A Different Kind of King (Christmas): The birth of Jesus Christ was a very unusual birth for a king — the little town of Bethlehem, a manger for a bed, the announcement made to shepherds, and more. But Jesus would be a different kind of king. He came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Christmas was the birth of hope, life, and peace. Recorded on Dec 22, 2024, on Isaiah 9:1-6 by Pastor David Parks.
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Sermon Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone, and a very Merry Christmas to you! I’m Pastor David, and whether you’re joining us in person or online today, I’d like to welcome you to Appleton Gospel Church. We are so glad that you’re here! As a church, our mission is “sharing good news” because we believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only thing with the power to change everything. If you’re visiting today and would like to connect with us or if you have a prayer request or need help in some way, please let us know after the service today or by filling out a connect card. We’d love to connect with you. All through this Advent season, a season that can be so chaotic and stressful, I’ve been encouraging you to try to slow down and focus on what really matters for Christmas. I hope our service today can help you do just that. Some of you might need to be reminded of the invitation of our Lord Jesus Christ when he said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30). Please join me in prayer as we continue…
So, we’re taking a little break from our Exodus series for Christmas. During this Advent season, we’ve said that advent comes from the Latin for “arrival.” The ancient people of Israel had waited for generations for the coming of the promised Messianic King — a promise we believe was fulfilled in the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ. But just as God’s people waited for the first advent of Christ, so today, we await the second advent in the return of Christ. So, in our little Christmas mini-series, Waiting for the King, we started this past Sunday by focusing on the light of the promise of the first advent during a time of deep darkness. Today, we’ll tell the Christmas story of the birth of Jesus. Then, this coming Sunday, we’ll focus on the hope of the promise of the second advent and the return of Christ. Every year, I’m reminded that the anticipation of Christmas is so powerful. When I was a kid, I looked forward to the presents, of course (toys, games, treats). As an adult, I still like toys, games, and treats but now I look forward more to spending time with family and friends. In our story today of the first Christmas, we’ll see that men and women were anticipating, they were looking forward to, something a little more serious. They looked forward to the birth of a Savior, the Messiah, the Chosen One God had promised to rescue and redeem his people. But when this child was born, when this son was given, one thing became clear: A king had arrived, but he would be a different kind of king — not like the typical kings of this broken world. He would be a king who had not come to be served, but he would serve and ultimately give his life for others so that we might have love and joy and peace, we might be forgiven and freed from captivity to sin, and we might have life everlasting in his good kingdom. Jesus is a different kind of King. This is what Christmas is all about. The birth of hope, life, and peace. The birth of a different kind of king. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to Luke 2:1. We’re going to read through the Christmas story, and we’ll unpack it as we go.
Luke 2:1–7 (NIV), “1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 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.” This version of the Christmas story comes to us by a man named Luke. Luke was a physician in the first century AD who most likely became a Christian through the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Now, Luke didn’t know Jesus personally, but he did a careful investigation into the life/ministry of Jesus by interviewing eyewitnesses. The book of Luke is the first part of his work. But here, we have the birth account of Jesus starting with Mary and Joseph traveling from Nazareth in the northern region of Galilee about 90 miles down to Bethlehem in Judea in the south. This would’ve taken about a week on foot with a very pregnant Mary. Now, the Messiah was prophesied to come from Bethlehem (Micah 5), but it isn’t until this account that we learn the reason why. Luke says it was because of a Roman census that required everyone to return to their ancestral home. So, for Joseph, being from the house and line of the ancient King David meant going to Bethlehem, the town of David. We don’t know how old Mary and Joseph were at the time, but people back then were usually engaged (pledged to be married) in their teens or early twenties. So, Mary and Joseph were likely pretty young at the time. Because of the census, Bethlehem was packed with people, including many extended family members of Mary and Joseph. Some of you are hosting family for Christmas this week, and you’ll have a similar experience — people everywhere, probably kids sleeping on the floor somewhere, stuff everywhere. It can be fun, but I’m sure it wasn’t Mary’s ideal birth plan. When Jesus was born, Mary cleaned him, clothed him, and placed him in a manger, or a little crib normally used to feed animals. If you think of the setting of the birth of a king, this would be the farthest thing from what you’d imagine. But this was where Jesus was born, a different kind of king who only ever used his power, influence, and authority not to be served but to serve and give and sacrifice for the benefit of others. What would happen next?
Luke 2:8-21 (NIV), “8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.” So we jump from the busyness of Bethlehem to the quiet countryside of the shepherds nearby. And bursting out of the quiet darkness comes this shocking announcement: “Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” This announcement was not made to kings or governors or the rich and famous (as the birth of a typical king would include) but to lowly shepherds. However, it still came with some heavenly fireworks. Luke says, “A great company of the heavenly host” appeared. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of angels appeared to glorify God for the wonderful gift of his one and only Son. Now, modern Western people tend to ignore the spiritual realm. But the Bible presents angels/demons and the spiritual realm as just a fact of reality. Angels are creatures like human beings but are spiritual in nature. As they hear the message, the shepherds go from terrified to curious. Could this be true? So they go to Bethlehem, where they quickly realize that everything the angels said was true! Luke reports that on the eighth day after he was born, according to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph had the child circumcised and named Jesus. We’ll continue to see this, but Mary and Joseph were devout in their Jewish faith. They were careful to obey God’s word, the Law of Moses, even as, again, they were young. They didn’t wait until they were old to obey God. And for the kids and the teenagers here today, I’d like to speak to you now. In Mary and Joseph, you have a young man and woman who show us that you don’t have to wait until you’re older to honor God with your life. Whether you’re six or sixteen, if you trust in Jesus and try your best to follow his way (with all the strength/faith his Spirit provides), nothing would please your Father in Heaven more than that.
I love Luke’s description of Mary’s response to these unusual events. “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” I bet! Mary had a lot to think about. About nine months earlier, the angel Gabriel had appeared to her, saying, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke says that Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Son of the Most High God? Son of God? Born of a virgin? What kind of man would this Jesus be? I’m sure Mary’s heart was full of wonder. Today, I’d like to encourage you to follow Mary’s example and treasure up all these things in your heart. Think about them. Confront them. What does it all mean? Could Jesus be the King of the Kingdom of God? Could he really have come from heaven to live and die on the cross for the sins of the world, be buried, but rise again on the third day? For two thousand years, this is what Christians have believed and this is what Christians see as the meaning of Christmas. Whether you’ve tried very hard your whole life to be a good person or whether you have a past, whether you feel like you have your life pretty much in order or you feel like you’re barely making it, whether you’re in a season of joy or mourning, of victory or shame, King Jesus came for you. But Jesus was willing to come because of his great love for us. There is hope and joy and peace available for all who place their faith and trust in him. This is what Christmas is all about. The birth of hope, life, and peace. The birth of a different kind of king. Let us pray.
