The Herald of the King
Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
I appreciated Matthew’s message last week as he continued his series on the Beatitudes. “Blessed are they that mourn”, a message on being honest before God about our spiritual condition and then the blessed comfort that results from this honesty.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Today we will be in , so feel free to turn there in your copies of God’s Word.
But as you turn there I want to review a little of what we pondered the Sunday of the long, for those who were not with us. That day we covered and saw the responses to the arrival of the King. From Luke’s record, our normal Christmas day reading, it would seem that everyone accepted this child with open arms, acknowledging His place in the world.
There is the shepherds response:
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Luke 2:
Simeon’s reponse:
Luke 2:29-30
“Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word;
For my eyes have seen Your salvation
And Anna’s response:
And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
Luke 2:
Yet from Matthew’s record we learn how our King received a mixed reception when He arrived, and based upon how you receive Him will determine how you respond to Him. Are you accepting Him or rejecting Him?
Yet from Matthew’s record we learn how our King received a mixed reception when He arrived, and based upon how you receive Him will determine how you respond to Him.
Those who accept Him seek after Him.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Those who accept Him worship Him.
Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.
And those who accept Him protect and defend their King.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
Those who our rejecting Him find themselves in direct opposition to the King of kings. Because of the heart attitude they are afraid of Him, they ignore Him, and unless this attitude changes they wil purse the desire to destroy Him.
Ignore Him.
And seek to destroy Him.
What is your response to the King?
Well, at the end of we find Joseph returning with his young family to Israel, after the death of Herod. And under the sovereign hand of God they found themselves being led to Nazareth.
Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.”
Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
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.”
From the book of Luke we learn that from there Jesus proceeded to grow and mature as any other child, living in obedience to His earthly parents.
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
What a beautiful testimony of what it means to live in submission. It does not mean you are inferior, and if anybody uses submission in terms of inferiority, they are wrong. I repeat, THEY ARE WRONG! Submission is the acknowledgment of a God-ordained order and a respect of others.
Luke 2:51-52
submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,
Now as we come into , we are jumping somewhere between 18-30 years later. records the events at Jesus birth, His circumcision, and when He was twelve years-old. records the events within the first two years of his life, and from we learn that Jesus was around 30 years of age when he began his public ministry.
Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,
So Matthew picks up his record somewhere in this time frame with the ministry of John the Baptist, The Herald of the King.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
John the Baptist was the son of the Zacharias and Elizabeth the cousin to Mary.
John the Baptist was the son of the Zacharias and Elizabeth the cousin to Mary.
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
Luke 1:13
This made John a second-cousin to Jesus. There is precedence to say that growing up that though John knew Jesus he did not know specifically who his cousin was.
I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
John 1:30-
the cousin of Jesus
But I can’t help but wonder if John saw that there was something different about his cousin. I mean at the age of twelve Jesus was having logical discussions with the doctors of the law.
I often wonder if John knew who is cousin was, and if he did not know specifically I am sure he must have sensed something different about him.
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.
And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
But John the Baptist was the last of an era. His ministry was one of transition, bringing the Old covenant to an end while announcing the coming of the new. He is not the inaugurator of the new era, but the herald of the new era.
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.
The purpose of John the Baptist was to prepare for and announce the introduction of the Gospel. He was quite the unique bloke for his time, but a necessary bloke. He was the “for such a time as this” person of his generation.
It had been almost 400 years since Israel had received a word from God, many had become complacent and hypocritical in their obedience to God. They were depending more on their Jewish heritage and outward action than their relationship with God. John was the Elijah who was to come.
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”
Join me as we explore a little about John from , and then draw some applicable thoughts as we conclude. We begin by calling our attention to...
His Person ()
His Person ()
Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
John was a...
John was a Simple Man
John was a Simple Man
John was Simple Man
John was Simple Man
When I say John the Baptist was a simple man, I am not saying he had a mental impediment. What I am referring to is his way of life and how he conducted his ministry.
John was content with the simple things of life, but it was this simplicity that drew people to go and listen to him.
As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?
But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
John was content with the simple things of life. He was happy with having camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist.
John the Baptist was happy with having camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He was also not concerned with the chief places and recognition of the temple or synagogues. He was perfectly happy to meet with people in the wilderness.
And he was not concerned with the chief places and recognition of the temple or synagogues.
Philippians
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
John was a simple man, he was content with what God provided for him, but also,
John was a Humble Man
John was a Humble Man
John was a Humble Man
John was a Humble Man
Though he accepted and never down played his God-given purpose John was not about John.
He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John 1:19-
John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
John was a Bold Man
John was a Bold Man
John 1:23
John 1:26-
John recognised and acknowledge his place in the world, but never attempted to convince anyone he was superior or more spiritual to them.
Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
He saw himself neither through rose coloured nor jaundice coloured glasses, but through grace coloured glasses. John understood and accept that he was neither greater nor less than those to whom he preached, but understood, accepted, and simply fulfilled his God-called role in the world. So John was a simple man, he was a humble man, but
John was a Bold Man
John was a Bold Man
The basic definition of the word translated as “bold” or “boldness” to in the context of Scripture, where speech is implied, carries the idea of having a liberty of speech, an unreservedness of utterance, and the ability to speak plainly. This was John the Baptist through and through.
Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Luke 3:
John did not mince his words. He called a spade, a spade. He was not afraid of what others thought about his preaching, he just plainly spoke the truth even to those who had the power to arrest him or put him to death.
But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,
also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
Luke 3:19
Anglican minister Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon:
“Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest—upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.”
He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday—and with considerably more energy. (Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 126)
Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, M. Cocoris, Moody, 1984, p. 126
[Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.]
Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.
The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion.
When you look at his person you see John the Baptist personified meekness. He was a man who had power under control. He was bold, and felt complete liberty to say what needed to be said, but being a man of simplicity and humility allowed his message though at times very stern to be heard. When you were confronted by John you knew your argument was not with him, but with God. It was John’s simplicity of life, humble spirit, and bold preaching that drew people out of the cities into the wilderness to hear him.
Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him
The Preacher’s Commentary makes this observation about John the Baptist.
John was a man of meekness.
The Preacher’s Commentary makes this observation about John the Baptist.
Like Elijah in his spirit and power, John broke the comfortable silence of humanism with a word from Yahweh. Significantly, this inbreaking of a special message from God comes not from the synagogues or the temple schools but from a man whose schooling was in his walk with God.
[Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
As people made their way out to see, what some could call a spectacle, what did they hear? And this brings us to
And what did the hear? And it is here where we are drawn to
His Message (, )
His Message (, )
John’s message was one of preparation.
and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
Matthew 3:
John’s message was one of preparation.
His message was the till to soil that had become hard and filled with rocks. His tools were a plow and often a pick ax softening and clearing the land for the coming kingdom and her King.
For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
It is said seed requires 2 things for germination.
Moisture that it gets from the soil: for this seed to soil contact must be firm.
Warmth that it gets from the sun: for this farmers plant when the conditions are favourable.
Farmers till the soil to improve seed to soil contact for better germination, and suppress the weeds.
[https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-reasons-why-farmers-till-the-soil]
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:
In many ways John’s message was similar to Isaiah’s. It offered hope and comfort to those who would accept it, but judgement upon those who would not accept it.
In this way John’s message was similar to Isaiah’s. It offered hope and comfort to those who would accept it, but judgement upon those who would not accept it.
One of Preparation (vs. 3)
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God.
“Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
One of Preparation
Israel’s trust in God had been supplanted by genealogies and tradition, by human opinion and self-dependence, and by pride and self-righteousness. If they were to receive the kingdom some things needed to change. This is the call of repentance.
Isaiah 1:18-
One of Judgement
“The kingdom and her King is on it’s way. Prepare to receive it. Change your thinking, and walk in that change of thinking,” was the message of John the Baptist.
One of Comfort and Hope
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
John was the man sent from God, to bear witness of the coming Light.
Like Elijah in his spirit and power, John broke the comfortable silence of humanism with a word from Yahweh. Significantly, this inbreaking of a special message from God comes not from the synagogues or the temple schools but from a man whose schooling was in his walk with God.
[Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
Augsburger, M. S., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Matthew (Vol. 24, p. 18). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew John’s Announcement of the King
Like Elijah in his spirit and power, John broke the comfortable silence of humanism with a word from Yahweh. Significantly, this inbreaking of a special message from God comes not from the synagogues or the temple schools but from a man whose schooling was in his walk with God.
He was the man sent from God, to bear witness of the coming Light.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he of whom it is written: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.’
“Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
John 1:6-8
He was the Herald of the King. A man of simplicity, humility, and boldness, who called people to a different way of life, a life prepared for the coming kingdom and her King.
Matthew 11:
A man of simplicity, humility, and boldness, who called people to a different way of life, a life prepared for the coming kingdom and her King.
We who are citizens of the Kingdom are called to prepare the way, to till the soil, and call people to a different way of life.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.
We are the light bearers of our generation.
Matthew 5:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
And in the manner that John’s life called people to come and hear him, may we, the citizens of the Kingdom, walk in simplicity, humility, and boldness. Living contently, walking gracefully, and speaking the Gospel freely. May we be the Elijah’s of our generation. May we be the Herald’s of the King.
Those of us who are citizens of the Kingdom, will we be the Elijah’s of our generation? Will be the Herald’s of the Kingdom?