Confirmation of Jesus Being the King – the Messiah by Hatred

GRACE THROUGH FAITH COMMUNITY CHURCH


TEXT: Matthew 2:3-8, 13-23
THEME: Confirmation of Jesus Being the King – the Messiah by Hatred
TITLE: The Attack Against the King –The Savior
PROPOSTIONAL STATEMENT: Eliminating God in Our Lives

I. INTRODUCTION
A. Review
1) Purpose of the Book of Matthew
The Audience of Matthew were the Jews
• To remind the Jews about the promised King they had rejected
• To present Jesus as the King they had rejected
• To confirm that Jesus is really the promised King they had rejected
o Confirmation through genealogy – His royal lineage
o Confirmation through virgin birth
o Confirmation by King’s recognizers that represents the whole world – the Magi
2) The Confirmation through Hatred
• Jesus’s Kingship was not only confirmed by legal document (genealogy) or by supernatural conception (virgin birth), or by worship of the king recognizer but also by hatred
• Verses that prove that Jesus was hated by the world
o John 1:10-11
o John 3:19-20
o John 15:18
o Isaiah 53:3

II. BODY

The Plan Failed
1) Herod - The King of the Jews
a) His Background
• Idumean (half Jew half Edomite)
• Son of Antipater – High Ranked Official under – the founder of Herodian Dynasty
• He was converted to Judaism through John Hyrcanus (Macabean Period) who conquered the region of Idumaea
• Idumean required to obey the Law and one of ritual in Judaism was circumcision.
• He was declared mad man because of mass killings including his family
• He died because of Chronic Kidney disease (suffer from paranoia)
b) The Passion
• He was appointed by his father as governer of Galilee together his brother Phasael as governor of Jerusalem
• His brother was imprisoned and He escaped from Jerusalem during the civil war in Israel against Antigonus
• Herod plead to Ceasar to restore hm to power and he took the throne from Antigonus
• He declared king of the Jews.
c) His Character
• Ungodliness
o This is attitude toward God
o Being hostile toward God
o Not giving importance in all His precepts
• Wickedness
• Description of Herod’s Character
o Hypocrite
o Envious
o Liar
o Loathsome

2) Herod – The Covetous King
a) The Threat Against His Crown
• He was troubled when he heard that there is another King
• Here the Kingship of Jesus was acknowledge by hatred of another king
• He was afraid to be dethroned
• He invested everything even his life just to be the king of the Jews as history tells about him
• He even killed some of his family just to maintain his position
• That’s how covetous he was, That’s how he craved for power and authority.
• The pride of life and luxury of it swallowed him
b) The Plan to Maintain His Crown
• The Purpose of the Plan
o To eliminate the threat
• The Execution of the Plan
o He Consulted the Pharisees and Saducees
 When he heard the bad news for him, the threat against his throue he was troubled
 His first action was, he consulted the chief priests and teachers of the law regarding the place birth of the promised King
 Because these people were reliable people
 The answer he received was Bethlehem
o He Counterfeited the Magi
 When he knew the birth place he called the Magi secretly. There are three actions:
 He Called Them for Inquiry about the King
 Secretly – Why did Herod called the Magi secretly?
• Because the magi were his only hope to find the Promised King
• Because they were the one who can see and follow the stars
• If all the Jews can see the stars they will also go with the Magi to look for the King
• He secretly called them because he did not want the Jews to see their King
• If the Jews find their King, he will not have a chance to eliminate the King and he will be dethroned
• If the Jews will find that the promised King for them was killed by him, this will trigger a massive revolt against his kingdom and he will be dethroned by force or to the worst he will be killed by the Jews because they longed for the promised King
• Remember during that time they were waiting for their King that will overthrow the power of Rome
• The Zealots were waiting for a military king that will overthrow Rome
• The Pharasees and Saducees are looking for a miraculous king that will overthrow Rome
 He Sent Them to Find the King
 Careful – Why did Herod tell them to be carefull in searching the child
• Because he wanted them to be sure that the child they will find is truly the King
• If they find the true promised King, Herod now can eliminate the promised King there will be no more threat because the prophesied King was totally eliminated
 He Charged Them to Report about the King
• This is how Herod counterfeited the Magi
• He deceited the magi as if he cannot wait to see and worship the promised King
• But in the back of Herod’s mind he cannot wait to see and kill the threat on his throne
o He Commanded His Soldiers
• When he realized that he was tricked by the Magi in his rage (violent anger) he commanded his soldiers to kill all the two-year old boys and below
• This idea was based from the information given by the Magi regarding the appearance of star (the glory of God). Tha was a smart action
• Here is another one, not only boys from Bethelehem but also the vicinity of Bethlehem
• In his mind the Magi might warned the family of Jesus so he did those acts just to be sure that he eliminated the King who is the threat in his throne and title as the King of the Jews

3 Manifestations of Trying to Eliminate Christ in Your life

1) You eliminate Christ when you do not care about Him
• His grace
• His will
• His day to day blessings

2) You eliminate Christ every time you want to satisfy your worldly desires rather than Him
• Worldly cravings
• Selfish Ambition

3) You eliminate Christ every time you justify your sinful acts
• Tolerating sins
o Laziness ( being busy in world’s affairs than God’s affair)
o Lies ( committing lies having purpose is good to other
o Unforgiving ( describing the greatness of damage)

III. CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ is the King of kings not only because He was accepted but also by hatred. From the very start the enemies , Satan and his army tried to eliminate Jesus many times. From His birth to His death they tried to eliminate Him but they never win. Now Satan wants you to eliminate Jesus as King in our lives. He continues to work in our sinfulness. Focus on our King, He is our only hope that God had provided for our salvation.
For God’s Glory
09/19/10