Bulletins - Eagles Nest Church

- - 2 Corinthians 9:7ESV
- - Romans 3:10–12NIV2011
- - Luke 1:46–55ESV
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Immanuel
O Come O Come Emmanuel
O Holy Night
- - Matthew 2:1–18ESV
- - Matthew 2:1-3ESV
- - Matthew 2:4-5ESV
- - Matthew 2:6-7ESV
- - Matthew 2:8-9ESV
- - Matthew 2:10-11ESV
- - Matthew 2:12ESV
- - Matthew 2:13-14ESV
- - Matthew 2:15ESV
- - Matthew 2:16-17ESV
- - Matthew 2:18ESV
- - Matthew 2:1–18ESV
When it comes to ruling, only one can sit on the throne.
In 1558, Elizabeth the 1st was crowned as the queen of England.
But… she also faced a rival queen,
because to the north lived Mary,
Not crowned in England,
but close enough to be dangerous.
Close enough to claim the throne.
At first, Elizabeth did not rush to violence.
She did not execute her cousin immediately.
Instead, she tried to manage the threat.
And so when tensions escalated,
she placed Mary under house arrest
Nineteen Years passed.
But the tension never disappeared.
Every rebellion carried Mary’s name.
Every plot against the crown traced back to her presence.
Every whisper of unrest echoed her claim.
Eventually, it became crystal clear,
Only one can rule the throne.
So Elizabeth signed the order.
And Mary, Queen of Scots, was executed for trying to usurp the throne.
Not because Elizabeth was uniquely cruel,
but because only one can reign.
In Matthew chapter 2,
We find the same kind of conflict
Two claims of kingship,
One throne.
And so when King Herod hears the words of the Magi:
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
He panics.
He protects.
Because he knows only one can be king.
And that’s the truth of Christmas.
Jesus didn’t come to share power,
He came as the rightful king who demands our total allegiance.
To experience the comfort of Christmas we must embrace:
The Threat of the King (1-6)
The Test of the King (7-12)
The Triumph of the King (13-18)
In Matthew chapter 1,
He has just given us Jesus’s kingly lineage that shows He has legal right to the throne.
And he mentions in verse 23:
Matthew 1:23 ESV
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
And that term “Immanuel” means, “God with us.”
Which means, Jesus is God present.
He is the rightful and ultimate King by nature.
And so in chapter 2,
Matthew shows us how the moment God steps into His world,
every human throne is threatened.
That’s why in verse 1, Matthew says:
“in the days of Herod the king.”
That’s not a historical footnote…
You’re supposed to feel that tension.
Herod is king in title,
but Jesus is king by right.
And only one King can sit upon the throne.
And so after the Magi ask Herod:
“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
he responds how any king would to a rival king.
With worry and concern.
But it’s not just Herod that’s troubled,
look at what verse 3 says:
Matthew 2:3 ESV
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
Do you see that?
It’s not just King Herod who is troubled,
It’s all of Jerusalem with him.
But they are troubled…
Why?
First, because they know what Herod does when he feels threatened.
Herod is a paranoid ruler.
When his throne is at risk, blood is spilled.
In fact, he was so violent that people said,
“It was safer to be a pig than one of Herod’s sons.”
That wasn’t a joke.
Herod murdered his own wife.
He murdered his brother-in-law.
He murdered multiple sons.
So when Herod is shaken, the city knows what’s coming next.
Secondly,
Jerusalem is troubled because they know exactly what kind of King this child is supposed to be.
Remember, Jerusalem isn’t ignorant of the Scriptures.
This is the city of the temple.
The city of the priests.
The city of the religious leaders.
These are people who know the promises,
they understood Daniel 9 and the 70 weeks prophecy that told when Messiah was coming!
That’s why just a few verses later,
when Herod asks where the Messiah is supposed to be born,
they quote the prophet and say, “Bethlehem.”
That prophecy said this King would not just be born in Bethlehem.
It said He would rule.
It said He would shepherd God’s people.
It said He would exercise authority.
In other words, this child isn’t just another religious figure.
He’s not a teacher.
He’s not a moral reformer.
He’s a King.
And a new King reorders everything.
And they didn’t want that…
Because as bad as Herod was,
they had learned how to survive and thrive under Herod and Roman rule.
And Immanuel - God with us,
Threatened that…
And so instead of rejoicing, the city is shaken.
Because the presence of a Holy God doesn’t just comfort the humble.
It threatens every throne built on control, comfort, and self-rule.
And in an unrepentant heart,
that leads to fear and anxiety.
One theologian points out how people are often less disturbed by evil rulers than they are by righteous ones.
Why though?
It’s because righteousness exposes the heart.
And no one is more righteous than the Christ-child,
which means no one exposes the sinful human heart more than Him.
When I was younger, I remember wondering why hardly anyone showed up after Jesus was born.
And I used to think: “Well, they must not have known.”
But now I know better…
Jerusalem is troubled, but they do nothing.
They knew where the Messiah is to be born.
They quote the prophecy.
They give Herod the address.
And then they stay home.
This is what the theologian D.A. Carson calls disturbed complacency.
A city uneasy with truth, but unwilling to respond to it.
All because they want comfort over a king.
That’s the tension Matthew wants you to feel.
Herod hates the King.
Jerusalem fears the King.
The Magi worship the King.
And those are still the only three REAL responses to Jesus today.
The only response you can’t have is casual acceptance.
Don’t get me wrong…
There are plenty of people treat Jesus casually.
They like Him.
They maybe even respect Him somewhat.
They quote Him.
And maybe they even attend one of His churches…
But they have only come to casually accept Him
because they don’t actually understand who Jesus is and who He claimed to be.
He’s not just a good teacher.
He’s not merely a spiritual guide.
He’s not a figure of comfort who affirms you without confronting you.
Jesus refuses to stay in the category of casual acceptance.
He demands complete and total allegiance as King.
He says:
“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and pick up his cross and follow Me.”
“No one can serve two masters.”
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
“Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
These aren’t calls to comfort,
these are demands of loyalty to a king.
And so the only way you can respond to Jesus with a casual acceptance is by COMPLETELY failing to understand Who He truly is
and what He demands upon your life.
C. S. Lewis put it this way:
“You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
C. S. Lewis. Mere Christianity, Book II, p. 52-53.
Once we understand who Jesus truly is,
We must decide.
Will we reject His rule in fear or fury
or will we worship Him as King?
Because that’s the heart test Jesus brings.
To experience the comfort of Christmas we must embrace:
The Threat of the King (1-6)
The Test of the King (7-12)
The Triumph of the King (13-18)
Once Jesus arrives as King, He does not leave people neutral.
He tests the heart.
And Matthew shows us that test by placing two seekers side by side.
Herod and the Magi.
They both receive the same revelation.
They both ask questions.
And they both respond to the news, but in very different ways.
Look at verse 7.
Herod summons the Magi secretly and asks them when the star appeared.
“Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
That is one of the most chilling sentences in the Christmas story.
Herod is NOT seeking Jesus in order to worship Him.
He’s trying to manage the threat.
He is seeking Jesus in order to neutralize Him.
He says the right words.
He sounds reverent.
He is using religious language to disguise a murderous, self-seeking heart.
But his goal is control, not surrender.
And that is the test.
Herod seeks information so he can preserve his throne.
The Magi seek Christ so they can lose theirs.
Look at verse 9.
After listening to the king, the Magi go on their way.
They follow the light God gives them.
And when the star stops, verse 10 says they rejoice with exceedingly great joy.
Are you picking up on the different responses here?
Herod hears about the King and is troubled.
Jerusalem hears about the King and is worried.
The Magi see the King and rejoice.
The first 2 hearts are rejecting the King,
but the 3rd heart is accepting the King.
That’s why in verse 11, they enter the house,
and they fall down and worship the king.
And then they open their treasures.
Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Why?
Are they trying to bribe Him for favor?
No.
They give costly gifts because they recognize His supreme worth.
And church,
that’s the test of true worship!
and it’s actually what makes the hard sayings of Jesus easy!
Because if you look at the hard sayings of Jesus - which we just did,
and you think, “OK, I had better JUST DO IT or else I’m in trouble…
You’re just responding like all of Jerusalem did,
from a place of trouble, not of joy and delight!
And if you refuse to worship,
you’re responding like Herod, with murderous intentions!
But… if you come to see the baby in the manger for Who He truly is,
Then His hard sayings become easy…
Because they become the natural outflow of a heart that is consumed by His supreme worth!
This is why Jesus says in Matthew 11.
Matthew 11:28–30 ESV
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Similarly, in 1 John 5:3, the apostle John tells us:
1 John 5:3 ESV
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
When I was a younger pastor,
I remember thinking my job was to get people to do things they didn’t want to do…
and my goodness was I wrong…
That’s not my job…
Not even a little bit…
Instead, what is my job?
It’s to hold up the supreme worth of Christ and say:
“JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME!”
“LET EARTH RECEIVE THEIR KING!”
“LET EVERY HEART PREPARE HIM ROOM”
“AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING!”
“AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING!”
“AND HEAVEN, AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING!”
And we sing, because we have a song to sing!
And the song is of our resurrected King!
For the one who was born into the darkness of our world is none other than the light of the world,
And if by grace through faith you come to see this glorious truth!
You will not run in fear like Jerusalem did,
You will not join hells opposition like Herod did,
Instead, you will bow before Him and worship Him WITH DELIGHT and JOY!
Isaiah 9:6–7 ESV
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 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. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Don’t you see Christ didn’t come to steal your peace!?
He came to GIVE YOU PEACE!
For He is the prince of peace!
And when we see His supreme beauty and worth,
We WILL fall before Him adoration and praise!
That’s why it makes it me sad, not mad, when people profess Christ with their lips but deny Him with their lives.
That’s why it grieves me when God’s people spend their weeks chasing shiny things that glitter, but aren’t gold!
It’s because all of that is a failure to see Jesus’s supreme worth and beauty!
And my friends,
EVERYTHING this world has offer PALES IN COMPARISON to KING JESUS!
So where are you still trying to be king still?
What little throne are you guarding?
Your comfort.
Your control.
Your plans.
Your right to decide what is best for your life?
Because whatever that is,
that’s the little king Herod in your heart that is refusing to bow.
And as long as that king lives upon the throne of your heart,
Christ will always feel like a threat.
And make no mistake about it,
If you don’t turn your life over to Him in willing submission,
to you a threat He will be.
For as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
HE WILL TRIUMP OVER ALL!
And HE WILL NOT SHARE HIS THRONE with lesser kings!
To experience the comfort of Christmas we must embrace:
The Threat of the King (1-6)
The Test of the King (7-12)
The Triumph of the King (13-18)
By the time we reach verse 13, the test is over.
Both Herod and Jerusalem have failed it completely.
Verse 13 tells us that an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says,
“Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
And Sandwiched right around Herod’s murder of the young boys in Bethlehem,
Matthew does something remarkable.
He tells us that all of this fulfills not one, but two Old Testament prophecies.
First, Matthew quotes Hosea chapter 11.
“Out of Egypt I called my son.”
And if you read that passage,
You’ll probably be a bit confused at first,
because it’s doesn’t look like a Christmas prophecy.
And originally, it is not about Jesus at all.
It is about Israel.
Hosea is looking back at the Exodus.
God calling His son, Israel, out of slavery.
Out of death.
Into life.
So why does Matthew apply that verse to Jesus?
Because Matthew wants you to see something.
He wants you to see that Jesus is not just part of Israel’s story.
Jesus is ISRAEL’s STORY!
But He’s the faithful, not the faithless version of their it!
Israel was called God’s son.
Jesus is God’s Son.
Israel went down into Egypt because of danger.
Jesus goes down into Egypt because of danger.
Israel came out of Egypt by God’s saving power.
Jesus comes out of Egypt by God’s saving power.
Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea.
Jesus passes through the waters of baptism.
Israel was tested in the wilderness and failed.
Jesus is tested in the wilderness and obeys.
Israel was given the Law and broke it.
Jesus fulfills the Law perfectly.
In other words, Jesus is not just part of Israel’s story.
He is Israel’s story!
He is the true Son where Israel was the shadow.
He is the faithful Son where Israel was the faithless son.
And once you see that,
the whole Bible starts to come alive in a whole new way!
That’s why Matthew can take a verse about Israel’s past
and say, “This is fulfilled in Jesus.”
Not because Matthew is playing fast and loose with the text,
Not because this erases God’s promises to Israel.
But because God’s promises to Israel are guaranteed in Israel’s King!
And that’s Who the ENTIRE Bible IS POINTING US TO!
Every rescue.
Every exodus.
Every deliverance.
Every moment where God brings life out of death.
ALL OF IT is pointing us to King Jesus!
That’s why Jesus in Luke 24:27 it tells us:
Luke 24:27 ESV
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
This is why the Bible is not a story of heroes and legends of the faith for us to emulate,
not even close!
Instead, as many theologians have rightly said,
it’s the story of God’s AMAZING GRACE that points us to Jesus!
Adam was tested in a garden and failed.
Jesus is tested in a garden and obeys.
Abel was innocently slain, and his blood cried out for justice.
Jesus is innocently slain, and His blood cries out for mercy.
Abraham was called to leave comfort and go into an unknown land.
Jesus leaves the ultimate comfort of heaven and enters our world of loss and suffering.
Isaac, the son of promise, was placed on the altar, but spared through a substitute,
Jesus is placed on the altar and is not spared, and IS OUR SUBSTITUTE!
Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, yet rose to power to save them.
Jesus is betrayed by His brothers and uses power to save them from death and hell!
Moses stood between God and the people and mediated a covenant.
Jesus stands between God and man and mediates a better covenant.
David slayed Israel’s enemy Goliath with a stone.
Jesus defeats sin, Satan, and death, and rolled back the stone in victory!
Esther risked losing an earthly palace to save her people.
Jesus lost the heavenly palace to save His.
He did not just risk His life.
He gave it.
Jonah was cast into the storm so others could be saved.
Jesus was cast into the ultimate storm of God’s wrath so we could live!
Moses struck the rock in the wilderness and water flowed.
Christ is struck, and living water now flows to thirsty sinners.
The Passover lamb was slain so judgment would pass over God’s people.
Jesus is the true Passover Lamb.
Perfect.
Innocent.
Silent.
Slain.
That’s what Matthew is pointing us to!
He’s showing us promises, the pattern, and ultimate fulfillment of it all in JESUS!
Yes there is shadow,
Yes there is darkness,
But in Jesus a light has dawned!
And that’s where Matthew goes next.
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted,
because they are no more.”
Ramah was not just some town.
It was a place of past scars and unbearable trauma.
In the Old Testament,
Ramah was where the people of Judah were gathered before being marched off into exile.
Families torn apart.
Children taken.
Mothers left wailing.
And in Jeremiah 31 it pictures Rachel,
the symbolic mother of Israel,
standing over her children and weeping as they disappear into death and judgment.
So when Matthew quotes Jeremiah here, he’s not saying,
“This is random suffering.”
He’s using exile language.
But here’s Matthew’s point…
Jeremiah 31 does not end with Rachel weeping.
It ends with God making a promise.
“Weep not my child…”
“For this hardship will not end death, but in life.”
“there is hope for your future…”
“your children shall come back home.”
Are you seeing the point yet?
Because I’m about to lose it here.
Matthew is telling us that the tears in Bethlehem are not the final word.
Because though Rachel weeps again,
This time, the child who escapes Herod will grow up,
Not to live, but to die,
So that He might end the true exile forever.
For…
Revelation 21:4–5 ESV
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
This is why the Christ was born.
He was born to die,
so that in Him all of the promises of are forever yes and amen!
That’s what Matthew wants us to see,
and that’s what we are celebrating this Christmas season.
Not a soft, sentimental story,
BUT the story of the birth and triumph of the King Who is JOY TO THE WORLD!
Do you know that King?
Have you bowed the knee to Him?
or are you still trying to desperately cling the throne of your own life?
If so…
Follow the example of the Magi:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ the Newborn King!
- - Matthew 1:23ESV
- - Matthew 2:3ESV
- - Matthew 11:28–30ESV
- - 1 John 5:3ESV
- - Isaiah 9:6–7ESV
- - Luke 24:27ESV
- - Revelation 21:4–5ESV
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
- - 2 Corinthians 1:20ESV

2 Corinthians 9:7ESV

Romans 3:10–12NIV2011

Luke 1:46–55ESV

Matthew 2:1–18ESV

Matthew 2:1-3ESV

Matthew 2:4-5ESV

Matthew 2:6-7ESV

Matthew 2:8-9ESV

Matthew 2:10-11ESV

Matthew 2:12ESV

Matthew 2:13-14ESV

Matthew 2:15ESV

Matthew 2:16-17ESV

Matthew 2:18ESV

Matthew 2:1–18ESV

Matthew 1:23ESV

Matthew 2:3ESV

Matthew 11:28–30ESV

1 John 5:3ESV

Isaiah 9:6–7ESV

Luke 24:27ESV

Revelation 21:4–5ESV

2 Corinthians 1:20ESV