WEBVTT 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:04.940 a few days ago. It's a list of what are called 00:00:04.940 --> 00:00:09.380 the worst headlines from actual newspapers in 00:00:09.380 --> 00:00:12.519 North America. These are the worst headlines, 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:15.500 and as I read them you'll understand why they 00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:19.679 fit this bill. One headline said this, something 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:24.980 went wrong in jet crash, expert says. Now there's 00:00:24.980 --> 00:00:29.940 great insight for you. Another headline said, 00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:33.539 police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers. 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:40.579 They deserve it. Safety experts say passengers 00:00:40.579 --> 00:00:44.920 should be belted. All right? Maybe that'll help. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:50.500 Farmer Bill dies in house. Now, you've got to 00:00:50.500 --> 00:00:53.299 think about that one a moment. Farmer Bill dies 00:00:53.299 --> 00:01:01.509 in house. Enraged cow injures farmer with axe. 00:01:02.710 --> 00:01:05.230 I'm not sure who had the axe, but somebody was 00:01:05.230 --> 00:01:12.469 hurt. Cold wave linked to temperatures. Now that 00:01:12.469 --> 00:01:14.870 had to be Minnesota. That had to be Minnesota. 00:01:15.709 --> 00:01:18.709 And then I think my favorite says, new study 00:01:18.709 --> 00:01:24.790 of obesity looks for larger test group. Well, 00:01:24.829 --> 00:01:29.409 I think I could fit that bill. If we were to 00:01:29.409 --> 00:01:31.489 get a headline for what we're going to read in 00:01:31.489 --> 00:01:34.909 Luke chapter 1 it might be son of the highest 00:01:34.909 --> 00:01:41.549 comes for the lowest The angel said to Mary verse 00:01:41.549 --> 00:01:45.310 30 do not be afraid Mary You have found favor 00:01:45.310 --> 00:01:48.790 with God You will be with child and give birth 00:01:48.790 --> 00:01:52.170 to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus 00:01:52.170 --> 00:01:58.840 He will be great and will be called the son of 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:03.060 the Most High. The Lord God will give him the 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:05.859 throne of his father David, and he will reign 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:09.300 over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:13.319 will never end. The name with Christmas glory 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:18.180 that we see in verse 32 is Son of the Most High. 00:02:19.819 --> 00:02:24.000 This name captures the unique nature of Messiah 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:28.969 and establishes his solitary right to rule over 00:02:28.969 --> 00:02:32.469 humanity. A point that I hope will grip your 00:02:32.469 --> 00:02:35.990 heart and mind today is this, that the Son of 00:02:35.990 --> 00:02:41.430 the Most High has the right to be the ruler of 00:02:41.430 --> 00:02:45.270 your life and mine. The Son of the Most High 00:02:45.270 --> 00:02:49.590 has the right to be the ruler of your life and 00:02:49.590 --> 00:02:53.229 mine. I want you to see that Jesus Christ has 00:02:53.229 --> 00:02:56.360 that right and that you could have no greater 00:02:56.360 --> 00:03:00.580 privilege or hope than to give Him the throne 00:03:00.580 --> 00:03:06.259 of your life today. There are two truths that 00:03:06.259 --> 00:03:12.599 flow out of this name for Messiah, the Son of 00:03:12.599 --> 00:03:16.259 the Most High. The first truth is this, that 00:03:16.259 --> 00:03:21.000 He, the Messiah, is God's co -equal. That's what 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:26.530 the name means. that he, the Messiah, is God's 00:03:26.530 --> 00:03:30.889 co -equal. This name most high that we see in 00:03:30.889 --> 00:03:35.490 verse 32 is the Greek equivalent to the Old Testament 00:03:35.490 --> 00:03:41.710 Hebrew name for God, Elyon, E -L -Y -O -N, as 00:03:41.710 --> 00:03:46.389 we would spell it. That name reveals that God, 00:03:46.550 --> 00:03:51.129 the true God, is the one who is of supreme might 00:03:51.129 --> 00:03:55.550 and power. It is a name for God that means that 00:03:55.550 --> 00:04:00.830 He has no equal. El Yon is used in the Old Testament 00:04:00.830 --> 00:04:05.610 49 times. And in the New Testament we see the 00:04:05.610 --> 00:04:11.710 name Most High 9 times. We see it in verse 32, 00:04:11.810 --> 00:04:16.670 again in verse 35. The angel says the Holy Spirit 00:04:16.670 --> 00:04:19.069 will come upon you and the power of the Most 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:27.319 High will overshadow you. in verse 76. It says, 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:31.139 and you, my child, will be called a prophet of 00:04:31.139 --> 00:04:36.240 the Most High. That is Zachariah's song regarding 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:40.220 his son to be born, who was called John the Baptist. 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.779 Luke again uses this term for God, Most High, 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.540 twice in his gospel, one of which we'll see a 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:52.399 little bit later. This name El Yon is a derivative 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:56.879 from a Hebrew verb, Allah, which means to go 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:02.600 up, to go up. It is a noun taken from that and 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.959 it is used of persons or things to indicate their 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:10.680 elevation above others. When it's applied to 00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:14.519 God, it means that he is the lifted up one. He 00:05:14.519 --> 00:05:19.500 is the exalted one who is above all gods. and 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:24.560 all men. Think of some of the occurrences of 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:27.319 this term in the Old Testament, ones that may 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:31.500 be familiar to you. Psalm 91 verse 1, he who 00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:35.120 dwells in the shelter of the, what? The Most 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:39.779 High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 00:05:41.439 --> 00:05:45.459 Later in that same Psalm it says, if you make 00:05:45.459 --> 00:05:49.339 the Most High Your dwelling even the Lord who 00:05:49.339 --> 00:05:52.259 is my refuge then no harm will befall you no 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:56.800 disaster will come near your tent in Psalm 92 00:05:56.800 --> 00:06:00.439 it begins by saying it is good to praise the 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:05.360 Lord and to make music to your name almost high 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:11.300 It is a name that's also used in the book of 00:06:11.300 --> 00:06:17.069 Daniel in Daniel chapter 4 We have these words 00:06:17.069 --> 00:06:20.709 of the great Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. 00:06:20.829 --> 00:06:24.610 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:28.689 my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored. 00:06:29.410 --> 00:06:35.490 Then I praised the Most High. Here's the most 00:06:35.490 --> 00:06:41.209 powerful man in the world in his generation who 00:06:41.209 --> 00:06:46.139 has been humbled by God. in a period of several 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:52.079 years of living out insanity. And he says, I 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:56.439 lifted up my eyes and I praised the one who has 00:06:56.439 --> 00:07:02.660 exalted above me the most high. In Daniel chapter 00:07:02.660 --> 00:07:06.180 5 recounting that, it says, he, Nebuchadnezzar, 00:07:06.180 --> 00:07:08.420 was driven away from people and given the mind 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:11.870 of an animal. He lived with the wild donkeys 00:07:11.870 --> 00:07:14.870 and ate grass like cattle and his body was drenched 00:07:14.870 --> 00:07:18.610 with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged 00:07:18.610 --> 00:07:23.149 that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms 00:07:23.149 --> 00:07:29.930 of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. El 00:07:29.930 --> 00:07:33.430 Yom, Most High. And here we see that this one 00:07:33.430 --> 00:07:36.730 who is to be born of Mary will be called the 00:07:36.730 --> 00:07:43.350 son of the Most High. Now when we use that expression, 00:07:43.550 --> 00:07:47.670 the son of, we in our Western thinking often 00:07:47.670 --> 00:07:51.769 imagine that this is one who is generated by 00:07:51.769 --> 00:07:55.529 the Most High, as we generate our children, we 00:07:55.529 --> 00:07:59.250 produce our children. And so somehow we imagine 00:07:59.250 --> 00:08:02.589 that that's what this name means, but it doesn't. 00:08:03.269 --> 00:08:09.129 In Oriental Semitic thought, a son is more than 00:08:09.129 --> 00:08:14.420 a descendant. To call someone a son in oriental 00:08:14.420 --> 00:08:17.959 thinking is to call that person the exact representation 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:23.420 of the other. For example, in Genesis chapter 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:28.139 5, it says regarding Adam, when he had lived 00:08:28.139 --> 00:08:34.919 130 years, he begat, now in the English translations 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:39.419 they insert, a son, but that's not in the Hebrew. 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:45.649 It says, he beget in his own likeness in his 00:08:45.649 --> 00:08:53.870 own image. Those two phrases equal sun. So the 00:08:53.870 --> 00:08:56.909 word sun is unnecessary in the Hebrew thinking. 00:08:57.970 --> 00:09:02.649 Adam beget one who is in his own image, who is 00:09:02.649 --> 00:09:07.049 in his own likeness. That's a sun. And so when 00:09:07.049 --> 00:09:10.620 we see this title that the Christ is the Son 00:09:10.620 --> 00:09:14.820 of the Most High. What it's saying is that this 00:09:14.820 --> 00:09:19.259 one possesses all of the qualities of the other. 00:09:21.899 --> 00:09:24.860 This one who is to be named Jesus but who will 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:27.419 be called the Son of the Most High possesses 00:09:27.419 --> 00:09:30.740 all of the qualities of the Most High himself. 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:36.779 It is a name that clearly establishes the equality 00:09:36.779 --> 00:09:42.110 in nature. between God the Father and God the 00:09:42.110 --> 00:09:49.110 Son, who is coming to be born of Mary. The writer 00:09:49.110 --> 00:09:51.809 of Hebrews captures this same idea when he says, 00:09:52.090 --> 00:09:57.870 the Son is the radiance of God's glory and the 00:09:57.870 --> 00:10:04.129 exact representation of His being. The exact 00:10:04.129 --> 00:10:10.059 representation of His being. That phrase expresses 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:14.000 the fact that the son is personally distinct 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:20.220 from the father, yet he is literally equal to 00:10:20.220 --> 00:10:26.860 the father. It means that he is the adequate 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:31.500 imprint of all that the father is. That word 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:34.259 exact representation in the original language 00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:39.649 is the word character. Character, it's a Greek 00:10:39.649 --> 00:10:42.710 word, but we use it in English, too, don't we? 00:10:44.070 --> 00:10:48.409 Character. That term first meant a tool that 00:10:48.409 --> 00:10:52.250 was used to engrave, like you would use a tool 00:10:52.250 --> 00:10:56.230 to engrave in wood, for example. Then it came 00:10:56.230 --> 00:11:03.470 to mean a stamp or an impress, as in a coin or 00:11:03.470 --> 00:11:09.409 a seal. Some of you enjoy making Christmas cookies 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:11.669 and to do that you roll out the dough and then 00:11:11.669 --> 00:11:16.470 you get out the cookie cutter and You press that 00:11:16.470 --> 00:11:20.009 cutter down upon that dough and you you you form 00:11:20.009 --> 00:11:22.889 a piece of dough That's the exact representation 00:11:22.889 --> 00:11:27.649 of that cookie cutter Now that's a crude and 00:11:27.649 --> 00:11:30.409 simple illustration, but it's the idea here of 00:11:30.409 --> 00:11:34.690 character Jesus Christ is the exact impress of 00:11:34.690 --> 00:11:39.200 God in human flesh, so that when you see Him, 00:11:39.340 --> 00:11:45.120 you see exactly what God is like. There is no 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.720 name that clearly reveals the deity of Jesus 00:11:47.720 --> 00:11:53.259 more than this one. He is, in His very essence, 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:58.899 all that deity is. That's clearly stated in the 00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:03.320 Bible. But it took the church literally hundreds 00:12:03.320 --> 00:12:07.399 of years to figure out how to say that, how to 00:12:07.399 --> 00:12:13.440 communicate it in human terms, to take this biblical 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:18.659 concept and to put it out there in language that 00:12:18.659 --> 00:12:25.399 we could all grasp and agree on. That was done 00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:33.309 in a final fashion. in the fourth century, in 00:12:33.309 --> 00:12:37.350 what is called the Nicene Creed. Although it 00:12:37.350 --> 00:12:41.009 was not a creed that was fashioned in its final 00:12:41.009 --> 00:12:44.570 form in Nicea, or Nicaea, however that's to be 00:12:44.570 --> 00:12:48.789 pronounced, it was done in Constantinople. Nonetheless, 00:12:48.990 --> 00:12:51.110 the leaders of the church in the fourth century, 00:12:51.110 --> 00:12:55.070 in 381, gathered together and they agreed upon 00:12:55.070 --> 00:12:59.049 this statement in the Nicene Creed. We believe... 00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:04.320 in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:07.000 of God, begotten of the Father before all the 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:13.740 ages, light of light, true God of true God, begotten 00:13:13.740 --> 00:13:17.200 not made, then here's the phrase I'm pointing 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:24.120 toward, of one substance with the Father. Of 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:28.100 one substance through the Father. With the Father, 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:32.429 rather. Now, although it was clearly stated then, 00:13:32.490 --> 00:13:35.629 it continued to be debated for a number of decades. 00:13:36.370 --> 00:13:42.830 And in 451, a group of church leaders again met 00:13:42.830 --> 00:13:47.389 in the East and in the Chalcedonian definition 00:13:47.389 --> 00:13:51.129 of the faith. They made this declaration again. 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:54.909 Therefore, following the Holy Fathers, all of 00:13:54.909 --> 00:13:58.309 us teach unanimously that everyone must confess. 00:13:58.750 --> 00:14:01.970 that our Lord Jesus Christ is one single and 00:14:01.970 --> 00:14:05.929 same Son who is perfect according to divinity 00:14:05.929 --> 00:14:10.049 and perfect according to humanity, truly God 00:14:10.049 --> 00:14:15.070 and truly man, composed of reasonable soul and 00:14:15.070 --> 00:14:18.690 a body. And then here's the key phrase that I'm 00:14:18.690 --> 00:14:23.110 looking towards today. Consubstantial with the 00:14:23.110 --> 00:14:27.809 Father. according to divinity, and consubstantial 00:14:27.809 --> 00:14:33.750 with us according to humanity. That word consubstantial 00:14:33.750 --> 00:14:36.850 is a theological term that means he is of the 00:14:36.850 --> 00:14:41.429 same essence in his nature. In other words, in 00:14:41.429 --> 00:14:44.649 his nature, he is of the same essence as God 00:14:44.649 --> 00:14:48.450 himself, and he is of the same essence as man, 00:14:49.429 --> 00:14:53.850 the God -man. Well, I can almost hear some of 00:14:53.850 --> 00:14:55.929 you say, well, doesn't everybody believe that? 00:14:57.470 --> 00:15:02.970 And the answer is no. Not everyone does. I wish 00:15:02.970 --> 00:15:08.029 everyone did. It is denied by cults like the 00:15:08.029 --> 00:15:11.970 Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, as well as 00:15:11.970 --> 00:15:19.019 by our Jewish friends and Muslim friends. It 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:21.740 is a truth that is denied by Christian churches 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:25.539 that are apostate, that have fallen away from 00:15:25.539 --> 00:15:32.259 the faith and who deny this truth. This teaching 00:15:32.259 --> 00:15:34.259 that I'm bringing to you this morning is one 00:15:34.259 --> 00:15:38.980 that is under growing assault in our culture's 00:15:38.980 --> 00:15:44.159 pluralistic and tolerant mindset. You will see 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:47.059 these days the Unitarians getting a lot of favorable 00:15:47.059 --> 00:15:50.000 press. especially in the Minneapolis newspaper, 00:15:50.059 --> 00:15:52.779 because there's a very large Unitarian congregation 00:15:52.779 --> 00:15:57.840 in Minneapolis, maybe several of them. They deny 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:00.519 what I'm saying to you this morning regarding 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:05.600 Jesus Christ. That's one reason they're so popular 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:10.259 to the press right now, because they uphold pluralism 00:16:10.259 --> 00:16:15.080 and tolerance as they define it. When you don't 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:17.299 believe in anything, it's easy to be tolerant. 00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:23.500 Now, because what I have said is true regarding 00:16:23.500 --> 00:16:26.779 the nature of Jesus Christ, it is under assault 00:16:26.779 --> 00:16:31.179 today. And I'll tell you why. Because it undermines 00:16:31.179 --> 00:16:39.019 tolerance as it's defined in our culture. And 00:16:39.019 --> 00:16:42.059 because it establishes that there is absolute 00:16:42.059 --> 00:16:46.440 truth that is measured by the person of Jesus 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:51.740 Christ. And our age of relativism does not want 00:16:51.740 --> 00:16:54.539 to admit that there is any truth that is absolute. 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:59.639 And a third reason it's under assault is because 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.620 it assures, this truth assures that there is 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:07.559 a future judgment. And our age does not want 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:12.720 to face judgment. Everything is acceptable. Everything 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:16.039 is okay. It all passes muster according to our 00:17:16.039 --> 00:17:22.660 age. But because Jesus Christ is the God of man 00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:27.059 Who came into the world to die for our sins and 00:17:27.059 --> 00:17:30.700 because he was resurrected from the dead He has 00:17:30.700 --> 00:17:35.640 been appointed by God one day to judge all men 00:17:35.640 --> 00:17:41.859 This truth of who Jesus is according to the Bible 00:17:41.859 --> 00:17:47.200 Cannot coexist with the lies of a godless culture 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:51.839 like we are living in. One or the other is going 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:56.539 to dominate our culture. That's why it is so 00:17:56.539 --> 00:18:00.579 important at this Christmas season for us to 00:18:00.579 --> 00:18:03.799 reiterate and reaffirm the truth of God's Word 00:18:03.799 --> 00:18:08.539 that the Messiah is God's co -equal. We must 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:13.180 never yield ground regarding the unique nature 00:18:13.180 --> 00:18:20.440 of Jesus. Believers for 2 ,000 years have at 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:22.880 times confessed this truth with the shedding 00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:28.380 of their own blood, if necessary. And we must 00:18:28.380 --> 00:18:34.200 be willing to do no less than that. This name, 00:18:34.380 --> 00:18:38.900 the Son of the Most High, means that Jesus is 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:43.599 co -equal with God as the Messiah. But there's 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.380 a second truth that comes out of this. that I 00:18:46.380 --> 00:18:51.000 hasten on to, and that is that the Messiah is 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:54.299 God's King. Not only is He God's co -equal, He 00:18:54.299 --> 00:18:59.839 is God's King. God's King. That means two things. 00:19:01.740 --> 00:19:04.940 First it means that all things in heaven and 00:19:04.940 --> 00:19:10.579 earth are under His authority. You may recall 00:19:10.579 --> 00:19:17.200 that in Genesis chapter 14, Abraham returned 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:19.759 victorious from the battle where he went to rescue 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:24.420 Lot, and he was met by a man who was the king 00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:28.140 of Salem, as it was called in that day. Later 00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:31.680 it was called Jerusalem. So it was a pagan, gentile 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:36.279 city in that day. He was met by Melchizedek, 00:19:36.539 --> 00:19:41.819 this king, this king priest of Salem. And he 00:19:41.819 --> 00:19:47.119 offered to him... tithes of all, and calls him 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:51.839 the priest of the Most High God." Notice that 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:57.180 title. The priest of the Most High. Now here's 00:19:57.180 --> 00:20:03.440 a man who is a Gentile, who by God's providence 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:07.200 and God's design down through the generations 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:10.680 had come to believe in the Most High God at the 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:13.319 same time as Abraham. There were no Jews yet. 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.099 There was no Israel yet. Abraham was still there. 00:20:16.859 --> 00:20:21.740 He had not produced a seed yet. And here is this 00:20:21.740 --> 00:20:26.000 man who is a priest of the Most High God. That 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:33.079 name is El Elion. It's a compound name. El, the 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:40.000 name for God. And then Elion. God the Most High. 00:20:40.329 --> 00:20:44.329 and he is called there the possessor of heaven 00:20:44.329 --> 00:20:48.970 and earth. The possessor of heaven and earth. 00:20:50.769 --> 00:20:53.490 That's why I say to you that Jesus Christ, who 00:20:53.490 --> 00:21:02.009 is Elyon, is Messiah's King, and that all things 00:21:02.009 --> 00:21:04.710 in heaven and earth are under his authority. 00:21:05.750 --> 00:21:09.759 In Deuteronomy 32 and verse 8, It says that El 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:14.539 Yon possesses the earth and divided the nations 00:21:14.539 --> 00:21:19.740 among their assigned territories. Well, that's 00:21:19.740 --> 00:21:24.740 an interesting idea. What does it mean? El Yon 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:28.819 possessed the earth and divided the nations, 00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:33.279 their assigned territories. Well, it's reflecting 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:39.500 back on Genesis chapter 10. Chronologically, 00:21:39.859 --> 00:21:43.799 Genesis chapter 11 comes before chapter 10. And 00:21:43.799 --> 00:21:46.119 in chapter 11, you have the power of Babel and 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:49.460 the scattering of humanity as a part of God's 00:21:49.460 --> 00:21:53.440 judgment. In chapter 10, you have the record 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:58.160 of where the descendants of Noah then lived. 00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:06.390 According to Ham, Japheth first, then Ham. and 00:22:06.390 --> 00:22:11.490 then sham for the Semites. And so it was the 00:22:11.490 --> 00:22:14.170 Lord who decided where these descendants of the 00:22:14.170 --> 00:22:17.890 sons of Noah would live once they had been scattered. 00:22:18.529 --> 00:22:23.410 He assigned to them their territories, their 00:22:23.410 --> 00:22:26.490 boundaries. He has the right to do that. He is 00:22:26.490 --> 00:22:30.950 Elyon. And then in the book of Daniel, as we 00:22:30.950 --> 00:22:33.990 pointed out earlier, this book of Gentile Prophecy, 00:22:35.569 --> 00:22:40.009 This name El Yon is used a number of times including 00:22:40.009 --> 00:22:44.750 in Daniel 425 where it says seven times will 00:22:44.750 --> 00:22:47.829 pass by you until you acknowledge that the Most 00:22:47.829 --> 00:22:51.950 High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and 00:22:51.950 --> 00:22:57.369 gives them to anyone he wishes. Are you tracking 00:22:57.369 --> 00:23:04.450 with me? I'm saying to you that El Yon is the 00:23:04.450 --> 00:23:07.869 one who possesses heaven and earth, and as a 00:23:07.869 --> 00:23:10.390 result of that, he has a right to give it to 00:23:10.390 --> 00:23:15.309 whomever he wishes. And Jesus Christ is El Yom. 00:23:16.230 --> 00:23:21.329 He is the Son of the Most High. He rules over 00:23:21.329 --> 00:23:23.970 all things on the earth, and not only on the 00:23:23.970 --> 00:23:26.750 earth, but in heaven as well, the invisible heavenlies. 00:23:28.849 --> 00:23:32.759 That other realm that is all around us, the invisible 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:37.019 realm of the angels is a realm that must obey 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:41.460 his authority. Only on two occasions in the New 00:23:41.460 --> 00:23:45.119 Testament record was Jesus called the Son of 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:51.079 the Most High. And both of these times it was 00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:57.099 spoken by angelic creatures. We read one here 00:23:57.099 --> 00:24:01.359 in Luke where the angel Gabriel used that term. 00:24:01.579 --> 00:24:05.099 calling him the son of the Most High. You may 00:24:05.099 --> 00:24:08.019 be surprised where the other time occurs. It's 00:24:08.019 --> 00:24:12.759 also in Luke chapter 8 this time, and verse 28. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:20.000 Jesus and his disciples sailed to the region 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:22.680 of the Gasserines, which is across the lake from 00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:26.380 Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met 00:24:26.380 --> 00:24:29.019 by a demon -possessed man from the town. For 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:32.119 a long time, this man had not worn clothes or 00:24:32.119 --> 00:24:35.779 lived in a house, but had lived in tombs. When 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.779 he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:41.740 shouting at the top of his voice, What do you 00:24:41.740 --> 00:24:45.559 want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? 00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:52.299 Now who is this that is speaking? It is the demon. 00:24:53.259 --> 00:24:57.960 the fallen angel within this man. And he is the 00:24:57.960 --> 00:25:01.519 one who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:04.839 the Most High God. Only here, and in Luke chapter 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:08.619 1, is Jesus given this name, Son of the Most 00:25:08.619 --> 00:25:12.519 High. And both times it is confessed by angelic 00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:16.859 creatures. Now because he is Messiah's king and 00:25:16.859 --> 00:25:22.339 he rules in the invisible realm of heaven, and 00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:26.319 the visible realm of earth. It is not surprising 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:29.380 to hear him say, just before he goes back into 00:25:29.380 --> 00:25:36.019 heaven, to his disciples, all authority is given 00:25:36.019 --> 00:25:42.660 to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and 00:25:42.660 --> 00:25:46.779 make disciples of all nations. There's the king 00:25:46.779 --> 00:25:51.940 speaking. All authority is mine, he says. And 00:25:51.940 --> 00:25:56.380 now I delegate authority to you. You go and make 00:25:56.380 --> 00:25:59.259 disciples of all nations." It's a wonderful thought. 00:26:00.019 --> 00:26:03.480 A wonderful thought. He is God's King. And it 00:26:03.480 --> 00:26:06.579 means, first of all, that all things in heaven 00:26:06.579 --> 00:26:08.599 and earth are under His authority. But secondly, 00:26:08.740 --> 00:26:12.160 it means that He will Himself one day return 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:15.640 and rule over the earth in fulfillment of the 00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:19.410 Old Testament prophecies. Notice in Luke chapter 00:26:19.410 --> 00:26:21.589 1 that it says, he will be great and be called 00:26:21.589 --> 00:26:24.549 the son of the Most High. The Lord God will give 00:26:24.549 --> 00:26:29.289 him the throne of his father David, and he will 00:26:29.289 --> 00:26:33.710 reign over the house of Jacob forever. Now this 00:26:33.710 --> 00:26:38.349 goes back to that covenant that God made in the 00:26:38.349 --> 00:26:41.890 Old Testament with David. Remember David wanted 00:26:41.890 --> 00:26:45.630 to build God a house. God said no David your 00:26:45.630 --> 00:26:47.690 hands are covered with blood. You're a man of 00:26:47.690 --> 00:26:56.289 war but David I So appreciate your heart That 00:26:56.289 --> 00:27:01.170 I'm going to build a house for you And he didn't 00:27:01.170 --> 00:27:04.750 mean a physical structure he meant a dynasty 00:27:04.750 --> 00:27:10.509 a line of Kings a household And he says now I 00:27:10.509 --> 00:27:13.769 will make your name great like the names of the 00:27:13.769 --> 00:27:16.269 greatest men of the earth. I will provide a place 00:27:16.269 --> 00:27:19.309 for my people Israel. We'll plant them so that 00:27:19.309 --> 00:27:21.890 they can have a home of their own and no longer 00:27:21.890 --> 00:27:25.470 be disturbed. I will also give you rest from 00:27:25.470 --> 00:27:28.450 your enemies. The Lord declares to you that the 00:27:28.450 --> 00:27:31.230 Lord Himself will establish a house for you. 00:27:31.950 --> 00:27:34.269 When your days are over and you rest with your 00:27:34.269 --> 00:27:37.950 fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed 00:27:37.950 --> 00:27:41.789 you. You will come who will come from your own 00:27:41.789 --> 00:27:46.230 body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is 00:27:46.230 --> 00:27:49.170 the one who will build a house for my name, and 00:27:49.170 --> 00:27:51.789 I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 00:27:52.549 --> 00:27:57.230 I will be his father, and he will be my son." 00:27:57.230 --> 00:27:59.109 Now, that's an amazing statement. Remember, this 00:27:59.109 --> 00:28:03.329 is oriental thinking. Here, God is not merely 00:28:03.329 --> 00:28:05.910 saying, he will be my servant. God is saying, 00:28:06.150 --> 00:28:10.700 regarding David's son, he will be my son. And 00:28:10.700 --> 00:28:18.119 I will be his father." And we know that this 00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:20.740 covenant, this statement in the covenant was 00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:23.740 partially fulfilled in Solomon, David's son, 00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:29.019 who did build that magnificent temple in Jerusalem. 00:28:30.599 --> 00:28:34.220 But there is meaning here beyond that, because 00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:37.480 there is one who is greater than Solomon who 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:42.240 came. and who is the son of David, and that is 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:48.220 the Lord Jesus Christ. And it is he, David's 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:52.140 son, who will reign over the house of Jacob, 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:57.400 that is Israel, forever and forever. In Psalm 00:28:57.400 --> 00:29:01.980 2, God declares this to be true. I have established 00:29:01.980 --> 00:29:09.069 my king on Zion, my holy hill. And the King says, 00:29:09.289 --> 00:29:11.950 I will proclaim the decrees of the Lord. He said 00:29:11.950 --> 00:29:16.410 to me, you are my son. Today I have become your 00:29:16.410 --> 00:29:21.769 father. But now the Davidic King, one of David's 00:29:21.769 --> 00:29:24.289 sons, could say that in one sense. But there 00:29:24.289 --> 00:29:26.670 is one who can say it in the ultimate sense, 00:29:28.069 --> 00:29:30.009 and who in the New Testament is said to be the 00:29:30.009 --> 00:29:33.490 fulfillment of those words. To whom God said, 00:29:33.589 --> 00:29:36.930 you are my son. Today I have become your father. 00:29:37.130 --> 00:29:41.750 and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the 00:29:41.750 --> 00:29:44.509 Son of David, and He will return and rule over 00:29:44.509 --> 00:29:47.690 the earth in fulfillment of all of these prophecies 00:29:47.690 --> 00:29:52.470 to David and others. And so Messiah is not only 00:29:52.470 --> 00:29:56.230 God's co -equal, but Messiah is His King, and 00:29:56.230 --> 00:29:59.009 that's what the name the Son of the Most High 00:29:59.009 --> 00:30:04.509 means. What can be our response to this? None 00:30:04.509 --> 00:30:09.450 other than what Psalm 2 says. Therefore you kings, 00:30:09.970 --> 00:30:13.710 this is now Messiah speaking to the kings, other 00:30:13.710 --> 00:30:18.089 kings of the earth. You kings, be wise. Be warned, 00:30:18.390 --> 00:30:21.869 you rulers of the earth. First thing he says 00:30:21.869 --> 00:30:27.289 is, wisen up. Be instructed. He goes on to say, 00:30:27.529 --> 00:30:31.190 serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 00:30:33.369 --> 00:30:39.880 Kiss the son. Kiss the son. lest he be angry 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:44.019 with you and you be destroyed in your way, for 00:30:44.019 --> 00:30:48.640 his wrath can flare up in a moment. To kiss the 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.039 Son is the picture of one coming before a mighty 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:55.700 King and bowing down and kissing his ring or 00:30:55.700 --> 00:30:59.519 kissing his feet. There's a picture of reverence, 00:30:59.619 --> 00:31:04.880 a picture of submission to this great King. So 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:09.480 Messiah says, kiss the Son. Lest the wrath of 00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:15.420 God come upon you. Matthew Henry said, blessed 00:31:15.420 --> 00:31:19.200 will be those in the day of wrath who by trusting 00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:24.180 in Christ have made Him their refuge and patron. 00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:31.019 Have you taken refuge in the Lord? Have you made 00:31:31.019 --> 00:31:33.720 Him your protector? Have you come to Him for 00:31:33.720 --> 00:31:39.660 salvation? You see this term, the Son of the 00:31:39.660 --> 00:31:44.140 Highest, demands a commitment from us. We have 00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:49.819 to make a choice. We have to choose either to 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:55.039 live as a willing subject of this kingdom, by 00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:01.099 taking refuge in Christ, or to live as a condemned 00:32:01.099 --> 00:32:06.579 rebel outside of his kingdom, only to be destroyed. 00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:14.299 by his wrath. And every one of us faces that 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:19.279 decision, whether we will willingly subject ourselves 00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:22.000 to him, that is, as it were, come to this king 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:27.720 and kiss him, or if we will turn and go our own 00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:33.210 way to our own destruction. The son of the Most 00:32:33.210 --> 00:32:35.789 High has David's throne, but I'll tell you something. 00:32:35.970 --> 00:32:38.529 Today, the throne he's looking for is the throne 00:32:38.529 --> 00:32:42.250 of your heart. That's the throne he wants to 00:32:42.250 --> 00:32:46.190 have. And that's the throne he deserves to have 00:32:46.190 --> 00:32:51.329 because he's the son of the Most High who came 00:32:51.329 --> 00:32:59.779 for the lowest of us and died on the cross. so 00:32:59.779 --> 00:33:04.559 that God can now forgive us if we will kiss the 00:33:04.559 --> 00:33:09.200 son and give our lives to him. Let's pray together. 00:33:12.900 --> 00:33:14.920 Friend, have you come to that place in your own 00:33:14.920 --> 00:33:21.259 spiritual pilgrimage? This one who is the son 00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:26.240 of the Most High longs to be the king who sits 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:31.039 on the throne of your heart. And let me be clear, 00:33:31.119 --> 00:33:34.740 your heart represents the real you. It's where 00:33:34.740 --> 00:33:37.660 you do business. It's where your decisions are 00:33:37.660 --> 00:33:41.660 made. It's where your values are fashioned. It's 00:33:41.660 --> 00:33:45.400 where you decide what is important. There in 00:33:45.400 --> 00:33:50.980 that heart, Jesus Christ desires and deserves 00:33:50.980 --> 00:33:56.599 to be king. Will you let him come into your heart? 00:33:58.690 --> 00:34:01.849 establish His rule there. There is no greater 00:34:01.849 --> 00:34:05.410 privilege, no higher honor that you can have 00:34:05.410 --> 00:34:11.769 than to allow Him to so rule. And you can do 00:34:11.769 --> 00:34:16.289 that right now just by asking Him to come in 00:34:16.289 --> 00:34:19.929 and giving Him your heart, telling Him to take 00:34:19.929 --> 00:34:25.329 the throne of your life. Will you do that? Lord 00:34:25.329 --> 00:34:33.860 Jesus. What a name is this for you? It is a name 00:34:33.860 --> 00:34:38.000 filled with glory. And we give you glory and 00:34:38.000 --> 00:34:40.460 praise today that you, the son of the highest, 00:34:40.760 --> 00:34:44.739 came born of a virgin for those of us who are 00:34:44.739 --> 00:34:50.420 the lowest among men. And you came that you might 00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:56.159 raise us to reign with yourself. We bless your 00:34:56.159 --> 00:35:00.599 name, and we adore you today. Would you stand 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:04.639 with me please with your head down? Let's sing 00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:05.340 together.