Tree Of Life Ministries Association
http://www.treeoflifeinc.org
Six Kings
CHRISTmas 2002
Matthew 2
Pastor Eric Aschendorf
12/22/2002
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Now the birth of JESUS CHRIST was on this wise.
Matthew 2
Mat 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
Mat 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Mat 2:3 When Herod the king had heard [these things], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Mat 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
Mat 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Mat 2:6 And thou Bethlehem, [in] the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
Mat 2:7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
Mat 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found [him], bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
Mat 2:9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
Mat 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
Mat 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Mat 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Mat 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
Mat 2:14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Mat 2:15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
Mat 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
Mat 2:17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
Mat 2:18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping [for] her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
Mat 2:19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
Mat 2:20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.
Mat 2:21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
Mat 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
Mat 2:23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
John 3:16
Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
This is the CHRISTmas season! The time of year when we celebrate the birth of JESUS the CHRIST!
Luke 1:28-38
Luk 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favoured, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women.
Luk 1:29 And when she saw [him], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Luk 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luk 1:34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Luk 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Luk 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Luk 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luk 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
In Greek the word used for CHRIST is “CHRISTOS” which means ‘anointed’. CHRISTOS is derived from “chrio” which means to smear or rub with oil, which is what the Jews did when they would consecrate someone to an office or for a religious service. This is how they prepared the priest to enter the Tabernacle and this is what Samuel did when he anointed David to become King of Israel. Throughout scripture, one of the ways the HOLY SPIRIT is depicted is as “oil”.
1Sa 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all [thy] children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
1Sa 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he [was] ruddy, [and] withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this [is] he.
1Sa 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah
Samuel had come under orders from GOD to anoint the new King of Israel. Jesse, the Bethlehemite (for he was born in Bethlehem) had paraded seven of his eight sons before Samuel. Samuel then questions if there are yet other sons? Jesse tells him of David and sends for him. Take notice of the oil! When Samuel “took the horn of oil, and anointed him,” he didn’t simply put a drop on his finger and touch his forehead with it. The entire horn would have been poured over David. Then it would have been rubbed into his body. He would have been saturated with the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT. This is also how the priest was prepared when they were to enter the presence of GOD and this is how we are to be prepared when we become born again. This is also what we saw happening to Mary when the SPIRIT of GOD “overshadowed” her as JESUS is born of the SPIRIT.
At HIS conception, the HOLY SPIRIT has come over Mary and “anointed” JESUS to become the Messiah. At HIS birth HE is like other men born of the SPIRIT or born again men. HE can be tempted of the devil and the possibility exists that HE can fall. The difference is that from HIS conception HE has been committed to GOD and HIS purpose. From HIS conception HE has believed that with GOD all things are possible.
This commitment is what you need to see as the difference!
In the book of Genesis we will find the story of Adam and Eve. GOD created them and committed HIS authority over all the earth to them (Gen 1:26-30). In Gen 2:15-17, GOD gives Adam a job and then one rule to live by. Within these three verses GOD commits everything to Adam’s care. HE has already given him dominion authority over everything and now HE places a freewill choice before him. HE tells him first of the Tree of Life and then of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil.. Had Adam reached forth and partaken of the Tree of Life he would have been forever kept in his created state. This is why when he does fall and takes of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil that he must be banished from the presence of the Tree of Life and from the Garden of Eden which is where the presence of GOD is walking.
Adam must be banished from the garden so that he doesn’t partake of the Tree of life and be forever preserved in his current state of sin. He must be banished from GOD because sin cannot dwell in the GOD’s presence.
At this point sin has fouled the odor of the anointing oils of the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT in the lives of mankind (in Hebrew – Adam). In the following centuries GOD will do everything necessary to turn HIS creation back to HIM. Since the time when HE created mankind and mankind chose a life of sin GOD has been committed to getting HIS creation to choose to serve HIM, to seek HIM and to place HIM as it’s priority. Throughout time, as recorded in scripture GOD tries to get mankind to hear HIS message! HE sends Prophet after Prophet to speak the message to mankind that they must commit to HIM as HE first committed to them. That they must love HIM as HE first loved them!
Let’s look at just a few of the ways GOD has tried to communicate HIS desire. In Deuteronomy 6:5 HE states;
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
This is repeated in Luke 10:27 when a lawyer comes to JESUS and asks, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 1025) JESUS then asks him what the scriptures tell him or in essence JESUS is asking what has GOD told you by way of the Prophets as to what you must do. The lawyer then answers;
Luk 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
There are many other places we could look but one more that is truly worth noting is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 where GOD comes to King Solomon after he and the people have completed building the Temple and GOD says;
2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Could GOD have made HIMself clearer? All HE wants is man to be committed to HIM!
Grab a Bible and turn to where we find the “Parables of Warning”. Turn to Matthew 21. In verse 28 we find the Parable of the Two Sons. The first son when asked by his father to do his work or to work in his vineyard says, no but repents and does as his father asks. The second son looks righteous when he answers his father that he will but he is merely appeasing his father or putting on airs of righteousness. He is what later JESUS calls a whited sepulcher when HE denounces the scribes and Pharisees (Luke 23:27). Continuing in the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28-32) JESUS then asked, “Whether of them twain did the will of the father?” When they answer correctly JESUS explains how this parable applies to them. HE then continues to explain what GOD has been trying to get across to mankind since HE first created man.
Read with me now verses 33-45;
Mat 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Mat 21:34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Mat 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Mat 21:37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mat 21:38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
Mat 21:39 And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him].
Mat 21:40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Mat 21:41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
Mat 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Mat 21:45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
Just as with the Parable of the Two Sons we can break this parable of the Vineyard down into four parts. First the householder (GOD) creates this vineyard (earth) and leaves it’s care into the hands of the husbandmen (mankind). Because they turn on him and choose to serve themselves or to meet their own needs they are in sin; they have become a rebellious lot. To put things back in order the compassionate householder sends his servants (the Prophets) that they might receive his fruits. The husbandmen, vs 35) “ … took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.” After centuries of repeating this process the householder sends his son (JESUS) and as with the servants the husbandmen kill him. Therefore the householder takes the vineyard from them. GOD is grafting the Gentiles into HIS kingdom because even though they first rejected HIM when Moses accepted HIM now the tables have turned.
[Note: GOD deems a nation by who a group serves as their GOD. JESUS came to find out who would commit to serve the LORD our GOD?]
In the story of the birth of JESUS we find six Kings. The first that we want to take note of is found in Luke 2:1, Caesar Augustus”. Since he is not mentioned in Matthew’s account he could very easily be forgotten, which is precisely the point! He is ambivalent to the birth of JESUS. It is simply not something of note or consequence to him. He has no interest in it or the things of GOD. He could care less!
Second is King Herod (Matt 2:1). He feels threatened by the “good news”, the gospel that the King of the Jews has been born. He, we see later wants this king dead! He wants this perceived threat to his lifestyle eradicated.
Next we see the three wisemen, the three kings of the orient that have traveled far to see this new king. They came bearing gifts of great value. They came to worship him! They came to serve and to give themselves as best they know how. They had noticed an unusual star in the east and had been drawn to it knowing that this was an event that had been prophesied long before. That this was a sign of the birth of someone special, of the King of the people of this region, of the King of the Jews!
The sixth king is JESUS! HE came to be the gift! HE came to show forth the commitment of The FATHER, The CREATOR to the creation. HE came to show a “better way”. HE came to show a “total” commitment to The FATHER! HE was willing to totally forsake HIS way or HIS will in order to be obedient unto the will of The FATHER. HE would so commit HIMself that HE would do nothing but what HE heard The FATHER telling HIM to do.
Thus the story of the birth of JESUS, that which we refer to as the story of CHRISTmas is a story of purpose, of commitment, of love! A story of “Six Kings”;
King Caesar Augustus was ambivalent.
King Herod was threatened.
The three Wisemen (kings) came to give of their possessions.
JESUS, The KING of the Jews, The KING of KINGS came to “be” the gift and commitment of The FATHER, of the CREATOR of everything.
Luke 8:4-15---When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this story:
"A farmer went out to plan his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road. People walked on the seed, and the birds ate it up. Some seed fell on rock, and when it began to grow, it died because it had no water. Some seed fell among thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up with it and choked the good plants. And some seed fell on the good ground and it made a hundred times more...
This is what the story means. The seed is God’s message. The seed that fell beside the road is like the people who hear God’s teaching, but the devil comes and takes it away from them so they cannot believe it and be saved. The seed that fell on rock is those who hear God’s teaching and accept it gladly, but don’t allow the teaching to go deep into their lives. They believe for a while, but when trouble comes, they give up. The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear God’s teaching, but they let the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life keep them from growing and producing good fruit. And the seed that fell on the good ground is like those who hear God’s teaching with good, honest hears and obey it patiently produce good fruit."
This is pretty self-explanatory, but it categorizes all those around us.
Seeds on the road: "I don’t care about God or religion. I don’t need it. If it works for you, fine. But it doesn’t for me."
Seeds on the rocks: "I’m just kind of religious, but not that much. If my friends want me to go somewhere, I’ll go with them. If I don’t feel like attending church, I won’t go. I kind of get bored of church after a couple weeks."
Seed among the thorns: "I love the Lord with everything”, but later on, “Mm, religion’s okay I guess.” Or, “I don’t need Jesus anymore”.
Seed among the soil: "I’m a firm believer until the end. I belong to the Lord, and I will not let anything change that."
Now I want all of you to ask yourself some questions!
-Which seed are you right now?
-Do you feel like you’re changing into another seed? Is it one of the three bad seeds, or the one good one?
-How can Jesus change your life, or how does your life need to be fixed to be the good seed?
"Lord, we know that you can change the stoniest heart to flesh. Lord, you told us this story to tell us what you want us to be like. We ask that you’ll make us the seed that was in the good soil, making a hundred times as much. May our relationship be in you, and not on the road, or among the rocks and thorns? Set us apart from the world and set us up the way you intended us to be. Amen."
Will you accept the GIFT of CHRISTmas? Will you accept the ETERNAL GIFT of The FATHER? Will you lie down, at HIS feet, all that you possess in order to receive all that HE will give? Will you forsake doing things your way in order to do only that which The FATHER will tell you to do?
Will you commit yourself to GOD?
Revelation 5:6-10
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Rev 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four [and] twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
Rev 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Which kind of a king will you be? Ambivalent (?), threatened (?), giving of yourself (?), or a king of The FATHER? Forsaking of yourself and allowing HIM to be seen through you?
