Good morning church. Good morning. It's a joy to worship together this morning. Please turn with me to John chapter one. Let's turn to John chapter one. John chapter one and Let's read from verse 29 to verse 34. Just from verse 29 to verse 34. John chapter 1. The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, after me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me. I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came, baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel. And John bore witness. I saw the spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, he on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and I have borne witness that this is the Son of God. Amen. My topic this morning is Honor the Son of God, the King over all. Honor the Son of God, the King over all. The first chapter of the Gospel of John draws our attention to the identity of Jesus Christ. It draws our attention to the titles of Jesus. In chapter 1, we see that Jesus is the Word. In chapter 1, verse 1, in the beginning, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It tells us that Jesus is the Creator, that Jesus is the Light. We learn that Jesus is God, Jesus is the Lord, that Jesus is the Lamb of God, Jesus is the Rabbi, Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the Son of God. For time together this morning, I want us to pay attention to this specific title of Jesus Christ, that Jesus is the Son of God. This is a declaration that was made by God at the baptism of Jesus Christ. In Matthew chapter three, verse 16, we learn this, that at the baptism of Jesus Christ, a spirit came descending like a dove and coming to rest on him. And behold, a voice from heaven said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And so this title of the Son of God is so significant and it's worth our time to understand what it means, to understand exactly why Jesus is called the Son of God. This is a declaration that was made by God at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 17, verse five, it says, this is my son whom I love, with him I'm well pleased, listen to him. There's a declaration that was made by Jesus when he conquered the tempter in the wilderness, which specific title of Jesus Christ was put under question during the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. It was this specific title, the Son of God. When the tempter, when Satan comes to Jesus Christ, what does he say before he tempts him? says, if you are the son of God, then turn this stone into bread. If you are the son of God, if you are the son of God, this is the title that was brought into question. You see what the devil was saying is, if he could bring doubt to this title of Jesus Christ, then he would have destroyed Jesus. But if he can put a dent on this title, then he would have destroyed the credibility of Jesus Christ. If he can undermine this title, he would have totally destroyed the ministry of Jesus. This is a declaration that was made by John the Baptist. In John 1.32, John bore witness, he says, I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove. And it remained on him. I myself did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, he on whom you see the spirit descend and remain. This is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And listen to this declaration by John the Baptist says, I've seen and I've borne witness that this is the son of God. As we continue in chapter 1 of John, we see that this is also a declaration that was made by Nathanael. Nathanael, in John 1, 39, he says, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. And so brothers and sisters, If you want to understand the identity, the authority, and the credibility of Jesus, you must understand this title. Pray for me that my voice speaks with me. Jesus is the Son of God. If you want to understand the supremacy of Jesus, you must understand this title. If you want to embrace Jesus as your savior, this is a title that you need to understand. Do you want to level up your grasp of who Jesus is? Then you need to know exactly what it means that Jesus is the son of God. One of the things that we need to understand today as we study the Bible is to recognize how little of the Old Testament we know today, that most of us are not familiar with the content of the Old Testament and the teachings of the Old Testament. But this was not so during this time of Jesus and even in the early church. You see, the initial recipients of the Bible were very familiar with the Old Testament. They knew the Old Testament very well. And certain phrases and titles and statements were very obvious to them. They had a thorough understanding of the Old Testament. You see, they lived in the Old Testament writings, and most of them even had large parts of the Old Testament memorized. They understood Old Testament prophecies. They were at home in the Old Testament, and it was so easy for them to make connections. But today our knowledge of the Old Testament is not that thorough and it's not that clear. And so we need to do some work in order to bridge this gap, in order for us to understand the New Testament. It's very key for us to understand the Old Testament. will not appreciate the force of the message of the New Testament unless we understand the Old Testament. And so as we study, we notice that this title of the Son of God was not misunderstood by those who heard Jesus Christ use it. They knew that to call yourself the son of God meant that you are claiming divine authority. That is why the Jews are not happy when Jesus was using this title for himself. Look at a few incidents. Jesus healed on the Sabbath in John chapter five. And Jesus, after healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus said, my father is always at work to this very day, and I too am working. What was the reaction to this statement? You see that for this reason they tried all the more to kill him. Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. Understanding was clear that for you to claim that you are the son of God, you are making bold claims. You are claiming to be equal with God. You are claiming to have divine authority. We see another incident in Matthew 26. the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. And during his trial, the high priest asked him if he was the son of God. Jesus replied, you have said so. You'll see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the mighty one. What is the reaction to this? The crowds, what did they say? He has spoken blasphemy. Why do we need any more witnesses? He is worthy of death. Now, what is it about this title that made the Jews to try to kill Jesus? What is it that made the priest to charge him of blasphemy? How did they understand this title? They knew that to call yourself the son of God was to claim divine authority. It was clear to the initial recipients of the New Testament. It was clear to the Jews. There was no confusion about it. It was plain and direct that to say that you were the son of God was to assert that you had divine authority. And one of the places where we see this clearly in the Old Testament is in Psalm chapter 2. I want us to turn there to Psalm chapter 2 as we bolster our understanding of the meaning of this title that Jesus is the Son of God. I want us to see there in Psalm chapter two and bridge our gap in this understanding, and bridge our gap in understanding what the Bible really says when it says that Jesus is the son of God, and exactly what was Jesus claiming when he called himself the son of God. Look there in Psalm chapter two, and we're going to learn why this title is such a grand and unique title. Psalm chapter two, why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed saying, let us best their bonds apart and cast away their courts from us. He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord holds them in derision. Then he'll speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury saying, As for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I'll make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. We shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a porcelain vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way. For his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are those who take refuge in him. Amen. Thank you. And so the title of my sermon this morning is Honor the Son of God the King over all. And I want us to look at Psalm Chapter 2 as we boast our understanding of this title, the Son of God. honor the Son of God, give homage to the King. And we're going to look at three points. The authority of the King must not be undermined. The authority of the King is established by God, and be warned, give homage to the Son of God. Psalm chapter two is a prophetic psalm. It's a messianic psalm. This psalm looks and speaks to us about who Jesus is and this is a psalm that prophesies and it explains to us what God intends to do in the world and what God has designed in the world concerning his son Jesus Christ. And so in this psalm, we're going to grasp the authority of the Son of God. We're going to grasp the authority of Jesus Christ. We're going to have a deeper understanding of what the Bible means when it says that Jesus is the Son of God. And first, let's see the authority of the King must not be undermined. Look there in verse one to three. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, let us best their bonds apart and cast away their courts from us. These first three verses describe all those who have not surrendered to King Jesus. There's no middle ground when it comes to Jesus. You cannot say, I'm not following Jesus, but you know, I'm not against him also. You can say, I don't believe in him, but you know, I don't have issues with him and his teachings and those who believe in him. You cannot say he was a good teacher, but not for me. You see, when it comes to Jesus, you cannot say I admire his teachings, but I don't personally believe in him. There is no middle ground. And our text tells us here that why do the nations rage? Why do the peoples plot in vain? You see, the question here is, are you resisting the authority of Jesus Christ? Are you indifferent to Jesus? Why are you doing this? Why are you engaging in such foolishness? Why are you committed to such a futile exercise? Why do you plot in vain? Our text tells us that when it comes to Jesus, it is all or nothing. You see, it is either submission to Jesus or you are in opposition to Jesus. Look at verse two and verse three of Psalm chapter two. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us best their bonds apart and cast away their courts from us. Here we see a picture of those who are powerful, those who are influential. You see, those who have some kind of authority, the Bible tells us that they take counsel together. They're strategizing, you see, they're planning. They're coming up with a game plan on how to resist the authority of Jesus. They set themselves together. They take counsel together. It says that they're plotting, they're in cahoots, they're colluding together. They're working hard to say, let us unshackle ourselves from the authority of Jesus. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together. Against whom? Against the Lord and His anointed. Against whom? Against the Lord and His counsel. You see, against God and against His anointed. Against God and against the Messiah. That's what this term means, His anointed. Against God and against the special one. This is what this term means. The kings and the rulers of the earth, they set themselves, they're plotting, they're saying, we need to unshackle ourselves from the dominion and the authority and the rulership and the leadership of God and His anointed one. It was not only Jesus that they reject, but also God, the Father. The verse tells us that they rage against the Lord and against his anointed. That's the same title that Andrew uses here in John chapter one, when he speaks about Jesus. Andrew goes out and he looks for his brother, Peter, and he says, we have found the Messiah. We have found God's anointed, the son of God. Brothers and sisters, this rebellion is described to be against God and against God's anointed. What are they saying? Look at verse three. Let us best their bonds apart and cast away their courts from us. You see, if you don't bow down to Jesus Christ, the son of God, you are saying, let us free ourselves from the control of God. Friends, this is what you and I say when we resist the authority of Jesus Christ. When we will not obey Jesus Christ, when we will not bow down to King Jesus, this is what we are saying. We're saying, let us cast away their cords from us, you see. We're saying, these ropes that God and Jesus has bound us with, we need to cut them from ourselves, you see. We need to free ourselves from the tyranny of God. When we will not bow down to the Son of God, we are saying, Jesus, we are not going to be ruled by you. We are not going to be instructed by you. We are not going to march to your orders. Jesus, you can't tell us what to do. We are saying, God, we have a better and a wiser plan for our lives. To resist Jesus is to resist God. Jesus has divine authority. This is what this title, the Son of God, is all about. That Jesus has divine authority. Now how do we see this rebellion going on in our day? How do we see people resisting the authority and the leadership of Jesus Christ? We see that in the trivialization of Jesus. Jesus is of little value and of little importance. Jesus is the object of joking. When you want to mock someone, you need Jesus. This is how we see the rebellion going on in our day. The commands of Jesus are treated as optional and unnecessary. The gospel of Jesus is undermined by theatrics, by man-centered messages, by self-help motivations and empty musings of men. This is how the authority of Jesus Christ is being undermined. We see this rebellion in the disdain and the scorn that people have for the Word of God. The Bible is called that old, irrelevant, outdated, ancient book. The modern man knows better, you see. We are wiser now. We are enlightened now. We see this rebellion in the rampant celebration of immorality in our day. Blasphemy, immorality, nudity, obscene talk, dirty jokes, obsession with uncovering the sacred that God intended to be covered. indecency, foul speech, the objectification of women, obsession with sex, pornography, profanity, the desecration of what God intended to be precious. All of these acts and more are an act of rebellion to the Son of God. We see this rebellion in the attempt to undermine God's character and God's commands. You see, roles in marriage are spoken about as archaic. outdated and chauvinistic. The man is no longer the head of the home. The wife should never submit to her husband. Children are now the center of the home. Homosexuality is endorsed and encouraged. Sin is spoken lightly and casually of. We are controlled by our desires. We are obsessed by riches and worldly pleasures. We are controlled by our appetites. We are obsessed about getting ahead in life. You see, our life goal and purpose is to get out of the hood. Jesus is simply a means to an end. The Scriptures warn us today. Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us best their bonds apart and cast away their courts from us. We rage against God's anointed by belittling the message of the gospel, by undermining the validity of scripture, by mocking the message of the Bible, by insulting the Christian worldview, by our indifference to Jesus Christ, by treating Jesus like he's one of the saviors, by having a weak understanding of Jesus Christ, and by misunderstanding the Son of God. We rage against God's anointed by implementing unbiblical laws, by attempting to block the advance of the gospel, by the proliferation of blasphemy, immorality, and ignorance in our day, by speaking about the sacred things of God in a casual and indecent way. Friends, the authority of the king must not be undermined. This rebellion will not go far. The authority of Jesus must not be undermined. The authority of the king, the son of God, must not be taken lightly. And this is the title that the apostle John wants us to understand. This is the title that John the Baptist wants to hold to people's attention as Jesus begins his ministry. He's saying, do you understand who this man is? He is the son of God. This is the man that Psalms chapter two speaks about. Do you understand who he is? The authority of the king must not be undermined because the authority of the king is established by God. That's our second point. The authority of the king is established by God. Look at the verse four to verse nine. That's so sweet, verse four to verse six. He who sits in the heavens laughs The Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, As for me, I have set my key on Zion, my holy hill. The authority of the key is established by God. Do you get the picture? God looks at these nations, these kings, these rulers who are busy strategizing against Jesus. God is not panicking. He's not calling out a distress signal in heaven. God is not asking for backup. God is not appealing to an alliance. See, God is not calling up the League of Nations. What does our text say? He sits in the heavens and he laughs. You see, God now mocks those who resist King Jesus. Not only that, he assures them that Jesus shall reign. Are you not happy with Jesus? Are you not going to bow down to King Jesus' new flesh? God says, as for me, I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. The Lord holds them in derision. Verse five, he tells us, then he will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, as for me, I've set my king on Zion, my holy hill. Brothers and sisters, our obedience to Jesus Christ is not something that God is begging us to do. God is not appealing with us. God is not begging us. God is not pleading with us to recognize Jesus. God is not petitioning us to acknowledge Jesus. God is commanding us to bow down to King Jesus. He says, ask for me. I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. This is what it means to know Jesus as the son of God. That's why when the disciples of John saw Jesus, and they turned away from John and followed Jesus, because if he is the son of God, then we must be his disciples. Who is Jesus to you? Is he the son of God? Is he the authoritative one? Do you have a biblical understanding of his divine authority of who he is? Philippians chapter two, verse nine, it says, God has highly exalted him, meaning Jesus, God has highly exalted Jesus and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth. Every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Jesus has divine authority. He's a divine king by divine appointment. He's a divine king by divine commission. He's a divine king by divine assignment. He's a divine king by divine decree. He's a divine king by divine stability. Will you bow down to the authority of Jesus or are you set on your rebellion? Friend, will you repent or will you tell Jesus? Or do you insist on being against him? Jesus, the son of God, now speaks, declaring his sovereign authority. Look at verse seven to verse nine. I will tell of the decree. I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, you are my son. Today I have begotten you. As for me, I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with the rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Listen to this divine decree that Jesus speaks about. The Lord has said to me, see God has spoken to Jesus and he said, you are my son. Brothers and sisters, the declaration that Jesus is the Son of God means that Jesus has divine authority. This is my message this morning. This is the message of this son. This is the message of the Gospel of John. That Jesus, the Son of God, is one with divine and unique authority. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 to 5 tells us that Jesus is the Son of God. It tells us that Jesus is the mouthpiece of God, Jesus is the appointed heir of all things, Jesus created the world, Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God, that Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power, that Jesus made purification of sins, that Jesus sat down at the right hand of the majesty of God, that Jesus is superior to the angels, that Jesus has a superior name, that Jesus is more excellent than any creature, that Jesus is appointed by God, that Jesus has eternal communion with God, and Jesus reveals God to man. And this is what it tells us that to say that Jesus is the son of God is to say all these things. When the Bible speaks about Jesus as the unique Son of God, it means that Jesus has unique supreme authority. He has authority to cast out demons. He has authority to give life. He has authority to forgive sins. He has authority to save sinners. He has authority to give his life as a ransom for many. He has authority to conquer sin and death, and he has authority to rescue you from hell. He has authority to reconcile you with God. He has authority to speak as God. He has authority to save you from your sins. He has authority to save you from your addiction. He has authority to bring you to God as one who is excellent and accepted and holy and righteous before God. When we say that Jesus is the Son of God, we're saying Jesus has divine authority to accomplish all that the Father has sent him to do to the fool, imperfect, in fool. Romans 1 verse 1 to 4 says, the gospel was promised by God and God promised that he would send his own son who would descend from David and he would be declared to be the son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead. You see, brothers and sisters, when we talk about Jesus being the son of God, you need to understand that The Bible is bringing your attention to the divine authority of Jesus Christ, that He's able and willing to accomplish all that the Father sent Him to do, and He's able to do it to the full. to declare that Jesus is the Son of God, is to grasp the eternality of Jesus Christ, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. It is to grasp the deity of Jesus, the saving work of Jesus. It is to grasp the authority of Jesus, to grasp the power of Jesus, to grasp the majestic grandeur of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1.8, it says, but of the Son, you see, of the Son, He, meaning God, says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The center of uprightness is the center of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions. Do you know Jesus, the Son of God? Do you understand the authority of the Son of God? Listen as the psalmist gives a warning. Be warned. Give homage to the Son of God. Look at verse 10 to verse 12. Now, therefore, O kings, be wise. Be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way. for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in him. Here we find a five-fold instruction. Be wise, be warned, serve the king, kiss the sun, be blessed. You take all areas of your life and bring them to submission to Jesus Christ. Subject them to Christ. Be wise. This means that if you have not submitted to Jesus Christ, you are a fool. You are a fool to submit to anyone else. You are a fool to submit to anything else. Be wise. You are to be pitied if you forsake Jesus Christ. Be wise. Forsake all foolishness. Forsake all other fake saviors. Forsake other lesser Saviors, forsake all else but come to Jesus. Be wise, be wise, embrace wisdom and come to Jesus Christ alone. Be wise and follow Jesus. Turn away from foolishness, turn away from ignorance, but follow Jesus Christ. Go after Jesus Christ. It also says be one. Be warned for the kingdom will be eternal. It will outlast all kingdoms. You see the kingdom of the son of God will be eternal. The kingdom of King Jesus will be eternal. This kingdom will outlast all other kingdoms and failure to submit to this king will lead to eternal condemnation. He will not leave you unpunished. So be warned. Be one, kiss the son lest he be angry. Submit to him, bend the knee to him, bow to him, serve the king and kiss the son. Jesus Christ is a threefold king, you see. He's the king of his enemies, he's the king of his saints, and he's his father's king. And bow down to him, bend the knee to him. Do you know Jesus for who he is? Do you understand what it means that he is the son of God? Take refuge in Him. Look to Christ and be saved. Come to Him in obedience and be saved. Bring your sin to Him and be saved. Come to Him and be reconciled to God. Believe in Him and you will be saved. Believe in Him and you will have eternal life. Take refuge in Him. This is what the Psalm is saying. Look to Christ and be saved. Take refuge so you can be blessed. Put your trust in Him alone. Put your confidence in Him alone. Forsake all else. A hymn puts it this way, it says, All hail the power of Jesus' name. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Him Lord of all. And bring forth that royal crown, that royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. Have you crowned Him Lord of all in your life? Brothers and sisters, as the gospel of John now begins with the ministry of Jesus Christ, this is what we need to understand. If we are to grasp all the signs that Jesus will be doing, if we are to grasp that entire Gospel of John, we need to start here and understand the divine authority of Jesus Christ. That whenever you hear the Bible talk about the Son of God, you need to have this great understanding that now we are brought into a great understanding of who Jesus is. He is divine. authority. I pray that you would bend the knee to the Son of God, to God's anointed, to the King that God has established, and that you believe in the Son and have eternal life. Amen. Father, thank you for the Word. Thank you for Jesus Christ, the Son of God. May we bend the knee to Him. Bow then ye to Him. Honour Him. Honour the Son. Honour our great Saviour, our great King. We are said we do this in Jesus' name. Amen.