24 Dec Worship the King!
Christmas – old English “Christ’s mass” = special church service for Christ
Christmas Carols –
Worship – old English word “worship” = honor someone worthy
= Jesus Christ is 1. humble 2. holy 3. helpful 4. honest (said God & Church proves it)
Jesus Was Worshipped in Heaven and Came to the Earth
Isaiah 6:1–3 I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
- Isaiah 700 BC
- John 12:41 = this is Jesus
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
- Immanuel – “God with us” – we don’t go up, our God comes down
Jesus Was Worshipped on Earth
- Zechariah
Jesus extended family, priest, in Temple, angel Gabriel told of John & Jesus
- Mary
Gabriel told her & she sang a song of worship
- Elizabeth
Jesus’ extended family, visited Mary, spoke a blessing over Mary/Jesus 1st call “my Lord”
- John
cousin filled with Holy Spirit, leaped in the womb, 1st to worship Jesus
- Angels & Shepherds
Shepherds – lowliest outcast, the glory of God & angel
Luke 2:10 “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Angels – worship from Heaven to earth
Luke 2:13-20 suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger… And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God…
- Magi/Wise Men
Magi = magician (pagan spiritual leaders from the days of Daniel 600 yrs prior
100 mile trip to Jesus home as a boy “we have come to worship Him”
3 gifts, unsure how many magi
- Gold – for kings as Jesus is the King of Kings
- Incense – for priests and purity (e.g. Exodus 30:9, 34-38; Lev. 2:2, 6:15; Eph. 5:2
- Myrrh – for death, a spice used to embalm the dead (John 19:39, see Isaiah 60:1-6 where myrrh is not mentioned because Jesus rose and did not stay dead)
- Today – Jesus is worshipped in Heaven & on Earth
- One Day – Heaven will come to Earth & Jesus will be worshipped forever
