The Incarnation and Why it Matters: Where? (Matthew 2:1-12)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:06.440 Let's hear God's Word in Matthew Chapter two. remainstanding, if you are able. 2 00:00:13.470 --> 00:00:26.539 Matthew Two, verses one through twelve. Now, after Jesus was born 3 00:00:26.660 --> 00:00:31.059 in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the King, behold, 4 00:00:31.179 --> 00:00:35.729 wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying whereas he who has been 5 00:00:35.850 --> 00:00:39.850 born king of the Jews, for we saw his star when it rose and 6 00:00:39.969 --> 00:00:45.289 have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was 7 00:00:45.409 --> 00:00:49.890 troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, and, assembling all the chief priests 8 00:00:49.969 --> 00:00:54.520 and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to 9 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.320 be born. They told him in Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is 10 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:03.359 written by the Prophet. And you, Bethlehem, the land of Judah, 11 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.030 are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall 12 00:01:07.109 --> 00:01:12.829 come a ruler who will shepherd my people, Israel. Then Herod summoned the 13 00:01:12.950 --> 00:01:18.859 Wise Men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared, and 14 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:22.859 he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, go and search diligently for the child 15 00:01:23.459 --> 00:01:26.620 and when you have found him, bring me word that I too may come 16 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:30.859 and worship him. After listening to the king, they went on their way 17 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:36.370 and behold the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until 18 00:01:36.409 --> 00:01:40.530 it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw 19 00:01:40.569 --> 00:01:46.129 the star, they rejoiced exceedingly, with great joy, and going into the 20 00:01:46.209 --> 00:01:49.959 House, they saw the child with Mary, his mother, and they fell 21 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:53.840 down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, 22 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.239 gold and frankinsence and Merr and, being warned in a dream not to 23 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:06.349 return to Herod they departed to their own country by another way. You may 24 00:02:06.390 --> 00:02:15.099 be seen him. Was I mentioned this morning? I'm preaching a little series 25 00:02:15.139 --> 00:02:20.180 here through the end of December called the incarnation and why it matters. On 26 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:24.620 this morning we focused on the when part of the incarnation, and tonight I 27 00:02:24.740 --> 00:02:31.330 want to meditate a little bit with you on the wear of the incarnation here 28 00:02:31.849 --> 00:02:38.370 Bethlehem. Bethlehem of Judea has mentioned several times as the place where Jesus was 29 00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:45.000 born. A prophecy from Micah, Chapter Five, verse two is sided. 30 00:02:45.719 --> 00:02:51.759 The location of Jesus's birth is very prominent in these verses, perhaps not the 31 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:59.069 most important thing, but one of them here in these verses, and we 32 00:02:59.189 --> 00:03:04.590 see that the where of Jesus's birth is an important question. On the star, 33 00:03:04.830 --> 00:03:08.629 for example, took these wise men to a particular place, a particular 34 00:03:08.789 --> 00:03:14.900 where. Even as we focus this morning on the time of Jesus's birth, 35 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:21.099 that it happened in history according to God's perfect Providence, the same is true 36 00:03:21.539 --> 00:03:27.210 for the where of Jesus's birth. There was prophecies of regarding this, of 37 00:03:27.370 --> 00:03:30.849 the particular place that he was to be born, and he was born there. 38 00:03:32.129 --> 00:03:37.409 So, to re emphasize a point from this morning, this is a 39 00:03:37.569 --> 00:03:40.370 course, a great comfort to us as we consider the sovereignty of God in 40 00:03:40.409 --> 00:03:46.639 our salvation. Every aspect and every detail of the events of this world are 41 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:53.879 playing out according to his perfect plan. Jesus wasn't born at a random moment 42 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:59.069 in time, nor was he born in a random place. Many, many, 43 00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:03.069 many years before, God had specified that this son of his would be 44 00:04:03.189 --> 00:04:09.710 born in Bethlehem. This was clear enough that they, when Herod asked these 45 00:04:10.659 --> 00:04:15.779 these advisers, chief priests and scribes to tell him where the Messiah, where 46 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:19.019 the Christ, was to be born. It was a question they could answer 47 00:04:19.420 --> 00:04:26.529 and they could answer accurately, but there are a few other things that we 48 00:04:26.649 --> 00:04:30.050 can think about when we think and and reflect on when we think about the 49 00:04:30.209 --> 00:04:35.449 where of Jesus's birth, but first let's think about just the answer to that 50 00:04:35.529 --> 00:04:43.519 question. Where was Jesus born? We have different ways we can answer that 51 00:04:43.639 --> 00:04:47.759 question. One is in Judea, that is the region that Bethlehem is in, 52 00:04:48.759 --> 00:04:54.629 also known as Judah. Judah's boundaries change from time to time. It's 53 00:04:54.670 --> 00:04:59.829 used in different ways in the Bible to describe this this region, sometimes just 54 00:04:59.910 --> 00:05:05.910 of the tribe of Judah and sometimes of the larger southern kingdom. After the 55 00:05:06.029 --> 00:05:11.819 the kingdom is split between the north and the south. I'm Bethlehem is one 56 00:05:11.819 --> 00:05:16.740 of these cities, Jerusalem being an important one as well. On Judah was 57 00:05:16.819 --> 00:05:24.410 a place that God had promised importance and kingship would come from. Let's take 58 00:05:24.410 --> 00:05:32.009 a look at a couple passages, starting in genesis chapter forty nine. Genesis 59 00:05:32.370 --> 00:05:40.879 forty nine, verses eight through twelve. We have a prophecy here concerning Judah 60 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:45.399 as it comes through Jacob, as he blesses Judah, his son. So, 61 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:53.550 Genesis Chapter Forty Nine, eight through twelve, Judah, your brothers shall 62 00:05:53.670 --> 00:05:57.990 praise you, your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. Your 63 00:05:58.110 --> 00:06:02.910 father's sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lions club, cub 64 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:08.339 from the prey. My son, you have gone up, he stooped down, 65 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:12.339 he crouched as a lion and as a lioness. Who Dares rouse him. 66 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:15.699 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between 67 00:06:15.779 --> 00:06:20.290 his feet until his trip, until tribute comes to him, and to him 68 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:26.569 shall be the obedience of the People's binding his full to the vine and his 69 00:06:26.730 --> 00:06:30.209 donkeys colt to the choice of vine. He has washed his garments and wine 70 00:06:30.610 --> 00:06:34.680 and his vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, 71 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:42.000 his teeth are whiter than milk. Here, as Jacob Blesses Judah, 72 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:48.269 he gives us this picture and in prophetic terms, of the kind of the 73 00:06:48.350 --> 00:06:51.870 kind of place that Judah, the tree, Judah as a person and as 74 00:06:51.910 --> 00:06:56.870 the tribe, would take in Israel. He would be a ruler among his 75 00:06:57.069 --> 00:07:01.060 brothers. Your brothers shall praise you as the first line over his enemies. 76 00:07:01.139 --> 00:07:05.779 He would be strong. The scepter shall not depart, the ruler's staff from 77 00:07:05.779 --> 00:07:11.860 between his feet. Judah is powerful, Judah is strong, and it is 78 00:07:11.980 --> 00:07:17.129 from Judah the Jesus comes. These prophecies and promises that are given to Judah 79 00:07:17.129 --> 00:07:23.009 are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, the one who comes and rules are not in 80 00:07:23.089 --> 00:07:27.930 a temporary way, but in a eternal way and in a perfect way. 81 00:07:29.170 --> 00:07:33.800 The connection between Judah and Jesus has a link in between, and that is 82 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:40.319 King David. If you hear, for example, Psalm Seventy Eight, I'll 83 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:47.430 read to you psalm seventy eight versus sixty seven through seventy two, psalm seventy 84 00:07:47.470 --> 00:07:56.310 eight, hundred and sixty seven through seventy two. He rejected the tent of 85 00:07:56.389 --> 00:08:01.100 Joseph. He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the 86 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:05.060 tribe of Judah Mount Zion, which he loves. He built his sanctuary like 87 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:11.379 the high heavens, like the Earth which he is founded forever. He chose 88 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:15.649 David His servant and took him from the sheep folds, from following the nursing 89 00:08:15.850 --> 00:08:20.290 use. He brought him to the Shepherd Jacob, his people, Israel, 90 00:08:20.370 --> 00:08:24.449 his inheritance. With Upright Heart, he shepherded them and guided them with his 91 00:08:24.610 --> 00:08:30.720 skillful hand. Here we see what God has done with Judah and one of 92 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:33.759 Judah's descendants, David, or, as we often refer to him, King 93 00:08:33.799 --> 00:08:39.600 David. Not a surprise, coming from Judah, that David would become the 94 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:48.350 paredigmatic King of Israel, the Great King David. David was originally a shepherd. 95 00:08:48.429 --> 00:08:52.309 We are told in places of various places in scripture, that he shepherded 96 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:56.899 near Bethlehem, which will get to in a moment. But the shepherding image 97 00:08:56.940 --> 00:09:01.059 of David as a boy becomes used of his great kingly power and often the 98 00:09:01.379 --> 00:09:07.580 imagery of shepherds and kings are joined together in the Bible in this wonderful way. 99 00:09:07.740 --> 00:09:13.409 So Verse Seventy Two with Upright Heart, he shepherded them and guided them 100 00:09:13.490 --> 00:09:20.090 with his skillful hand. The kings which God desired to rule over his people, 101 00:09:20.409 --> 00:09:24.879 and ultimately, the king which God desired to rule over his people would 102 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:31.519 be a good servant from Judah and even a son of David. We remember 103 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:37.039 God's Covenant With David, promising them him a son, which he of course 104 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:41.590 gives to us in the person of Jesus. And all of this, and 105 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:46.509 focusing on Judah in particular, we have God's promises playing out in history even 106 00:09:46.990 --> 00:09:52.980 in place. I'm God's promises to Abraham to be a blessing to him through 107 00:09:54.019 --> 00:09:58.700 a particular seed and then through Judah, and then the promise to David and 108 00:09:58.779 --> 00:10:05.659 then finally, here we have the son of God being born in Judah. 109 00:10:07.210 --> 00:10:11.409 The second way we can answer the question about weird Jesus was born is in 110 00:10:11.610 --> 00:10:16.169 Bethlehem. So just thinking more specifically, Bethleham is a city in Judah, 111 00:10:16.210 --> 00:10:22.440 and this was an important point as it regarded the Christ. So here, 112 00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:28.240 for example, John Forty two, where there's a discussion about who Jesus is. 113 00:10:28.919 --> 00:10:39.070 John Seven, verse forty two. Let me start in verse forty. 114 00:10:39.269 --> 00:10:41.870 When they heard these words, some of the people said this really is the 115 00:10:41.950 --> 00:10:46.710 prophet, others this is the Christ, but some said is the Christ to 116 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:52.299 come from Galilee? Has Not? The scriptures said that the Christ comes from 117 00:10:52.299 --> 00:10:56.340 the offspring of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village were day was so 118 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:01.460 there was a division among the people over him. Some of them arrest him, 119 00:11:01.500 --> 00:11:05.450 but no one laid hands on him. So you see the argument right. 120 00:11:05.370 --> 00:11:09.610 They know that Jesus is Jesus of Nazareth. He's coming from Galilee. 121 00:11:09.730 --> 00:11:15.649 There's this fact that's in the air. But how does that correspond with the 122 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:18.759 fact that he, the Christ, is supposed to come from Bethlehem? They're 123 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:24.399 obviously missing a piece of information. That he is from Bethlehem as well as 124 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:28.799 from Galilee. Another wonderful truth worth reflecting on. But you see the point 125 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.789 here. The point is is that the Christ would come from a particular place 126 00:11:33.309 --> 00:11:37.509 and people were expecting it, they were waiting from that. Can't imagine what 127 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:41.429 we like to be a mom and Bethlehem and just wonder every year who's it? 128 00:11:41.750 --> 00:11:46.470 WHO's IT GOING TO BE? But I suppose after a while, as 129 00:11:46.549 --> 00:11:50.179 was happens with most things, we get impatient and jaded and think things will 130 00:11:50.220 --> 00:11:54.179 never happen. But they do. God does come and God, God, 131 00:11:54.259 --> 00:12:01.169 God does provide the promises fulfill the promises that he has made. And so 132 00:12:01.570 --> 00:12:09.210 these prophecy from micave to is quoted here in our passage, that this evening, 133 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:15.009 Matthew Two, Matthew two, verse six, and you, oh Bethlehem, 134 00:12:15.090 --> 00:12:18.120 in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers 135 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:24.320 of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people, 136 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:31.190 Israel. Not only is this a prophecy that connects the Messiah, the 137 00:12:31.230 --> 00:12:35.990 Christ, with this particular place. But it makes sense too, because David 138 00:12:35.669 --> 00:12:41.190 was from this region, he spent time there, he shepherded there, and 139 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:46.779 it was there in Bethlehem that Samuel anointed him as king. So we have 140 00:12:48.019 --> 00:12:54.500 a place that has is just fraded with symbolic value. We have places like 141 00:12:54.659 --> 00:13:00.809 this, of course, the place of the World Trade Center, for example, 142 00:13:01.090 --> 00:13:03.490 has is not just a place of commerce and business, a place that 143 00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:09.570 you can go to. It's weighted with meaning. Or there's certain cities and 144 00:13:09.730 --> 00:13:16.600 towns that have certain culture, role connections and meanings. They carry a certain 145 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:20.120 weight, and Bethlehem was like this. It was not least among the rulers 146 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:24.759 of Judah, for from it should come a ruler who will shepherd my people, 147 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:31.990 Israel. The third thing we can say is that Jesus was born in 148 00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:37.789 lowly circumstances. Where was he born? So zooming in yet one more time, 149 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:43.059 first in Judea, second and more narrowly, in Bethlehem, and finally 150 00:13:45.299 --> 00:13:48.940 he was placed in a manger. We read in Luke Chapter Two, verse 151 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:54.379 seven, which from I, which implicitly says that he was probably nearer with 152 00:13:54.580 --> 00:14:00.529 animals and some kind of of stable. This is important because it reminds us 153 00:14:00.529 --> 00:14:05.009 of the promises that this one who would become, though he would be great, 154 00:14:05.250 --> 00:14:09.049 the ruler of his people, the son of David, the son of 155 00:14:09.129 --> 00:14:15.759 Judah, the son of Abraham, he would be born in a low condition, 156 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:22.399 he would not be regarded well among men, and that is what indeed 157 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:28.669 happened. So, as we consider these different things about where Jesus is, 158 00:14:28.870 --> 00:14:33.190 Jesus was born, what might we say about it? Why is any of 159 00:14:33.350 --> 00:14:39.539 this important? Well, I want to think. I want to reflect with 160 00:14:39.659 --> 00:14:46.580 you on two things. The first one is that marking it in this way 161 00:14:46.059 --> 00:14:52.250 reminds us that Jesus it assures us of Jesus's right to be king. This 162 00:14:52.570 --> 00:14:56.409 was the expectation, this is the argument in John Seven. Right, how 163 00:14:56.649 --> 00:15:01.090 can he be the Christ because this, this thing has to be fulfilled? 164 00:15:01.129 --> 00:15:05.769 Well, we can answer that argument and we can have assurance in our faith 165 00:15:05.809 --> 00:15:11.879 that Jesus indeed is the Christ. The Old Testament is not a random collection 166 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:16.360 of documents. It's pointing US forward to this one who is to come, 167 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.590 and in it there are these very a particular promises, things that must be 168 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:28.230 fulfilled, and so it's right for us to expect them and to ask and 169 00:15:28.350 --> 00:15:31.909 to wonder, how is this going to happen? And when we see the 170 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:37.100 fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Mike A, concerning Judah, concerning the circumstances of 171 00:15:37.220 --> 00:15:41.700 his birth, we get we are assured in our faith that this is King 172 00:15:41.779 --> 00:15:48.980 Jesus, this is the one who is to come by his connection with David 173 00:15:48.100 --> 00:15:54.970 and his birthplace and and all the rest. The second thing this tells us 174 00:15:54.009 --> 00:15:58.490 now that we see Jesus and we can recognize him as king, as it 175 00:15:58.850 --> 00:16:03.840 reminds us of the kind of kingship that he is to have. If all 176 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:08.720 we knew is that he was the great promise son of David, and that's 177 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:14.519 it. We had no other promises, no other information about what that kingdom 178 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.320 would be, what it would be like, we would have great hope about 179 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:25.230 this particular king, because David is a righteous one. He is one who, 180 00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:32.070 though US sinful, was truly repentant, bowed himself before God and found 181 00:16:32.190 --> 00:16:37.899 grace through faith in his promises. David's kingshiped, is one that is glorious, 182 00:16:37.259 --> 00:16:41.299 that is powerful over his enemy, is that is blessed by God. 183 00:16:41.019 --> 00:16:47.929 If All we knew is that God was sending a special ruler to be born 184 00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:51.450 in the city of David, to come from the Line of David and to 185 00:16:51.570 --> 00:16:56.970 be like David. It would be great hope, reason for rejoicing, reason 186 00:16:56.090 --> 00:17:02.200 for, as the wise men do, rejoicing exceedingly with great joy. But 187 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:06.480 it's so much more than that. We're not only told that he is to 188 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:10.200 be born in the style of David, if I can put it that way, 189 00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:12.720 or after this model of David, and to rule in that way, 190 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:19.670 but it'll be much more glorious and wonderful than David's experience was. As we 191 00:17:19.789 --> 00:17:26.390 know from our recent time in chronicles, David knew that his kingdom had not 192 00:17:26.549 --> 00:17:30.819 been fulfilled and all the ways that he was hoping for. There's still something 193 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:36.660 to come, still, something grander, still something that brought glory to God, 194 00:17:36.740 --> 00:17:41.220 and we see that in a part with Solomon. As good as David 195 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:45.329 was, as great as David was, as powerful as his reign was, 196 00:17:47.089 --> 00:17:52.930 there was was still things that were lacking. Indeed, God promised him that 197 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:59.720 a son of his would rule on the throne forever. Promises throughout scripture tell 198 00:17:59.720 --> 00:18:03.880 us that this kingdom would be an eternal one. A dominion that would last 199 00:18:04.720 --> 00:18:10.240 forever and ever, but this king would rule, as we read of Judah, 200 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:15.670 over all his enemies and all his brothers would praise him. So we 201 00:18:15.789 --> 00:18:19.950 have not only room to be excited about Jesus simply as son of David, 202 00:18:21.750 --> 00:18:25.869 but to be excited about him is something that's the greatest thing that the world 203 00:18:25.869 --> 00:18:30.980 has ever seen, even greater than King David, as David's himself testifies to 204 00:18:32.579 --> 00:18:37.819 in Psalm one hundred and ten. The fact that Jesus is born in Bethlehem 205 00:18:37.900 --> 00:18:42.890 of Judea reminds us of this fact and should give us a lot of hope 206 00:18:44.009 --> 00:18:48.250 and confidence as we think about what it means to belong to King Jesus, 207 00:18:48.769 --> 00:18:55.049 to be ruled by King Jesus, to belong to his kingdom. But the 208 00:18:55.170 --> 00:18:59.400 lowliness of his birth, and even the lowliness of a place like Bethlehem, 209 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:03.799 a place not on any major route, a place not marked for anything really 210 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:15.670 other than David's time there and an and a tragedy back in Genesis. There's 211 00:19:15.670 --> 00:19:21.230 a loneliness in the way in which this great king is born, and this 212 00:19:21.430 --> 00:19:26.259 tells us something too. When we think about the where of Jesus's birth and 213 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:30.660 our and our and our minds are brought to the glories of King David. 214 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:37.259 The loneliness of the manger reminds us that something else is going to be different 215 00:19:37.460 --> 00:19:45.490 here. Jesus does indeed ascend to power, but he does so via the 216 00:19:45.650 --> 00:19:52.519 cross. Jesus, like David, will go to a sit on his throne 217 00:19:52.680 --> 00:20:00.640 in Jerusalem, but he does there on the cross, the crown of thorns, 218 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:07.470 and really outside the walls of the city, the rejected, scorned and 219 00:20:07.589 --> 00:20:15.950 hated. But these two things do not contradict each other. The humility of 220 00:20:17.029 --> 00:20:26.140 Jesus, the suffering of Jesus, the loneliness of Jesus, do not take 221 00:20:26.180 --> 00:20:33.460 away from his glory, but they lead us to the glory, and a 222 00:20:33.539 --> 00:20:41.329 particular kind of glory, that is the glory of grace. Jesus became king 223 00:20:41.769 --> 00:20:48.170 to fulfill promises, yes, but they are gracious promises. Promise is given 224 00:20:48.210 --> 00:20:53.799 to Abraham, who simply believed and was called righteous. Promise is given to 225 00:20:53.880 --> 00:21:00.400 David, though he was the lowliest of all his brothers, rose to great 226 00:21:00.599 --> 00:21:07.470 power. Promises given to all of us, ultimately as an answer to the 227 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:14.589 curse back in Genesis three, that we brought upon ourselves. When Jesus comes 228 00:21:14.630 --> 00:21:18.549 into the world, he comes not merely as a king to rule and to 229 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:23.740 reign, but to do so by the glories of His grace. When we 230 00:21:23.940 --> 00:21:29.500 think of his suffering, when we think of his humility and connection with his 231 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:33.329 power, this is what we should be brought to. We should be brought 232 00:21:33.490 --> 00:21:38.329 to our sins. This is why he came and this is what why he 233 00:21:38.490 --> 00:21:44.250 did what he did, so that our sins could be forgiven, so that 234 00:21:44.369 --> 00:21:49.200 the wrath of God would be poured out on him instead of us. And 235 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:55.839 this is what he accomplished. This is the kind of kingship that he exercises 236 00:21:55.920 --> 00:22:03.910 and he continues to pour out. Ultimately, Jesus's kingdom, this Great Kingdom 237 00:22:03.990 --> 00:22:11.549 of grace, would not be limited to Bethlehem or Jerusalem or Judah or all 238 00:22:11.710 --> 00:22:17.980 of Israel, or even just that portion of the world, but dominion would 239 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:22.980 extend throughout all the world. And this is good news for us, because 240 00:22:23.019 --> 00:22:29.579 it means that, because our king was born in Bethlehem, because our king 241 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:33.410 was born in Judah, it means that he is the king over all the 242 00:22:33.529 --> 00:22:37.970 world, so that we don't have to go live in Bethlehem, we don't 243 00:22:37.970 --> 00:22:42.250 have to go live in Jerusalem or Israel in order to be under him and 244 00:22:42.410 --> 00:22:47.519 to be known by him and to be protected and ruled and guarded and shepherded 245 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:52.400 by him. Because he is the Christ, because he is the Messiah, 246 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:59.069 we can come to him by faith wherever we are, and you should, 247 00:22:59.069 --> 00:23:03.990 King Jesus, who comes in this particular time, in this particular place in 248 00:23:04.109 --> 00:23:11.309 history, deserves not just our wonder but our worship, our trust and our 249 00:23:11.390 --> 00:23:15.220 faith, because the one who was born in this place, in the city 250 00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:21.339 of David, would rule as David and would do so fulfilling the all the 251 00:23:21.460 --> 00:23:26.250 promises of God forever for us. Let's pray