Son Of God Series

You can listen to the message here:-

http://www.nec.org.au/listen-to-a-sermon-series/name-above-all-names/

Note - the temperature that day in Brisbane at 9:30am was 36 degrees Celsius (96 Fahrenheit) and 90% humidity - it was hot!

So the service was significantly shortened .... including the message.

It would have been a good day to preach about the fires of hell.

Message

Name Above All Names - God’s Son

Matthew 2:15

Read Matthew 2:13-23

When you read through this section you can see a pattern

A decision is made

- Herod wants to kill the child.

- Herod orders all the boys in Bethlehem killed

- Herod’s son is on the throne.

That is the first part of the pattern

The second part of the pattern is that event takes place.

- Joseph Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt.

- All boys 2 years and under are killed

- Joseph Mary and Jesus withdraw to Galilee.

Actions in response to decisions.

The third part of the pattern is a fulfilment quote.

- He will come out of Egypt.

- Mothers refuse to be comforted.

- He will be a Nazarene.

Decisions are made, but all this does is fulfil what God has known well in advance.

Nothing takes God by surprise.

Nothing is out of God’s control.

God is sovereign over all.

Would you agree.

So if God is so sovereign why is his Son in Egypt?

Because that is the name of Jesus that is in that text.

Out of Egypt I have called my Son.

That is another Name Above All Names - God’s Son.

Which is why I asked the question

If God is so sovereign why is his Son in Egypt?

Because when you are the Son of a God you have power.

The dark angels and demons and evil spiritual forces knew about this power.

Matthew 8:29

Context … when Jesus confront Legion.

“What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

The disciples knew about this power

Matthew 14:33

Context … Jesus walks on water, saves Peter and stills the storm.

Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

When Gentiles are confronted by Jesus they know about this power

Matthew 24:54

Context … at the crucifixion

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

That is how those who met Jesus understood what it meant when you are called the “Son of God”.

And even though they all stood against Him … and eventually brought Him to his death … there is a part of them that really wanted Jesus to be the Son of God. They even taunt Him to try and make Him react.

Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

“You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

They treat Him this way because, in a warped manner, they are looking for hope.

If Jesus is the Son of God … and reveals Himself fully as the Son of God … then that means the end of the Roman tyranny.

It’s a power issue.

The Jewish world, and those who were confronted by Jesus understood this.

But the Roman Culture also understood this.

I have a picture of a Roman Coin. It was found in Thessalonica and was made in 27BC.

There is a Greek word inscribed on the coin.

“Theos” … which means “God”.

That is how the Roman Emperors described themselves.

In official letters Augustus used to describe himself as “Imperator Caesar Augustus, son of divine Julius.

Nero … the Emperor who killed Christians … called himself “the son of divine Claudius … great-great grandson of the divine Augustus.

You rule Rome because you are the son of a god. You have power. You have authority.

You don’t end up in Egypt because some lower ranking official … especially an official who is in charge of the useless province of Judea … wants you dead. You stay and you are in charge. That is what it means to be the Son of God.

Yet here we find Jesus … the Son of God … in Egypt.

In many ways it is a logical choice.

In those days Egypt was a very safe place, especially the city of Alexandria. Philo tells us that there were over 1,000,000 Jews – 1/3rd of the city – living there in the first century AD.