The King Of Higher Power Series

The King of Higher Power

Series: Who is this King?

Brad Bailey – Dec. 18, 2022

Intro

Welcome you into this time of looking towards the celebration of Christmas… final week before the holiday.

We do well to realize that the very word holiday… means “holy day.” The word holiday has become associated with days off from work and school… but the deeper meaning refers to that which is holy.

Beneath all the cultural sentiments…lies something holy… something of a deeper wonder… in the birth of Christ.

Christmas… “Christmas” is an Old English word, constructed from the combination of two words, namely “Christ” and “Mass”. The term “Christ” is not a name…but a designation… that comes from the Greek word Christós (???st??) … meaning “anointed” one. [1] Jesus is referred to as Jesus the Christ… r Jesus Christ… because he is the fulfillment of the representation of God coming to rule.

Those God had called out and formed as the nation of Israel… had said they wanted a king… so they could have the same symbols of power as the other nations around them. God warns them where that can lead…but allows them to identify a king. Over times some were better than others…but each had some weaknesses. When Israel was now divided and under oppressions, God spoke through the words of the prophet Isaiah …and spoke of one to come.

Isaiah 9:2,6-7

On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

These words were spoken 700 years before the birth of Christ.

And then a messenger from God comes to a young woman named Mary… pledged to be marries… telling her that she would give birth to a son…who will be called the Son of the Most High… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:32-33)

In Jesus Christ, time and eternity meet. As the Apostle Paul writes in the Scriptures,

Colossians 1:15-17 [2]

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. - Colossians 1:15-17

That which exists before and beyond all of creation… will now be among you… and he represents that which transcends all time and space as you know it. [3]

The source of all of creation… was embodied in human flesh.

He who is Spirit is born into boundaries of time and space…

As C.S. Lewis described in The Chronicles of Narnia:

“Once in our world, a Stable had Something in it that was bigger than our whole world.” ? C.S. Lewis

Jesus is NOT just a king, as in one of many. He is THE King. The Ruler of all the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5). He is directly given the title: “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 17:14; 19:16). To be a king means to have power and sovereignty. To be King over all kings is to have ALL the power and sovereignty…as king of heaven and earth.

And if we dare to look… what we see is that child confronts the powers of this world at their core.

He was born amidst arguably the most dominant empire in human history… the Roman Empire… just after it’s emperor…Ceasar…had declared himself akin to a deity.

Here the powers of this world …ruled in all their glory.

> And into this empire… on the outer edges… a child was born.

What arose was dramatic…and defining.

When he was finally brought before Pilate… the representative ruler of the Roman Empire… Pilate found himself facing a power unlike any other. On the one hand…. He didn’t feel threatened as Jesus made no claim to be a king interested in overthrowing Rome…but at the same time… Jesus seemed indifferent to Rome’s power.

John 18:36 (AMP)

Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over ….but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.”

My kingdom - the kingdom that is mine - is not of this world. Neither now nor at any future period will it derive its origin from this world. His royal power and state are not furnished by earthly force, or fleshly ordinances, or physical energies, or material wealth, or imperial armies. [4]