Jesus said you shall know the truth and the truth shall do
what set you free. Amen.
May freedom be known today as we come to the truth of God's Word.
Meet me in Mark chapter 15. We're going to be looking at the
1st 5 verses only. But I'm sure you're aware that
this is not the only place where we will be today in the Bible.
Keep your Bibles closed. Keep your Bibles open.
We have many things to touch on today because I want God's Word
to speak always, especially on this matter, because my goal
with this message is to address a single question, just one,
since it is based on the central theme of this passage, I'm going
to read it. Maybe you'll see it and.
Then we'll reflect together. Mark 15 beginning in verse one
and as soon as it was morning. The chief priest held a
consultation with the elders and the scribes and the whole
council, and they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered
them over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Are you
the king of the Jews? And he answered them, You have
said so. And the chief priest accused him
of many things, and Pilate again asked him, Have you no answer to
make? See how many charges they bring
against you. But Jesus made no further
answer, so that Pilate was amazed.
Up to now the title, the reference King of the Jews has
not appeared in the Gospel of Mark.
We find it here appearing for the first time and it is
actually repeated a total of 6 times in the entirety of the
wider section of this text. We saw it in verse 2, Pilot
asking Jesus, are you the King of the Jews?
Now Scroll down to verse 9. And he answered them, saying, do
you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?
Verse 12 And Pilot again said to them, Then, What shall I do with
the man you call the king of the Jews?
Verse 18 And they began to salute him, Hail King of the
Jews. Verse 26, An inscription of the
charge against them, Read The King of the Jews, and verse 32
counts. If king of Israel is synonymous
with King of the Jews, which it is, look at it with me.
Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the
cross, that we may see and believe.
Those who are crucified with Him also reviled him.
There is no doubt in our minds that the Holy Spirit seeks to
emphasize this theme as a relates to the person of Jesus.
Christ. So with this observation in
mind, the question we will seek to answer is this is Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, the King of the Jews?
That the sum the answer is obvious and to others the
question in itself doesn't seem to be worthy of a full
discussion. However, my aim today is to
demonstrate that this discussion is extremely significant, and
examining the answer will reveal its importance.
This is the question that Pilate asked Jesus after the Sanhedrin
brought him. The morning after the Lord stood
before the Jewish courts, and according to both the Scriptures
and secular historical sources, Pontius Pilate was the Roman
governor assigned to manage the Judean province, and he did so
for 10 years, from 8026 to 36. His main responsibility was to
maintain law and order, and it's very likely that Pontius Pilate
was in Jerusalem at this time so that he can supervise the events
during the Passover celebration. And you might be wondering why
the religious leaders brought Jesus to Pilate.
And there are different reasons, and one of them is because they
sought to distance themselves away from Christ's death and one
of the Romans to be held responsible for his execution.
And there are many other things that we can say about Pilot.
And there are many other things that we can say about the Jewish
leader strategy. But for the sake of time, let us
think over Pilots first recorded words in this gospel, the Gospel
of Mark. What caused them to ask Jesus if
he was the king of the Jews? You don't have to guess.
Luke tells us and gives us a more detailed account of why
this was important to discuss. And Luke 23 verse 2 we read, and
Luke 23 two. Then the whole company of them
arose and brought him before Pilate, and they began to accuse
him, saying we found this man misleading our nation and
forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he
himself is Christ a king. Pause, reflect, take your time.
Here you have the Jewish Council bringing a case against the Lord
Jesus before the Roman government.
And if you pay attention, there are three specific allegations
that are being made against Christ.
The first one is that he is misleading, misguiding the
nation with his teaching. Second, that he was forbidding
the people of Israel of paying their taxes to Caesar.
Finally, he was declaring himself to be Christ.
Christ is not Jesus's last name, you know that right?
It's the Greek word for anointed 1 and in the Jewish context it
is synonymous with being a king. Now here's what's fascinating to
me. Pilate does not even entertain
the 1st 2 accusations. He goes straight for the last 1.
He asked him, are you the king of the Jews?
He's more interested in that than not paying taxes to Caesar
potentially, or him misleading the people of his time.
What was it? I wonder if Pilot was alarmed
like Herod was. You remember when the Magi came
from the east and they paraded in Jerusalem and they were
asking about he who was born to be the king of the Jews?
Was Pilot scared that his antennas go up?
Was Pilot being sarcastic as he asked this question to Jesus,
who stood before him, bloodied, bruised, battered?
Are you the King of the Jews? It could be a mixture of things,
but what's more important is determining the implications of
a positive answer. As we read, Christ was silent
with many of the accusations that came against him.
But when Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews, he was
undeniably clear. What did he say back in Mark 15
verse 2? And Pilate asked them, are you
the king of the Jews? And he answered them, you have
said so. Now some really like to massage
certain verses to mean something that it's not or to cause
confusion. And so they would say that Jesus
answer here is quite ambiguous and he he is suggesting that he
is, he is saying that he is the king of the Jews, but he's kind
of placing it on pilot as though he's saying that's what you're
saying so that he can suddenly confirm it while not
incriminating himself. Jesus is being very
straightforward here. And if you have any doubt about
that, you don't have to turn there.
But when John tells us about this interaction, Jesus is
something that most of you know, he elaborates on his answer and
he says what? My Kingdom is not of this world.
So if you say you have a Kingdom, what does that mean
about you? You're a king.
There is no confusion here. Jesus is being very clear, no
ambiguity. He is affirming that he is a
king, although the origin and the purpose of his Kingdom
differ from those of worldly governments.
But as Jesus answer merely a historical one, here's where it
gets relevant. Is this just a history study?
Does it only carry repercussions for the Jews and the Romans of
his time? Absolutely not.
Jesus being the King of the Jews is highly significant for all of
us in this room and beyond these four walls, and I want to share
why that is the case. I want you to consider 3
dimensions of this. Jesus being the King of the
Jews. Fulfilling that role satisfies
#1 past predictions #2 it carries present implications.
And lastly, it calls us to future anticipation.
Past, present, future, past predictions, present
implications, future anticipation.
Let's talk about it. You ready for Bible study?
Ready or not, here we go. Mimi in Genesis, go to chapter
49. Many centuries before Christ
entered into the world, God called a man named Abram to be
in covenant with him. Abram later named what?
Abraham. Good.
This is going to be a little bit more interactive.
Abraham and he was promised in this covenant to be a great
nation, a nation that would be blessed so that all nations
could be blessed. And Abraham, receiving this
promise, was also promised a son named Isaac, who would be the
channel to bring that promise closer to reality.
So Isaac is born, but it would not be further realized until
one of Isaac's sons named Jacob was born.
And as Jacob became a man, he himself had many children.
He had twelve sons and those 12 sons would later become the
tribes that would constitute this nation called Israel.
Israel is a name that God gave to Jacob.
The name itself has been issued and declared by God.
The significance of this is that at the end of Jacob's life, he
called his twelve sons to come near before his departure, and
he prophesized over each of them.
Some of these prophecies were uplifting and encouraging, and
some other prophecies were punitive because of how some of
these sons sinned. So Jacob, in declaring these
prophecies, not only speaks about what's going to take place
in the lives of his sons, but its main purpose, its primary
goal, is to declare what's going to take place with each of their
descendants. And so Jacob, in his old age,
begins. He prophesized over Reuben, then
he speaks to Simeon, then he proclaims something over Levi,
then he comes to the fourth in line, Judah.
And that's where we want to look.
We want to look at what God spoke through Jacob for this
particular tribe, Judah. We won't read the prophecy in
its entirety, but with me rather in verse 8 of chapter 49.
Genesis 49, Verse 8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you.
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies.
Your father's sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion's cub. You have gone up from the prey,
my son. He stooped down.
He crouched as a lion and as a lioness.
Who dares rouse him? The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, nor the ruler staff from between his feet, until
tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the
peoples. I can just imagine the shock on
the faces of those brothers when he said this.
Remember, Israel and his sons were only few in number at this
point. They are not living in the
promised land. They're living in Egypt, away
from the Promised Land. However, Judah is told something
incredible. He is told that his descendants
will have preeminence in that they will possess a ruling
position among his brothers. And that's why I'm bringing your
attention to this, because it's one of the earliest prophecies
of royalty in connection to the people of Israel.
And this idea of royalty is communicated by the imagery of a
scepter. You've probably seen a scepter.
It's an ornamented staff, and it symbolizes sovereignty.
And in practical terms, then, this prophecy means that
eventually kings were going to arise from the line of Judah.
And what was in seed form when this was prophesied sprouted
when God raised a man called David from the tribe of Judah.
And the sprouting now would blossom more and more as
succeeding kings would follow David.
And that's what you and I are studying in the book of first
and 2nd Kings on Friday. A little teaser for you to join
us Bible study on Fridays. But there's an imperative peace
to this prophecy that some some might miss.
Look at verse 10 of Genesis 49. The scepter shall not depart
from Judah, nor the ruler staff from between his feet, until
tribute comes to him, and to him shall be the obedience of the
peoples. Now if you have any other,
virtually any other word for word translation of the Bible,
it's going to read differently. And some of you are probably
seeing that in your Bibles. Most of us in here read the ESV.
The ESV renders the second part of this verse a little
differently, so this is what you might read if you have like a
King James, a new King James, or an NASB translation.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler staff
from between his feet. Until what Shiloh comes capital
S, and to him shall be the obedience of the people.
What's going on here? Well, the etymology of the
Hebrew word Shiloh is a little complicated.
There are a variety of possible meetings for that word, and one
of the meanings of it is he to whom it belongs or that which
belongs to him. And that's how the ESV renders
it. So instead of giving the name
itself, the ESV seeks to give one of the meanings of the name
and applying it here. And we can say so much more
about this word, Shiloh. But I don't want to park here
too long because regardless of what translation you have, one
thing is undeniable. This prophecy anticipates a
particular individual from the royal line of Judah.
Do you see that? Again, it says until tribute
comes to him and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Do you understand the significance of this?
So yeah, Judah can expect that there will be a royal dynasty,
but they also should be expecting a particular king, one
specific particular individual that will emerge from this royal
line. Something is leading to a
person, not just the government, not just a monarchy.
That's not the only thing in view here.
Primarily, what's in view here is a person until tribute comes
to him, and to him shall be the obedience of all the peoples.
This is confirmed by another prophecy, one that came from an
unexpected person, a Gentile. Not just a Gentile, a wicked
Gentile. You remember that after this the
nation of Israel was delivered from Egypt.
They were brought into the wilderness and they were being
guided to the Promised Land. And along that journey there was
a man named Balaam, who was hired by Bailek, the king of
Moab. Moab saw this nation marching
through the wilderness. The king was fearful, so he
hires a man to curse them. And so Balaam attempts to
pronounce a curse. And what does God do?
He turns it into a blessing. And he attempts to curse again,
and he turns into a blessing. And he does this until his final
Oracle, where he says something absolutely astounding.
Can I, can I pause here and just say something?
I'm worried that when we read verses like this, it doesn't
grip us as much because we have such accessibility to the Bible
and it's kind of digitized on our phones and so easy to just
flip open. I want you to feel how amazing
this is. We're touching ancient writings.
These are historical things that have been dictated and preserved
up until this point. We're dealing with God's Word
here. From centuries and even
thousands of years ago. And these prophecies are making
leaps throughout the timeline of history, and you're going to
realize that they're harmonious. This is a supernatural book that
we're holding today. Don't lose your awe of what
we're touching on. Balin pronounces this Oracle and
and tucked in the last Oracle is this incredible echo.
Look at Numbers 24 verse 17 with me.
Numbers 24 verse 17. I will wait for you, Balaam
says. I see him, but not now.
I behold him, but not near. Like how much more specific can
you get in that it's going to be in a distant future?
Who is he? A star shall come out of Jacob.
Oh, look at this. And a scepter shall rise out of
Israel, shall crush the forehead of Moab, and break down all the
sons of chef. Notice here that this prophecy
of a Kingdom emerging out of Israel is reinforced, but not
just that. There's an individual in view.
Him. I see him, but not now.
I behold him, but not near so. So whoever this individual is,
he is personified by two symbols of authority and prominence.
He is a * and he is a scepter that shall rise from Israel.
And in case there is any confusion of what this prophecy
is conveying, Balaam makes it undeniably clear because it's a
spirit speaking through Balaam. Look at verse 18 and 19.
Edom shall be dispossessed, Sira also his enemy shall be
dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly, and
one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the
survivors of cities. No doubt that the same Spirit
who guided Jacob to prophecy over Judah moved Balaam to
remind us and all peoples of a distinct ruler metaphorically
identified as a star and as a scepter.
And if you're confused, still he's going to have dominion.
And it will come at a future time.
And as time goes on, the Spirit of God will become even more
precise with this particular prophecy.
And as I mentioned earlier, the Lord will raise a man.
We're told that he would come from not just Israel, not just
Jacob, but from the tribe of Judah.
And at some point when Israel established a royal monarchy,
David was chosen to be the first king from the tribe of Judah.
And early in his reign, David was approached by God.
And God does something spectacular.
He makes a covenant with him, and in that covenant He makes a
more precise promise that has its roots from Genesis.
He tells David this in second Samuel 7.
And you don't have to turn there unless you are writing notes.
Second Samuel 7 verse 12 and 13. This is what God says from His
mouth to this man. When your days are fulfilled and
you lie down with your Father's, I will raise up your offspring
after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish
His Kingdom. He shall build a house for My
name, and I will establish the throne of His Kingdom.
So not only are we told that there is going to be a scepter
that comes from Judah, not only are we told that He will come
from Judah, but we are even told specifically that He will come
through the seed of David, the Lion of David, the body of
David. So again, we're progressing here
in redemptive history and we're seeing the Lord getting more and
more specific. And this section specifically
verse 14 of Second Samuel 7 is confirmed to be about Jesus.
You'll find that in Hebrews one, verse 5.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves here.
You can imagine how thrilling this was.
You can imagine how exciting this was for David and for the
people of Israel. He shows it in the same chapter.
He's so overcome by emotion that he just pours out in praise and
Thanksgiving that he would he would be found worthy to be
chosen. And his descendants to have
everlasting rule and dominion. That one of his sons will
exercise such authority. But the hope of that promise
becomes increasingly dim after David's life, because one king
after the next succeeding him will mar the Davidic dynasty
because they will fail to uphold the righteous standard that God
asked of his kings and of the nation as a whole.
And if there was one king that that did come up and bring good
to the land and bring religious reform, all it took was the
following king to reverse and just bring down all the good
that was preceding them. And so it got so bad.
That God now begins to raise up more and more prophets to tell
the people of Judah specifically, judgement is
coming. You've rebelled against me.
You refuse to repent. So here is my final act of
chastisement. You're going to be removed from
the land. I'm going to raise up a foreign
nation, and they're going to take you from this place that
I've promised you. Now you have to understand that
to the average Jew, this was unthinkable.
God gave them this land. God conquered armies and foes
and kings to give them this piece of real estate.
And now all of a sudden he's telling them you're going to be
removed. Yes, I promise it to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob, but your sin. Will cause me to vomit you out
of this place. And they dismissed it.
They called guys like Jeremiah false prophets and there are
other prophets, they were telling him.
No, no, no. Peace, peace, don't worry about
it. Such things are absurd.
They will not happen. But the promise of exile was
starting to be realized, and so there was growing fears that the
certainty of Israel's future was not so certain.
So the same prophets who pronounce judgment, exile,
destruction from time to time would be called by God to give a
message of hope and to remind the very same people who are
going to be disciplined of God's faithfulness despite their
unfaithfulness. And one of the most, as you
heard earlier, one of the most important prophets to declare
that message was Jeremiah himself.
I'm still reading Jeremiah, my personal reading, and it's
incredible to see how much he talks about this very thing.
Look at Jeremiah 23. This is somewhere where you
should turn. Jeremiah 23, verse 5.
Remember, what I'm about to read
to you is given in the context of Judah being severely judged.
To the point that they'll be removed from the promised land.
But look what Jeremiah says in chapter 23, verse 5.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will
raise up for David a righteous branch, and he shall reign as
king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and
righteousness in the land. In his days.
Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely, and this is
the name by which you will be called.
The Lord is our righteousness. So in the midst of judgment, God
is assuring His people that the promise He made to David would
still stand. It would not be nullified, it
would not be cancelled, despite the rebellion and their
idolatry. You notice how this king is
referred to this time not as a star, not as a sceptic, but as a
what? Is it there as a branch?
I could stop here and talk about the significance of that title
branch and show you the handful of times that this title branch
is mentioned in the Old Testament and how it amazingly
points to the person and ministry of Jesus Christ.
But you don't want to stay here for another hour, do you?
Do you see the plight of the preacher?
It's not what am I going to say? It's what I have to leave out.
So we will not do that. We'll talk about Jesus, the
righteous branch, another day. What we want to focus on is the
promise. David is going to know a son.
The Davidic line is going to be preserved, and we see here that
the Lord addressed a misleading conclusion that was gaining
traction. Again, they're being surrounded.
The rumors are now becoming true and they're thinking we're done
here and this is what was spreading, right?
The Lord pronounced this promise.
But look at Jeremiah 33 and look at verse 24.
Have you not observed that these people are saying the Lord has
rejected the two clans that He chose?
Pause. What does He mean by that?
The two clans, Remember, Israel was divided at this point.
There's a northern Kingdom and a southern Kingdom.
So those are the two clans that are being referred to.
And what were people saying? People were saying that the Lord
rejected the two clans. So in its entirety, its identity
are the people of Israel. Are people still saying that
today? Yeah, they are saying that
today. Notice what the Lord says next.
Thus they have despised my people so that they are no
longer a nation in their sight. Are people saying that today?
They are saying this today. So you have to understand that
the Jews are despised by many and that they are regarded not
as a true nation. That the Jews today are not the
Jews in the Bible, that they don't deserve a sovereign state.
That the Jews are to be rejected in many ways.
What a mistake that is. Whether you are professing
Christian or not, take note. God doesn't like that and
defense he makes can be understood in this way because
look what he says in verse 25. Thus says the Lord, if I have
not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed
order of heaven and earth, then I will reject the offspring of
Jacob and David my servant, and will not choose one of his
offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, for I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on
them. You see what he's saying there?
Look at verse 25 again. If I have not established my
covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and
earth, then I will reject the offspring of Jacob.
Pause. You can translate it in this
following way. There's a better chance for God
to abandon his supervision of the order and the operations of
the universe than for him to relinquish and deny his covenant
with Israel. There's a better chance for him
to remove himself from the governance of the affairs of our
systems in this universe that for him to cast off.
The people of Israel from being a nation and His people.
You have a problem with that? You have a problem with the
Bible, not with the preacher, my friend.
And that's why he says something later on in Jeremiah 46, verse
28. Why so much Bible?
Again, deal with the Bible. I'm just telling you the Bible.
So you deal with the Bible and faithfully interpret it.
Jeremiah, 4628. He says in that passage, I will
make a full end of all the nations to which I have driven
you, but of you I will not make a full end.
How do you deal with that? Isn't it amazing that throughout
history kingdoms, empires, and civilizations have vanished, but
the people of Israel remain, though they have in their long
history experienced many calamities, even calamities that
have brought them to near extinction.
God tells them, I will discipline you.
God told them I will punish you, but I promise to never make a
full end of you. What's at stake here?
I'll tell you what's at stake. Listen here, you professing
Christians, I'll tell you what's at stake.
God's character is at stake. This is not about race, this is
not about this is not about favoritism.
This is about what God said and he said I will never make a full
end of you. But Israel were not only
promised the preservation of their people.
Notice again at verse 26, he says then I will reject the
offspring of Jacob and David, my servant, and will not choose one
of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. So it's not just about the
people, it's about the royal line.
God's program and plan for a king to still arise is in motion
despite all that Israel has done.
God says I made an unconditional promise to David.
I'm going to keep it because I don't lie.
A king is still coming. Or we can stay here for the next
45 minutes and look at verse after verse and Isaiah and
Jeremiah and Zechariah and Zephaniah.
We can spend all day here looking at these things, but I
think the picture is clear. A king is coming and nothing
will change that, even the unfaithfulness of the people who
were supposed to usher him in. And I'm speaking, I hope, to a
group of people filling this room who believe that not just
the king is coming. The king came.
He arrived and this is what we see the Angel of Gabriel
proclaiming to a virgin girl named Mary and Luke chapter 1
and 31 to 33 where he said, behold, you will conceive a son,
and his name shall be called Jesus.
And this Jesus will take the throne of his father David, and
his Kingdom will be established forever and ever.
Now I want you to pretend that you have never read the New
Testament. Imagine everything that you just
heard in this past 45 minutes. I don't know how long it's been,
but imagine everything that you just heard now was fresh to you
up to the point of Luke chapter 131 to 33.
Wouldn't you think God? No way the long-awaited king has
come. Wouldn't you think that euphoria
would sweep over the land after this angelic declaration?
The people should be elated, especially in the context of
when this was declared. They're under Roman oppression.
They are succumbed to sin and corruption.
He's here. He's.
Come, but that's not what we see.
Let me remind you how we open the service or specifically the
sermon. This baby who would be born, his
name would be called Jesus, would grow up to become a man.
And this man would not just have a reputation of being the son of
David. He proved it and they denied
Him, and now he's standing before Pilate ready to be
condemned to death. Which brings us to the present
realization. The people who were promised him
and were presented Him rejected Him, and as you heard Jesus here
said, He is the King of the Jews.
But what would now become of the promised king?
How could a king be a king if the people that he's called to
govern deny you? Jesus gives the answer to that.
The next few verses I'm about to show you are absolutely
imperative for you to grasp. Jesus gives the explanation to
how He can be a king, though the people that he is called to
govern denied him. Matthew 21 verse 43.
Therefore I tell you He's speaking to the Pharisees and
the religious leaders. Therefore I tell you, the
Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people producing its fruits. You reject me, I reject you.
This is not immediate. This was after He'd done
miracles, after He fulfilled prophecies, after he had shown
them over and over again that He is the sinless son of David and
they had nothing and wanted nothing to do with him.
So let me tell you what Jesus words here doesn't mean.
It doesn't mean that because the Jews rejected Jesus, that
salvation that was once not available to the Gentiles is now
granted to them. That's a gross misunderstanding
of this verse, to think as though because the Jews denied
Jesus, the plan being God's salvation is to give, to give us
a chance, as though we Gentiles, if you're not a Jew here, you're
a Gentile or an afterthought. Do you know how I know that to
be the case? Because God from the beginning
always had in mind the salvation of the nations.
And throughout the Old Testament you have people who are Gentiles
getting saved. So that's not what this means.
Instead, what it means is that this is so important.
By transferring the Kingdom from the people of Israel to another
people, God is essentially removing the honorable position
and privilege of being the vehicle that brings the message
of salvation to the world. It no longer now belongs to the
people in the nation of Israel, but is awarded to the Church.
Israel failed to be the faithful witness, the light to shine, the
means to draw people into the truth, because they have turned
their back on Messiah. And So what the Lord says, if
you read very carefully, is that he's going to take that
privilege, that honorable responsibility, and give it over
to another people who will constitute both Gentile and Jew,
the entity called the Church of Jesus Christ.
And that's why he says you're in the same verse, that the Kingdom
of God will be taken away from you and given to a people
producing its fruits. And that makes more sense now
when you hear verses like First Peter 29 where Peter is speaking
to Gentiles and he says, but you are a chosen race.
You are what a holy nation you are what a people for his own
possession. You are what a royal priesthood.
All those identities were exclusive to Israel up to the
point of the new covenant. Now it's shared with the
Gentiles. But what do those identities
mean? He finishes it here in First
Peter 29, Your chosen race, your royal priesthood, you're a holy
nation, you're a people for his own possession.
Why? Why?
What does that do?
This is what it does, that you may proclaim the excellencies of
Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light. So you understand now, right?
For the Kingdom to be transferred from the people of
Israel to the Church means now the Church has been granted the
responsibility and the honor of being ambassadors of this
Kingdom. Ah, then this means that Israel
is no longer relevant. And all those promises in the
Old Testament can either be reinterpreted or disregarded
altogether. No it doesn't mean that, because
Jesus statement here doesn't teach that God has replaced
Israel or erased Israel by giving the Kingdom of God over
to another people. It just means that for a time,
he has set them aside. But a time is coming when they
will be grafted in again. So people often quote Matthew
2143 to make a case that the idea of Israel as a people and
as a state and as a national identity, it's just like it
means nothing. So what do you do with Matthew
23? This is after Jesus gives a
series of scathing woes to the same people and he says this at
the end of Matthew 23. Look at verse 38 and 39.
See your house is left to you desolate.
So people also quote that verse. Your house is left to you
desolate, but read verse 39 would you?
For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Until implying what? There is a time coming when the
same people who have been removed from that place of honor
in the world of being the channel of spiritual blessings,
a people who, as we read earlier, his house has been left
desolate. There is a time coming where
their eyes will be open. They will see Jesus again and
they will say he is our Messiah. That's coming.
Whether you like it or not, it's coming.
It's going to happen. I don't know why you would
oppose that idea. That's a glorious thing.
Underline that word until there's a time coming when
national Israel will acknowledge Jesus Christ as their savior.
And if you want to know exactly how that's going to happen, sit
with your family around the dinner table in the living room
and read Zechariah chapter 12 and 14.
And you will see the play by play blueprint of how this is
going to happen. And it is then where God will
fulfill all his promises, the promises that he made to
Abraham, the promises that he made to David and to the people
of Israel as a whole. And this does not mean, of
course, that Jews cannot be saved until that glorious
revival comes. Jews have been getting saved.
The early church was comprised of Jews and check this out.
The church has been the means to draw the Jewish people into
saving faith in Jesus Christ. And this is something for you
and I to consider because it's all over the New Testament as
individual Jews are coming in to be saved.
It will culminate when Jesus Christ Himself will do the
complete work and redeem the nation as a whole, that as a
national identity and a corporate confession.
They will hail Jesus as their king.
Is Jesus the king of the Jews? Yes, but Israel has not realized
it just yet. They will though, which leads us
to the future anticipation. Here's our final verse together.
Paul elaborates on this. In case you feel like this was
more lopsided and Old Testament leaning Romans 11, I just want
to read you one verse. The whole point of Romans 11 is
really Paul echoing Jeremiah where the people of his day were
saying God has cast off his people.
Paul answers that precise question in light of the new
covenant. What has become of the people of
Israel since they have rejected Jesus Christ?
If Jesus Christ is the king of the Jews, what has become of
them since they have denied Jesus?
And that's his thesis right here.
But notice what he says here in Romans 11, verse 12.
Now if there being the people of Israel, now if their trespass
means riches for the world and if their failure means riches
for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean?
So Paul's argument here is absolutely brilliant.
You got to take your time to understand what he's saying.
Here's how he's breaking this down.
If the Israelites unbelief led to their trespass, which in turn
enrich the world, how did it enrich the world?
Well, it was giving rise to the Church of Jesus Christ and the
world has been blessed by the church's impact in the nations.
If there's sin 'cause salvation to spread across the globe.
Here's what Paul is saying. Then what will become of the
world in their full inclusion if their denial did this?
What will happen in their righteousness when they embrace
Christ? You see Paul's train of thought,
and it should leave you wondering, yeah, what would
happen if we have, as Gentiles, benefited from.
The Jews shutting their door in the face of Christ, what will
happen to the Gentiles when that day comes and they open the door
and say blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord?
Well, This is why you have to understand Bible prophecy, and
it makes it makes so much sense now.
Because the nation of Israel accepting Jesus Christ as their
Messiah coincides with Jesus Christ establishing His
physical, literal reign on the earth.
And this world will know universal peace.
The Church will rule and reign with him, and both Jew and
Gentile will behold the promise keeping God who fulfilled His
word to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and the Gentiles.
That's what's coming. And so this was a lot to take
in, perhaps in one sitting, and it was purely theological,
wasn't it? So let me, let me tell you how
studying this, not just in this past week but throughout the
years has made an impact on me. Let's make this now applicable,
and I hope it impacts you. 1 It just highlights the goodness and
the faithfulness of God. When he says something, he means
it, no matter who he said it to. So the same God who keeps his
word to a person or people, I can trust that he'll keep his
word for the church and for me as a follower of Jesus Christ. 2
To pray and believe God for the salvation of the Jewish people.
Yes, to to preach the the gospel to all nations.
That's the Great Commission. But the church doesn't have the
greatest history and how they have dealt and addressed the
Jews. But to believe that God can do a
work in their hearts, not just when he comes back and opens
their eyes, but between now and then.
Paul tells us in Romans 11 that salvation has come to the
Gentiles for many reasons, and one of the reasons is to provoke
the Jews to jealousy. I've shared this testimony so
many times. I've always wondered how is it
that the Jewish people would be provoked to jealousy through the
church, by the church because of the church.
And I remember hearing a testimony from a Jewish woman
that gave light to this. She came to Christ as a Jew.
She believed Jesus Christ as her Messiah.
And one of the things that. Stirred her was when she knew
Gentiles who knew the Old Testament and the Hebrew
Scriptures better than her and she thought how is it that me as
a Jew, I did not know my Bible like these Christians did?
And when she come to find out is that she studied the word of God
for herself. Jesus was the Messiah, you see.
God is not done with this people.
They will be saved and we have as a church the responsibility
to preach the gospel to all nations, including them.
And lastly, the feeling that I had in my heart when studying
this for today, after gathering my thoughts and just seeing the
Symphony of the Scriptures, is to push myself away from my
desk, get before God and from my heart to hail Him as my King.
You're my King, and not only are you my King, Lord Jesus, you are
the King of kings and the Lord of Lords.
And Revelation 11 promises that the kingdoms of this world will
become the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Is he your king? What did you hear in this past
hour? Did you hear my thoughts?
You heard ancient prophecies placed before you all pointing
to unanimously the person of Jesus Christ.
What are you going to do with that information, my friend?
Like, how can you actually walk out of here and not come to a
conclusion about where you stand on this issue?
He is the king of the Jews. Now, here's my question to you.
Is he your king? Because whether you like it or
not, he is going to be the king of kings and the Lord of Lords.
He is today, and he's going to demonstrate it in an undeniable
way, perhaps very shortly. But you have to make him king
today. He is the king of a spiritual
Kingdom. We are part of that Kingdom.
And one day he will come to rule and reign physically with his
Kingdom. And you have to make a choice
between now and then. Will I surrender?
Will I love him? Will I receive him?
Will I crown him? Oh, I pray that you would.
The way that you crown him as king is by repenting of your
sins and believing that this king who was promised a throne,
we're also told, would suffer for the sins of his people.
That's why the Jews. Missed him because they were so
focused on the kingly aspect of him and not realizing that this
king would also lay down his life and suffer for his
subjects. And so you have the opportunity
to understand that this king is not just coming with a scepter.
He came first as a child and he grew up to be a man.
And he was tempted in every way, but did not sin, not even once.
And he was nailed upon a tree and he was coronated there with
a crown of thorns and piercing in his hands and his side in his
feet. And he bled.
He bled. Why did he bleed?
Is this the King of the Jews? Yes, it is the king of the Jews
who died for the Jewish people and died for all nations.
What are you going to do with that?
What are you going to do with Christ crucified?
There's no neutrality. He's either king by willing
submission, or he will be king. By force He will be king and you
become a part of His Kingdom, or He'll be king and expel you from
His Kingdom for all of eternity. The bridge from condemnation to
acceptance is faith. Believe.
Today, make the decision to look at the Word, to realize that it
is true, indisputable, and to realize that He is after your
heart, for you to have your sins washed and for you to have a
future with Him. Lord, we thank you for Your
word, we bless Your holy name. We ask, Oh God, that You would
grant us the eyes to see what Your Word says on all matters.
And we pray today that if we're going to wrestle with anything,
let it be with what the Scriptures have said.
And we ask, oh God, that you would cause our hearts to
remember that you are faithful. What you have said, you have
done, and the things that you have not done yet you will
accomplish. Nothing will stop you.
Nothing will halt, nothing will keep you from performing your
faithfulness. And Lord, we give you praise and
honor. We rejoice in knowing that we
are in the truth and that we are free because of this truth.
In the precious name of our Lord and King Jesus Christ, we pray A
men and Amen. Let's stand.
We are going to sing and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is
King.