Adapted from a Greg Nance sermon https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/your-king-comes-greg-nance-sermon-on-authority-151129?ref=SermonSerps

2. NIV In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s
pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to
Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin
pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was
Mary. The angel went to her and said,
“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The
Lord is with you.”

3. 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.”

5. NIV After Jesus was born in
Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King
Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem
and asked, “Where is the one who has been
born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it
rose and have come to worship him.”

6. When King Herod heard this he was disturbed,
and all Jerusalem with him. When he had
called together all the people’s chief priests and
teachers of the law, he asked them where the
Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in
Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the
prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are
by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler who will
shepherd my people Israel.’”

7. Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found
out from them the exact time the star had
appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and
said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As
soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too
may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on
their way, and the star they had seen when it
rose went ahead of them until it stopped over
the place where the child was.

8. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child
with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and
worshiped him. Then they opened their
treasures and presented him with gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh. And having been
warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they
returned to their country by another route…

9. When Herod realized that he had been
outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he
gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and
its vicinity who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from
the Magi.

10. Did you catch that, After Jesus was born in
Bethlehem in Judea… Magi from the east
came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the
one who has been born king of the Jews?
“On coming to the house, they saw the
child with his mother Mary, and they bowed
down and worshiped him.”

11. Matthew does not record the birth of Jesus, only
the angel appearing to Joseph letting him in on
God’s plan.
Then “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in
Judea…Magi from the east came to
Jerusalem…”
That’s the only timeline Matthew gives for when
the Magi arrived.

12. House οἰκία oy-kee'-ah
Thayer Definition: 1) a house
1a) an inhabited edifice, a dwelling
1b) the inmates of a house, the family
1c) property, wealth, goods
Strong’s definition: οἰκία oy-kee'-ah From
G3624; properly residence (abstractly), but
usually (concretely) an abode (literally or
figuratively); by implication a family (especially
domestics): - home, house (-hold).

13. Why would Joseph rent a house & keep his little
family in Bethlehem?
NIV When the time came for the
purification rites required by the Law of Moses,
Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to
present him to the LORD (as it is written in
the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to
be consecrated to the Lord”),

14. After a woman gives birth to a boy she was
unclean for forty days, if it was a girl, for eighty
days. She could go about her household and
her daily business but she could not enter the
Temple or share in any religious ceremony.
( )
At the end of that time she had to bring to the
Temple a lamb for a burnt offering and a young
pigeon for a sin offering. (DSB)

15. As the crow flies, from Nazareth to Bethlehem is
about 70 miles.
Mary and Joseph probably walked more than 90
miles.
So, after the census was complete it wouldn’t
make much sense to travel all the way up to
Nazareth only to turn around & walk the same
path back to Jerusalem.
Bethlehem is 6 miles south of Jerusalem.

16. Having been settled in a house in Bethlehem
over a month waiting out the purification time,
maybe Joseph had found good carpentry work
& decided to stay there a bit longer?
“they saw the child with his mother Mary”
Would not Joseph also be with Mother & child if
they were still at the stable?
I say he’s not with them because he’s got a
carpentry gig making $$ to provide for his
family.

17. Here’s where it really gets confusing sorting out
the chronological order of events.
Compare Matthew’s account with Luke’s.
NIV When they had gone, an angel
of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get
up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and
escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for
Herod is going to search for the child to kill
him.” So he got up, took the child and his
mother during the night and left for Egypt,
where he stayed until the death of Herod.

18. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said
through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my
son.”
NIV When Joseph and Mary had done
everything required by the Law of the Lord, they
returned to Galilee to their own town of
Nazareth.
Luke mentions nothing the Magi or going to
Egypt. The Spirit had Matthew & Luke writing to
different groups of people.

19. he (Herod) was furious, and he gave orders
to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
who were two years old and under, in
accordance with the time he had learned from
the Magi.”
According to when the Magi were notified Jesus
could have been 2 years old.
Perhaps it took a long time for Herod to figure
out he’d been duped?
Maybe it took him 2 years to figure it out?

20. I am not saying it’s impossible for them to have
seen Jesus in the manger.
With God all things are possible,
but God’s Word does not indicate it.
Okay, now I’ve had my rant how the wise men @
the Lord’s nativity is not Scriptural.

21. I said all that to tell you this,
IT DOES NOT MATTER?
If your so inclined, leave them in your Nativity
scene. We know they brought gifts for Jesus at
some point.
The main point here is
THE KING WAS COMING!
This continues our theme over the past couple
weeks; the Law & Prophets point to the
Messiah, the King, coming & what He’ll do when
He arrives.

22. stresses the authority of Jesus
Christ as He enters His final week before the
crucifixion.
Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given
in His name receives a reward.
Sometimes it's the little things that God
surprises us and uses for His purposes.

23. describes Jesus coming into
Jerusalem as their Messiah. Matthew tells us
here about events the Sunday before Jesus was
crucified, buried and raised. Jesus enters
Jerusalem just as thousands of Jews from all
over the Roman empire are coming into town for
the Passover. Remember, the Passover was a
celebration of God's deliverance of His people
from slavery in Egypt the night of the final
plague which was the death of the first born.

24. Jesus is the first born, the only begotten Son of
God and he will fulfill the meaning of the
Passover in His death.
Through His death offered as the Lamb of God,
He will bring deliverance from slavery in sin to
all of us.
His blood not only delivers us from the death
angel, but also redeems all who obey Him for
eternal life.

25. NIV As they approached
Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount
of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to
them,

26. This took place to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes
to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a
colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ” The disciples went
and did as Jesus had instructed them. They
brought the donkey and the colt and placed
their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very
large crowd spread their cloaks on the road,
while others cut branches from the trees and
spread them on the road.

27. The crowds that went ahead of him and those
that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of
David! Hosanna, Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who
comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in
the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole
city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the
prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

28. I'd like us to begin our thoughts on this passage
by asking this:
How did Jesus come into your life?
How did He enter?
By what means does God bring His salvation
into our lives?
Let's interpret scriptures with scriptures.

29. NIV For it is written: “I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence
of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the
wise person? Where is the teacher of the law?
Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not
God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since in the wisdom of God the world
through its wisdom did not know him, God was
pleased through the foolishness of what was
preached to save those who believe.

30. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for
wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a
stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, but to those whom God has called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness
of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the
weakness of God is stronger than human
strength.

31. It is the little thing of preaching Christ crucified
that saves us when we believe this gospel news
and follow this crucified Messiah.
Instead of impressing the world with a show of
overwhelming power, God impresses our hearts
with His humble, loving sacrifice.
But also, through His clear commanding call to
come, submit to His authority and serve with
Him even in suffering.

32. NIV For I am not ashamed of the
gospel, because it is the power of God that
brings salvation to everyone who believes: first
to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
NIV So do not be ashamed of the
testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.
Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel,
by the power of God.

33. So again, let us ask ourselves:
how does Jesus enter our lives?
Your king comes to you... how?
Humble and riding a donkey.
A what? A donkey.
The Volkswagen of the day.
And who is impressed?

34. NIV The blind and the lame came
to him at the temple, and he healed them. But
when the chief priests and the teachers of the
law saw the wonderful things he did and the
children shouting in the temple courts,
“Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were
indignant. “Do you hear what these children
are saying?” they asked him. replied
Jesus,

35. The lame the blind and (here they are again) the
children... they accept their king.
Who are they?
Those who have nothing to offer but obedience
and praise.
Think of it!
An unimpressive king comes and is received by
an unimpressive crowd, at least in the eyes of
those looking for grandeur and glamour or
riches and power.

36. Yet what they see has more authority than they
can imagine.
The king has entered and invaded their turf.
His influence will grow.
It will become so threatening that those who
rejected Him decide that they will have to kill
Him.
But even death won't stop Him.
He's the King.

37. We find that Jesus is boldly pushy here, is he
not?
NIV Jesus entered the temple
courts and drove out all who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the tables of the
money changers and the benches of those
selling doves.
he said to them,

38. He has boldly cleansed the temple and
proclaimed that those in charge have made
God's house of prayer a den of thieves.
If you think that is strong medicine, just wait
until you hear what He says in the chapters
ahead that occur later in the week!
Jesus will not stop until they either submit to
Him or stop Him. He is a humble king, but He is
THE KING and He acts like He owns the place.

39. That Sunday evening, Jesus spends the night in
Bethany, about two miles outside of Jerusalem.
I wonder what conversations took place in their
company that night!
On Monday morning Jesus gets up early and
heads back to Jerusalem. On the way he sees a
fig tree in leaf and goes up to it looking for figs.
The Bible says that Jesus was hungry. When He
gets to the tree and looks it over there is no fruit
on it.

40. So... Jesus speaks a few words to the tree
saying, “May you never bear fruit again.”
What happens? The tree withers up, dead!
Think about this!
What kind of man is this???
He can talk to a tree and it submits to His
authority! He can tell demons to depart and they
depart! He can say a word to the sick and they
are healed, or to the dead and they come back
to life!

41. Jesus can tell a storm to be still and it obeys
Him.
His authority is astounding!
Jesus is the King!
His words are no less than God's words.
When the disciples see what happens to the tree
they have a question: How?
How did this happen?
How did this tree wither up so fast? How?

42. Jesus' answer is great.
He reveals the source of such authority in His
answer.
Basically, it is a relationship with God through
faith and prayer.
Jesus tells the disciples that this authority is
available to them too.
That sounds like , does it not?

43. NIV Is anyone among you in
trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let
them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among
you sick? Let them call the elders of the church
to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the
name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in
faith will make the sick person well; the Lord
will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will
be forgiven.

44. Therefore confess your sins to each other
and pray for each other so that you may be
healed. The prayer of a righteous person is
powerful and effective. Elijah was a human
being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that
it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land
for three and a half years. Again he prayed,
and the heavens gave rain, and the earth
produced its crops.

45. The very next thing Matthew tells us centers on
Jesus' authority again.
give us an interesting story
where those Jewish leaders who are in authority
and would claim to be in submission to God's
authority question Jesus' authority.

46. Jesus handles the situation masterfully and
refuses to tell them by what authority He does
what he does.
They blindly think they are serving God, while in
actuality they are rejecting God.
God sent John and they rejected him.
God sent Jesus and now they are rejecting Him.

47. NIV Jesus entered the temple
courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief
priests and the elders of the people came to
him. “By what authority are you doing these
things?” they asked. “And who gave you this
authority?” Jesus replied,

48. They
discussed it among themselves and said, “If we
say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t
you believe him?’
But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are
afraid of the people, for they all hold that John
was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said,

49. What Matthew makes clear is this: if you reject
Jesus' authority you have no clue what you are
doing.
You might as well be a withered fruitless fig
tree.
All hope is gone for you.
Jesus is the King!
His coming presents us with a choice.
Will we surrender to His authority over us and
live or will we reject it and die?

50. What follows in chapter are parables that
condemn the Jewish leaders who do not submit
to Jesus.
The Parable of the Two Sons
One says no to his father at first but later
changes and obeys.
One says yes to his father but does not obey.

51. The Parable of the Tenants
A landowner rents to farmers who will not pay
the rent but abuse those who come to get it.
Finally, they even kill the landowner's son.
That's the last straw!
What is God teaching us through ?
1. Jesus is the King sent here with God’s
authority to save us, but...
2. There is a last straw for those who reject His
authority and do not submit to Him.
3. God can even use that to His glory.

52. King Jesus came humbly to us the first time.
He will return with STRENGTH & AWESOME
POWER with GREAT armies of Angels! You’ll
either be shouting HALLELUJAH, or
whimpering, “I though I would have more time!
I’m not ready! Give me more time to get my life
right with you!”
You will have had your chance to get right with
the Lord living your life in His service!