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We three kings of orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.
Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, Gold I bring to crown him again
King forever, ceasing never Over us all to reign.
Oh, star of wonder, star of night, Star with royal beauty bright.
Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide with thy perfect light.
Messiah Season
Welcome to the 2nd week of Messiah Season.
Last week we challenged you to do more than just keep the WORD Christ in Christmas. We are challenging you to make Messiah the focus of this season.
Instead of focusing on the materialism, jealousy, and greed of the season we are going to focus on Messiah. We are renaming the season Messiah Season. Feel free to use the term if you want.
We aren’t just remembering Messiah came, but we are challenging ourselves to live out Messiah.
The Bible contains over 300 messianic prophecies and every one of them was faithfully kept. So we too should live out faithfulness.
Messiah is all about Giving. We will make this season about what Messiah has done and given… and in return we will try to be doers and givers as well.
I am proud of you Redemption for embracing this season of Messiah. Last week we told you about giving gifts for children’s hospital, and you stepped up in a big way.
3 Gifts
3 Gifts came to the Messiah by way of the Magi. Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh.
Have you ever shopped for a newborn baby? Nowadays we have fancy gift registries for baby showers. The gifts of Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh don’t usually show up at baby showers. Maybe diapers, clothes, pacifiers…
The gifts of Gold, Frankincense, & Myrrh were strange gifts. There was nothing normal about these gifts. These gifts reflect the 3 fold promise of Messiah.
When we
look at the over 300 prophecies about Messiah we see 3 specific
promises.
1 Conquering King
2 Suffering Servant
3
God with us.
The 3 fold promise of Messiah is revealed in these Gifts of the Magi.
(Matthew 2:11) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
A gift of Gold
Gold was and still is the currency of kings. The Magi’s gift was a recognition of royalty.
The Magi were not believers in the God of Israel, yet they saw something in Jesus that others did not.
He was born in a manger, but they saw a King.
He was born into a lower-class working family, but they saw a King.
He was born into a scandalous situation where the mother became pregnant before she was married and claimed it was a virgin birth, but they looked past the gossip talk and saw a King.
When you see Jesus Messiah, do you see a King?
Messiah is a Conquering King
The prophet Daniel saw a prophetic vision of the Messiah.
(Daniel 7:13-14) “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven.He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
There is much prophecy that describes Messiah as a conquering King. The prophecies center on Messiah being a rightful heir to the throne of Israel, and that as King He would defeat our enemies & reign in authority & power for eternity.
A King should have Lineage
There is a lot of prophecy about the lineage of Messiah.
God told Abraham that through His offspring all nations would be blessed.
(Genesis 22:18) through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed
This prophecy is ultimately fulfilled in Messiah.
Jacob who is renamed Israel by God receives a messianic prophecy…
(Numbers 24:17) A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.
This prophecy is interesting. It likely refers to the Star that lead the Magi to our Messiah. It also ties into the Prophecy in Psalm 2:9 that says Messiah will rule with a iron scepter. This prophecy, Numbers 24:17, tells us Messiah will be from the Nation of Israel.
Israel/Jacob has 12 sons who form the 12 tribes of Israel and it is prophesied that Messiah will come from a specific tribe. Messiah will come from the tribe of Judah.
(Genesis 49:10) The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet/children, until he to whom it belongs[d] shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
There is another reference to the Scepter, symbolic of Kingly authority. That scepter won’t depart from Judah’s lineage, until HE TO WHOM IT BELONGS SHALL COME. From the beginning, that scepter belongs to Messiah the conquering King. Messiah will be from the Nation of Israel and from the Tribe of Judah.
All the power and the glory belong to you King Jesus. The scepter is yours!
If it isn’t enough to prophecy the Nation and tribe of the Messiah… The Bible Prophecies the city of Messiah’s Birth.
Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
Prophecy declares the Nation & Tribe, but also the city of the Messiah’s birth!
These are geographical constrictions to Messiah. But what about Messiah’s right to the throne of Israel?
A King should have Lineage
Messiah would need to be in the lineage of a king of Israel.
2 Samuel 7:12-16 Is a prophetic promise to King David… That God would raise up David’s offspring. This offspring build God’s Temple and God will establish this offspring’s throne forever.
This is a dual prophecy… It is fulfilled by Solomon, David’s son who builds the temple (2 Chron 6)
But it is truly fulfilled in Messiah. Messiah (in the future) will build God’s temple and it will never be destroyed, unlike Solomon’s temple. Solomon’s reign has ended but it is prophesied that Messiah’s reign will have no end.
Isaiah 9:6-7 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. 7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
Messiah will be the child born, and son given, that will reign upon David’s throne forever. The greatness of Messiah’s government will have no end.
The hope of everyone is Messiah. He will reign with justice, righteousness, and peace.
Messiah is a Conquering King
Jesus fulfills the Prophecy of a conquering King
Matthew spends the first 2 chapters of his gospel account pointing out how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Messiah.
Mathhew 1:1 gives us the genealogy, family line, of Jesus.
Matthew 1 clearly tells us Jesus was born of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse and David. This fulfills 6 separate messianic prophecies! We don’t have time to read each scripture instead we will post the scriptures on the screen and in our sermon notes on redemptionplano.com
Prophetic Lineage
In Luke 1:31-33 an Angel tell Mary than her son Jesus will be the conquering king who will take the throne of David, He will reign over Israel’s descendants and His Kingdom has no end.
Jesus is the conquering king. He is Messiah. Every Messianic promise and prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus. Not some… ALL!
Jesus is King
Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Conquering King that Daniel prophesied would come. SO WHAT HAS HE CONQUERED?
Jesus has conquered death, Hell, and the grave.
Jesus conquered demons. His very name causes them to flee.
Jesus conquered sickness, blindness, deafness, physical disabilities, disease…
Jesus conquered fear, hatred, prejudice, racism…
He conquered greed and hypocrisy…
Jesus conquers the enemy… He conquers the enemy in the most amazing way… He converts them, He redeems them, He saves them. We were His enemies but He has conquered us in the most amazing way. He doesn’t destroy us He restores us.
With Him as our King we too will conquer death & sin. In Revelation it says He will invite us to sit on His throne with Him and rule with Him. What a great King!
Do you see Him as your King.
The Magi did. The Pharisees didn’t.
The shepherds did. “King” Herod didn’t.
On the cross, Jesus was hung by two thieves. One thief recognized Jesus as king and said “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” The other thief did not see Jesus as king.
Do you see Him as King?
The Magi came to see this King. They likely traveled about 900 miles to see Him.
(Matthew 2:11) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Your worship is spiritual.
They worshipped this Jesus child. As they worshipped they opened their treasures.
As you worship, your treasures open up.
When you worship Jesus you proclaim him as king.
When you worship Jesus, the room you are standing in becomes a throne room. Your worship enthrones Jesus.
And when He is on the throne your treasure should open up before him. Your treasure opening up are a part of your worship. This worship declares the worth of the King.
Because they saw Him as their king, they gave the gift of Gold… it declared Jesus a worthy king.
Gold is worth $1400+ an Ounce
9 oz of gold equals $12,600 (Does this give you pause? Is King Jesus worth such an amount?)
Do you really believe Jesus is the Messiah?
Do you really believe Jesus is King?
Do you really believe Jesus is worthy of extravagant worship & giving?
I want us to make this place a throne room today. I want us to worship Jesus as King.
As you worship your treasures will open up… God may put it on your heart to open your wallet and give to the Lord… to give to the needs of others.
As we worship, if you have a need I want you to come into the first 2 feet of this stage and lift your hands. I believe that Jesus the conquering king will answer you today.