MESSAGE BY PASTOR ROB INRIG
FROM BETHANY BAPTIST IN RICHMOND, BC.
God the Father, we thank you for your response to our prayers with
The good news, with the recovery of health for some
Strengthen them so that they may regain their faith in you
And that they may be witnesses that you love them and
that you respond when we trust and believe in you
Thank you Father God in the name
of Jesus our Lord of Lords and King of Kings
Praise be to your name
always and forever, AMEN.
Now I would guess that you have rarely heard the passage we’re going to look at this morning as one commonly associated with Christmas. Why would we? There’s no shepherds, no hillside, no baby. And c’mon, what’s Christmas to look like without those? And yet in what we’ll look at, we will see events unfolding exactly as God planned, exactly as God said. All events spoken about leading to the coming of a King and a forever Kingdom that will never end.
So where this takes us, this morning is briefly looking at a dream. As a caveat, I agree looking at this dream now, at this time of year, seems like a wrong fit for the Bethlehem story we are now in. It’s a dream of a statue, dreamt by a man living in a faraway land, in a faraway time. The location not even close to where our Christmas story takes place.
The man to whom this dream came is certainly no friend of Israel. Quite the contrary. He was the one who destroyed Solomon’s Temple and who took Israel into 70 long years of captivity. His name, Nebuchadnezzar who in a strange dream was given revelation of the future to come, part of that the spectacular event our eyes are on this morning. It’s a dream about kingdoms – one that was and others that were to come. These kingdoms that would rule the known world. This dream given him 600 years before some of these events would play out and even longer before come into being.
So what are we told in this dream of an enormous statue that was, dazzling in appearance?
The head of the statue was made of pure gold Babylon, its chest and arms of silver Medo-Persia, its belly and thighs of bronze Greece, its legs of iron Rome, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay an assembly of powers, seemingly connected to. While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. Dan 2:32-35
Interesting perhaps but ....? Yet don’t miss what we are told in :44 In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED ... It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it WILL ITSELF ENDURE FOREVER.
It’s this indestructible kingdom that will endure forever that ties then to today, and then ties today to tomorrow in what is yet to come. Past events leading us to a coming time that will outdo everything that has come before. A Kingdom that will never be destroyed. A Kingdom that will never end. A Kingdom not created and ruled by man but ruled by God.
Let’s be honest – most of the time we hardly give a thought to things like kingdoms and Kings especially at a time when we’re supposed to focus on an angel announced baby. And yet actually this, ‘King and His kingdom’ is exactly what Christmas is about. As the angels declared, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 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. Lk 2:10-11; Lk 1:32,33.
Another description is given of this one of Whom it will be said, Salvation and glory and honour and power, unto the Lord our God: And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. His eyes were as a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns and on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Rev 19:1,11,12,16 This look of Him far removed from what we see in Bethlehem.
His entrance into the world marks a beginning, but where it takes us, is something else again. With this birth, a spectacular shown to us but nothing like the spectacular we’re told is still to come.
In this introduction we celebrate at Christmas, we’ve got all the accoutrements of an incredible story – never seen before special effects, ‘first play, only play’ orchestration and intriguing twists and turns in the storyline. Yet we’re so familiar with the story, it’s often given, ‘we’ve seen it before’ dismissal, a great number believing this birth narrative is no more than a story. As a story it is easy to downplay or contextualize the miraculous and instead surround it with attractive lights, heartwarming, celebrative music give one another presents and ‘wish it were true’ dreams.
For those who venture out to at least consider it as something more - of a virgin, a king, a Kingdom - just too hard to believe. So it gets reconfigured to a retelling of some star struck shepherds, a stable born child and the delivery of some great gifts.
The only problem is, a manger and a child were never meant to be a, ‘story begins and ends’ event. If what this manger’s arrival tells us is true, this event leads to the most important invitation ever offered mankind, its impact on us based on our response to the revelation that it speaks to and what we do with the unfolding of what is to come. How true can it be?
How true? – just like the dream we started with that was given 3000 years ago in a faraway lands and a faraway place. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream that takes us on walk by - past conquered kingdoms, past great wealth and enormous power. And in these great kingdoms Daniel introduces us to, there is one inevitable, that no matter how great and unconquerable those kingdoms appeared to be, they all came to an end. Far more importantly, what we dare not miss is that these kingdoms coming onto the scene exactly as described, exactly as the dream had said. This dream proving true even though given hundreds of years before some of the nations spoken of even existing.
Yet despite their power, now just their ruins echoing as we pass by. For a few minutes, let’s zero in on these empires.
The first two we’ll just note in passing because they have the least bearing on what we are to see in Christmas’ small town of Bethlehem. The first, Babylon. Under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule, Babylon’s wealth, power and beauty were unmatched. Of greatest significance was her role in destroying the Temple in Jerusalem and taking the Jews into captivity where they would remain for 70 years. On the heels of mighty Babylon, the Medo Persian empire that ruled up to the close of the Old Testament era. It was during the Medo-Persian empire that the Jews who’d been taken captive from their land, were allowed to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
Now between the close of the OT and the opening pages of the NT, 400 years have passed, God strangely silent. During this time we have no record of prophets speaking, no evidence of God working. Yet that didn’t mean that significant things weren’t happening that would have a large impact on the events we soon will see. To understand that, buckle in, there’s a lot to comprehend.
In this 400 year, in between time, Greece would rule the world due to what 1 man did to unite Greece and Macedonia to form an empire that would come to conquer Medo-Persia. Sources tell us, this man, Philip had a son who was more interested in books and study than in building kingdoms. His dad hoping to grow him into a leader, got him Aristotle to serve as his tutor.
When that son learned the Medo-Persians had murdered his dad, rage turned him from scholar to warrior. His first target was Medo-Persia and from there Alexander the Great never looked back. His victories coming so fast that as a 29 year old, he had conquered the world. Two years later he died a drunk, his life purpose of bringing Greek culture and Greek language to the world over, having no more countries to win.
Where is this going? Hang on, you’ll see. Leaving no heirs, Alexander’s rule was divided among 4 generals – the most prominent, Seleucus in the north and Ptolemy in the south. And squeezed in between? – Israel who suffered greatly when Antiochus Epiphanes from the north, furious that he had been turned away from attacking Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He killing many but his greatest crime? - violating the Temple in what was the Abomination of Desolation Again, so what?
Ancient town of Bethlehem
What does this have to do with Joy to the World and O Little Town of Bethlehem? A lot actually. The problem is I have to lay out the dots before we see how they connect. One of those connecting lines is that under Alexander, Greek became the unifying language of the world. Another of those lines, an event that is still to come describing when another will come to try to establish his kingdom. This one we are told will also come and enter God’s Holy Temple - he demanding to be worshipped as God – the great abomination of desolation. This time still to come. His actions will be put to a quick end when he will be struck by what Daniel’s dream tells of – of a Rock whose Kingdom will never be destroyed and will endure forever.
That Greek kingdom gone, the New Testament opens to us, where we now find Rome in charge. It’s a world that is tyrannical, oppressive and dark. The prophet Isaiah 750 years before Jesus describing the darkness this way, The people walking in darkness have seen a great Light; a Light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness.... For a child will be born for us, a Son will be given to us and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. Is 9:2,3; 6,7
This prophesy not just speaking of a baby to come but speaking of a forever kingdom that is still to come which Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged 600 years before, God’s kingdom is an eternal kingdom Dan 4:3.
That kingdom entirely different than the one we now know or those that have been known before. A world that doesn’t have school shootings to report; doesn’t have headlines of fraud and abuse, doesn’t have cancer prevention campaigns. It’s a time we’re told, Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.... Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore Jer. 23:5. This heaven-directed earthly Kingdom still to come.
That kingdom coming exactly as told 100’s of years before - by prophets like Daniel, Obadiah, Habakkuk, Micah and Zechariah and the Apostle John Obad 1:21, Hab 2:14, Mic 4:2, Zech 14:9, Rev 20,21 where Jesus will literally reign on the earth.
A time when there will be no more war, no more pain, no more sorrow. Where, The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. Is 11:6 Where sickness and pain are no more.
Sure sounds like an incomprehensible dream. Of a faraway life, in a faraway world. An incredible story with great special effects. Yet this kingdom will come exactly as has been said.
God making His plan and purposes known in a statue, through a wilderness, through an uncrossable Red Sea, and in a stable. All telling a story that is true - of a Saviour, a Kingdom and a King.
A Kingdom God invites us into through Jesus who came to us in a manger, His entrance looking nothing like a King. No large statue appearance. No throne. No pageantry. No symbols of power. No restrictions keeping us away. No dictate demanding that we bow.
Instead humility so we could come close. Vulnerability so we would not be afraid. Compassion so we would feel accepted. Poverty so that no price had to be paid. Coming - God with us – as a child – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14.
This Jesus who lay aside His glory so that one day we who are willing to come and see Him for who He is, the Son of God come in flesh, who died on a Cross, then was raised from a tomb, so we will one day live with Him forever - experiencing His full Glory and ours.
All available to those who humbly bow before Him, acknowledging our sin and accepting the forgiveness He offers all who in saving faith come to Him. Coming in repentance not to a manger but to a Cross where He, Jesus, makes me right with God.
And one more thing about that Kingdom we are told of - one more part of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue to play out exactly as told. Entrance into His kingdom now for those who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, who, as Col 1:13 tells us have been, Transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of His glorious light. The moment that occurred, our citizenship was immediately changed, giving us a real experience of His Kingdom now but the full participation in His forever kingdom still to come.
It's a kingdom now being enjoyed by someone I visited this week. He had lived a long, rich and fulfilling life. Rich in family, rich in friends and rich in a deep and authentic faith. But his days ending far differently than the energy, joy and personality with which he lived. His body betraying him. Seeing him like this, a strong reminder that investing all our energies, all our loves, all our hopes on the here and now amounts to nothing. If this is all we have, If this is all we can hope for, we are left with nothing. Thankfully, his true hope in what he is experiencing now – everything new, everything glorious in the Kingdom he just stepped into.
This Kingdom not about a time way back then but a Kingdom the Maker of all the earth invites us to enter into now. To become His child, an invitation that is offered to all who will bow to Jesus, as King of kings and Lord of lords. No entrance reserved for the worthy or the good. No entrance awarded for the things done or the things given. No entrance set aside for the religious, the ‘good’ or the wise. Just entrance for those who bow the knee and ask Jesus to forgive their sin and make them His child because of the saving blood of Jesus.
This actually IS the story of Christmas – not of a baby but of a King. A King who came to bring rescue. A Saviour King. Offered to us as something that is true.
Based on that and that alone, we gain entrance into a Kingdom that will never be destroyed. A Kingdom that will never end. A Kingdom that will crush all kingdoms that have come before. This Kingdom created for man by God.
This kingdom that the psalmist assures us, Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all He promises and faithful in all He does. Psalms 145:13 And what does He do?
He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new! Then He said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. Rev 21:5-6.
A new life, a new kingdom. Too hard to believe, too hard to accept?
Perhaps - but then again so was a dream of a statue that ended up accurately telling us of events that were to come and in time, those events leading to a manger, to a Cross, to a Tomb that was empty and then to the Throne Room of a King. This King – the King of all kings before Whom in a time to come, At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth; and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:10,11
Come not because you are better or good. Come because you’ve been invited because of God’s gift. What manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. John 1:12, 1 John 3:1.
Come to bow down and adore.
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