Afterward to Matthew’s Gospel: “HOW GREAT THOU ART!”

“Where is he who was born king of the Jews? For we…have come to worship him.”  Matthew 2:2 

 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”  Revelation 19:16

Matthew has laid out his case and presented his arguments.   Matthew has told the greatest story ever told.   He has convinced us that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Hebrew Messiah who is also Almighty God, creator and sustainer of the universe, redeemer of all mankind.

Two promises and one superlative example:  The application of Mathew’s gospel is the missionary call, to go and make disciples of all nations.  This seems to be extreme, even impossible, to comprehend, much less obey.   That is why he has equipped us with two promises and one superlative example.

Our call as missionaries, whether at our dining room table or to the ends of the earth, is to be equipped with the two great promises that sandwich the Great Commission:  1) Our Commander has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (28:18) and 2) he will be with us “always,” even “to the end of the age,” (28:20).

And Christ himself is our one superlative example.   He is not calling us to anything that he has not already done himself.  He left his heavenly home, left all that was familiar and came to earth as a helpless baby, as a stranger in a strange and dangerous land. Jesus is the first missionary who has crossed cultural, linguistic, geographic even heavenly boundaries to proclaim salvation to all and reveal himself to those who are alienated from their Creator.   He has gone before us.

The entire witness of Scripture:  Matthew gives us a true picture of Jesus as King of the Jews.   The magi came to Jerusalem in search of the newborn king.  The Jewish people and their leaders mostly rejected Jesus as their king.   It was Pilate who crucified the “King of the Jews” (27:37). 

Matthew’s picture is wholly true but incomplete.  Matthew certainly teaches the universal Lordship of Christ (For example, 25:31-32).    But the entire witness of Scripture tells us that Christ is not only the King of the Jews but he is Lord over all and will reign forever (Genesis 17:6-7; 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 33:15; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 7:13-14; Philippians 2:9-11). 

Jesus is not just worshiped as the king of the Jews but he is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16).    He will judge the world and rid the world of Satan and his minions (Revelation 20:10, 15).  He will make right the wrongs and he will restore creation to its initial perfection.  In the new heaven and new earth, in the New Jerusalem, He will dwell among us and we will his people and God himself will be with us as our God! (Revelation 21:3)  Every tear will be wiped from our eyes, death will be no more.  Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying nor pain (Revelation 21:4). 

Dr. Stanley Toussaint, long-time professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, tells a story of an inventor who built a 2-man submarine. He took the submarine to the beach, dragged it into the surf and hopped in.  He took it further out, submerged it and brought it again to the surface.  The inventor noticed that someone on the beach had been watching the whole episode.   The inventor asked the spectator, “Do you think my submarine will work?”   The spectator replied, “Yes!”  Then the inventor said, “Great!  Hop in!”  The man on the beach froze and didn’t move.    After a few moments, he turned around and left the beach.

There is a difference between intellectual acknowledgement and whole-hearted trust.   The demons acknowledge God but they do not trust him (James 2:19).   May we be “not hearers only”, rather may we “be doers of the word,” (James 1:22).   No other person, pursuit or pleasure is worth more than our Jesus.  For He alone is worthy of all we have and all we are. Hop in!  Enjoy him and glorify Him forever!  Amen!