
required food, they required water

134
00:08:24,610 --> 00:08:27,330
and possible accommodation to
be brought with them.

135
00:08:27,890 --> 00:08:31,620
So these three wise men would
have been of a status of that they

136
00:08:31,620 --> 00:08:34,820
had servants with them to
service the needs of traveling the

137
00:08:34,820 --> 00:08:36,060
distances they traveled.

138
00:08:36,540 --> 00:08:39,500
So there is most certainly
more than three.

139
00:08:40,540 --> 00:08:44,660
And even though Herod is the
puppet king of Rome, he has Jewish

140
00:08:44,660 --> 00:08:48,380
religious advisors and he puts
them to work to try and understand

141
00:08:48,460 --> 00:08:50,780
what these Gentile visitors
are saying.

142
00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:55,260
But what we don't notice is
who these advisors are.

143
00:08:55,820 --> 00:08:59,030
We're told that the chief
priests and the teachers of the law

144
00:08:59,030 --> 00:08:59,910
are brought together.

145
00:09:00,710 --> 00:09:05,030
This was unheard of because
the chief priests and the teachers

146
00:09:05,030 --> 00:09:07,990
of the law, or scribes as
they're called elsewhere, were also

147
00:09:08,390 --> 00:09:13,430
Pharisees, two groups who were
very different in their approaches

148
00:09:13,430 --> 00:09:14,550
to religious practice.

149
00:09:15,030 --> 00:09:19,150
The chief priests were usually
Sadducees, and the teachers of the

150
00:09:19,150 --> 00:09:20,630
law were Pharisees.

151
00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:22,630
And they never got on.

152
00:09:23,270 --> 00:09:26,710
So when they do agree on
something, which they do now in this

153
00:09:26,710 --> 00:09:30,590
text, Herod now pays
attention, and in their conclusion,

154
00:09:30,590 --> 00:09:35,670
they go to a 700-year-old
prophecy from Micah Chapter 5 to

155
00:09:35,670 --> 00:09:37,830
confirm what these wise men
are saying.

156
00:09:38,310 --> 00:09:42,830
And so Matthew records what
they report from Micah 5 there in

157
00:09:42,830 --> 00:09:43,390
verse 6.

158
00:09:43,390 --> 00:09:47,030
But you, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, are by no means least

159
00:09:47,030 --> 00:09:51,400
among the rulers of Judah, for
out of you will come a ruler who

160
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,840
will be the shepherd of my
people, Israel.

161
00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,800
What they do is they confirm
that a king was foretold to come

162
00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:05,320
from the home of David in Bethlehem.

163
00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,840
Now, with David being known as
Israel's greatest king, any mention

164
00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:14,400
of Bethlehem will have
certainly sounded alarm bells for

165
00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:15,720
the puppet king, Herod.

166
00:10:17,010 --> 00:10:20,210
Where else would a good
nationalist revolt begin?

167
00:10:21,330 --> 00:10:26,250
Well, in the home place of the
king that they want to emulate on

168
00:10:26,250 --> 00:10:26,850
the throne.

169
00:10:27,810 --> 00:10:32,049
So Herod, with fear and
trembling, gathers now the magi and

170
00:10:32,049 --> 00:10:35,730
tells them what his wise men
have discovered.

171
00:10:36,130 --> 00:10:38,850
But Herod is shrewd and he has
a plan.

172
00:10:39,250 --> 00:10:44,060
He wants to use these
enthusiastic visitors for his own

173
00:10:44,060 --> 00:10:44,700
benefit.

174
00:10:45,020 --> 00:10:48,780
And in verse 8 we're told he
sent them to Bethlehem and said,

175
00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:51,980
go and make a careful search
for the king or for the for the child.

176
00:10:52,460 --> 00:10:56,220
As soon as you find him,
report to me so that I too may go

177
00:10:56,220 --> 00:10:57,420
and worship him.

178
00:10:58,220 --> 00:11:01,380
Now, of course, Herod had
absolutely no intention of worshiping

179
00:11:01,380 --> 00:11:02,860
the new king in Bethlehem.

180
00:11:03,500 --> 00:11:08,860
But the magi trust the king
and set off with the star once again

181
00:11:08,860 --> 00:11:09,580
leading them.

182
00:11:11,300 --> 00:11:16,820
And as the Jews stay at home,
as they continue to look for a messiah,

183
00:11:17,380 --> 00:11:19,140
the Gentiles head to Bethlehem.

184
00:11:19,620 --> 00:11:22,780
And the star eventually came
to rest over the place where the

185
00:11:22,780 --> 00:11:23,460
child was.

186
00:11:24,740 --> 00:11:27,540
And to our surprise, they
don't find a stable.

187
00:11:28,180 --> 00:11:32,020
Our nativity scenes often show
the three wise men coming to a manger,

188
00:11:32,180 --> 00:11:34,740
with some of them showing the
shepherds there as well.

189
00:11:35,470 --> 00:11:39,150
Well, time has passed and
Joseph and Mary have found more appropriate

190
00:11:39,150 --> 00:11:42,470
accommodation in Bethlehem,
following the busyness of the movement

191
00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:45,870
of people remember why they
were there for the census at the

192
00:11:45,870 --> 00:11:47,710
time of Christ's birth.

193
00:11:48,510 --> 00:11:52,270
But we also know that the time
period is anywhere up to two years

194
00:11:52,270 --> 00:11:56,670
since Jesus was born, because
of what later verses record with

195
00:11:56,670 --> 00:11:59,230
Herod's actions to try and
kill Jesus.

196
00:12:00,190 --> 00:12:04,040
For now the wise men are
overjoyed that they have found the

197
00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,440
infant that they have been
looking for.

198
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:12,480
So verse 11 is the climax of
their journey and a verse that we're

199
00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:13,280
so familiar with.

200
00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:17,640
On coming to the house, they
saw the child with his mother Mary,

201
00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,880
and they bowed down and
worshiped him.

202
00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:23,920
Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with

203
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,880
gifts of gold and of incense
and of myrrh.

204
00:12:29,330 --> 00:12:32,650
Now, we shouldn't leap to
conclusions when reading that these

205
00:12:32,650 --> 00:12:38,530
wise men become believers in
Jesus, certainly not as we know him

206
00:12:38,610 --> 00:12:40,610
now in his resurrected form.

207
00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:46,530
But bowing down here before
him signifies respect and homage

208
00:12:46,850 --> 00:12:49,490
at finding the One that they
searched long for.

209
00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:54,650
And in a few months we read
these verses again and consider the

210
00:12:54,650 --> 00:12:55,810
gifts and their meanings.

211
00:12:55,810 --> 00:13:00,080
But now it's sufficient enough
to say that gift giving was essential

212
00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,120
in that culture, especially
when approaching a leader whom they

213
00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:04,280
believed Jesus to be.

214
00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,760
Frankincense, gold and myrrh
were costly, the sort of precious

215
00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,599
thing found in one royal court
and given to another.

216
00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:17,240
And it is speculation, and it
is only speculation that indeed,

217
00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:22,880
selling some of these may have
funded how Mary and Joseph journeyed

218
00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:23,400
to Egypt.

219
00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,720
Now again, it's speculation
rather than fact.

220
00:13:27,020 --> 00:13:30,860
But if there is symbolism in
the gifts, it lies in the allusion

221
00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:35,620
to Psalm 72 and its prophecy
that the nations would come to a

222
00:13:35,620 --> 00:13:39,980
king greater than Solomon,
bringing gifts and falling before

223
00:13:40,140 --> 00:13:43,260
him as all nations serve him.

224
00:13:45,740 --> 00:13:50,460
But there's a problem with
this story because cultural norms

225
00:13:50,860 --> 00:13:53,090
required reciprocal gifts.

226
00:13:53,650 --> 00:13:56,290
He didn't simply give a gift
and go home empty handed.

227
00:13:56,290 --> 00:13:58,930
Yet that's what happens here
to these wise men.

228
00:13:59,330 --> 00:14:03,330
The Magi, as representatives
of the nations, go home empty handed.

229
00:14:03,570 --> 00:14:08,010
But Jesus more than repays
them in the end, as we know him to

230
00:14:08,010 --> 00:14:10,690
be the one to whom we look to
as Savior.

231
00:14:10,690 --> 00:14:14,890
The Gentile nations to the
ends of the earth in Christ alone,

232
00:14:14,890 --> 00:14:16,210
in whom we find salvation.

233
00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:21,380
But their time comes to leave,
and as they do, God warns them in

234
00:14:21,380 --> 00:14:22,060
verse 12.

235
00:14:22,380 --> 00:14:25,140
And having been warned in a
dream not to go back to Herod, they

236
00:14:25,140 --> 00:14:28,060
returned to their country by
another route.

237
00:14:28,860 --> 00:14:33,660
Now, once Herod realizes that
he has been duped in some way, he

238
00:14:33,660 --> 00:14:37,220
then will seek to kill Jesus
by another way.

239
00:14:37,220 --> 00:14:40,700
And that will lead us on to
our passage for next week, which

240
00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:44,300
will take us through from
verse 13 to verse 23.

241
00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,960
Now, I hope I haven't ruined
Christmas for you by crushing the

242
00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,880
illusions that John Henry
Hopkins jr's song has for years presented

243
00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:54,400
to us.

244
00:14:55,200 --> 00:15:00,240
But when we look at the text,
we see greater significance of this

245
00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,960
account over the words that we sing.

246
00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:05,920
Were there three kings?

247
00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:09,360
Most likely not.

248
00:15:11,610 --> 00:15:15,530
These were men, wise men from
the east, who practiced astrology

249
00:15:15,530 --> 00:15:16,890
which the Bible speaks against.

250
00:15:16,890 --> 00:15:21,610
But they are included in the
text of Scripture and are the fulfillment

251
00:15:21,690 --> 00:15:23,050
of what was foretold.

252
00:15:24,010 --> 00:15:28,250
Their significance for us
today is to assure us that Jesus

253
00:15:28,330 --> 00:15:33,210
didn't simply come to the Jews
alone, that they would exclusively

254
00:15:33,210 --> 00:15:34,490
receive his salvation.

255
00:15:35,290 --> 00:15:40,020
Jesus came for us all so that
we can come to him through his death

256
00:15:40,020 --> 00:15:44,620
and his resurrection and know
forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.

257
00:15:45,980 --> 00:15:51,540
So this passage isn't about
three kings, but it is about two

258
00:15:51,540 --> 00:15:51,980
kings.

259
00:15:53,580 --> 00:15:58,060
And these two kings stand in
contrast to each other.

260
00:15:58,940 --> 00:16:04,680
The question is that we're
confronted with today, which of these

261
00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:06,720
kings do we serve?

262
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,640
And I hope by now you'll have
realized that the two kings at the

263
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,320
heart of this account are
Herod and Jesus.

264
00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,760
King Herod, the puppet king,
represents the world.

265
00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,920
He represents its very fragile power.

266
00:16:29,930 --> 00:16:35,130
And he represents the world's
desire to keep whatever power it

267
00:16:35,130 --> 00:16:35,690
can get.

268
00:16:36,970 --> 00:16:40,730
Herod wasn't concerned about
the plight of the Jewish people under

269
00:16:40,730 --> 00:16:41,530
Roman rule.

270
00:16:41,530 --> 00:16:44,250
Nor was he concerned about
Jewish nationalism.

271
00:16:44,410 --> 00:16:48,610
To see a free and independent
country no longer under the laws

272
00:16:48,610 --> 00:16:50,730
and practices and rules of Rome.

273
00:16:52,090 --> 00:16:56,460
Herod was concerned about
keeping the status quo, which he

274
00:16:56,460 --> 00:16:57,540
benefited from.

275
00:16:58,260 --> 00:17:02,820
He wanted to keep his throne
and uphold the delicate balance that

276
00:17:02,820 --> 00:17:08,260
existed to ensure there was no
change in how things were run.

277
00:17:09,700 --> 00:17:11,780
Was he a true king of the Jews?

278
00:17:12,740 --> 00:17:13,140
No.

279
00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:17,100
He wasn't even a touch on the
great covenantal kings of Israel's

280
00:17:17,100 --> 00:17:17,380
history.

281
00:17:18,100 --> 00:17:21,380
There's no sense of his
appointment by prophet or priest.

282
00:17:21,620 --> 00:17:26,749
Rather, it was all political
to keep the whole thing running to

283
00:17:26,749 --> 00:17:28,309
the way Rome wanted.

284
00:17:29,669 --> 00:17:33,269
It was all show and no substance.

285
00:17:34,309 --> 00:17:37,509
And actually that's not a bad
definition of the world around us

286
00:17:37,509 --> 00:17:37,829
today.

287
00:17:38,229 --> 00:17:41,669
For the world is all show and
no substance.

288
00:17:41,669 --> 00:17:46,709
Now there is, I know, things
in this world that are good, that

289
00:17:46,709 --> 00:17:48,189
we need to survive.

290
00:17:48,189 --> 00:17:51,989
And God shows all humanity
common grace each moment so that

291
00:17:51,989 --> 00:17:52,869
we can exist.

292
00:17:53,850 --> 00:17:56,090
But the depth of this world is shallow.

293
00:17:56,570 --> 00:18:00,210
And even though it presents
itself as the only answer to our

294
00:18:00,210 --> 00:18:03,850
happiness and our salvation,
it can never save us.

295
00:18:03,850 --> 00:18:08,170
And Thursday was a significant
day for me because I did think 100

296
00:18:08,250 --> 00:18:10,330
years and you think, what has changed?

297
00:18:12,170 --> 00:18:15,250
A hundred years ago there
wasn't even a box on the wall that

298
00:18:15,250 --> 00:18:16,330
we called a telephone.

299
00:18:17,290 --> 00:18:21,480
There was no televisions,
there was no convenient modes of

300
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:22,040
transport.

301
00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,320
People didn't travel much
beyond a couple of miles of where

302
00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:29,240
they were, what they could
walk within a reasonable day.

303
00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:34,920
And I look at us within ours,
we can be far on this globe.

304
00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:40,880
See, the world is a pride
filled and boastful place because

305
00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:42,600
it thinks it has achieved.

306
00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:44,760
And we benefit from these achievements.

307
00:18:46,110 --> 00:18:51,150
But nothing, absolutely
nothing, that the world offers can

308
00:18:51,150 --> 00:18:51,790
save us.

309
00:18:54,670 --> 00:18:55,390
I've tried.

310
00:18:56,190 --> 00:18:58,510
I've tried to see if the world
can save me.

311
00:18:58,590 --> 00:19:00,190
I've enjoyed its benefits.

312
00:19:00,350 --> 00:19:03,110
I've wanted the next thing,
because that's what everybody else

313
00:19:03,110 --> 00:19:03,310
had.

314
00:19:03,310 --> 00:19:08,510
But it turns out it's nothing
because as soon as we have the most

315
00:19:08,590 --> 00:19:12,200
recent bit of technology, it
is already out of date.

316
00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,520
And you know that because five
years after getting a mobile phone,

317
00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:18,040
you're complaining it's not working.

318
00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:25,960
That's why Paul writes what he
does in Romans 1, verses 22 to 23.

319
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:31,000
He writes it here as a warning
to us right at the beginning of his

320
00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,960
great theological piece of
what salvation is.

321
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:36,760
And speaking of humanity, he
says this.

322
00:19:38,310 --> 00:19:39,390
Although they, I.e.

323
00:19:39,390 --> 00:19:42,750
Humanity, claimed to be wise,
they became fools and exchanged the

324
00:19:42,750 --> 00:19:46,790
glory of the immortal God for
images made to look like mortal man

325
00:19:47,110 --> 00:19:50,150
and birds and animals and reptiles.

326
00:19:51,590 --> 00:19:55,830
Humanity has sought to
position itself as God.

327
00:19:57,910 --> 00:20:03,190
Humanity worships the creation
rather than the Creator.

328
00:20:04,350 --> 00:20:09,150
And this is exactly what King
Herod represents.

329
00:20:10,910 --> 00:20:17,670
A world that promises us
everything and delivers nothing in

330
00:20:17,670 --> 00:20:18,190
the end.

331
00:20:20,350 --> 00:20:24,110
But there is a second king,
and that is King Jesus.

332
00:20:24,110 --> 00:20:27,830
Because in contrast to King
Herod, we see the true king of God's

333
00:20:27,830 --> 00:20:28,110
people.

334
00:20:28,350 --> 00:20:32,920
He may not have a throne,
earth, nor a crown as we would expect,

335
00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,240
but he is the true covenant
king that we desperately need.

336
00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:42,320
And when you trace the kings
of Israel, they all failed in one

337
00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:43,240
way or another.

338
00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:46,680
But Jesus is the one who never fails.

339
00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,840
And Scripture speaks so much
of what it means to know this king

340
00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:51,320
and to trust King Jesus.

341
00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,080
Acts 4, verse 12 says,
Salvation is found in no one else.

342
00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:58,120
For there is no other name
under heaven given to men by which

343
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,680
you we must be saved.

344
00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:03,960
That name is Jesus.

345
00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,320
And it's he who tells us in
Luke chapter 19, verse 10.

346
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,800
For the Son of Man, that name
that he was given, a very messianic,

347
00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:12,680
prophetic name.

348
00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:17,000
The Son of Man came to seek
and to save what was lost.

349
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,320
He wasn't concerned about a
throne in a royal palace in Jerusalem.

350
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:25,120
He's concerned about the
heavenly throne where he now rules

351
00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:25,960
and reigns.

352
00:21:26,570 --> 00:21:30,890
And he's concerned about who
his kingdom will be, about lost souls

353
00:21:30,890 --> 00:21:32,010
coming on to salvation.

354
00:21:32,010 --> 00:21:36,170
You see, Jesus is no puppet
king, nor is he a self serving leader.

355
00:21:36,570 --> 00:21:39,930
He is the one who rules with
equity and justice.

356
00:21:40,330 --> 00:21:43,890
He is the one who has done
what only the true covenant king

357
00:21:43,890 --> 00:21:44,570
could do.

358
00:21:44,890 --> 00:21:49,650
He gave his life on the cross
so that the punishment our sins deserve

359
00:21:49,650 --> 00:21:51,930
would be taken on him rather
than on us.

360
00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,120
But there is one thing to know
about Jesus and it's quite another

361
00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,400
to trust in Him.

362
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,160
You see, we're going to be one
of two kinds of people here.

363
00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:05,560
Because if I were all to ask
you, going out through the door,

364
00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:06,160
who's Jesus?

365
00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,600
You'll all give me an answer.

366
00:22:08,319 --> 00:22:10,240
So we all have a knowledge of Jesus.

367
00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,120
But there's a second person
who goes beyond the knowledge of

368
00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:15,840
Jesus and trusts in Jesus.

369
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:19,760
You see, we can all have facts
and figures about Jesus.

370
00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:23,360
We can all know the stories
and we can even say out loud that

371
00:22:23,360 --> 00:22:28,300
we, we know that he came to
bear the punishment of our sins.

372
00:22:29,340 --> 00:22:33,180
But simply because we say it
doesn't save us.

373
00:22:37,260 --> 00:22:43,180
I can tell you anything and
you might believe it, and I can convince

374
00:22:43,180 --> 00:22:44,860
myself and I can convince you.

375
00:22:45,660 --> 00:22:49,420
But when it comes to Jesus,
words are not simply enough.

376
00:22:51,030 --> 00:22:53,750
Because any of us can know
about Jesus.

377
00:22:54,310 --> 00:22:58,870
It's only when we place our
trust in him and his salvation that

378
00:22:58,870 --> 00:23:00,470
we have eternal life.

379
00:23:00,550 --> 00:23:03,190
And this changes our whole life.

380
00:23:03,670 --> 00:23:08,470
To know about Jesus means we
still live under the rule of the

381
00:23:08,470 --> 00:23:08,790
world.

382
00:23:08,790 --> 00:23:10,470
It's just head knowledge.

383
00:23:12,390 --> 00:23:15,670
Herod knew of Jesus and he
still wanted to kill him.

384
00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,160
But trusting in Jesus means we
live for him, desiring to do good

385
00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:25,040
works, but not depending on
those works as eternal currency to

386
00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:26,560
treat our way into heaven.

387
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:28,640
Well God, I was good enough.

388
00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:33,920
Because the reality is none of
us ever can be trusting in Jesus.

389
00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,640
That hard work means we reject
the priorities of the world that

390
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:42,840
mislead and corrupt us and we
follow his way ways.

391
00:23:44,360 --> 00:23:47,080
So whose voice are you going
to heed?

392
00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,000
King Herod or King Jesus?

393
00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:54,680
Maybe you'll be indifferent to Jesus.

394
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,920
Maybe you'll have a knowledge
of him and that's enough in your

395
00:23:58,920 --> 00:23:59,240
mind.

396
00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:06,720
It's not enough because you
must trust and you must declare him

397
00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:07,800
as king of your life.

398
00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:10,560
Maybe you'll be hostile
towards Him.

399
00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:13,040
Maybe you're simply here
because it's the good cultural thing

400
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:13,480
to do.

401
00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,200
But coming through that door
cannot save you.

402
00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,440
And if you're hostile towards
Jesus, then you desperately need

403
00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:25,720
to change, otherwise you will
be lost forever.

404
00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,920
I wonder, will you buy low
with whatever gifts you have in hand

405
00:24:33,810 --> 00:24:36,610
and adoringly worship him for
who he truly is?

406
00:24:38,450 --> 00:24:41,690
See, I want to encourage each
and every one of you, whoever you

407
00:24:41,690 --> 00:24:42,690
are here this morning.

408
00:24:43,250 --> 00:24:46,290
Trusting in King Jesus means
that you can trust him with your

409
00:24:46,290 --> 00:24:50,450
fears, you can trust him with
your disappointments.

410
00:24:52,450 --> 00:24:56,930
You can trust him with your
anger, you can trust him with your

411
00:24:56,930 --> 00:25:02,020
guilt, you can trust him with
the burden that you feel in this

412
00:25:02,020 --> 00:25:02,380
life.

413
00:25:05,100 --> 00:25:09,740
And you can trust him to
forgive you for your own self righteousness.

414
00:25:11,500 --> 00:25:13,900
The question is, will you
trust Him?

415
00:25:14,859 --> 00:25:20,260
Will you trust him to keep you
in this world and bring you home

416
00:25:20,260 --> 00:25:22,700
to him in heaven?

417
00:25:24,140 --> 00:25:26,260
That's the very reason why he came.

418
00:25:26,260 --> 00:25:29,250
And Matthew told us that right
from the very beginning.

419
00:25:30,210 --> 00:25:33,570
This is the Jesus, the King
Jesus we must know.

420
00:25:34,690 --> 00:25:39,810
And the King Herod we must
reject, so that as we live for him,

421
00:25:40,130 --> 00:25:43,410
we can truly trust him with
everything that comes our way.

422
00:25:43,970 --> 00:25:48,930
That we need not fear, for he
indeed will lead us home.

423
00:25:51,890 --> 00:25:53,010
Have you trusted Him?

424
00:25:55,270 --> 00:25:59,430
But more pointedly to us all,
Will you trust him with whatever

425
00:25:59,430 --> 00:26:01,590
is going on in your life right now?

426
00:26:03,830 --> 00:26:06,630
Because Christ is enough.

427
00:26:08,070 --> 00:26:11,030
We don't need to see an
earthly throne.

428
00:26:12,230 --> 00:26:15,190
We don't need to see an
earthly crown.

429
00:26:16,550 --> 00:26:21,830
For the head that once was
crowned with thorns is crowned in

430
00:26:21,830 --> 00:26:22,350
glory.

431
00:26:23,070 --> 00:26:30,150
Now that is the throne, the
much higher throne, and where that

432
00:26:30,150 --> 00:26:34,830
crown of righteousness sits so
that we can be assured of that life

433
00:26:34,990 --> 00:26:36,669
eternal with him.

434
00:26:37,870 --> 00:26:43,470
Trust in King Jesus and reject
all of the King Herods of this world

435
00:26:44,350 --> 00:26:45,550
and know Christ only.

436
00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,200
So let's pray in his name.

437
00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:51,200
Our Father God, we thank you
for this.

438
00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:57,320
Your word, a challenging word,
and maybe for some an uncomfortable

439
00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:57,960
word.

440
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,800
Because it confronts us with
who we really are.

441
00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,040
And it confronts us with a
question that we may not want to

442
00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:07,800
answer or like to answer, but
yet we must.

443
00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:14,100
So may we see King Jesus for
who he truly is.

444
00:27:14,740 --> 00:27:18,820
May a knowledge of him
translate and transmit into our hearts

445
00:27:18,900 --> 00:27:21,060
so that we will be his forever.

446
00:27:21,460 --> 00:27:25,220
And we will know that great
delight of a higher throne that is

447
00:27:25,220 --> 00:27:28,340
his ruling and reigning
forever, where we will be with him,

448
00:27:28,820 --> 00:27:31,140
and we will know salvation complete.

449
00:27:32,100 --> 00:27:37,180
So may we not be ignorant to
the truth, and may we trust in him

450
00:27:37,180 --> 00:27:40,670
only, and we ask it in his
name alone.

451
00:27:41,630 --> 00:27:42,270
Amen.