NOT a Costume Party

 

Christianity is NOT a Costume Party

Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

One of the favorite holidays of many children is Halloween.  Halloween is special to children (and childish adults) for two reasons:  1) because of the free candy.  I certainly can get on board for that reason.  2) because they get to play make-believe and dress up in a costume like their favorite characters.  When a child puts on a costume, in their minds, they are transformed into that persona.  For instance, when they pretend to be a super hero, they imagine that they can leap tall buildings and run faster than a speeding bullet.  

The fact is, putting on a costume that makes one LOOK like a character does not literally make them that person.  In our text today, Jesus states this same truth as it pertains to our duties as his followers.  There are some, that would attempt to put a on a Christian ‘costume’ to appear to be a follower of Jesus… but it is just pretend.

Jesus uses the scribes and Pharisees as his contemporary example of this.  Jesus has a unique and Deistic ability to know the hearts and minds of people.  He demonstrated this ability several times through out the Gospels.  So Jesus is not making a biased judgment here.  He is not making assumptions.  He is not jumping to conclusions.  Jesus KNOWS these men are pretending to act righteous just as clearly as he can see the clothing that they are wearing.  We can see a clear and detailed assessment of this in Matthew 23.  Here is just a few snippets.

Matthew 23:4-5 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. (5) But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

Matthew 23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.

Now notice how Jesus concludes this exchange…

Matthew 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jesus asks a rhetorical question in conclusion:  How can you escape the damnation of Hell?  Being rhetorical, the answer is obvious…. They can’t in that state.

With that understood, Jesus informs us, that if Our righteousness does not exceed that of these Pharisees, we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  To understand this passage more fully, we must understand what righteousness means.

Deuteronomy 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. 

So righteousness is following the commands, wishes, precepts, and laws of God. It is…Doing right.  In its purest sense, true righteousness is obeying the the Law perfectly.  But here are some additional truths about righteousness.

Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

Based upon these three passages we must understand these three truths.

1.  No one is able to be righteous on their own

2.  We can be Made Righteous by the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross

3.  Once we are made righteous, we must dedicate ourselves to living righteously

It is a well documented fact that they Pharisees and other Religious leaders of Jesus’ time were hungry for power and were much more concerned with holding on to their power than pleasing God.  But if we put anything in front of God as a priority, Jesus makes it clear that he will consider us the same as these bad examples.

While Jesus understands that we are NOT capable of being righteous on our own, he died so that he could make us to be righteous.  And once we obtain that beautiful privilege, we need to strive to be and demonstrate the righteousness of God.  Anything short of that is just putting on a silly costume.

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Jesus…the Fulfillment of the Law

Jesus…the Fulfillment of the Law

Matthew 5:17-18  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  (18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

From early on in Jesus’ ministry, he had representatives (spies) from the Jewish religious hierarchy following him everywhere he went (Matt 9:24, Matt 12:2, Matt 12:24, Matt 12:38, Matt. 15:1, Matt. 16:1).  Their purpose was simple:  To Destroy Jesus.

Matthew 12:14  Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. 

When political scandals arise today, the key questions that always comes to the forefront are:  What did they know and when did they know it.  The fact is, the Pharisees, Scribes and others of the Religious leaders feared Jesus.  They feared Jesus would take away their political power.  From the time he was born (Matt 2:2) to the cruel death on the cross (Matt 27:37), Jesus was known to some as King of the Jews.  This knowledge may have been well know by the Jewish scholars because it was prophesied, years in advance (Isa 9:6-7).  What did they know and when did they know it?  Did they fear him simply as a rival – or did they fear him because they knew :

1.  Who he was (The Son of God and THE Messiah)

2.  What his mission was

3.  What that ultimately meant to their ‘Power’ and influence over the people

Jesus understood this fear and he addressed it in the Sermon on the Mount.  Notice how he starts off.

Matthew 5:17-18  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy…

On more than one occasion, Jesus was accused of being a blasphemer or worse…an agent of Satan.  But Jesus reassures those listening that his mission was not the destruction of the Law.  The word destroy or destruction is defined as:  Damaging beyond repair.  You see, the Jews were looking for A messiah.  But not THE Messiah!  They had in their mind a strong military and political figure (Like King David) that would lead then to freedom from the Romans and maybe even where they ruled the world.  It was never intended by Jesus to destroy (damage beyond repair) the Law of Moses, but…

Matthew 5:17-18  …I am not come to destroy, but to Fulfill.

Jesus’ mission was not to destroy the law of Moses, but he was bringing it to and end nonetheless.  And that, I think, is what the Pharisees and Scribed feared so much.  Fulfilling the Law would bring it to and end all the same.  The Bible tells us that the Law was only temporary in its inception for the purpose of preparing the way for the Law of Christ (Galatians 3:24).  The Law was NEVER intended to be the end game, but only the means to the real end.  The book of Hebrews makes the argument that the Law of Christ is superior to the Law of Moses (Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 9:23) .

We should all be thankful, that Jesus came and nailed the Old Law to the cross, taking it out of the way, that we might have a Better covenant with our Creator (Colossians 2:14)!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Light of the World

 You Are the Light of the World!

Matthew 5:14-16  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

After declaring that his followers were the ‘Salt of the Earth’, Jesus puts an exclamation point on the influence that Christians ought to project by also declaring that “You Are the Light of the World!  The Bible speaks often about the concept and contrast of Light vrs Darkness and this passage from the Sermon on the Mount uses this analogy to speak to our effect on the world around us.

1.  You Are the Light of the World

When I read this passage, I can’t help but think of the imagery of a coastal lighthouse.  These lighthouse serves a very important function: to warn sailors about impending dangers ahead and so they can alter their course to prevent collision with the rocky shores along the coast line.  This, in many ways, so accurately describes a Christian’s mission in the world.  We as Christians should serve as a warning to those around about us to the eternal danger that is before them if they do not change their current course.  Sin, evil and the absence of God is described in the Bible as Darkness (Ephesians 6:12, Colossians 1:13, 1Thessalonians 5:4-5, 1Peter 2:9, 2Peter 2:4, 1John 1:5).  Therefore our lives, attitudes, actions, lifestyles,  behaviors, reactions, judgements and overall demeanor should be the counter to the darkness of the world.

After stating the fact that we are to be the light of the world, Jesus makes redundant statements about the need to remain shining at all times.  It does not do a sailor one bit of good to have a lighthouse on a dangerous coast line if the light itself burns out.  

Jesus’ first  statement in this regard states:   “A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid”.  While we should take this like a command, it is not given as a command.  Instead it is presented as an obvious fact.  If you are a traveler and there is a city ahead of you that is at a higher elevation, that city will be obvious from quite a distance.  Its ambient light and higher elevation, even from a great distance, will serve as a beacon to guide you to that location.  As christians, we should be that noticeable… by our nature of being different from the world.  By our nature of being Christ like.

The second statement is given much more like a command:  “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel”.  If we have this gift, this blessing given by the Grace of God, we should be proud to show it off.  To Declare it!  To let it shine so all can see!

2.  Our Purpose is to Shine Before Men

I have heard many people talk about being “closet” Christians.  Their perception that it is personal, just between them and God.  But Jesus says just the opposite.  Jesus whole purpose for declaring that we are the “Light of the World” is for the purpose of making it seen by men.  The implication is that we should let our light shine so that “men” in darkness can see it!  And like that traveler, they can be guided to God and Jesus by following the light that we project.

3.  See Our Good Works

Jesus is very specific about how we are to project our light that other men in darkness can see it.  Through our “Good Works”.  Works in religion often get a bad wrap.  No, we cannot be saved by our works, but that does not mean that “works” are insignificant in the life of a Christian.  The works here really is just an outward manifestation of the heart that is being directed by God.  The works here can be compared to what the Bible talks about “fruit”(John 15:8).  Fruit, in one respect, is identifying characteristic that demonstrates what kind of tree it is.  If you see a tree with an apple on it…We know that it is an apple tree.  Works are the same.  When men in darkness sees a manifestation of the life of a faithful Christian, it should and will attract attention.

4.  Glorify the Father in Heaven

The purpose of the works that Jesus talks about is not to bring glory to ourselves.  Instead, our works should glorify God.  When I was a child, it was very common to drive at night and see the rays from a giant spotlight darting across the sky.  During that time, businesses would rent these giant spot lights to shine in the night to advertise a sale or some other event that the business was having.  The goal for the business was to shine the light and peak the curiosity of the people driving around so much that they would follow the light back to the source.  The the light itself was not the end goal.  The end goal was for those people to find the business that was shining the light.  We are to act like those giant spotlights.  When people see our good works, that we are performing on behalf of our benevolent Father, they will be attracted to the light that we project. If we perform this function properly, they ultimately should not find us, but instead find God.

Matthew 5:14-16  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.  (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

You Are the Salt of the Earth!

 You Are the Salt of the Earth!

Matthew 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

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In Chapters 5, 6, & 7 of the gospel of Matthew, we have recorded Jesus’ famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’.  This sermon is very different than what we think of as a sermon.  Instead of Jesus giving lots of illustrations and commentary on a single point, Jesus simply states a number of truths and moves on to the next one.  He begins the sermon with the ‘Beatitudes’.  Generally, the Beatitudes are commonly understood to be characteristics that Jesus desires in his followers.

After giving the “Beatitudes”, Jesus makes this declaration:  “You are the Salt of the Earth“. This is a challenge, even a command, for anyone that wants to be follower of Jesus.  Therefore, if we desire to be followers of Jesus…and ultimately representatives of Him on this earth, we need to understand what it is that Jesus is telling us.  Salt serves two primary functions as it pertains to food. 

1.  Salt is a Preservative

This characteristic is not very well known to those that came after the Baby boomer generation.  In the ‘old’ days, folks in the rural areas of the country would cure meat with salt.  The process would draw moisture out of the cells of the meat. With the moisture gone, bacteria that causes spoilage is unable to survive and the meat is preserved.

Jesus is therefore calling his followers to act as a preservative for the world.  Sin is often described in the Bible as a degenerative, bacteria on the souls of men.  But we do not have the power to preserve or save on our own.  We can only act as agents on behalf of Jesus to direct those that are willing to partake of the saving and preserving gifts that Jesus has to offer.

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Matthew 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

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2.  Salt is a Flavor Enhancer 

When it comes to savory foods adding salt just makes them taste better!  It improves the flavor.  As followers of Jesus, we should make life a little bit better for those around us.  Christians should be the most joyful people around.  We have hope that others do not have.  He have blessings that the world cannot imagine.  And we have a loving Father that acts as a shield and protector when things go bad.  People should see us and see something different in us.  They should look at us and want some of our salt.

You are the salt of the Earth!  Do we take that role seriously?  Do promote Jesus by the way that live our lives?  Do we act and behave in such a way that others want what we have?  This world needs salt!  And we must be the source for which they find it!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Jesus Picked Who?

 

Jesus Picked Who?

Matthew 4:18-20  And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  (19) And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  (20) And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 

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There is a gospel hymn that we often sing:  “Why Did My Savior Come to Earth”.  The answer to that is found in the first chapter of the New Testament.

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Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his 

name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

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The mission of Jesus was to save his people, and for that matter, all people from their sins.  The mission was fairly straightforward.  The plan, however, was much more complicated.  It would include Jesus teaching and preaching for 3 years, dying on the cross to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and ultimately establishing an organization that would carry on his mission.  In our text today, we see the beginning of Jesus putting together the core group that would carry on after is death, burial and resurrection.

1.  Jesus’ Choice in Followers:

The concept of establishing the church that would carry on after Jesus left this earth, was not an afterthought or contingency plan because his original plan fell through.  Instead, it was planned from the foundations of the world (Matt. 25:34).  

So the ultimate question is:  If you had 6,000 years to plan the most important organization in the history of mankind, one that had the most vital eternal consequences for all of mankind hanging in the balance, who would you choose to carry on the mission?  The rich and well connected?  Lawyers?  Doctors?  Professors?  Business owners?  Sales Specialists?  If it were me, I would search the world over to find the very best in the world in various disciplines to work together to accomplish this task.

That is not the direction Jesus went.  Jesus stayed in his tiny corner of the world and found people from that area.  Furthermore, he did not even try to find the “Best”.  The first two men that Jesus recruited were Peter and his brother Andrew.  They were fisherman.  During  this time period, fishermen were not the top of the professional pecking order. Most likely they lived “paycheck to paycheck” and were uneducated; maybe even illiterate.   

While we do not know the professions of most of the other apostles, we do know that one of them was a Tax Collector.  Tax Collectors were the considered to be traitors because they worked on behalf of the Roman government to tax the Israelites.  So based on the professions we do know, we have fishermen and tax collectors.  No leaders!  None proven successful.  No professionals!  None with influence.  None with built in credibility.  Just ordinary people. People like you and me.  And they changed the world.  That gives us hope that we can do it again!

2.  Jesus’ Request:

Jesus’ request was very simple.  Follow me and I will turn your life upside down.  Sorry, that is not the words that he used but in reality, that is the outcome.  And to some degree, I think they understood that.  

That is still Jesus request for each of us.  “Follow Me”!  By following him requires that we no longer direct ourselves.  By following him we no longer follow the world.  By following him properly, it will likely turn our lives upside down.  But the end result will be worth it.

So why would they do such a thing?  Why would anyone do such a thing?  Simply, because they believed in Jesus!  Jesus has a lot to offer that the world cannot!  If you trust in him, he will improve your life and change your eternal destiny.

Secondly, he told them they would become “Fishers of Men”.  They were not currently in the people business.  You might even say they had isolated themselves from most people.  Certainly by being fisherman, they had not cornered the market on being influencial or persuasive orators.  They were not experts on the behaviors of people.  We do not need this kind of training either.  All we need is a desire to help people and a willingness to SHARE the message of Jesus to others.

3.  Peter and Andrew’s Reaction:

I love their reaction.  They didn’t tell Jesus they would go home and think about it.  They didn’t ask for a brochure to study more on his movement.  They dropped their nets and followed him.  There was something about Jesus, that they were willing to turn their lives over to him for.

The good news is that we do not need to drop our jobs and abandon all of our lives in order to follow Jesus.  Sure over time, we may find things that we need to leave in the past, but we need to be willing to sacrifice all for him!

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Matthew 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

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I am thankful that Jesus did not rely on experts to carry out his mission.  I am thankful that ordinary people with ordinary skills can be transformed into ‘Fishers of Men’.  The first step is that we must be willing to Follow Jesus!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

 

What Did Jesus Preach?

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Matthew 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

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To listen to discussions about Jesus in public venues, one would have a very skewed perception of who he was.  The most common statement that I hear in public discourse is:  “Jesus is Love”.  While that is not a false statement, as it is used, is VERY misleading.  This statement has to be understood by the person using it and the context it is being used.  Most often, it is spoken in the context of a topic being discussed that is widely believed to be a sinful lifestyle or behavior.  And to throw out the statement that “Jesus is Love” is intended to convince the masses that Jesus doesn’t care about the sinful lifestyles or behaviors of others.  He only cares about “Love”.  The other primary issue is that the person making this claim has NO idea about what Jesus’ meaning of love is.  But that is a topic for another day.

Our passage today gives us some very important clues to who Jesus is as a teacher.  It is worth our time and effort to understand who Jesus really is.

1.  Jesus Began to Preach

Words mean things.  For the most part, writers are very careful to choose just the right word to convey the delicate nuance of what they are trying to convey.  The Bible is no different.  There are many ways that the Bible could have described what Jesus did in his ministry.  It could have said that ‘Jesus began to encourage’.  Or ‘Jesus began to uplift’. Or ‘Jesus began to spread love’.  Instead, it says that ‘Jesus began to preach’.  The word ‘Preaching’ is a unique word.  It is usually isolated to religious teachings.  It also conveys a sense of persuasion – trying to get the listener to react in a prescribed manner.  In every recorded sermon, lesson or teaching of Jesus, he tried to get people to leave the life that they had and change to be able to follow him.

2.  Jesus Preached Repentance

So what did Jesus preach?  He preached Repentance!  His primary message was NOT his “love” for us.  His primary message was not “tolerance”.  His primary message was not “acceptance”.  Instead, as our passage today clearly states, Jesus preached Repentance!  

So what is the inference that we must conclude from this truth?  To get that, we must understand what “Repentance means”.  The best definition that I have hears is that Repentance is a change of heart which will lead to a change of life.  Change!  Ok…change from what to what?

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Luke 15:10  Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

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Acts 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 

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Repentance is a change of mind that will lead to a change of life from a state of sin or wickedness to going in the opposite direction…towards God! Therefore, if Jesus preached repentance, he, by necessity, preached about sin.  And since he was preaching repentance, we know that Jesus did not endorse ignoring sin, or excusing sin, or acting like it was no big deal.  To Jesus, sin is a HUGE deal.  It was the sole reason that he had to die on the cross for our sins.  Jesus preached repentance because he wanted us to cease from sin and to follow him!

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Acts 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 

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3.  Jesus Preached about the Kingdom

The other main topic that Jesus preached about, from this passage is the Kingdom.  It is not good enough for us just to repent.  We must also become citizens of his great Kingdom, of which he is King, Ruler, and Master!  We know that the Kingdom that Jesus established is his church (Matt 16:18-19).  Many religions want to separate the King from the Kingdom.  Meaning, that you can believe in Jesus (the King) and not necessarily have any thing to do with his church (his kingdom).  Jesus did not see it that way.  Once one repents, Jesus expects them to become citizens of his Kingdom, of which he has total authority.

Examine the ministry of Jesus in the four accounts of his Gospel (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).  You will not find a passive, feel-good, let’s-all-get-along message coming out of his mouth.  What you will find is that Jesus hated sin and wanted to save as many people from the curse of sin as possible.  Certainly Jesus represents Love.  So much so that he made the ultimate sacrifice to demonstrate his love for us.  But Jesus dedicated his life to preaching repentance and His Kingdom!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

The Temptation of Jesus

 

The Temptation of Jesus

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Matthew 4:1-4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (2) And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. (3) And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (4) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 

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The definition of “Temptation” according to Dictionary.com is:

Tempt:  to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.

The definition of temptation does not imply an overwhelming force so strong that you will be overcome and unable to say no.  Instead, it implies that we always have a CHOICE!…Free Will!  The life that we have, the choices we have made, the decisions that we followed, fall squarely on our own shoulders.  Make no mistake about it, Satan has studied us.  He knows us and he will expose our weaknesses.

In our text today, Jesus has gone without food for 40 days in the wilderness.  If you have never really fasted, you may not understand the hunger that he experienced and how badly he wanted and needed to eat.  When Satan appears on the scene, he quickly picks up on that queue and chooses to use that human weakness to destroy Jesus.  He tells Jesus:  ‘Go ahead, turn these rocks into bread and have something to eat’.  But Jesus’ response is a lesson we all need to store in our hearts and minds for our future temptations.

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 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, 

but by Every Word that Proceeds

Out of the Mouth of God. 

Matthew 4:4

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Jesus takes this physical temptation and converts it to a spiritual response.  He creatively compares the essentiality of food to a starving person to the significance and essentiality of the Message of God.  In short, he is trying to convey that like being without food can lead to our physical death, the lack of God’s word applied to our lives can lead to our own spiritual death.  While a spiritual death, on the surface, does not seem to be as critical as physical death, it is actually is far worse because it is eternal.

While this principle is valuable on its own, it has deeper significance as it pertains to repelling temptation.  You see, Jesus is actually demonstrating, in this statement, how this is applicable.  In saying this, he himself is quoting Scripture to repel the temptation at hand!  Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3!  In order to keep Satan at bay, Jesus relies on his knowledge of God’s word, and recalls it on command to remind him what God wants out of him in that moment.

Likewise, we can and MUST use it exactly as Jesus does.  As we are being tempted, we must recall the knowledge of what God wants for our lives…In that moment, and use it as Fuel to power our resistence against the wiles of Satan

May we all Live by Every Word that Proceeds from the Mouth of God!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Look for the King!

 Look For the King!

Matthew 2:1-12 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, (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. (3) When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. (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. (5) And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, (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. (7) Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. (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. (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. (10) When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (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. (12) And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

In the United States, every four years, our country gets turned upside-down as we search, evaluate, and elect a new president to lead the direction of our country.  The process lasts for well over a year as we narrow the field to the final two and then the real fight, bickering, positioning, gaming, and politicking takes place.  As voters, we gather as much information as possible as we watch the debates, watch interviews with the candidates, listen to what others say about the candidates, examine each of their records, watch rallies and speeches…all to attempt to make the most informed decision as possible.

All this to select the person to lead a country for four to eight years.

What might we go through if we were selecting a King for life?  What should we then go through if we were searching for a King for Eternity?

In our text today, we find events surrounding the birth of Jesus.  Specifically we read of the wise men’s search for the recent birth of the “King of the Jews”.  I think there are 3 things that we can learn from these searchers.

1.  It was Wise Men that Searched for Jesus

Generally speaking, at each end of he spectrum we have two extremes:  Foolish and Wise.  I di not know of  a single person that would claim they  are aiming for or even want to fall on the side of the foolish.  Foolish people focus on trivial things that entertain them for the moment.  Wise people focus on how to improve their situation for the long term.

It is no accident that the Bible describes the men that searched for Jesus as “Wise Men”.  The men most likely would have been men of stature and significance in their far away lands.  They brought significantly valuable gifts, so they would have been men of means and influence.  And yet with all of these other characteristics, they understood the importance of  seeking Jesus the King!

2.  They Sacrificed to Find the King

These men did not come from down the street, or across town, or even from the same country.  They traveled a great distance from another country in the east to seek out Jesus.  Not only was time and inconvenience involved, they also brought him valuable gifts.  Sacrifice is a critical part of serving Jesus.  Jesus sacrificed his life to save ours and he expects us to make some sacrifices in out life that we might serve him.

3.  They Followed the Star

As these men searched for Jesus they were guided by a Star in the sky which led them to his location.  We may not have a physical star to guide us, the the principle is not much different.  In Psalms 119:105  it says  “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. “  We can find the King too because God similarly gave us a light to follow.  His Word is the ONLY thing that can lead us to the cross of Jesus.

4.  They Worshipped Him

When they found the King.  They worshipped him.  I think this is particularly significant because the “King of the Jews” had to be very different than the birth of other Kings.  There was no fan-fair.  There was no celebration.  They did not find him in a palace surrounded by a powerful family and riches.  They found a baby that few knew about and was born in the least likely a place for a King to be.  And yet, they did not let their blown expectations deter them.  They still knew he was THE King and they worshipped him.

Often times, people have unrealistic expectations of Jesus.  And when they discover he is different than they hoped they are like Naaman, the walk away mad.  The world has created a narrative about Jesus that man will not like.  But in the end, we must understand what God has told us about our King, accept it, and Worship him.  Because in the end, Our King is victorious and we need to be on his side.

You need to Look for the King if you have not already found him.  If you have questions, ask me.  I will shine the Light on the subject!

Reflecting the SON, 

Dennis Hogan

dennis.hogan@icloud.com

Questions, comments or  further explanation?  Contact me at:  dennis.hogan@icloud.com