King of Nations: Why Gentiles (and Everyone Else) Should Hope in Jesus
Hopson Boutot
Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted
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Lay Me Down
WELCOME
Good morning family.
Hear the Word of the Lord from Psalm 33:16-18...
“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love”
Every day we’re tempted to put our hope in small things...
We gather to remind ourselves to hope in God!
In just a moment we’ll hear a reading from the text for today’s sermon in Matthew 12.
You can find it on PAGE 971 in the black Bibles.
Turn there now.
While you’re turning, 2 quick announcements:
1) A word about PBC. We are Missionaries.
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Thankful for our volunteers who have worked hard all week at our collection center
2) Members Meeting, tonight at 5:30 in the chapel
VOTE ON 2023 BUDGET PROPOSAL
INCLUDE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR INCOMING MEMBERS
Sam & Dennie Hamontree
Now look in your Bibles at Matthew 12:15 as Lorin Watkins comes to read for us.
Scripture Reading (Matthew 12:15-21)
Prayer of Praise (God is Glorious), Lorin Watkins
Love Come Down
Anchor of Hope
Prayer of Confession (Complaining), Adam Hess
The Reformation Song
PBC Catechism #47
What is our responsibility as disciples?
With God’s help we pledge to grow in obedience to Christ and His Word, laboring to put our sin to death while abstaining from sexual immorality, drunkenness, substance abuse, gluttony, and other practices which harm the body or jeopardize our own or another’s faith. We further pledge to help one another as we follow Jesus together.
Pastoral Prayer (Hopson)
Thanksgiving—Sufficiency of Scripture
Prayer for PBC—A Culture of Discipleship
Prayer for sister church—Fox Hill Road Baptist Church (Nathan Cecil)
MM after morning service today
Unity regarding the budget
Wisdom for the elders
Nathan, Jancy, Calvin, Susanna, Bennett, and Jane
Prayer for US—Against homelessness
Prayer for the world—Iceland
Leader—Guðni Jóhannesson [goo-dnee yo-hahn-ah-son]
Protection for the unborn, justice for vulnerable, flourishing for all
Spiritual issue(s)—90% claim to be Christians, but most are not involved in church
Local churches—healthy, holy, faithful
Laborers
Pray for the sermon
SERMON
In a Peanut’s cartoon Lucy and Linus are sitting in front of the television set when Lucy says to Linus, “Go get me a glass of water.”
Linus looks surprised and asks, “Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me...”
Lucy matter-of-factly promises, “On your seventy-fifth birthday, I’ll bake you a cake.”
With a smile on his face, Linus gets up and walks towards the kitchen to get a glass of water for his big sister.
In the final frame of the comic he says “Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to.” [1]
Some people think that’s what it looks like for a Christian to believe in Jesus.
It’s a vague, naïve, foolish hope that one day in the future maybe, just maybe, we’ll receive something good from God.
That’s not Christian hope. Our hope for the future is rooted in what God has already done in the past.
Turn to Matthew 12:15
The Pharisees are conspiring to kill Jesus!
Why? Because Jesus threatened their religion (Sabbath rules)
While the elite Jews reject Jesus, the lowly Gentiles begin to put their hope in Him...
Matthew 12:15-21—Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets; a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
Notice, the passage ends with the good news that Gentiles will hope in Jesus.
Eight reasons why Gentiles (and everyone else) should hope in Jesus:
1) He Accomplishes the MISSION of God
1) He Accomplishes the MISSION of God
15a-16—Jesus, aware [that the Pharisees were plotting to kill Him], withdrew from there.
Why did Jesus withdraw?
Fear? No!
If He was afraid He wouldn’t have confronted the Pharisees, said “haven’t you read,” or healed on the Sabbath in the first place!
Just read how He responds during physical torture later in the Gospel, and you’ll see He’s not afraid!
Why then? Because He had a mission from God that must be accomplished.
What was His mission?
John 3:16—“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The Father sent His Son on a mission. But what was Jesus supposed to do?
Matthew 20:28—“...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Next week: Christmas sermon series called “Born to die”
15b-16—And many followed him, and he healed them all and ordered them not to make him known.
Why did Jesus tell people not to “spill the beans” about who He was?
Some say it’s because He didn’t believe He was God. Nonsense!
He didn’t want His miracles to distract from His mission!
Jesus has bigger plans than your current sense of wellbeing
Hope in Jesus because He accomplishes the mission of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
2) He Fulfills the WORD of God
2) He Fulfills the WORD of God
17—This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
What follows is Matthew’s translation of Isaiah 42:1-4, which is the longest quotation of the OT in the Gospels
This is one of hundreds of different OT prophecies fulfilled by Jesus...
He was born in Bethlehem, preceded by a messenger, entered Jerusalem on a donkey, betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver, silent before His accusers, stricken by a rod, mocked by His accusers, hung on a tree, pierced by His enemies, buried in a borrowed tomb, and resurrected on the third day.
Jesus is the seed of the woman who crushes the head of the Serpent
He’s the offspring of Abraham through whom all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
He’s the descendant of Judah, who will rule like a lion forever
He’s the Passover Lamb whose blood rescues His people
He’s the High Priest who intercedes for His people and He’s the perfect sacrifice
He’s the Prophet who is greater than Moses
He’s the Son of David whose kingdom will be established forever
He’s the author of a New Covenant, where the law of God will be written on the hearts of God’s people
No wonder Jesus said...
To the Pharisees...
John 5:39—“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me”
Or to His disciples after His resurrection...
Luke 24:44— . . . “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Read the Bible in light of Christ!
Hope in Jesus because He fulfills the Word of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
3) He Is the SON of God
3) He Is the SON of God
In his book The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown writes that Jesus’ establishment as “the Son of God” was officially proposed and voted on by the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
Now it is true that the pastors at that council voted to condemn Arius as a heretic for denying the deity of Jesus. But the idea that Christians didn’t believe Jesus was the Son of God until 300 years after Jesus’ life and ministry is patently false.
18a—“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
God the Father is speaking to Isaiah the prophet about someone He loves called “the servant”
Matthew says, that servant is none other than Jesus Christ
If this passage sounds familiar to you, it’s because it’s hinted at in two other places in Matthew...
Right after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist...
Matthew 3:17—and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
In Matthew 17, Jesus is on a mountain with Peter, James and John. All of a sudden He’s transfigured before there eyes. They see Him in His glory! And then Moses and Elijah are there talking with Jesus. Peter says, “Let’s build some tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
Matthew 17:5—[Peter] was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”
Jesus isn’t merely a good teacher or a moral person. He’s the eternal Son of God!
Repent and believe!
Hope in Jesus because He is the Son of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
4) He Has the SPIRIT of God
4) He Has the SPIRIT of God
18b—I will put my Spirit upon him, . . .
Holy Spirit = third person of the Trinity
The Spirit is a person, the Spirit is God!
The Spirit is the means by which Jesus does His ministry
Matthew 12:28—“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
God intends for humanity to be dependent upon Him! This was even true for Jesus, who was dependent upon the Spirit!
Hoping in Jesus is entering into a relationship with the entire Trinity!
2 Corinthians 13:14—The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Christianity is more than knowing facts about God, but knowing God!
Hope in Jesus because He has the Spirit of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
5) He Proclaims the JUSTICE of God
5) He Proclaims the JUSTICE of God
Everybody wants justice! Whether you’re an Antifa protester shouting “no justice, no peace!” or a capitol rioter protesting election results, or anybody else anywhere in between you want justice! The problem is we can’t agree on what justice means!
18c—...and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
Here’s the justice that Jesus proclaims:
God is holy. His law is perfect!
We are sinful. We have broken God’s law, and that’s unjust.
Breaking God’s law isn’t like breaking the speed limit, it’s a personal offense!
We deserve punishment.
Because we have offended a holy God, justice demands a punishment!
Slapping a parent, teacher, police officer, president
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10—This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering— since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
God’s judgment is right and good!
Hope in Jesus because He proclaims the justice of God.
But that’s not entirely good news is it? Not unless we also hope in Him because...
6) He Absorbs the WRATH of God
6) He Absorbs the WRATH of God
19—He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
The word “quarrel” is a verb often used of com a verb often used when someone is complaining of injustice [2]
As Jesus endures mistreatment, He doesn’t fight back or cry out.
What mistreatment is Isaiah talking about? I believe it’s pointing to a later chapter where the servant is mentioned again as a “suffering servant”...
Isaiah 53:7—He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.
Of course this is exactly how Jesus responded to the mistreatment He endured at the cross.
But whose wrath was Jesus enduring?
The Pharisees… they hated Jesus! Lied about Him, mocked Him, slapped Him, spat on His face.
The Romans… they were bloodthirsty! Flogged Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, crucified Him.
The Jews… cried out “crucify Him!!” and said “His blood be on us and on our children!”
Satan… HATES Jesus! Entered Judas so he would betray Jesus.
But ultimately Jesus was enduring the Father’s wrath...
Isaiah 53:10a—Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to grief...
Think about the implications of this for a moment...
Romans 8:1—There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Why not?
Because your sin has already been condemned! God doesn’t punish the same sin twice!
Hope in Jesus because He absorbs the wrath of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
7) He Protects the PEOPLE of God
7) He Protects the PEOPLE of God
20a—a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench,...
Countless reeds grew by marshes and river banks so they weren’t particularly valuable. A whole reed could be cut and shaped to serve as a measure, or a flute, or a pen. But a broken reed was worthless.
Candles weren’t used for scent, but for light. So a candle with no flame was also worthless.
Think what this says about God’s people...
We are compared to a bruised reed, about to be discarded. We’re not like trees. We’re not like logs or stumps. We’re like reeds, and bruised ones at that.
We are also compared to smoldering wicks, barely giving any light. And the tiny light we do give is mixed with smoke! And we’re about to be extinguished.
Think what it says about Jesus...
He won’t break the bruised reed
Richard Sibbes—"Are you bruised? Be of good comfort, He calls you. Conceal not your wounds, open all before Him and . . . go to Christ. . . . There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” [3]
He won’t quench the smoldering wick
You may have just a spark of faith in you. That’s all you need. Jesus won’t let it go out!
How can I be sure?!?
Isaiah 53:4-5—Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.
Jesus was stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced, crushed, and wounded by the Father in our place.
Why? So we could be made whole!
Hope in Jesus because He protects the people of God.
But you should also hope in Him because...
8) He Keeps the PROMISES of God
8) He Keeps the PROMISES of God
Have you ever wondered, when that person you love is going to grow tired of you and be done with you? Maybe it’s a friend, maybe it’s a spouse, maybe it’s a child or a parent. Do you wrestle at all with the insecurity that if they really knew you they wouldn’t love you?
Do you ever wonder if that’s true for Jesus?
How long will He care for me? How long will He put up with my smoldering wick?
20b—...until he brings justice to victory; and in his name the Gentiles will hope.”
“Justice to victory” = The justice that is promised at the cross will be completed
If Jesus truly paid the penalty for your sin at the cross, it would be unjust for God to not to welcome you into heaven!
If Jesus didn’t truly pay for your penalty at the cross, it would’ve been unjust for God to put Him to death!
How long will Jesus put up with me? Until the very end. And then He’ll wipe away your final tears, and then be with you forever.
John 10:27-29—“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
Jesus keeps His promises!!!
Hope in Jesus because He keeps the promises of God.
Not a Christian: What are you hoping in?
Christian: align your hope on Jesus!
1 Peter 1:13—Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Church: hold onto hope together!
Hebrews 10:23-25—Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Christ Our Hope in Life and Death
Benediction (Romans 15:13)
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.