The King of kings
The Battle between kings
The purpose for the battle
Selfish ambition vs. Sacrificial atonement
The weapons of the battle
Military might vs. Heavenly Help
The results of the battle
Empty & False victory vs. Eternal & Fulfilling Victory
Slide
I always love seeing the kids when they sing songs at Christmas.
It reminds me of what fun it is to be a kid, especially in the winter when school is out.
I remember when I was a kid and we would have Christmas vacation and when there was snow on the ground we used to play outside for hours with our friends.
One of my friends lived across from a cul de sac and the snow plows would leave huge piles of snow in the middle of this cul de sac and we would play on that hill for days. We would build tunnels in parts of it and forts in other parts.
King of the Hill
One of the games we would play was called king of the hill. Basically it was who could stay on top of the mountain and fend off the attacks of others who wanted to be the king of the hill.
That kind of reminds me of the story we are reading today in Matthew 2:13-23 (p. 682)
Slide
In this account, Herod wants to knock off the newborn King of the Jews, the baby Jesus, because he doesn’t want anyone to threaten his power and authority, the thing in life that he lives for.
We will see in this story that Herod will go to any means to try and achieve his results. What he doesn’t realize however, is that he is not battling some worldly king. He is going up against the King of kings and his efforts for victory will be futile.
This morning, as we approach Christmas, I want to take a look at the battle between kings and some major differences that affect the outcome of this battle and examine who it is that we are choosing as our king in this life.
Let’s read
Matthew 2:13-23
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 "A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more."
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead."
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
Pray.
Last week we saw that the Magi asked King Herod, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2)
I want you to imagine King Herod and what is going on in his mind.
He has been known as the King of the Jews
People were now coming to look for the one born King of the Jews?
This is a threat to his throne and his power.
He had killed others, including sons and a wife, when he suspected a threat to his throne or what he wanted. Was there now one who was born King?
Was someone out to take that which he had worked ruthlessly to attain?
We can see right from the beginning that King Herod’s authority and power would collide with anyone who was considered a threat to him.
If there was now one who was born King, then this would truly be
A battle between kings.
Slide
Christmas marks a time when the newborn King has come into the world to preach the kingdom of God, a kingdom opposed to the ways of the world. This causes those who are kings in kingdoms of the world to be in conflict with this King and engage in battle with Him.
Now there is a huge difference in
why worldly kings battle and
why the King of kings has come into the world.
So if we are going to be seeking which kingdom we are going to be a part of, we need to understand
The Purpose for the Battle
Slide
And why these kings are engaging in this battle.
Those who choose to rule their own kingdoms, rather than looking to the King of kings to reign over them, are engaging in this battle for the purpose of their own
Selfish Ambition
Slide
They want power. They want fame. They want wealth.
They are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their purpose.
Herod wants all of these things. He is pursuing the things he wants, the things he believes will bring happiness to his life.
It is pure selfish ambition because he really doesn’t care about anyone else.
He cares about himself and himself only.
In contrast to these worldly kings, the King of kings has come into this world for the purpose of making
Sacrificial Atonement
Slide
In the birth account in Luke, the angels tell the shepherds, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)
The King of kings came to be the Savior, to bring salvation, eternal life.
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
This eternal life is made available because Jesus atones for our sin by becoming a sacrifice for us.
Romans 3:25
25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
The penalty for sin is death.
Because we have sinned we deserve death.
Jesus came to die in our place.
He pays the debt of death that we have incurred.
He atones for our wrongs by sacrificing Himself.
As you can see there is a huge difference in the purposes of
worldly kings and
the King of kings.
The King of kings…
… did not engage in this battle to get rich…He had all the riches of the world
… did not engage in this battle to gain power…He has it all.
…did not engage in this battle because he had to… He chose to bring salvation to mankind.
Yes, the King of kings came to bring glory to the Father, so there are some who might say that is selfish, but understand this.
Worldly kings seek glory without sacrifice.
The King of kings is glorified because of His sacrifice.
Selfish Ambition vs. Sacrificial Atonement
Which kingdom are you a part of?
Are you following a king of this world, or perhaps seeking your own kingdom
Or
Are you a subject in the kingdom ruled by the King of kings?
Have you arrived at this Christmas to worship the newborn King, or are you battling this King and His kingdom and ways?
Not only is the purpose of these kings different, but there are differences in
The weapons of the Battle
Slide
Those kings whose main concern is selfish ambition rely on
Military Might
Slide
to achieve their objectives.
Physical power is what is needed to
suppress the kings of other kingdoms and
keep the people in line.
Herod orders his military men to go and kill.
He relies on brute force and fear to win the battles he engages in.
I see this in the world when people try to control others through fear and intimidation.
They yell and scream and try to intimidate others to control them.
They feed their own selfish ambition for power through trying to control other people.
The King of kings and those who follow Him rely instead on
Heavenly Help
Slide
Prophecies and promises
Part of that heavenly help is a reliance on the prophecies and promises that God has spoken already.
Throughout this text we see the phrase “was fulfilled” showing the fulfillment of several prophecies.
15And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet:
17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
23 So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."
The King of kings has stood outside of time and sees the beginning and the end and relies on the Heavenly Help that has been orchestrated in advance so that the kings of this world, even when they pursue their selfish ambition and use excessive Military Might, cannot thwart the King of kings and his sacrifice of atonement and the Heavenly help that is used to engage the battle.
Angelic Armies
And beyond the prophecies and promises which have been given and can be relied on in the face of any physical force, we have a King who commands legions of angels that are at his beck and call and ready to battle on his behalf.
When Jesus was being arrested in the garden, Peter drew his sword to do battle with military might as well. But Jesus said
Matthew 26:52-54
52 "Put your sword back in its place," …"for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
He trusts in the heavenly help that has been provided and is not willing to take things into his own hands in his humanity.
This is an example for us.
There are many times that we just can’t see how God can work things out for our good, so we are tempted to take things into our own hands and use the tactics of the kings of this world to control our destiny.
We need to rely on the promises that God has given through His word and trust that His angels are battling for us as we pray and walk in his ways.
That is ultimately how we are protected with the armor of God.
Paul tells us in
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We do not need to, nor should we, rely on our own power or the physical might to win spiritual battles.
Instead, we need to know the word of God and the prophecies and the promises he has made and rely on that heavenly help as our weapon to fight this battle.
This is available to all who trust in the King of kings and are pursuing His kingdom and righteousness.
Trust in the heavenly help that the King of kings provides.
Well not only is the purpose of the kings different and the weapons of warfare different, but
The Results of the Battle
are different
Slide
Those kings of this world who are only about this world and what they can get, or achieve, or control, find only
Empty & False Victory
Slide
Herod perhaps thought he was victorious in killing all the boy babies in Bethlehem.
But he did not have victory at all.
Satan who was behind Herod, tried to defeat Jesus throughout his life and have victory and even the ultimate apparent victory of Christ’s death on the cross, turned out to be the greatest false victory for Satan and an eternal victory for the King of kings and those who follow him, a victory over death and the defeat of sin and Satan.
Application
When we choose to follow the kings of this world in pursuing our own selfish ambitions, we will find only empty and false victories.
We all face temptations to walk in the way of the worldly kings thinking that is what is going to bring us joy and happiness and fulfillment.
Apply
Maybe you are thinking today that the only way you are going to be happy is
To go out and have an affair
To go and make a lot of money by
Cheating others
Working so much that you have no time for your family
To go and escape the pressures of life through
Getting drunk
Taking drugs
Viewing pornography
I want to tell you that you are on the path leading to empty and false victories.
Perhaps in the moment, you will feel victorious or good or you will have forgotten about the stress you are experiencing.
But that sense of trouble, stress, guilt, consequences that you will experience because of the choice to walk that path will make you wish you never followed that path.
Instead, we need to walk in the ways of the King of kings,
receiving Him and the salvation he provided through His sacrificial atonement,
trusting in the heavenly help he provides through His word and engaging the battle in the spiritual realm instead of fighting it in earthly ways.
Then we will experience
Eternal & Fulfilling Victory
Slide
Jesus was born to
proclaim the kingdom of God,
live a perfect life,
die a brutal death
in what appeared to Satan and others at the time as a great defeat,
but actually was an eternal victory over death for those who are subjects of the King of kings.
It is this victory that leads to experiencing
a fulfilling life on earth and
an eternal victory in heaven.
This victory is only found in following after the King of kings and His ways, even when we may not fully understand
how this is going to be good for us or
how this is going to bring fulfillment to us.
Proverbs 2:1-15
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair--every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
The wisdom to trust the King of kings when we don’t understand comes from continually walking with Him and knowing Him.
When we are doing that, then we will know that the King of kings does not have in store for us
Fleeting experiences of happiness
Temporary sensations of fulfillment
Empty or false victories.
We will find that the King of kings offers us
Lasting joy and peace
The full and fulfilling life
Eternal victory over death.
We will find that he really is
the Alpha and Omega.
the Mighty King that Isaiah spoke of
the Prince of peace
the Lord of lords and
The King of kings
This babe in the manger is not just another baby, but He is God in the flesh who has come to rescue us from sin and death.
Won’t you receive the greatest gift of all this Christmas by putting your trust in Him as the King of kings, confessing Him as Lord, receiving Him as your Savior.
Romans 10:9
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This morning, I am going to pray and if you want to receive Christ as your Savior,
Recognize that you need a Savior because you have sinned against a holy God
Receive Jesus as your Savior by
Believing in Him
That He is God in the flesh
That He died for your sins
That He rose from the dead
That He is the Lord of lords and King of kings.
And no matter if you have been living in the kingdom of worldly kings, pray for the strength and wisdom to walk and live as a subject in the kingdom of the King of kings.
Let Him reign in your life today.
Let’s pray.
