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WEEKLY
Volume 2 Number 31
30 December 2007
Jesus Christ Was Born King
(Message
delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, Dec
23, 07)
Text:
Matt
2:1-12
When I share the Gospel of our Saviour
Jesus Christ to a Buddhist, he or she usually thinks that Jesus is a
prophet born much later than Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama), an Indian
prince, who was born in about 563 BC. I have to explain that Jesus’
Birth is supernatural. First, He is God, the Creator, who said,
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am” (John
8:58). He is ever present from eternity to eternity. Before Abraham was
born in about 2000 BC (long before Buddha was), Jesus is! Buddha was a
human being, but Jesus is God, who humbled Himself and became Man to
save sinners. Next, Buddha was an Indian prince, born of his parents,
King Suddhodana and Queen Maha Maya; and his wife was Yasodharā and his
son, Rahula. However, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy
Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; therefore, Jesus is a perfect God/Man
without the sinful human nature inherited from Adam and Eve. Buddha,
seeing all the sufferings of human beings, left his wife and son at the
age of 29 to find the meaning of life, while Jesus is the true Source of
Life and Light, who has come to give life with its full meaning, saying,
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it
more abundantly” (John 10:10). Finally, Buddha died at his old age
of 80 (483 BC) and was cremated, while Jesus was crucified by the wicked
men at the age of 33, died for sinners, was buried, rose again from the
dead with an empty tomb, and is now ever living to save those who put
their trust in Him. Then, Christmas is an opportunity for mankind
including you and me to celebrate Jesus’ Birth and His sacrifice for the
salvation of mankind, and then to come and worship Him as our King of
kings.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
Jesus was born by the Virgin Mary (Isa
7:14) in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2) “in the days of Herod the
king” (Matt 2:1), and this is Herod the Great, who passed away in 4
BC. Luke recorded that Joseph and Mary had to go up to Bethlehem to
register their names in their hometown (2:1-5) according to Caesar
Augustus’ decree and Cyrenius’ census, which occurred in 5 BC. Then
Jesus was not born in AD 1, how can we explain this incident? Dr
Jeffrey Khoo has a good observation, “Christ was born in 5 BC, and not
AD 1. How did this discrepancy come about? This discrepancy was due to
Dionysius’ (a Scythian monk) miscalculation when he prepared a standard
calendar for the Western Church. In Dionysius’ calendar, Jan 1, 754 AUC
(Anno Urbis Conditae, ie, “from the foundation of the city of
Rome”) became AD 1. This became a problem because later research showed
that Herod the Great (cf Matt 2:1) died in 750 AUC, ie, 4 BC. How could
Jesus be born in a time when Herod was already dead? This contradicts
the historical records of Scripture which tell us that Jesus was born
when Herod was still alive. Thus, Jesus could not have been born in AD 1
(so Dionysius), but sometime before Herod’s death (ie, 4 BC) according
to the Scriptures. Now, exactly when was Jesus born? Jesus must have
been born within 2 years prior to Herod’s death. This we gather from
Matt 2:7 which tells us that after Herod had ascertained the time of
star’s appearance, he commanded the execution of all the baby boys under
2 years old (Matt 2:16). Thus Jesus must have been born sometime between
6-4 BC. We know that John the Baptist was conceived in the womb of
Elizabeth 6 months before Mary became pregnant with Jesus (Luke 1:36).
The difference in age between John and Jesus was only 6 months. Luke 3:1
tells us that John began his ministry in the 15th year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius became ruler in AD 11. The 15th
year would bring us to AD 26 as the inaugural year of John’s baptismal
ministry when he reached the age of 30. In keeping with Luke 3:23, Jesus
would also be about 30 years old that year since he was only 6 months
younger than John. This would thus make 5 BC the year of Christ’s birth
(note: there is no BC or AD 0).”
Jesus Was Born King
The truth that Jesus is King has been
recorded in the Old Testament: “The sceptre shall not depart from
Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come” (Gen
49:10), and “there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre
shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17), “Thy throne, O God, is for
ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou
lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God,
hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Ps
45:6-7; cf. Heb 1:8-9), and “For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his
name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his
government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David,
and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and
with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of
hosts will perform this” (Isa 9:6-7), and “And in the days of
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never
be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it
shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
for ever” (Dan 2:44), and “Know therefore and understand, that
from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build
Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and
threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall,
even in troublous times” (Dan 9:25), and “But thou, Bethlehem
Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of
thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose
goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2;
cf. Matt 2:6), and “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O
daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just,
and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the
foal of an ass” (Zech 9:9; cf. Matt 21:5), and so forth.
Then, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary
and announced that Jesus would be King to fulfill all the OT prophecies,
“And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne
of his father David” (Luke 1:31-32).
Jesus Christ was born King, not only to be
the King of the Jews but also the King of kings, the King of all
nations, the King of the whole universe, and His Kingdom is everlasting
(Eph 1:20-22; Phil 2:9-11; 1 Tim 6:15; Heb 1:8; 1 Peter 3:22; Rev 11:15;
17:14). Though He died for sinners, He rose again and ascended to
heaven, and God has exalted Him “with his right hand to be a Prince
and a Saviour” (Acts 5:31). As “all power” is given unto Him
in heaven and in earth (Matt 28:18), and He is still on the throne and
sovereignly controls all the events of the
world as well as all the minute details in the lives of His children,
and able to make “all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom
8:28). Praise the Lord! May the Lord help you and me see the Divine
Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ so that we will also exalt Him to be
King of our lives with our trust and submission.
Come to Worship the King
A Humble Heart of Faith at All Cost:
“there came the 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” (Matt 2:1-2). Magi is the name for
priests and wise men among the Medes, Persians and Babylonians. These
wise men (magoi) from the east (from Persia or Arabia) must have
been familiar with the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messianic
King and very good at astronomy. They believed in what God’s Word said
in the Scripture and had a humble heart to seek the Messianic King to
worship Him, so God supernaturally used a bright star to lead them to
find the King. They did not sit and stand in their place when they saw
“His star.” True faith leads to proper actions. It took them a lot of
time, efforts, courage, zeal and faith to travel long distance on
animals (like camels) at night to see the star despite all dangers and
discomforts on the way. Thinking that they might get some help from the
leaders in Jerusalem, they stopped by Jerusalem for enquiries. Their
presence (a big group) and their enquiries made King Herod “troubled
and all Jerusalem with him” (v 3). Herod “gathered all the chief
priests and scribes…to demand of them where Christ should be born.”
These religious leaders and scholars might quote the Scripture and give
the answer, but they did not have a heart to seek the Messianic King to
worship Him despite the faith of the wise men! That means they did not
believe what these wise men said nor care for their seeking of the
Messianic King! Therefore, they did not know that their Messianic King
had been born among them! Nowadays, many professing Christians just
attend any church merely to fulfill their religious duty and ease their
conscience regardless of whether the worship of that church is biblical
and fundamental or not! Many a “Christian” may quote the Scripture and
tell the signs of the second coming of Christ, but does not believe in
God’s Word nor have a watchful heart looking forward to His coming, and
the Lord “shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an
hour that he is not aware of” (Matt 24:50)! How about you and me? Do
we believe in God’s Word with a humble heart of trust and obedience,
coming to worship our King of kings at any cost?
Trust in and Submission to God’s
Guidance: When the wise men
left Jerusalem, and “the star, which they saw in the east, went
before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When
they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (vv
9-10). Later, when “being warned of God in a dream,” they obeyed
God and went back to their own country in another way, not fearing
Herod. Nowadays, we do not need to look at a star or a supernatural
phenomenon or to hear the instructions from an angel in a dream. God
does lead His children by the Holy Spirit, “For as many as are led by
the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom 8:14), by His
Word, the Holy Scripture, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a
light unto my path” (Ps 119:105), or through His providence and
sovereignty (Rom 8:28). God may close one door and open another door to
lead us (Acts 16:7; Acts 14:27; 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Rev 3:8). May
the Lord help us trust in and submit to Him and His Word and His
guidance no matter what men may say so that we may have peace and joy in
Him, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them,
and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger
will they not follow, but will flee from him” (John 10:4-5). Shall
we listen to His voice alone?
Worship of the King:
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they
had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh” (v 11). This verse shows us that the Lord
Jesus was not a baby lying in a manger in a stable any more (Luke 2:7,
16) but a “young child” in a house. The wise men saw the young
child and humbly “fell down, and worship him…and presented unto him
gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” The proper worship or
service is to offer not only our bodies “a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1) in
obedience to the Lord and His Word but also all the best we have from a
thankful and cheerful heart. The wise men did not know that their gifts
were so needful to the poor Joseph, Mary and Jesus for their escape to
Egypt from the wicked king Herod!
Conclusion
Dear friends, Jesus Christ humbled Himself
and was born King to save mankind, but many, like the wicked king Herod,
only want to be king themselves, doing whatever they like, want, and
plan regardless of anyone else, even the King Jesus Christ. God has
exalted Jesus Christ to be King and Saviour whether men believe or
accept Him or not. Many do not care, many others reject Him or blaspheme
against Him, and many others want to destroy Christianity and God’s
Word. However, Jesus Christ will come back again soon as King of kings,
and those who do not exalt Jesus Christ to be King of their lives, they
shall hear His sentence, “But those mine enemies, which would not
that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me”
(Luke 19:27). How about you and me? Shall we not be wise to come, exalt,
and worship our King Jesus Christ now with our thankful, trustful and
submissive hearts, offering ourselves and all we have to Him as a living
and holy sacrifice while looking forward to His return?
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