Turn with me, if you would, to
Matthew chapter 2 again. I pray we might be able to worship
Him this morning. Matthew 2, let's read these first
two verses again. Now, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born
king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in
the east and are come to worship him. For our message this morning,
I'd like for us to ask the very same question that these very
wise men asked. And this question is the title
of the message. Where is he that is born king? Where is he that is born king? The all important question of
that day. is still the all-important question
of this day. The question that they were so
wise in asking. That's the question of wisdom
that men and women still need to be asking today. Where is
He that is born King? Where is He that is born King? As important as the question
is, of who is he? That's something
we've looked a lot at this month from this portion of scripture,
chapter one. Who is this? Who is this who
came? Who is he? As important as that
question is, equally important to that is this question. Where
is he? Where is he that is born King? Now I want to divide this message
into two parts. First, I want to focus on the
fact that He was born King, and that's where we'll spend our
time. And I'll just go ahead and preface that I have enjoyed
so much studying this. He was born King. And then after we see Him to
be the King that He is, I want us to ask the question,
where is He? Where is he? Those men back then,
these men, they came, you know, the, the story here, they came,
men came from far the East. And, um, those men who came were
seekers. You know, they came for one purpose,
one object. They were seeking something. They were seeking someone. And so are we. So are we. And the question that those seekers
were asking back then, that's the same question that seekers
are still asking today. I want to be a seeker of the
King. I do. I want to be a seeker of
the Lord Jesus Christ. When God makes a sinner, a seeker
of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just a person who is going through
the motions of religion, but I mean a seeker of the Lord Jesus
Christ. When God makes a sinner, a seeker
of the Lord Jesus Christ, he or she wants to know one thing.
Where is he? Where is he? And that's a true
statement. That is a true statement. When
God gives a sinner against God, a heart for Christ, a love for Christ. When two people
fall in love, they go seeking each other. And when God makes a sinner,
a seeker of the Lord Jesus Christ, that sinner wants to know, how
can I be with him? Where is he? How can I be near
him? True seekers won't stop until
they find him. And when they find Him, what
they're gonna realize is they didn't really find Him, He found
them. They really weren't seeking Him, He sought them. They were sought of Him. Our Lord said in Isaiah 65 verse
one, I am sought of them that asked not for me. This is what makes grace so sweet. This is what makes it so kindness. His loving kindness. Isaiah 65
one says, I am sought of them that never even asked for me.
He said, I am found of them that sought me not. They weren't even
seeking. He said, I said, behold me. behold me unto a nation that
was not called by my name." Is that not so kind, so loving,
and so gracious? He is the one who does all the
seeking. But Psalm 27 says, it says, when he seeks his own,
he says to his own, Seek my face. That's what he
says to the heart of his own. When he does the seeking, he
comes to a center and he says to the heart of that center,
seek my face. And at that moment, the one that
he is seeking starts to say, thy face, Lord, will I seek.
That's what David said in Psalm 27, eight. He said, when you
said seek my face, That's the moment that my heart cried, Thy
face, Lord, will I seek? In response, when God seeks a
sinner, in response to that, the sinner says, you know, I
think I'm going to start seeking the Lord. I think I'm going to start seeking
the Lord. Where is He? Where is He that
is born King? Now let's look at this together,
beginning with the fact that our Lord was born into this world
king. What that means is He was king
before He was born. That's what it means. I love seeing our Lord exalted. I just love that. When I hear one of these other
men stand up and exalt the Lord, I love it. I love it. I know you do too. And I love
that the scripture declares him to be that, exalted, even while
he was a child laying in a manger. Before he was ever born into
this world, he was the king. He was born king. Now let's run a few scriptures
here. Let me show you something. Turn
with me over to John chapter eight. John chapter eight. The Jews
right here are arguing with the Lord. All right, they're arguing
with Him. And our Lord told them in John
8 verse 51, He said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Then
said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil.
Abraham is dead and the prophets. And thou sayest, if a man keep
my saying, he shall never taste of death. Are thou greater than
our father, Abraham, which is dead and the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself? What
they were saying was, who do you think you are? Verse 54, Jesus answered, if
I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father that honoreth
me of whom you say that he is your God. Yet you have not known
him, but I know him. And if I should say, I know him
not, I shall be a liar like unto you, but I know him and keep
his saying. Verse 56, he said, Your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was glad. He said, Abraham saw me and he
was glad. Now, when did Abraham see the
Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord appeared to him a couple
of times. The Lord appeared to him with two angels. in the door
of his tent, and he appeared a couple of times. And we could
go to Genesis right now, and I could show you some places,
but I want to show you something specific. So turn with me over
to Hebrews chapter 5. Hebrews 5. Back in Genesis 14, You may know the story of when
Abraham and his men slaughtered a bunch of kings and their soldiers. Abraham went to war with these
kings, and the reason is because they besieged, they attacked,
and they took Lot, Abraham's nephew, and his family and all
that he had, they took it all. So Abraham went to get him back.
He went to rescue him. And as Abraham was returning
from this slaughter, the Lord was with him. And this man Abraham
and just a few of his men got the victory and took a lot and
restored everything. And when he was returning from
this slaughter, he met a man named Melchizedek. And this man Melchizedek gave
to Abraham bread and wine. Now what could that possibly
represent? What did our Lord give to his
disciples? Bread and wine. He said, this is my body broken
for you. This is my blood shed for you. So Melchizedek gave to Abraham
bread and wine and Abraham gave to Melchizedek tithes of all
of his spoil. All right, now let's see who
Melchizedek is. Hebrews 5, verse 5, it says, so also Christ glorified
not himself to be made an high priest, but he that said unto
him, thou art my son, today have I begotten thee. As he saith
also in another place, thou art a priest forever after the order
of Melchizedek. Verse 10 says, called of God,
speaking of Christ, called of God and high priest after the
order of Melchizedek. Look at chapter six, verse 20,
it says, whether the forerunner is for
us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Chapter 7, verse 1 says, For
this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God,
who met Abraham, and spoke to Abraham and blessed Abraham,
preached to Abraham. Melchizedek's the only person
in the scripture who is prophet, priest, and king, all three in
one person. For this Melchizedek, king of
Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning
from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also
Abraham gave a tenth part of all, First being by interpretation. Here's what this man's name means. Here's the interpretation of
this man. See that capital K? King of righteousness. And after that also, King of
Salem, which is King of peace. This is the King of righteousness,
the King of peace. Verse three said, Melchizedek
was without father and without mother. Without descent, there
was no family tree for this man. Without descent, having neither
beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the
Son of God, abideth a priest continually. Who was that? That
was the king. That was the king. Abraham saw
the king. All the way back in the book
of Genesis, Abraham said, I have seen the king. Who was the king? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ. Every time someone
saw an image of God in the Old Testament, They saw Jesus Christ,
who is the express image of God. They saw Jesus Christ. All right,
now turn with me to Psalm 24. So that was the Lord Jesus Christ
in Genesis. Psalm 24, verse 1, it says, The
earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the world,
and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the
seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy
place? He that hath clean hands and
a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor
sworn deceitfully, he shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and
righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation
of them that seek him, that seek thy face, And in my center margin,
O Jacob means, O God of Jacob. That's who he's speaking to.
Verse seven says, lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye
lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come
in. Who is this King of glory? The
Lord, strong and mighty. The Lord, mighty in battle. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King
of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the
King of glory. All the way back in David's day,
he wrote in the Psalms, I've seen the King. I have seen the
King. Who are you talking about, David?
Jesus Christ, my Lord, the Lord said unto my Lord, you sit down
in your rightful place. You sit down on your throne. So Christ was the King in Abraham's
day. Christ was the King in David's
day. Turn with me now to Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah 6 verse 1, it says, In
the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon
a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.
Above it stood the seraphims, each one had six wings, with
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet,
and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth
is full of his glory. and the post of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with
smoke." Verse five says, "'Then said I, woe is me, for I am undone,
because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst
of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the king.'"
The Lord of hosts. The king is the one who revealed
himself to Isaiah. He said, I have now seen the
king. Who are you talking about, Isaiah?
I'm talking about that righteous branch in chapter 11. I'm talking
about the servant in chapter 42. I'm talking about that root out
of dry ground in chapter 53. Jesus Christ, my Savior, I've
seen the King. Look with me now at Daniel chapter
four. A few more chapters, a few more books over, just after Ezekiel. Daniel chapter four. You know the story of Nebuchadnezzar,
how he was lifted up with pride, and God brought him down for
a while. God sent him out into a field,
and you know, his hair grew like eagle's feathers, and he had
claws for nails, and God left him to himself for a while. And
when God finally restored him and brought him back, this is
what he said. Daniel 4, verse 34. And at the end of the days, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised
and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.
and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing,
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his
hand or say unto him, What doest thou? At the same time, my reason
returned unto me, and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor
and brightness returned unto me, and my counselors and my
Lord sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and
excellent majesty was added unto me." Verse 37, he said, now I,
Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven. all whose works are truth, and
his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride, he is able
to abase. Nebuchadnezzar said, I now have
seen the king. I've seen the king. Who are you
talking about, Nebuchadnezzar? I'm talking about the one who
was in that fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He said, didn't we throw three men in there? And they said,
we did. He said, why do I see four? I see them loose. I see them
walking. And he said, one of them looks
just like the Son of God. He said, I've seen the King.
I have seen the King, Jesus Christ, the King. is the one who humbled
himself down." You talk about condescension. He didn't begin
in a manger. He humbled himself down to a
manger. Humbled himself down to the body
of an infant to be born of a virgin to deliver his people from their
sin. He was born king because He was King. And He lived His
life on this earth as King. As He walked this earth, He walked
this earth living as the King that He was. Turn with me to
John 6. John chapter 6. Some people right here were very
impressed by the miracles that they saw our Lord perform. And
in verse 15, it says, When Jesus therefore perceived that they
would come and take him by force to make him a king, He departed
again into a mountain Himself alone. They were just so impressed
by these miracles, they were going to lay hold of Him and
make Him to be their King. And He just walked right through
them and left. Now, I love this story. Most everybody here knows who
Brother Todd Nybert is. He pastors a church in Lexington,
Kentucky. When he was five years old, He
was in Doris Mahan's Sunday school class. And she was teaching the
kids from this passage. And after they read that, and
she explained that, she asked the kids, why would the Lord
not allow them to make him their king? And Todd, at five years
old, said, because he already was king. And she said, that's right. He
already was king. I'm telling you out of the mouth
of babes, I wish some adults could learn that. He already
was king. We cannot make him king. God has already made him king. We cannot make Him our Lord. People say, won't you make Him
Lord? We can't make Him Lord. From eternity past, God already
made Him Lord. The Lord came. Lord and King.
He was born King. He lived King. And He died King. Turn with me to John 18. John 18 verse 37, Pilate therefore
said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest
that I am a king. He said, You said it. To this
end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world.
that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is
of the truth heareth my voice." Chapter 19, verse 1, Then Pilate
therefore took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited
a crown of thorns, and they put it on his head, And they put
on him a purple robe and said, Hail, King of the Jews. And they smote him with their
hands. Verse 13 says, When Pilate therefore heard that saying,
he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in
a place that is called the pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of
the Passover, and about the sixth hour, and he said unto the Jews,
Behold your king. But they cried out, away with
him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate said unto them, shall
I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, we
have no king but Caesar. He said, shall your king die
for you? Shall your king be the one to
pay your debt? Shall your king himself be the
one to put away your sin? You want your king to do this
for you? Pilate was trying to let him
go. They said, crucify him. We don't want him to be our king.
Pilate said, why? I find no fault in this man. Shall your king really shed his
own blood? You want your king to shed his
own blood. Shall the King himself be the
one who cries from the cross, Father, forgive them for my sake. They don't know the depth of
what they're doing to me. They do not know what they're
doing to me. They cannot fathom the horror
of what I'm going through for them. They cannot fathom what
I'm enduring to free them. from all the penalty and judgment
of sin against us. Pilate said, must He Himself,
your King, be the one who has to die? Verse 19, and Pilate
wrote a title and put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. The King Himself is the
one who cried, it is finished. and bowed his head and gave up
the ghost. He was born king, he lived king,
he died king, and he arose king. Just before he died, that thief
that was hanging right next to him, this is what he said. He
said, Lord, when all this is over and you arise from the grave, Will you remember me when you
come into your kingdom? Your kingdom. When you arise
as the king that you are and you walk straight into your kingdom and the herald goes out, open
the gates, the king of glory is coming in. Oh, he said, will
you remember me? Will you please remember me? Turn with me to Philippians chapter
two. Philippians 2 verse 5, said,
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." Who are
we bowing to? The King. The King of kings and
Lord of lords. Peter said we were eyewitnesses
of His majesty. His Majesty the King, verse 10
says, at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in
heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that
every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. Now, seeing Him to be the very
King that He is, let's close with this question. Where is He? Where is He? If we want to come
to Him, let me ask you a question. Do you want to come to Him? When He reveals the need and
He reveals the salvation and He reveals who He is and who
you are, and that call comes to your heart and He says, seek
my face. Do you want to seek Him? Do you want to come to Him? If we want to come to Him, if
we want to bow before Him, I want so desperately to be one of the
ones who bows the knee at the throne of God. I do. I want to bow my knee to Him.
I want to stand in His presence and I, by His grace, want to
honor Him and praise Him and thank Him and glorify Him. And if we want to do that, where
is He? In Hebrews 1, don't turn, we
were going to, but it says, when he had by himself purged our
sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. That right hand means the seat
of honor. There are not two thrones in
heaven, there's only one. There's only one throne, and
Jesus Christ is sitting in it. Right there in Hebrews 1, God
the Father said to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever
and ever. He's not standing at our heart's
door knocking, begging people to let Him in. He's not out here
running around twiddling His thumbs trying to work good for
somebody as long as people will just let Him do it He's not doing
any of those things. This is the king we're talking
about. And this king is seated on his throne. David said, he
is right now in the heavens doing whatever he's pleased to do,
doing whatever he wants to do. He is reigning and ruling, doing
whatever he is pleased to do. And if we're going to come to
him, we're going to have to come to that throne. We're gonna have to come bowing
and begging and pleading for mercy and grace. And this is
the glorious news from the king. The king said, all that the father
giveth to me shall come to me and him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. All who come to this king are
gonna find this is the most loving king you've ever met in your
life. This is the most gracious king
that any king has ever known. This is the most merciful king.
I love how the queen of Sheba said to Solomon after she saw
him in his glory, she said, because God loved Israel
forever, he made you king. And that's what we're gonna say
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing Him, bowing at His throne,
begging for mercy, we're gonna say, "'Cause God loved us forever,
He made you king." He made you to be our king. Thank God the
king came. Thank God the king was born. Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth, hark all the herald angels sing,
glory to the newborn king. So do we. We're going to sing
that. Let's all stand together.