Message and Music - Humble King
Message Description
Senior Pastor Dr. Kurt Bjorklund and Adult Ministry Pastor Bryce Vaught share how God chose to be incarnate in a small, humble child.
Message Transcript
Bryce Vaught
Well, Merry Christmas! If we haven't had the chance to meet yet, my name is Bryce Vaught. I serve on staff here as a part of the Adult Ministries Team. And I think I speak for all the staff when I say that we are super excited just to spend Christmas Eve services over the next week and a half with you all. But I have to say this weekend, this Message and Music Weekend has become one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season here at Orchard Hill.
And if this is your first Christmas being here, a little bit about this weekend is we kind of deviate from our normal rhythm of service, and we spend some time reflecting just on the truth of Christmas through song and through some shorter messages interspersed throughout the service. And this year, as a team, we are reflecting on just Jesus being the humble king from Zechariah, chapter 9, verse 9. And we'll get into that passage here in just a moment, but I want to begin by taking us back to the land of Narnia.
When little Lucy first entered through the wardrobe into Narnia, she came into what appeared to be a beautiful winter wonderland, seen as very serene and peaceful. And she meets this kind fawn named Mr. Tumnus, who invites her into his home. They share some hot tea and cookies, and hours pass by without her even realizing it. But, she would soon learn that things were not as good as they seemed. In fact, we see that the land has been ruled by a cruel witch who has caused Narnia to exist in this permanent, brutal winter. In fact, as Mr. Tumnus said, it's so bad that it is always winter, but never Christmas.
But there's a shift. There's a shift. It seems like all the creatures of Narnia had primarily been just living and fending for themselves. But, news is going around that Aslan is on the move. A little bit later, we see that all four kids have entered into Narnia. And they're visiting with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. And they're trying to explain the significance of Aslan to them. And we get this great quote that every now and then I just like to reflect on. And it's this exchange between the kids and Lucy asked, she said:
“Is he a man?” asked Lucy. “Aslan a man!” said Mr Beaver sternly. Certainly not. I tell you he is King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don’t you know who is the King of the Beasts? Aslan is a lion – the Lion, the great lion.” “Ooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he – quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and make no mistake” said Mrs Beaver; “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Throughout the history of God's people, we see that there are several points where they find themselves existing in a spiritual winter, very much like Narnia. One of those times in their history is when we come to the book of Zechariah. We see that the nation has been in exile in Babylon for 70 years. This is God's punishment on them, because they've been in constant disobedience, even though he's called them to repentance. Throughout that 70 years, we see that Babylon has gone into Jerusalem, they've decimated the land and they've destroyed the temple of the living God.
But there's a bit of a shift taking place. We see that the Medo Persians have come in and they've taken over Babylon. And this new king, King Cyrus, has issued a decree that is allowing this Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. There's a bit of hope and anticipation from this remnant. About 50,000 people decide that they're going to go back and rebuild the temple. Would imagine that they have in mind Deuteronomy 30, which promises that when God's people returned from exile, when they were repentant, God would bless them and they would become prosperous and numerous. But whatever enthusiasm they left with, it would soon wane.
They get there and they have an initial surge of progress. They rebuild an altar, and they lay the foundation of the temple. But what they came to find is that, some nations that surrounded Jerusalem, they were threatened by the idea of a rebuilt temple in a rebuilt Jerusalem. So they opposed them vigorously with violence. And there was a lack of leadership within the country, and because of that, all these family units that had returned, they just decided to fend for themselves. They were in a constant state of being, in a spiritual winter with no Christmas. In fact, now 16 years has gone by since they returned from exile and there's no temple. And there's no sign of even them starting to work on the temple again. This is the context that Zechariah comes into.
And he has this message that God has not forsaken them. In fact, God will completely restore the nation. He will fulfill every promise that he has made to this nation, but they need to physically rebuild the temple, but they also need to spiritually rebuild themselves as people to be ready for God's work. And so God gives Zechariah a series of visions to communicate to the people. These visions would present messages that God sees them, that God is having compassion on them, that God will judge these foreign nations that are oppressing them. He tells them, don't despise the days of small beginnings.
And these visions just increase and increase all the way until Zechariah, chapter 9, verse 9, where Zechariah finally calls out. He says:
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
In other words, the king is on the move. There's a couple words here that I want to focus on just for a moment. We see that this king that's coming is righteous and victorious. A couple hundred years after this prophecy is put forward, we see that probably the world's greatest military commander comes on the scene — Alexander the Great.
In fact, Zechariah 9 starts with a prophecy that God would bring judgment against Israel's enemies coming from the north and going through the south, but that God would supernaturally protect Israel. Scholars will see that this prophecy was fulfilled through Alexander the Great. As he came from the north, he conquered Persia, then he conquered Egypt, and he's en route to destroy Jerusalem. And they have no defense for this great commander. But the Jewish historian Josephus tells us that at some point, Alexander the Great has a dream. And not only does he spare Jerusalem, he ends up offering sacrifices to the God of Israel.
Then he leaves, and he conquers the nations to the south, fulfilling God's prophecy here in Zechariah. See that Alexander the Great had conquered a vast region, but ultimately it wasn't global. And we also know that his conquest was very temporary. He died at a young age, and everything that he had conquered was split between his four generals. The king that Zechariah is talking about, you think about this, that Alexander the Great, as great as he was, often considered one of history's greatest military commanders, was just a little tool in the hand of this king to be set aside when he was no longer useful. This king will have a kingdom that is completely victorious to the point where his kingdom will have no end.
He's also said to be righteous. This is more than just the idea that he makes right decisions. Anytime someone takes on a new leadership role, it's imperative that the decisions they make early on are right, because if you make the wrong decision decisions early, then your leadership could become ineffective. But this person is not just making right decisions. He is righteousness in and of himself. Every decision he makes becomes the standard for what is right. The king is coming.
Going back to Narnia, we see the evidence that Aslan has arrived is that the creatures there, they have this new sense of courage. They start to move toward where he is. They gather around, they celebrate his presence, and they begin to have courage in fighting for the kingdom that he is building. Santa arrives and Christmas finally comes. We see that ultimately, the snow melts away and life begins to flourish again.
As the writers of Scripture foresee the day that Jesus comes to reign, we see similarly, that the hearts and minds of people across the world will be healed and restored to right relationship with God, that the curse of sin is slowly melting away and life from God is restored.
But there's something strange about both Aslan and the king that we see in Zechariah. See, ultimately, their victory did not come through their power or their position. It came through their humiliation. Aslan offered himself up in the place of the person who betrayed him to be mocked, sheared and tormented. Jesus, unlike so many other kings throughout history, who just want to get ahold of power as quickly as possible, chose a less efficient route and he entered the world not in power, but as a baby.
One of my favorite authors, Philip Yancey, says it this way. He says:
“The God who roared, who could order armies and empires like pawns on a chessboard, emerged in Palestine as a baby who couldn't speak, eat solid food, or control his bladder. He was totally dependent on a teenager for all his shelter, food and his love.”
There's been a lot of kings come and go throughout history. There's not been many kings like this.
Father, we come to you this morning and we're grateful for the king, your son, who has come into the world to begin to cast away the spiritual winter that we experience. Those who are suffering and lonely, I pray that you would reveal yourself as the conquering king comes to rescue us. Deliver us from this evil in Jesus name. Amen.
Dr. Kurt Bjorklund
Zechariah 9:9 says this,
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Now, these verses are clearly verses that are often used to talk about Palm Sunday — you have the king entering Jerusalem and he's riding on a donkey. But the elements that are present in the idea of Palm Sunday are also present in Christmas. You have the king of all creation born as a baby, lying in a manger. None of the pomp, none of the circumstance, that you would expect for royalty, none of the accoutrements that go with a life of privilege.
And I say it's a juxtaposition, because even though you and I may be well aware of the idea of a king and a baby coming together who was born in poverty, for the people of that era to think of a king being lowly or humble or riding on a donkey felt a little at odds. In fact, it would be maybe in our day, closer to putting two things together that don't go together, like Taco Bell and quality or postal service or a quick trip to the DMV. I mean, I could go on, but I won't. But you get the idea that the king being lowly was something that just didn't appear, kind of occur, to the people of that era.
Bill Mounts, in his work on Biblical words, says this about the word that's used for humble or lowly here, he says:
“This is a word that means needy, poor, afflicted, oppressed, often referring to a class of persons that's low in status and lacking in resources.”
And so you have the king, the King of Kings, and one who is born in poverty without privilege. Really, one who is born almost of no account. Now, we're familiar with this in some ways from our New Testament and the narratives of Christmas, because we have the account of Jesus being born and placed in the manger. And so, in Luke chapter 2, where we read about this, here's what we see. This is Luke 2. I'll begin in verse 5, but we'll have verse 7 on the screen. Verse 5 says this:
“He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Now, if you've been around church for a while, and even if you haven't been around church, when I read that, and I read there's no guest room available to him, and you say, wait, wait, wait, isn't it, there's no inn available? And the reason I say you don't have to be around church, is you've all seen the Christmas plays with the little kid who's the innkeeper. And the whole bit is that when Joseph and Mary come up and they're seeking a place where they can spend the night, the innkeeper goes, “No!”. And then they scamper off into the night where Mary and Joseph come and they lay their baby in this stable, this working stable is kind of the idea. But I don't think that's actually the best understanding of the Biblical text. Now, don'tget me wrong, if you track with me and you agree with me later on, I'm not suggesting that at the next Christmas play that you're at that you're like, hey, wait, that's not biblical. You can let it ride, okay?
But here's why I say this. In Luke chapter 2, where we're told that there's no guest room, the NIV translates it guest room. There's a Greek word that's used there, that is the word kataluma. And the idea of an inn is picked up by the same author. This is in Luke chapter 10, where you have the story of the Good Samaritan. And the Good Samaritan takes the man that's injured and he takes him to an inn. This is Luke 10:34. I just want you to see this for a second. It says:
“He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.”
So this is a different Greek word than the word that's used in Luke 2:7. So, the NIV now is saying. Wait, wait. This idea of saying the inn has led to some misunderstanding. And there is a Greek word for a commercial inn. It's used by the same author, Luke, in Luke 10, to talk about taking this man to a commercial inn. So what does kataluma mean?
Kataluma is this, here's a picture. This was a home in the era that would be typical. People would have basically one living space where everyone would live. And then if they had any means at all, they would add to their home a kataluma, a room alongside a guest room. Sometimes it would go above, and then there would be a stable where their animals would go that was usually on a lower level, just by a little bit. And then the mangers would be there where they could feed the animals right from their living room and their animals could stay warm. So, when Luke tells the story and says Mary and Joseph came, and there was no room in the kataluma, in the guest room, what he was doing was he was not saying that they were turned away from a commercial inn. Now you may say, okay, what does this have to do with me, with Christmas? Like, so what, that this might be the case?
Well, if you've ever heard a message on this, hopefully not here at Orchard Hill, but if you've heard a message on this, usually it will be very similar to the play where the child says, no, no room in the inn. And then what happens is, whoever's giving the message, they'll say, don't you want to make room for Jesus in your life this year? Don't be like the innkeeper. Be different than the innkeeper and welcome Jesus into your life.
Now, here's why I say that this is probably not the best understanding. He's the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He doesn't need you to welcome him. Okay. It's a little bit like that worship song that sometimes is sung, you know, Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. Like, the Holy Spirit's waiting in the lobby for us to say, you're welcome to come in. The Holy Spirit goes where the Holy Spirit wants to go. Doesn't need a welcoming committee from us. The King of Kings doesn't need us to say, I'm going to decide no or yes, if you can come. So then why is this story here if it isn't about this decision that we make? I think it's because God in his wisdom, wanted to show the juxtaposition of the king, and yet this baby, that's accessible and was placed by choice.
I heard somebody once describe the work of God in the incarnation, like a prince who had all of the wealth and power and prestige of his kingdom. And he loved a woman that he had seen in the community and wanted to approach her, to try to win her affection, but he felt like if he approached her, that what he would be doing is approaching her as the prince. And she would respond to the prince, to the wealth, to the prestige, to the power. And so what he did is he set aside his crown and he took on the life of somebody who didn't have any of those things, so he could win the affection of the young woman and know that she loved him for him, not for what he brought.
Now, certainly, Jesus doesn't need to win our affection so that he knows how our hearts would be. But maybe he does it so that we are in a place where we know that we chose Jesus, not just the king, but the one who's come humbly as a baby without all of what is happening in our world. You see, the King is one who inspires confidence and hope and certainty. And the baby reminds us that he's approachable and that he wants us to trust and love him without all of the accoutrements that go with the Crown.
C.S. Lewis writes about this not in the lion, the Witch in the Wardrobe, but in his classic book, Mere Christianity. And when he talks about the Incarnation, he says that it's like an invasion or an infiltration. So he says the incarnation, this invasion, this infiltration is like an enemy occupied territory. That's what it is. Our world, Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might even say in disguise and is calling you to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.
You see, if you only have the idea of Jesus as the king, then for you, there's no sabotage, there's no campaign, there's no humbling yourself in the journey. And if you only have the idea of the baby, then there's no certainty, no hope about what the future holds, but together they hold the beautiful picture and the beautiful ideas of who God is and what he invites us in to. And more than that, this baby goes to the cross to die, so that when you and I can humbly acknowledge our need for a savior, that we too can share in his Kingdom. And that is the hope and the beauty of the humble, the lowly King, the King of Kings who came as a poor man to this earth to win our affection, so that we would know that we're partaking in him.
God, as we are gathered here today, I ask that you would help each of us to worship you because you're the King, and to approach you because you're humble and lowly, and not be fearful. And we pray this in Jesus name, Amen.
This transcript was automatically generated. Please excuse errors.
