Stephen Bailey - Sunday, 22 December 2024
We Three Kings of Orient are
Scripture References: Matthew 2:1-12, Psalms 91:1-16, Micah 5:1-6
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CloseThe nativity story around the wise men is something we are familiar with. We see images of three kings in so many nativity scenes. We hear in the carol “We Three Kings” about three kings who follow the star. But what does Matthew actually tell us about this part of the story? When we get into it, the story is really about an undetermined number of wise, learned, knowledgeable scientific astrologers who travel a long distance to worship a child from another nation. But why? Why do that? Because they know this child is special. He is important to them, as outsiders. He is important to His own nation. He is important for the whole world. And their response is to worship Him. Their story points us to who it is that is worthy of worship, and how to express that worship.
Scripture References: Matthew 2:1-12, Psalms 91:1-16, Micah 5:1-6
From Series: Service - Sunday Morning, Christmas | More Messages from Stephen Bailey | Download Audio
Bernard Gabbott
Genesis 146:1-10, Genesis 12:1-9, Luke 1:39-56
Bernard Gabbott
Luke 1:5-38, Malachi 4:4-6, Isaiah 9:1-7
Bernard Gabbott
Luke 1:39-56, Genesis 128:1-6, Genesis 12:1-3
As we continue down the hallway of John’s Gospel, we encounter another character that leads us to the main dwelling. John the Baptist is a familiar figure to most of us, often because of his strange behaviours, strange dress and strange diet! However, John doesn’t even mention these things in his account. Why? In John’s prologue he simply says “There was a man named John who was sent from God. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him”. In today’s passage we discover who John the Baptist is, what his job is and why it is critical that we get him right so that we can get Jesus right.
If John 1:1-18 is the hallway into the home that is John’s Gospel, then John 20:30-31 is the reason the house was built. John is explicitly clear about why he wrote. And his reason revolves around four truths. First, Jesus did a lot of ‘signs’ (public acts that show the significance of God), but John only recorded these ones. Second, John recorded these signs for the purpose of ‘believing’ – that his readers might know and trust a key truth. Third, this key truth is the identity of Jesus: he is God’s appointed and chosen saviour of the world, who is truly the Son of God. Fourth, this truth believed in gives life, both now and forevermore. With these two parts in place – the hallway into the house, and the reason the house was built this way, we can now begin to unpack John’s Gospel!
John’s Gospel is a little different to the other three Gospels. Remember that ‘gospel’ means ‘good news announcement’. And remember that the four Gospels are ‘good news biographies’ (g.n.b.) of Jesus. As John’s g.n.b. begins, we take a walk, if you like, down a long hallway. It is kind of like entering a hobbithole (for those who love ‘Lord of the Rings’) – a long hallway, with rooms and artifacts off each side, leading to the main dwelling. In this sense, John’s ‘prologue’ (1:1-18) is a long hallway into the main account. And here, in this hallway, all the main themes and ideas are laid out as we begin to consider the key question of John’s g.n.b.: ‘Who is Jesus?’ You see, once we have answered that question, then the succeeding question is clear: ‘What does this mean – what should we do with him?’
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