That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth. I love that line. We will not have services tonight or Wednesday. The following Wednesday, we're going to observe the Lord's table together and have a New Year's get together at the Kesses. Everybody's invited.

born king of the Jews. Matthew 2 verse 1, 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. You know, I've always thought there were three wise men, but it never says that. In the nativity scenes, they always have three wise men, but the Bible doesn't say that. There might've been a bunch of them. I don't know how many there were. But they came from the east, the land of Babylon, to Jerusalem, saying, where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East. And I believe that this was a star in the atmosphere because they watched it move. I can't give an explanation for that, but it moved and stood right over the manger where the Lord lay. Then it stopped. They said, we saw this in the East and we followed it. And we've come to worship him who was born king of the Jews.

Now, my first question is why was he born in Bethlehem? It's pointed out he was born in Bethlehem. Why was he born in Bethlehem? Micah chapter five, verse two says, but thou Bethlehem, Ephrata, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, a small insignificant town, Yet out of thee shall he come forth to me to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Why was he born in Bethlehem? Because the word of God said he would be born in Bethlehem. And we're sadly mistaken if we think his life began the night of his birth. Or even the time of his conception. You see, he is eternal. He didn't begin to be when he came to this earth. He already was. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.

I love the prophecy with regard to him in Isaiah chapter nine, verse six. Unto us a child is born. He did have a birth date. December 25th, not likely. But there was a day when he was born into this world. Unto us a child is born, but the Son's not born. The Son is given, the eternal Son of God. Now unto the King, eternal. He never began to be. He's the eternal life. You know, life can only come from life. Spiritual life comes from him, life itself comes from him. Life can only come from life. That which is not living cannot produce life. Life only comes from life, the living God. He is the eternal son of God, the child born, the son given, now unto the king, eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God.

His birth was also prophesied in Isaiah 7, 14. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and thou shall call his name Immanuel, God with us. This is almost better than God for us. God with us. I don't know if you could say something better than God is for us. I guess you can't, but this is just as good. God with us. A virgin can't conceive. Well, if God, the Holy Spirit comes upon her and the shadow of the highest comes upon her, yes, a virgin will conceive. You see, if Jesus Christ were born the way me and you were born, he'd be a sinner. He didn't have Adam's nature in him. Born of a virgin, Immanuel. That's why he was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

Now, who are these wise men from the east? It's kind of mysterious, isn't it? All of a sudden we hear of these wise men that pop up from the east. Like I said, in all the plays I've ever seen, it was always three, and we three kings of, well, it doesn't say that, but they were wise men. a Magi from the East. And this is a reference to Babylon. They said, we've seen a star in the East and we followed it and we've come here to worship him. Tell us where he is.

500 and some years before this, when the children of Israel carried into captivity for 70 years in Babylon, there was a man named Daniel carried there. He was a teenager and he was a man, the scripture says, was greatly beloved of God. You know, every believer that describes you, greatly beloved of God. And the Lord used this man mildly there. Read the book of Daniel, but do you know in the ninth chapter of Daniel, when he was in the land of Babylon, he gave the year that the Lord would be born, the Messiah, the Prince, the King. He gave the year. You can read about it in Daniel chapter nine right now.

And these men had studied this book. Daniel was somebody in Babylon. He was the ruler of all the provinces. I mean, Nebuchadnezzar promoted him, Ahasuerus promoted him, Darius promoted him. He was somebody in Babylon and they studied and they said, this is the year that the Messiah is coming. And then they saw this star in the East. And like I said, it was not star way up there, you couldn't follow it. That star didn't move, but this was a star in the atmosphere moving and it stopped right over the manger. And that's when they came with their gifts to worship him.

Now, who are these people called the Jews? Thou shalt call Or where is he that's born King of the Jews? Who's he talking about when he's talking about this one who is born King of the Jews? Is this talking about the Jewish nation, the physical tribe of the children of Abraham? Well, he's everybody's King. So it's talking about Jews and Gentiles, but it's talking specifically of his people. You see all Israel. Was, was a picture of God's Israel, God's Jew, the true Jews. This is not talking about the people who live in Israel or people who are Orthodox Jews and have the curls coming down from their sides and wear the hats and whatever else could be said of the Jewish culture. That's not what it's talking about when it's talking about him being king of the Jews.

Turn to Romans chapter two for a moment. I want us to see this conclusively. Verse 28, for he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly. How many different ways are there to take that? He is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. That's not what circumcision is, just the physical act. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 9. Verse six, not as though the word of God has taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Just because you're born in the nation of Israel, that doesn't make you a true Israelite. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. And we have Abraham for our father, that doesn't make you a child. But in Isaac shall thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. That's the promise of God in election, as we'll see. Look in verse nine, for this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her father, Isaac, for the children being not yet born. Neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth." The Jews are the elect. Philippians 3, 3, we are the circumcision. We're the true circumcision, which worship God in the spirit. Rejoice in Christ Jesus. and have no confidence in the flesh.

Truly, he is king of the Jews. Every Jew, they willingly bow to his kingship and love his kingship. Born king of the Jews. Now, born king of the Jews. You know, we have trouble grasping this because we're born in a democracy, a government where all people have a say. Get to vote, don't you? All people have a say, and I'm thankful for that, aren't you? I would hate to have some kind of despot that could just exterminate us if that was his will. But that's what a king is. is one whose will is done. The king is the one who reigns. They only, nobody else had to say, they only said what would take place. If you prospered, if you were brought into poverty, it was up to him. If you lived or if you died, it was up to him. The king was the one who has absolute control, answers to none but himself, and his will must be done. Nothing's up for vote. He is king.

Now here's one I love having king, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is king of kings and he is Lord of lords. He is born king of the Jews. Let me read you a passage from Daniel in chapter four, verse 34. And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my knives into heaven Now we're gonna understand in this scripture something about what kingship is. And mine understanding returned into me and I blessed the most high and I praised and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion, whose rule, whose kingship is an everlasting dominion. And his kingdom is from generation to generation. It's an eternal kingdom. and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he, here's our king, he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand, none can stop him from doing his will or say, give an account of yourself. He maketh no account of his matters. What he does is right. He really is king. the one whose will is always done.

You know, people are not afraid of an infant in a nativity scene, are they? Sweet little Jesus, meek and mild. Nobody's intimidated by this infant. That's what Christmas is generally based upon, this infant that no one is intimidated by. But Herod was. And all Jerusalem was. Look in verse three. When Herod the king had heard, what did he hear? He heard of him that is born king of the Jews. When he heard these things, he was troubled. And all of Jerusalem, This was a troubling thing to him. He that's born king, they knew what a king was. Herod was so troubled as was prophesied by Jeremiah, Herod had murdered every boy under two years old in that area. Can you imagine how horrific that was? all these two year old children, he was wanting to make sure that this king would not be born because he knew if he that's born king of the Jews, my kingship's over, I'm out of business. So he decided to murder every young boy, two years old and under. You know, even then the universal hiss of all mankind is we will not have this man reign over us. And that was what Herod was saying. We don't want him reigning and ruling. Now, while he was in fact born king, he had a birthday and he was born king. He was the king eternal before he was born. King of kings. Lord of lords. The blessed and only potentate. He was born king. He's always been king and that doesn't really state it right because it's impossible for us to grasp eternity. But he never began to be king. He is the eternal King.

And my dear friend, you and I are now, always were, and always will be in His hand. And your and my eternal destiny is determined by Him. That's the extent of His kingship. Our eternal destiny is determined by him, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And I think it's so interesting that Caesar Augustus, you can read about this in Luke. Caesar, the most powerful man alive. And I love thinking this, the most powerful man alive has no power. God has all power. And Caesar is God's pawn doing God's will. He didn't know it. but he taxed the world. He wanted to make sure more money was brought into the Roman coffers, he taxed the world. Wherever you were born, you'd have to go back there and pay your taxes. Well, it just so happens that Joseph was born in Bethlehem and he lived in Nazareth, but with his pregnant wife, Mary, he had to get to Bethlehem to pay his taxes.

You see, Caesar's heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth it whither so ever he will. And Caesar doesn't know it, but he's God's pawn doing God's will, doing what God purposed him to do. Now he did what he wanted to do. It's not like he was acting against his will. He did exactly what he wanted to do. He thought he would become rich from it. and that Rome would be more secure. But the only reason for his existence was for him to make this decree for the Lord Jesus Christ to be born in Bethlehem.

Remember, God created the universe for this. I love thinking about that. God created the universe for this. The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the doing of the Lord Jesus Christ, the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. And for 30 years, he who was born king lived in obscurity in the town of Nazareth with brothers and sisters who didn't know he was king. They didn't know he was God. They didn't know he was God manifest in the flesh. They didn't have a clue. For 30 years, he lived in obscurity, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, working out a perfect righteousness before the holy law of God.

In John chapter one, at the commencement of his public ministry, we have John's announcement of his coming. Behold, the Lamb of God. If I receive, I'll see him as God's Lamb, which taketh away the sins of the world. And at that time, the Lord started calling his disciples. You can read about this in John chapter one.

I love this section where Philip found his brother Nathanael. And he said, we've found him that was the one who Moses wrote of, that great prophet. No, you didn't find him, he found you, but you thought you found him. And Nathanael heard that and he said, can any good thing come out of Nazareth? You're gonna tell me that God's prophet came out of Nazareth? The one Moses wrote of? I don't believe that. Come and see. And so he brings Nathanael to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the Lord Jesus Christ says, behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. Nathanael said, whence knowest thou me? Before you saw me when you were sitting under the fig tree, I saw you. He sees you too. Behold, Nathanael replied, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. That's what every believer knows. He's the Son of God. He's the King of Israel.

After one of his miracles, you can read about this in John chapter six, he fed 5,000 people miraculously, well, 5,000 men, not including women and children, Five biscuits and two sardines. Probably 20,000 people he fed. And when it was over, they had 12 baskets left over. And some fellas thought, free food, a welfare state. We won't have to work. Let's make this man king. Let's put him in control. And the scripture says they tried to force him to be king.

You know what he did? He left. You see, he's not king because men force him to be king. He's not king by popular vote. He's king, God's king. Yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion. He left that bunch because he's not gonna have anything to do with people thinking they have any control of him at all. He's king. He's king of kings. He's Lord of lords. So he left them. He'll have no part. of an elected kingship by the vote of man.

The eternal king was born king when he entered Jerusalem to do what he came to do. Now he lived this 30 years in obscurity. Then he had three years of public ministry. Now he's entering Jerusalem to do what he came to do. He came to die. Every other religious figure came to live and to show you how to live. He came to die and to show you how to die. That was his purpose in coming.

Turn with me to Matthew 21. Now when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, the place where he would soon be crucified, in less than a week, And we'll come to Bethage in the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus, two disciples saying unto them, go into the village over against you and straightway you shall find an ass tied and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them unto me. And if any man say aught unto you, you shall say, the Lord hath need of them. And straightway he'll send them. And this was done, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Zion, behold, thy king cometh to thee, meek, and setting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt, and put them on their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before them and that followed cried, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, who is this? And the multitude said, this is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

Now, right before he was arrested, just a few days, he demonstrated his kingship. I love it when they came to arrest him. A great multitude with swords and staves. Some say between 500 and a thousand people. And he said, whom seek ye? Jesus of Nazareth. I am an irresistible force. Knock them backwards. And he's letting them know at that time, I'm king. I'm not victim. I'm king. You are doing my will. You're in my hands. Don't think I'm a victim. Don't think you have any power over me. I think of When he said to Pilate, don't you know that I have power to release you and I have power to crucify you? Thou couldst have no power at all over me, except it were given thee from above.

He is the king, the king of kings and the Lord of lords. Now, when he was arrested, like I said, he let him know I'm king, but what was his accusation against him? Why did they arrest him? Was it for his good works? Was it for his miracles? Was it because he healed the sick and raised the dead? No. What was the accusation written over his head? Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Pilate asked him, are you the king of the Jews? He said, my kingdom is not of this world. So you're a king then. To this end was I born. King of kings. Lord of lords.

Pilate delivers him to the Roman soldiers and what do they do? Well, they gave him a scepter. It's a reed. And they placed a crown of thorns and pressed it upon his head and put a kingly purple robe around him and bowed down and mocked him. Hail, King of the Jews. They had no idea that they were being inspired by the Spirit of God to say that for this is who he is, the King of the Jews. But they were mocking him. They took the reed and smote him in the face. They pulled out his beard. You couldn't even recognize he was a man at this time. He had been beaten so horribly. And he's brought back after that to Pilate

And Pilate brings him out before the people, and he says, behold, your king. We have no king but Caesar. Turn to John 19. Verse 16, then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away. And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. Evidently there were skulls and bones. People were, this is where they crucified people. And they just throw their bodies without a proper burial quite often. where they crucified him and two other with him on either side, one and Jesus in the midst, and Pilate wrote a title. Matthew calls it an accusation. And you know, Pilate hated the Jews. And I think he was trying to do this to dig into them. Here's your king. Here's your king. He wrote a title. And put it on the cross, and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews.

This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was night of the city and it was written in Hebrew, the language of the religious, Greek, the common man, Latin, the language of the educated, and they all had the same message. Jesus of Nazareth, the King. Of the Jews, then said the chief priest of the Jews to Pilate, write not the king of the Jews, but then he said, I'm the king of the Jews. Pilate answered, what I have written, I have written. He is eternally king of kings, king of the Jews.

We get a glimpse of this. When we hear the words of the thief on the cross, when he's hanging there nailed to the tree and the thief looks at him, he knows who he is. He knows he's God. He knows he never sinned. He knows he's getting exactly what he deserves. And he says, Lord, I'm sure people snickered when he said that. He called him Lord. He's hanging on a cross. And they call him Lord. He called him the right name. Lord, remember me when you come into your what? Kingdom. As a mighty reigning king. He knew he wouldn't stay dead because of who he is. Remember me. That's the only hope I have. is that you will remember me when you come into your mighty kingdom.

And as a king, he hangs on the cross still with the crown of thorns pressed upon his head. And I love the way the earth is darkened. No light. I bet everybody was, what is this? No, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The Lord darkened the earth for that three hour period. I know one of the reasons. It's to let us know that me and you can't really comprehend what was going on. This was him and his father, and he was bearing the sins of his people, satisfying his father. We worship, we believe, but we can't really grasp all that that means, that he was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. We just bow.

Darkness covered the earth, and at the end of that time, We hear the shout of the king. He cried with a loud voice, it is finished. And he bowed his head and did what only God can do. He said, if you have permission now, you can come and take me. And the mighty king bowed his head and died.

That is so mysterious to me that Jesus Christ could die in the first place. He's the God man. He did though. The sins of his people became his sins. That's why he died. He died under the wrath of God. He didn't die as an innocent victim. He died as the guilty, bearing the sins of his people and put them away. And he died as a king.

You know, he was given a king's barrel, a rich man's barrel. The father was to make sure his son was buried right. And he was put in a rich man's grave, exactly as the scripture said, great care. I'm sure Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea used when they took his dead body down from the cross and wrapped it for a rich man's funeral.

Question. When he was dead, did he stop being king? He really was dead. Graveyard dead. When he was dead, did he stop being king? Remember, the king is the one whose will is done. Listen to this scripture from John chapter 10, verses 17 and 18. I lay down my life that I might take it again. You hear that? I lay down my life. I'm the one doing this, willingly. And I'm the one who takes it up again. No man takes my life from me. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my father.

Listen, when he was dead, he didn't start being king. He raised himself from the dead. As king of kings, When he opened his eyes in the darkness of that tomb, it was because he willed it to take place as the king. As Peter said on the day of Pentecost, it was not possible that he should be holding of death. He ascended back to heaven as a king, as was prophesied in Psalm 24, the Ascension Psalm.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and lift them up, ye everlasting doors. and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, mighty in battle. He is the King of glory. And when he ascended in to heaven as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, what did he do? He sat down. Hebrews 1.3, when he had by himself, oh, don't miss that, glory in that. When he had by himself, no help from you, no contribution from you, when he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high, having finished his work. It's finished.

You know, when we read in Numbers 24, the shout of a king is among them, this is the shout. It is finished. He said, Al, what you doing right now? Ruling and reigning, as he's always done, making intercession for his people. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea, rather that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for them.

In Acts chapter 17, when Paul was preaching, there was a riot that took place. And they said with regard to what he preached, what they heard and what they concluded when they heard Paul preach. These do contrary to the decrees of seeing Caesar saying there's another king, one Jesus. He's Caesar's king. No, Caesar's not king. He is king of kings and Lord of lords. And when he comes back, turn with me to Matthew 25, He's gonna come back as a mighty reigning king.

Verse 31. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, Matthew 25, 31. I love to think of this future event that is certain. When the Son of Man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another. As a shepherd divided the sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father. inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Now, until that time comes, according to Revelation 19, he's got a name written on his forehead and on his thigh. You know what it is? King of kings and Lord of lords. Where is he that was born King of the Jews. He's seated at the right hand of the Father right now. And there's only one thing for me and you to do with the King. Sue for mercy. He delights in mercy. You see, the King is the Savior. He saves by His grace. And everybody in this room, I pray that even now, you will call upon the King to save you. The only way you'll be saved is if He saves you. The King.

Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the king, thy king, that you set upon your holy hill of Zion. Lord, we ask in the king's name that by him we will be saved. Lord, if you don't save us, we won't be saved. If you don't give us ears to hear, eyes to see, hearts to receive, we'll go on in apathy and indifference having no regard for the king. Lord, deliver us from that. Save us, reveal yourself to us. We thank you for him that was born king of the Jews. Lord, I ask in every, I ask in your name that everybody in this room might be true Jews of whom he is our king. In his name we pray, amen.