This morning we're going to take what you might call a Google satellite view of the message of scripture. If you are with us normally on Sunday mornings, you know that we typically take the Google street view as we look at texts of scripture. We see and look for all the details in that particular text. And yet there's great value at times in zooming out and seeing the big plan of God all through the Bible and what he has for us. We're gonna do that over the next few weeks as we approach Christmas. So the next, including this Sunday, the next three Sundays, and then Christmas Eve, we're going to look at the satellite view that we get from Matthew and Mark and Luke and John on the coming of Jesus into the world. We have these four eyewitness accounts of the life of Christ that come to us in the four Gospels. And each of them are giving us this accurate account of the life of Christ. And yet they come from four different perspectives. They're four different witnesses to the same life and person of Jesus. They write to different audiences. They write with their own unique emphasis. But all the details from these four accounts fit together just like a cloth that has no seams and no divisions. There's no tears in it. They all give us a certain perspective on Jesus and his coming, his earthly ministry. And all of them would listen to the others and say amen. Mark and Luke and John would say amen to what we just read this morning in Matthew 1.1. None of them give us information that the others would be shocked at or say you know Jesus never did that or Jesus never said that. But they all come and they give us sort of like a perspective that you might see if you had a great tower and there were four spotlights coming up in the tower and they're all giving you a different view from each side. They all share the same truths about Jesus, but just give us the view of Christ, a view of Christ that glorifies various parts of his person for us. Again, it's sort of like going to the Grand Canyon And you can stand on the south rim and see it. You can stand on the north rim and see it. You can stand at the bottom of the canyon and get a different view. Or you can take the helicopter ride and see it from above. That's what these authors are giving us in the Gospels of Jesus. Each of them letting us see something glorious in the person of Christ. Though we might find these same truths throughout these gospels, each of them though wants us to see something particular of Jesus. Matthew comes to us and you could sort of summarize Matthew's message that he's bringing in his gospel as behold your king. Behold your king. Matthew's writing mainly to Jewish believers as he unfolds the person of Christ and identifies him in verse one as the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew's gospel is the announcement of the king. You can look at each of the four Gospels and really see where they're headed by how they begin, what their emphasis is as they start. Matthew is coming to announce to the people of Israel, and then as we'll see to the whole world, the long-awaited king has come. He's not only the king of the Jews, but he's also the king of kings. This has been the plan of God from the ages that through Israel a king would arise and he would rule the nations. He would not just rule Israel, but all peoples. In the history of the world, men have always been looking for a ruler to arise in such a way that there's going to be world peace. That there would be good times, there would be prosperity, there would be freedom, there would be liberty and justice for all. We live in an age where the President of the United States is referred to by the rest of the free world as the leader of the free world. But even then, even then he's only ruling part of the world. Even when you are the president of the United States. But Jesus comes to the world not as one who would just rule part of the globe. He's not coming as just ruling over Israel. He is coming to rule every land, every heart, and even over heaven and hell itself. So Matthew is setting before us the global and the cosmic kingship of Christ. We need to know that history is so designed by God that that it's just not merely a long line of random events, of just collision of wills, of struggles among nations and tribes and powers and politics. It's not just this long line of freedom versus tyranny or capitalism and communism or one race or ethnicity over another or the battle of the sexes all vying for power and control. That's not the history of the world. The true history of the world and the future of the world, beloved, is contained in the pages of the Bible. And the Bible tells us that God has a king. And he is bringing this king to earth through the nation of Israel. And so we always need to sort of reframe our thinking about the world. and all that is in it by this. Because the world just moves on as though there is no king like this. But this is God's world and he has installed his son as king of it. And so what Matthew is announcing in Matthew 1.1 Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. He is announcing the announcement of the ages. Jesus Christ, the son of David. Jesus is the promised king in the line of David. And he has come to the world in real time, in real history, in real flesh and blood. And he comes to fulfill all the promises that God has made to both David and to Abraham. Remember the promise that God made to David and to Abraham? He came to David and he promised to David in 2 Samuel 7.16 that Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever." So God had come to David long ago and said to him, there will be a king on your throne and he will rule forever. and the promise that we read of in the scriptures to Abraham, which Matthew will tell us down in verse 17 of chapter one there in Matthew. Verse 17, he says, after giving the genealogy of Jesus, for all the generations from Adam to David are 14 generations. Matthew is setting forth Christ As the son of David and son of Abraham, he's framing our understanding of Jesus in this way. God had come to Abraham back in Genesis, in Genesis 12. And we read again in Genesis 15 and in Genesis 17. He comes to Abraham and he gives Abraham a promise. A covenant he makes and he says to Abraham, I will make of you a great nation. And he promises Abraham, all the nations of the earth will be blessed through you. That's why Matthew is telling us here, this is the son of David and the son of Abraham. This is the one through whom God is going to bless the nations as he promised to Abraham. This is wonderful news of the birth of Christ that Matthew is announcing for the nations. He writes first to the people of Israel but also to all peoples. We see this as we go further into chapter 1 of Matthew there, as we read in our scripture reading in Matthew 1.18-25. The Lord comes there to Mary and Joseph, these chosen Jewish parents of Jesus. Joseph being the stepfather, but But then, if we were to go a little bit further into chapter two, you would see that the news reaches the Magi. They were these wise men who were from the east, which was Persia, that area, modern day Iran. And they were the wise men who came from the east, and what do they say when they come to Jerusalem? Verse 2, chapter 2 verse 2, where is he who has been born King of the Jews? These were men whose heritage goes back about 600 years, at least, to Babylon. If you're with us on Sunday mornings in Sunday school, we're looking at the book of Isaiah, which speaks of the time when Israel was carried off into exile in Babylon for 70 years. And these magi, were those who come out of that. They had a heritage. And so there were people in Persia who knew the Jewish scriptures, at least 600 years before Christ came, who understood them, and who for hundreds of years had been waiting. for the king of Israel. And so the magi come under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit looking for the king here. And so not only is Israel waiting for its king, the nations are waiting. This is a story not just about some religious sect or some particular religion. This is not just one story of many stories in the world. It's not just the Christian story versus the Muslim story or the Hindu story or whatever it might be, right? This is the only story. This is the message to the world, behold your king, he has come, the king of the Jews who is also the king of the nations. We read way back in Psalm 2 that the kings of the earth are called to either kiss the sun and worship him or they will be crushed by him, they will be shattered like broken pottery. As will every man or woman who does not worship the Son, long promised. And so, he has come not merely to sit on David's throne, beloved. He has not merely come to rule the Jewish people. He has come to rule all. God's plan for the nations. God's plan for history. is for Jesus to rule over every tribe and tongue and people and nation. Matthew ends his gospel by giving to us what we call the Great Commission in Matthew 28, where he tells his disciples after his resurrection, before his ascension, he tells them that all authority has been given me, all authority. Where? In Jerusalem, in Judea, Palestine. Jesus says, all authority has been given me in heaven and on earth. And then he says, therefore, because of that authority go and make disciples of who? All nations. All nations. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so the world that we live in and all that is in it is about the kingdom of Christ. It's not ultimately about geopolitical battles that might be going on, economic competition, or where the stock market's at, or even just your family, or your local church. It is about Christ as king over the nations. over heaven and hell itself. Matthew is announcing to the world your king has come. And that means all men and all forces of the heavenlies now are under the king who has been promised, the promised son of David and the promised son of Abraham. So beloved, never think of the world and all that is in it in just small or earthly ways. Never think of the current times you're in as ultimate. But always see this world and the moment you're in through the realm of Christ and his kingdom and his rule. Christ is making his kingdom known and he's establishing his reign now among all peoples. How's he doing it? Well it's not happening through the decrees of men. It's not happening by the hand of governors or prime ministers or presidents or senators or generals. Christ is establishing his reign chiefly through the proclamation of the gospel. All men, both small and great, are being brought under his reign as he causes all things to work after the counsel of his will. But how he is working out his will in this world is chiefly through the gospel. being proclaimed, being announced among the nations. It's not the rule of men. It's not the efforts of men that are establishing the rule of Christ in this world. It is the message of the gospel. It is the message of Christ crucified, buried, risen from the dead, coming again. Christ is king. Do you want to see more of Christ and his reign in those around you? Give them the gospel. Speak of the gospel. Plead with them with the gospel. Do you want to see more of Christ and his reign in Ely? Let the gospel sound forth. Do you want to see more of Christ and his reign in our nation? Pray for the gospel to be made known. Pray that believing men and women would be bold with the message of the gospel. I just saw this week the coach at Boise State University, football coach, after they won the championship, the Western Conference Championship, I think it was, they interviewed him. And he just said, Jesus deserves all the glory. This is national television. He says, Jesus deserves all the glory. And he wasn't just using that in a trite way that, you know, Jesus gave us the victory, yay. Yeah, Jesus, right? No, he was saying we deserve, we serve a champion. He said he died on the cross. But he rose three days later. That's the God I serve. Do you want to see Christ reign in your children or your grandchildren as well? Make sure they understand and hear the gospel often from you. Make sure they hear it plainly and warmly as you walk by the road, as you eat at the table, as you pray your prayers. Fill your prayers with the gospel. May they come to see that message and that they must grasp in that Christ has come into the world to save sinners like them. To save them by his shed blood and by his rising up from the grave. To save all who would come to repentance and faith in Jesus. Matthew is coming to tell the world behold your king. And then to call them to the king. To worship him who bled for sinners like them. Who came to save sinners just like them. His reign, again, is not going to be established through laws, through the decrees of men and kings, but Jesus is spreading his reign, beloved, through your voice, yours. Your voice in sharing the gospel is more powerful than any law that Congress might pass, any statute, Your voice of telling of Christ to all that God might put in your path, in your family, those around you, your work, to your children, to your grandchildren, to your nieces, to your nephews. That's how the kingdom is coming. We certainly want a home, a world, a city, a nation where Christ is worshiped. But the way to that is the message of the gospel. We're to be those who know that sinners can be sort of made nicer by laws, right? Laws come and they can restrain evil in our culture. We want that. That's good. We ought to seek it. But we should know that men and women, young people, are never changed into a new man, a new woman, by a law. Laws may make people nicer, but nice men are still dead men. if they have not been born again by the Spirit of God, if they have not bowed the knee to the King that Matthew announces. Good men. Good men are still dead men if they have not come to repentance and faith in Christ. Good men certainly are better than wicked men. But they're all dead men without Christ. truly need our new, new men. This is why Jesus came to Nicodemus and he said to Nicodemus, you must be born again. You must. Dead men, whether they are nice men or even not so nice men, must be born again. They need to be born again to worship the king. So, beloved, as we approach this Christmas, it's not about it's a time to be nice. It's not a time just to think about having a wonderful life. It's about the king of the ages who has come to make men new by the power of the gospel. By the life, the death, and the resurrection of the king who is the son of David and the son of Abraham. You have a king. You have a king. One who rules the nations and who is bringing all things and all powers and all authorities under him in subjection to him. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. So don't fear. Don't fear. Don't be a pessimist either, believers. It's one of the saddest things is to see a believer who's a pessimist. Who always sees the glass as half empty. Right? You have a king. It's like a fish who might fear that the ocean will run dry on them. You have a king who is for you, who has rescued you, who has promised all things for you. who is ruling and reigning over everything. Oh, that you would trust him more. Oh, that you would trust him even in these moments for the first time. You would worship him. Let's close with prayer. Father, we thank you for this announcement that you have given to us in Matthew. We thank you, Lord, that you've allowed us to see all of history through it. That you have a plan and you have a king. And you have brought him, Lord, to this earth for us who believe. And so, Lord, I pray that you would Grant to us, Lord, the ability to walk and to think and to act, Lord, and live our lives in light of this massive truth. Grant us hope. Grant us confidence. Grant us, Lord, optimism in our king, that he is always ruling, that as the hymn writer says, though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. We pray this in Christ's name, amen. Let me invite you as Aaron comes to lead us to stand, if you would, with hymn 203, while shepherds watched their flocks.