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Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is Mine; ⁶ AND YOU SHALL BE TO ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” -EXODUS 19:5-6

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GOD HAS ALWAYS WANTED

TO LEAD US,

AND SHAPE US

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instead of being ruled BY GOD, Israel sought to rule LIKE GOD.

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But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord. ⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, BUT THEY HAVE REJECTED ME FROM BEING KING OVER THEM

-1 SAMUEL 8:6-7

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like us at times, they opted for a lesser king

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I will extol you, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. . . ¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and tell of Your power, ¹² to make known to the children of man Your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. ¹³ YOUR KINGDOM IS AN EVERLASTING KINGDOM, AND YOUR DOMINION ENDURES THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS.

-Psalm 145:1,11-13

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For to us a child is born, to us A SON IS GIVEN; AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER . . . 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.

-Isaiah 9:6-7

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“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And THE LORD WHOM YOU SEEK WILL SUDDENLY COME TO HIS TEMPLE; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, HE IS COMING, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. ² But who can endure the day of His coming, and who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.“ -Malachi 3:1-2

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400 YEARS

OF PROPHETIC

SILENCE

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2000 YEARS AGO

“SON OF GOD”

“KING OF KINGS”

“LORD OF LORDS”

“SAVIOR”

“BRINGER OF PEACE”

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First-Century Reality

CAESAR IS KING

HE IS THE TRUE

GOVERNING AUTHORITY

HEROD IS A CLIENT-KING OF CAESAR

During Jesus' lifetime, views of Caesar Augustus among Jews in Galilee and Jerusalem were complex and often contradictory. Though Augustus died shortly after Jesus' birth, his legacy as the founder of the Roman Empire and the "Pax Romana" (Roman Peace) was well-established. While some elites benefited from Roman rule, the general Jewish population in Palestine harbored resentment toward Augustus and Roman power due to heavy taxation and the infringement on their religious and national identity.

Elites and rulers

The Herodian dynasty: Client kings, like Herod the Great, who reigned during Jesus's birth, were loyal clients of Augustus and used their association with Rome to stay in power. As part of this arrangement, Herod built extravagant, Roman-style buildings and cities, such as Caesarea Maritima and the city of Sebaste (formerly Samaria), complete with temples dedicated to Augustus and the goddess Roma. This blatant worship of the emperor, however, was in direct conflict with Jewish religious law.

The Sadducees and Temple authorities: The Jewish elite, who collaborated with the Romans to maintain control over the Temple and its lucrative enterprises, had a vested interest in preserving the status quo. In John 19:15, some chief priests declared to Pontius Pilate, "We have no king but Caesar," indicating their allegiance to Rome over a messianic figure who might disrupt their power.

The general Jewish population

A foreign, idolatrous power: For most Jews, the Roman Empire was a foreign, occupying force that threatened their religious traditions and national sovereignty. The Roman practice of emperor worship, which involved referring to the emperor as "Son of God" or "Lord," was blasphemous and fundamentally incompatible with Jewish monotheism.

Political resentment: The Roman-backed Herodian rulers, though nominally Jewish, were deeply unpopular due to their oppressive taxation and brutal methods of keeping control. A census ordered by Augustus, which brought Joseph and a pregnant Mary to Bethlehem, was not viewed as a fulfillment of prophecy but as a reminder of Roman subjugation. This political resentment would lead to numerous uprisings throughout the first century.

Messianic expectations: The presence of a dominant, pagan empire led many Jews to yearn for a Messiah who would overthrow the Roman oppressors and restore a sovereign Jewish kingdom. The Zealots, for example, sought to bring about God's kingdom through violent resistance against Rome.

Differing opinions within the Jewish community

Augustus's religious tolerance: Despite the widespread resistance to Roman rule, Augustus did extend some rights to Jewish communities in the diaspora, such as allowing them to practice their religion and not having to appear in court on the Sabbath. This approach, however, did little to soothe the resentment of Jews in Palestine who felt that Roman power was an affront to their beliefs.

Growing discontent: As Augustus died and was deified, emperor worship became a civic duty throughout the empire, creating an impossible dilemma for Jews. The appointment of the brutal Archelaus, one of Herod's sons, as ethnarch of Judea from 4 BCE to 6 CE only fueled discontent, leading Augustus to banish him and turn the area into a direct Roman province. This shift to direct Roman rule was preferred over Archelaus's cruelty, but it did not change the underlying tensions.

Jesus's stance on taxation: The different Jewish views on Roman authority were highlighted during Jesus's life, as seen in the episode where Herodians and Pharisees tried to trap him by asking if Jews should pay taxes to Caesar. His famous reply—"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's"—was a nuanced answer that avoided aligning himself with either the collaborating elites or the anti-Roman rebels.

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matthew’s opening

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. . .

MATTHEW 1:1-17

Abraham to David – 14 Generations

David to Babylonian Captivity – 14 Generations

Captivity to Jesus – 14 Generations

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In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, ² “REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND TURN TO GOD, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR.

-Matthew 3:2

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JOHN’S MESSAGE

THE KING IS COMING!

REPENT!

MATTHEW 3:4-12

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“KINGDOM”

HEBREW (OT) “mamlakah”

Dominion or Sovereignty

GREEK (NT) “basileia”

Reign or Rule

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“KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”

THE REIGN AND RULE OF HEAVEN, HERE ON EARTH

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THE KING’S INTRODUCTION

MATTHEW 3:13-17

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THE KING’S INTRODUCTION

HUMILITY, HUMANITY

HEAVEN’S ENDORSEMENT

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“MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. . .For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth.”

-JOHN 18:36-37

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FOR BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED, IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH, VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE, WHETHER THRONES OR DOMINIONS OR RULERS OR AUTHORITIES—ALL THINGS WERE CREATED THROUGH HIM AND FOR HIM. . . FOR IN HIM ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD WAS PLEASED TO DWELL . . .”

- COLOSSIANS 1:16, 19

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force of the kingdom

JESUS’ KINGDOM MESSAGE,

HIS LORDSHIP, & AUTHORITY

HAD A RIPPLE EFFECT

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force of the kingdom

JESUS’ POWER WAS SEEN NOT IN MILITARY MIGHT, BUT IN MOVEMENT, IN CHANGE,

AND IN COMPASSION

HEAVEN CRASH-LANDED

ON EARTH IN JESUS

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Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

-Matthew 4:1

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GREAT KINGS UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLES OF

THEIR PEOPLE

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JESUS RELATES TO US LIKE NO OTHER KING COULD

“TEMPTED AS WE ARE”

1 JOHN 2:16; HEBREWS 4:14-15

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From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

-Matthew 4:17

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REPENTANCE IS

MORE THAN SAYING,

“I’M SORRY!”

IT REQUIRES ME TO TURN FROM MY SIN AND TO

ALLOW JESUS TO RULE IN MY HEART

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INVITED TO THE KINGDOM’S CAUSE

MATTHEW 4:18-22

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WE MUST SURRENDER

OUR RULE TO

HIS RULE

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KINGDOM-MINDED

MATTHEW 4:23-25

WALKING ALONGSIDE JESUS

AS HE CHANGES US

AND THOSE HE TOUCHES

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KINGDOM MINDSET

I CHANGE EVERYTHING IN MY HEART IN OPPOSITION TO THE KING’S WISHES.

I WALK WITH THE KING, KNOWING THAT HIS RULE IS HERE