CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

November 30, 2008

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PRAY FOR THE FOLLOWING:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Larry Ross Sr (9^th), David Stehlik Jr (17^th), Peggy Ross (19^th), Gary Landrum (19^th), Mel Oller (29^th)

“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

Last year, one Christmas song that caught my attention was song by “Point of Grace” and called One King (1). While it is based on tradition more than scripture, the tune is catchy and it brings some thoughts to mind.

“Kings of the earth on a course unknown/Bearing gifts from afar

Hoping, praying/Following yonder star.

Silhouette of a caravan/painted against the sky

Wisemen searching for the Holy Child.

A star hangs over Bethlehem/A journey ends in the night

Three kings trembling/Behold the glorious sight.

Heaven’s treasure Emmanuel/Drawing men to bow down

Tiny baby Born to wear a crown..

One king held the frankincense/One king held the myrrh

One king held the purest gold

One king held the hope of the world.

The song relates the visit of the wise men or Magi in Matthew two, but there is much more to the story as presented by Matthew. As we read the text we find that these visitors from the east had been following a star. We know nothing of who these people were or how many of them were involved in this journey. As they approached Jerusalem, one could imagine the excitement of these people riding into town to visit the new born King of the Jews (2). What they thought would be an exciting end to a long journey ended up being a shock to all. When they began to inquire about the new King, no one knew anything. Finally being brought to Herod the Great, he had to bring in the Bible scholars to discover where the King would be born. What happened after their visit we do not often talk about during the holiday season. But before we look at that, we must go back in time.

In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites came to Samuel and requested a king like the nations around them. They had been through a period of judges, of defeat, occupation and rescue, and they were tired. In their thinking, having a king over the nation would save them from these enemies. God however saw it differently. “And the Lord told him: ‘Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king’” (vs. 7). God has always been King (Psalm 29:10) but He has been rejected by humanity from that recognition since the fall. Too many want the power for themselves. Israel was to be a light to the world but would fail when they rejected God more and more.

When those wise men came from the east, they did not realize the political situation, and even though they might have had some familiarity with the Old Testament, there were some things that were not understood. since the Babylonian captivity, c. 600; one of which was that there had been no king on Israel’s throne. The throne in Israel was connected with God in a number of texts. “So Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of his father David” (1 Chronicles 29:21). Herod the Great was not a Jew and therefore not the true king of Israel. The wise men found the baby Jesus, by this time probably around six months old, and presented their gifts. The idea that they were kings comes from tradition and the popular song but that is not what is indicated in scripture (3).

After they were warned in a dream and left by another route, Herod sent his troops to Bethlehem to kill all babies under two. Bethlehem was a small village and most think that the number of children murdered was under twenty. It is not something that we like to hear when we sing about Christmas joy and cheer. Herod was near the end of his life and would die a short time after this. He was a self-centered man who thought nothing of eliminating opponents, and during his reign he had two wives, several sons, and a number of other people murdered to protect himself. One Roman general said that he would rather be Herod’s pig than his son. When the announcement of the new born king came, Herod saw a rival. Most kings, dictators, and politicians have this view and would rather keep religion out of politics.

When Jesus came preaching, He announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. Contrary to popular church of Christ teaching, this announcement meant that the rule of God was breaking in to the world. This would excite the Jewish people because of their expectation of the coming Messiah. But this rule would be different from that of the world and would challenge the religious and political authorities. When Jesus was before Pilate, they had a discussion about the truth. When Pilate was told that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews, this frightened Pilate. Jesus informed him that His kingdom rule would not be like Rome’s; if it were His disciples would be fighting. Then Jesus told Pilate that His kingdom was from another place (4).

From the resurrection to the ascension, the proclamation is that Jesus is King. That was Peter’s message in Acts 2 when he referred to David, and to Jesus as King. Later, Paul would make a similar argument in Acts 13, showing that David’s throne has been reoccupied by God. The ascension completes the arc that began with Jesus’ birth (Philippians 2:5-11). He came into this world as a human, obeyed, died, and was raised by the power of God, and that one day all would bow down in recognition that Jesus is Lord (5). That was the beginning and God’s rule would spread throughout the Roman world and now into all parts of God’s creation.

Paul proclaimed the risen Jesus with words familiar to Greeks and Romans. Jesus is Lord, the Savior who rescues us from sin, reconciles us to God, and redeems us to a new life. Roman citizens were familiar with the words that were applied to Rome. This new application became a challenge to the political authorities who did not understand and eventually saw Christianity as a threat rather than something beneficial for the Empire. Pliny the Younger wrote to Emperor Trajan about killing Christians stating that they were upstanding citizens, took care of the poor, were honorable even though their worship was somewhat strange, especially in stating that a man named Jesus was crucified, died, and was raised from the dead. But Trajan saw them as a threat. For the next two centuries, on and off persecution would continue until Christianity was recognized as the state religion.

Today, leaders in all parts of the world see Christianity as a threat. Lenin and Stalin sought to eliminate God from society, but they and their political system died and the churches reopened. The communist in China are struggling to deal with both the official and unofficial or house churches in China and the spread of the gospel. Even in this country, many politicians would prefer that Christians stay out of politics. The recognition that Jesus is Lord is a threat to their control and power, just as it was by Herod when the wise men came. Michael Medved expresses it this way: “The adulation and embrace of government will undermine devotion to God, just as subservience and love for God will dilute the authority of government. That’s why totalitarian systems of every sort distrust and suppress authentic religious faith” (6).

One king held the hope of the world is as true today as it was two thousand years ago. We can be upright, honest, and loyal citizens but our citizenship is in heaven, that is the heavenly realms where Jesus now is and where is rule continues to break in to our realm through the spread of the gospel.

George B. Mearns

(1) Point of Grace, One King, A Christmas Story, 1999.

(2) The movie, The Nativity Story, attempts to present the wise men and their visit, and while it is written more as a historical novel at this point, it is worth watching this aspect as well as the rest of the movie.

(3) The song is We Three Kings and while we do not know the number, the theology in my mind is very powerful, focusing on the reason Jesus came.

(4) see John 18:28-39.

(5) We do not spend much time on the ascension of Jesus yet the New Testament speaks to it more than we think. Lord willing, we will take a look at the ascension sometime next year. Meanwhile, you can read more on it by Wade Hodges, Hail to the King!, www.wineskins.org, July-Oct. 2008. See also N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope, Harper One, 2008.

(6) Michael Medved, Democrats Make False Promises of Spiritual Repair, http://townhall.com