Unexpected King ~ 20210110 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org

01/10 Jesus in His Own Words; The Unexpected King; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20210110_jesus-unexpected-king.mp3

We’ve been looking at Jesus in his own words; what Jesus said about himself; why he came, where he came from, that he’s coming back, and in the mean time how we should live while we wait for him.

Today I want to look at something else he said about who he is, who he claimed to be.

The Promised King

Jesus is the King. The Magi came to Jerusalem

Matthew 2:2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Jesus is the King, and he deserves to be worshiped.

The angel came to Mary and said:

Luke 1:31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Jesus is the great King, promised to sit on the throne of David. Jesus is the King who will reign forever, whose kingdom will never end.

The prophet Isaiah foretold:

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Jesus will shoulder the responsibility of governing. He will sit on the throne of David and establish it in peace, justice and righteousness.

The Prophet Daniel:

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

A Son of Man given everlasting dominion, a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

When Jesus was put under oath by the Jewish high priest, who asked:

Mark 14:61 ...“Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Jesus affirmed that he was Messiah, Son of God, seated at the right hand of his Father, the I AM. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

History of Kings

To really understand Jesus, we need to understand something of the background of kingship, and the experience of Israel with kings.

After 400 years in Egypt enslaved, God delivered his people and took them to be his own, to serve and worship him alone. He gave them his law and they bound themselves by covenant to be his subjects and obey his statutes. He led them to the promised land, but they refused to enter in, and wanted to return to Egypt. 40 years later, after that disobedient generation died in the wilderness, God brought his people in to the land under Joshua’s command and the Lord delivered their enemies into their hands. After Joshua died, the people did what was right in their own eyes and worshiped the false gods of the people of the land, so God gave them into the hands of their enemies. When they cried out to the Lord for rescue, he would raise up a judge to deliver them. Once they had peace, they would again turn away from following the Lord. This time of the judges continued over 300 years as they spiraled worse and worse. Because of their corruption, God raised up Samuel to lead them, but when he was old and his sons were not godly, the people demanded a king to rule over them like the peoples around them.

1 Samuel 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

In their demand for a king, Israel was rejecting God as their king. God told Samuel to warn them what a king would be like.

1 Samuel 8:11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. 16 He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

A king would tax them heavily and force them into his service. After Saul’s disobedience, things went relatively well under David and Solomon, but after Solomon’s extensive building projects (and his many wives), the people were crying out for relief;

1 Kings 12:4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”

Rehoboam refused, so after only around 100-120 years, the kingdom was divided between Israel and Judah. The history of the kings was disastrous, with only a few shining exceptions, and after 200 years, Israel fell to Assyria. Another 150 years and Jerusalem fell and Judah went into captivity in Babylon. After about 50 years of captivity, exiles were allowed to return and begin to rebuild the temple and then Jerusalem, but the Jews never fully regained their freedom, being ruled by the Persians for about 200 years, then successively by the Greeks, Egyptians and Syrians for the next 160 years. The Jews regained some measure of control for about 100 years under the Hasmonean dynasty, until conquered by the Romans in 63 BC, who appointed local puppet kings over the Jews. It is into this context and under the Roman Emperor Augustus and under king Herod the Great that Jesus was born.

Expectations of a Conquering King

The Magi announce the one born King of the Jews, which sends Herod on a jealous rampage, slaughtering all male children 2 and under in the whole region of Bethlehem. Joseph, warned in a dream, fled to Egypt and returned after Herod died.

Jesus is born King of the Jews. Jesus is the I AM, God come in the flesh, God with us. He is the sovereign, the omnipotent, the ultimate authority. He is the lawgiver and the judge.

Mary was told that God would give him the throne of David, and that his kingdom would never end. Expectations were high. John prepared the way for Yahweh. Jesus began to gather followers.

John 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

But among his closest followers, there was argument over who would have the highest positions of honor in his kingdom (Mk.9:34; 10:37).

He fulfilled prophecy by healing the sick, casting out demons, and feeding the multitudes. But in John 6,

John 6:15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus is the King, but not the kind of king they expected. Jesus will establish his rule, but not in the way they think. In John 7, Jesus’ own brothers seek to force his hand at the time of the Feast of Booths. They suggest he go openly to Judea, to show himself to the world. Again, Jesus declines the public spotlight.

But his disciples are convinced, and many in the multitudes are suspecting that he is the Christ.

By John 12, as he entered Jerusalem, the crowds

John 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”

The crowds hail him as the King of Israel, and Jesus accepts the title in fulfillment of Zechariah 9.

The Unexpected King

But by John 13, things are turning. Jesus predicts his betrayal by Judas, and even questions Peter’s confidence and warns him that he will deny him three times. He tells his disciples that he is leaving them, but they ought not to be troubled.

In John 18, Judas has procured a band of soldiers

John 18:3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

The King is confronted by an armed mob. I love this passage! Jesus the King confronts the mob in the dark and unveils his glory.

John 18:4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

What just happened? Jesus clarifies who they are after and volunteers himself. They are after Jesus of Nazareth, and Jesus says ‘that’s me’. Literally, he says ‘I AM’, an echo of the divine name from Exodus, YHWH, the self-existent one. And when he says ‘I AM’, Judas, the band of soldiers, the officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, with their lanterns and torches and weapons all draw back and fall to the ground. I wonder what they were all thinking at that moment! ‘What just happened? Why am I on my face? Did I just black out? Why is everybody on the ground and Jesus alone is standing, unarmed but in absolute control?’ Jesus unveils just a glimpse of his deity with the words I AM, and his oppressors are compelled to bow the knee to the King.

John 18:6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.”

Jesus, in absolute control, willingly gives himself up in order to protect his followers.

My Servants Would Fight

This time it’s Peter who forces his hand. Peter no doubt just saw everyone fall down at Jesus’ word. He has Jesus’ words that he would deny him ringing in his ears, and he is determined not to let that happen, so he pulls his sword and starts swinging.

John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.)

Jesus is the King, and Peter is going to do all he can to protect him from arrest. He is willing to go down swinging for his King. Peter understands the game of chess; sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn in order to protect the king and gain the advantage. Peter is willing to be that pawn. But this is where Peter is wrong.

John 18:11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Normally, a king would be honored to see his loyal subjects risking their lives to defend him. But that is not why Jesus came. Peter is not the one who will die today protecting his King. Jesus is a King come not to be served but to serve, not to have his faithful subjects give their lives to protect him, but to give his own life a ransom for rebellious subjects. Jesus is willing to lay down his life for Peter.

Upside-Down Kingdom

Jesus is King, but his kingdom is an upside-down kingdom. When his disciples were discussing who was the greatest, he said

Mark 9:35 ...“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

When James and John were seeking to secure the places of honor in the kingdom;

Mark 10:42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus is omnipotent King, and he came with all power to seek and to save the lost. He came not to lord it over others, but to be the slave of others.

Later in John 18, now being questioned by Pilate;

John 18:33...“Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Jesus is King, but his kingdom doesn’t follow the pattern of this world. If it was a worldly kingdom, the servants would fight to protect their master. But Jesus the King is fighting for the lives of his subjects. And as their King, he resolutely determined to die to save them.

Peter’s Transformation

Peter didn’t understand. He didn’t get it. This sent him into a tailspin. This was so upside-down it was disorienting. He didn’t know which way was up. He ran away with the others. He followed at a distance. He denied he even knew Jesus. He ran to the empty tomb. He went into hiding. He went back to fishing. He was wrecked by the risen Lord when he met him on the beach, when he asked him if he loved him, when he invited him once again to follow him. Peter was beginning to understand what love was, and what it meant to follow Jesus.

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org