2023-06-25 Jesus is King Matt 2 耶稣降生为王（二）

（太2章）

Last time we talked about the birth of Christ bringing restoration and victory to our lives. 上次我们分享了基督为我们的生命的复兴和得胜而降生。Today, we’ll look at Matthew 2, 今天，我们来看马太福音2章，Jesus was born as King, 耶稣降生为王，and He is King, 他是王，the King of kings forever. 万王之王直到永远。Well, it sounds like we’re talking about a movie, the Lion King, 听起来像是在讲电影 狮子王，the Lion King of Judah has conquered. 犹大的狮子王得胜了。Let’s read Matt 2…让我们读一下太2……

1, The magi worshiped Christ as King. 博士朝拜耶稣为王

v.1-2, Magi, also called wise men, 第1-2节，博士，也被称为哲士，followed a star from the East to Bethlehem in search of the new-born King. 他们跟着一颗星从东方来到伯利恒寻找新生的王。Who were these Magi? 这些术士是谁? What made them believe that a star was associated with the promised King? 是什么让他们相信一颗星与神应许的王有关?In the ancient Middle Eastern world those wise men were trusted advisors to kings. 在古代中东世界，这些智者是国王信赖的顾问，They were good at mathematical calculations, astronomy, 他们擅长数学计算、天文学、medicine, astrology, 医学、占星术、alchemy, dream interpretation, 炼丹术、解梦、magic, and history. 魔法和历史。In Daniel 2, 在但以理书2章中，we see that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had been troubled by a dream, 我们看到巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒被一个梦所困扰， so he summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed.” (Daniel 2:2).王吩咐人将术士、用法术的、行邪术的和迦勒底人召来，要他们将王的梦告诉王，他们就来站在王前。但2:2 Mathew tells us that those Magi came from the east. 马太说那些博士来自东方。At that time, the east of Israel refers to Medes, Persia, Assyria, and Babylon. 当时，以色列东部指的是玛代、波斯、亚述和巴比伦，So the Magi are considered to be the fruit of Daniel's ministry in Babylon hundreds of years ago. 所以博士被认为是但以理几百年前在巴比伦传道所结的果子。Daniel served four different kings of Babylon,  但以理先后侍奉过四位巴比伦王，since he was a young man among those of the first captivity, 他是最初以色列被掳中的一位少年人，and later he became the one of the highest respected magi in all of Babylon. 后来却成了巴比伦全地最受尊敬的博士之一。He was faithful to God, 他忠心于神，God was with him, 神就与他同在，and enabled him to interpret dreams and proclaim the eternal reign of the promised Messiah King to the Gentiles. 使他能解梦，又向外邦人宣告神应许的弥赛亚王将执掌王权到永远。

Remember? 还记得吗? In a dream the king saw an image of a man with a head of gold and a chest and arms of silver, 王在梦里看见一个人像，头是金的，胸和臂是银的，a belly and thighs of bronze, 肚腹和大腿是铜的，and with legs of iron. 腿是铁的。And he saw a rock strike the statue. 他看见一块石头打碎了那雕像。In v.44 Daniel explained, 44节，但以理讲解到， “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”当那列王在位的时候，天上的　神必另立一国，永不败坏，也不归别国的人，却要打碎灭绝那一切国，这国必存到永远。God sent Daniel to the Gentiles more than five hundred years before Jesus’ birth 五百多年前，在耶稣降生以前，神就差遣但以理到外邦人那里，to foretell about the coming of the Messiah King and of His everlasting kingdom. 向他们预言弥赛亚王的到来和他永远的国度。During the long period of Daniel's influential service in Babylon, 但以理在巴比伦大有影响力的服侍期间，those magi must have checked the OT 那些博士们一定查阅了旧约，and learnt that the prophecy of the coming Messiah King was related to a star. 并了解到将要来的弥赛亚王的预言与一颗星有关。Numbers 24:17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth. 民24:17 我看他却不在现时，我望他却不在近日。有星要出于雅各，有杖要兴于以色列，必打破摩押的四角，毁坏扰乱之子。 Isa 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 赛9:6 因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在他的肩头上。他名称为奇妙、策士、全能的　神、永在的父、和平的君。In the light of these two prophecies, 根据这两个预言，the appearance of a new star would have signalled the birth of the promised King in Israel, 一颗新星的出现将标志着以色列应许的国王的诞生，since a Scepter is a symbol of a king's rule. 因为权杖是国王统治的象征。The Magi must have observed the stars in the sky from generation to generation, 博士们一定是一代又一代地观察天上的星星，and finally they saw this star, 最后他们看到了这颗星，that’s why they said, 所以他们说: “we saw his star from the east, “我们从东方看到了他的星，and came to worship the new-born King from thousands of miles away.” 从千里之外来朝拜这位新生的国王。” v.10 says, when they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 太2:10又说，他们看见那星，就大大地欢喜。

Those magi were not people who worked hard just to fill their own stomachs. 那些博士不是单为填饱肚子而努力工作的人，They were gentile astrologers or magicians, 他们虽然是外邦的占星家或术士，but they wholeheartedly sought the fulfilment of God’s Word. 但他们却全心寻求神话语的成就。Their faith is incredible. 他们有令人难以置信的信。They believed in Daniel’s prophecy concerning Jesus who was birthed as King. 他们相信但以理关于耶稣降生为王的预言，And they were people who paid the price to believe in God’s word. 他们是为相信神的话语而付出代价的人。Think about it, just because it was foretold in the Scriptures, 想想看，仅仅因为这是圣经里的预言，and you hadn’t see it with your own eyes, 而你没有亲眼看到，would you have paid the price to worship Jesus as King like the magi? 你会愿意付代价，像东方博士一样去敬拜耶稣为王吗? How much time do you spend each day in order to look for the star and follow the star and be overjoyed? 你每天花多少时间去寻求，跟随这星，就大大欢喜呢?

2, Yielding to insecurities rejects Jesus as King. 顺服不安全感就是拒绝耶稣为王

v.3, Why was Herod Disturbed? 希律王为什么心烦意乱?Herod was called the Great and in power, 希律王被称为大君，当时在位，and he was well known for his building projects throughout Judea.他因在犹太遍地兴建建筑而闻名。He built the city of Caesarea; 他建造了凯撒利亚城; he built the new walls and the Second Temple and the pagan temples in Jerusalem. 他在耶路撒冷修建了新城墙、第二圣殿和异教寺庙。Yet, when he heard that the King of the Jews had been born, 然而，当他听到犹太人的王诞生时，he immediately felt insecure, 他立即感到不安全，he felt his throne was threatened. 他觉得他的王位受到了威胁。

How poor it is when a person’s identity is built on what they have outwardly, 当一个人的身份建立在他拥有的外在的东西上，not on who they are in Christ inwardly. 而不是建立在他内在的基督里，那是多么可怜啊! From verses 4 to 8, 从第4节到第8节，we see out of insecurity, 我们看到希律出于不安全感，Herod carried out a series of actions: 做了一系列的行动 :A,He checked the place where Christ was to be born. (V.4) ). A、他去检查基督出生的地方。(第4节) B,He checked carefully the exact time for Christ to be born. (V.7). B、他仔细核对了基督出生的确切时间。(7节)。C,He asked the Magi to report to him as soon as they found Christ. (v.8a). C、他要求博士们一找到基督就向他报告。(v.8a)。D, He lied that he would go and worship Jesus too. (v.8b). D、他撒谎说他也要去敬拜耶稣。(v.8b)。E, He gave orders to kill all the boys within 2 years of age in Bethlehem (v.16)  E、他吩咐杀死伯利恒所有两岁以内的男孩(16节)。

Yielding to a sense of insecurity, he ended up lying and trying to control the situation and killing others. 顺服不安全感，就说谎，要掌控还要杀人。Now why was the whole city troubled at Jesus birth? 那合城为什么因耶稣降生都惊惶呢? “Would the Messiah overthrow the Romans?” “弥赛亚会推翻罗马人吗?” “Would life be harder for us if there was a war trying to overthrow the Romans?” “如果有一场试图推翻罗马人的战争，我们的生活会变得更艰难吗?” “Would Herod the Great kill more people?” . “希律王会杀更多的人吗?” Unknown situations, fear of change, also would create insecurity in people未知的情况，害怕改变也会让人产生不安全感and cause them to be restless 让人焦躁不安。

We’re the same, 我们也一样，whenever we turn to our own ideas, 每当我们转向自己的想法，our own ways, 自己的方式，and we make plans without God, 我们自己计划没有让神介入we actually reject Jesus to be our King,我们就是拒绝耶稣做我们的王 then we become orphans again, 于是我们又成了孤儿we’ll feel insecure and feel defensive, 我们会感到无安全感，就会自我保护。And we’ll try to control our own world, 我们就要试图掌控自己的世界，“I must find love, value, and identity from somewhere else.” “我必须从别的地方找到爱，价值和身份。” “I need to earn more money... “我需要赚更多的钱……”I wanna be like someone else…” “我想成为某人……”

This is the tendency we have in our nature. 这是我们的天然倾向。From Adam to Herod and the whole city's reaction, 从亚当到希律和全城的反应，it’s clear that, 很清楚的看见，whenever we reject Jesus as King, 何时我们拒绝耶稣为王，the first thing we suffer is emotional turmoil, 我们就首先遭受情绪动荡，then we’re tortured by constant judgment, blame, anger comparison, jealousy, and unforgiveness. 并被不停的论断、指摘、比较嫉妒、发怒和不饶恕所折磨。History proves that Herod was tormented by mental and physical illness 历史证明，希律王饱受精神和身体疾病的折磨，and died miserably at the age of 69. 在69岁时悲惨地死去，The Bible tells us that he was eaten by worms and died. 圣经说他被虫子咬死了。So, no one can live a blessed life by yielding to their insecurities. 因此，没有人能会因顺服不安全感而过上蒙福的生活。But honouring Jesus as King results in perfect peace and joy. 而尊耶稣为王会带来全然的平安和喜乐。

3. Honouring Jesus as King.尊耶稣为王

Unlike Herod the great, 与希律王不同，the Gentile Magi came to honour Jesus as king. 外邦的博士们来尊耶稣为王。V.11 tells us, 第11节告诉我们，when they saw the baby Jesus, 当他们看到婴儿耶稣时，they bowed down and worshipped him as King, 他们俯伏敬拜他为王，and they presented Him with gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.  并向他献上黄金、乳香和没药作为礼物。Gold represents Jesus’ deity, kingship, and glory. 黄金代表耶稣的神性、王权和荣耀，He is the promised King. 他就是应许要来的王。Incense signifies Jesus’ priesthood and perfection, 乳香象征着耶稣的祭司身份和完全，while the bitter taste of myrrh foreshadows His suffering and death on the Cross. 而没药的苦味预示着他在十字架上的痛苦和死亡。We think that Jesus came to die on the cross to forgive our sins. 我们信耶稣死在十字架上是为了我们罪得赦免。Yes, but that’s not what the gospel is all about. 是的，但这不是福音的全部，The gospel is called the gospel of the Kingdom. 这福音被称为天国的福音。

The Magi recognised that Jesus is the King of His coming Kingdom. 博士们认出耶稣是即将到来的国度的王。From the very beginning of the bible, 从圣经一开始，we’re told that Adam was given dominion over the earth, 我们就被告知亚当被授予了地上的治理权，which means God intended His Kingly dominion, 这意味着神想要祂的王权、His rulership, 祂的管辖权、His governance, 祂的治理权，His invisible Kingdom 和他看不见的国度，to extend from heaven, a spiritual world into the physical world by working through the humans He had made. 藉着祂所创造的人类，从天上、从属灵世界延伸到物质世界。

Adam lost his kingship, 亚当失去了他的王权，and handed it over to Satan 交给了撒旦，due to his disobedience of God’s commands and listening to the enemy. 因为他不听从神的吩咐，却听从了撒旦。Thus, the whole world has suffered insecurity, fear, shame, spiritual blindness and bondages ever since. 于是，整个世界从此在不安全感，恐惧，羞耻感，属灵的瞎眼和捆绑中。That’s why in Luke 4:6, 就是为什么在路4:6中，Satan boasted to Jesus about the authority and splendour of the world, and said, 撒旦向耶稣夸耀世界的荣华，说: “for it has been given to me…” “因为这原是交付我的……” Jesus came to restore kingship to man through the gospel of the Kingdom. 耶稣来是为了借福音恢复人类的王权。He came to “bring many sons to glory. (Hebrews 2:10)”.  他来是要“领许多的儿子进荣耀里”。(来2:10)”。Glory here in Greek it is Doxa, 荣耀这里在希腊语中是Doxa，which means the fullness of God, 意思是神的完全，the kingly majesty of God. 神的君王威严。Sons here in Greek is Huios, Sons在希腊语中是Huios，meaning mature sons.意思是成熟的儿子。

John the apostle saw this vision in Re 17:14, 在启17:14使徒约翰看到异象，They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”他们与羔羊争战，羔羊必胜过他们，因为羔羊是万主之主，万王之王。同着羔羊的，就是蒙召、被选、有忠心的，也必得胜。”  War means two governments are fighting over who will rule and be in charge. 战争意味着两个政府在争夺谁将统治和掌权。The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ is the King of kings, 神的羔羊耶稣基督，是万王之王，who came to restore God’s governance on the earth 他来修复神在地上的统治 Through his complete obedience to the Father’s will, he defeated Satan.借着他完全的顺服打败了撒旦Now His Kingdom will reign forever. 如今他的国将执掌王权直到永远

In His Kingdom, 在他的国里it’s not about your ideas or my ideas, 不在乎你我出什么主意or what we think不是你认为或我认为; it’s about being obedient to the King and allowing the truth to transform us into His fullness. 是在乎顺服这王并让真理改变我们可以进入他的丰盛 Because He will return to reign with those who are called, chosen and faithful followers.因祂会再来，与蒙召，被拣选，忠心的跟随者一同作王。We’re called as God’s chosen people (Col 3:12), 我们被称为神的选民(西3:12)，but not everyone is faithful to Him. 但不是每个人都忠于神。During my last 18 years of ministry, 在我近18年的事工中，sadly, I’ve witnessed some people receiving grace and healing initially, 很遗憾地看到，有些人起初得到了恩典和医治，but because they chose to live their lives in their own way, 但因为他们选择继续过自己的生活，they actually rejected Jesus as their King 实际上拒绝了耶稣为他们的王，and rebelled against the Kingdom’s order. 违背了国度的次序. Again they gave themselves over to the previous rule of kingdom of darkness, 他们再次把自己送给先前的黑暗国度去统治，so now they’re still suffering from emotional turmoil, 现在他们仍然遭受着情绪动荡，financial struggles, 经济上的挣扎，and are tormented by the dark powers. 又被黑暗权势折磨。

We’re called to imitate those faithful follower’s faith. 我们蒙召是去效法那些忠心跟从者的信心。From the Magi, 从东方三博士那里，we see God’s sovereign power over all that He sent a dream to them and guided them home safely 我们看见神掌权，祂赐梦给博士，引导他们安全回家. Jesus is the sovereign King over all! 耶稣掌管一切! Don’t allow your emotions to be controlled by your circumstances, 不要让你的情绪被你的环境by what you see with your own eyes, 被你眼睛看见的辖制 so that your emotions go up and down depending on them. 以至于你的情绪就跟着他们起伏

Jesus is the King, sovereign King over all bad situations, 耶稣是王，逆境中掌权的王，what does it mean to honour Jesus as King? 尊耶稣为王是什么意思? The Magi showed us an example, 东方三博士给我们树立了榜样，they believed in God’s promises, 他们信靠神的应许，they sought out God’s guidance, 他们寻求神的指引，they followed the star and didn’t follow their own way, 他们跟随这星，而不是按照自己的方式行事，they despised the challenges, 他们不怕挑战，but put their hope in God’s promises, 但把盼望放在神的应许上，they paid the price to honour Jesus as King. 他们为尊耶稣为王付上代价。 As a result, they were honoured by God. 结果，他们得到了神的称赞。 What is your response to the call of honouring Jesus as King this afternoon? 今天下午你对尊耶稣为王的呼召有何回应? Let’s sing the last song. 让我们唱最后一首歌。

Lord, we honour You, 主啊，我们尊崇你，coz You were born as King, 因为你降生为王，lived as King, died 活在地上是王，受死为王，and was resurrected as King, 复活为王，You are King, the King of kings forever! 你是王，万王之王，直到永远! You’re worthy of our praise. You’re worthy of All. 你配得我们的赞美。 We thank you for paying the full price 我们感谢你付了全部的代价，to redeem us from sin and the kingdom of the world 把我们从罪和世界中救赎出来，and bring us into an eternal Kingdom, 并把我们带入一个永恒的国度，whose King is You, Jesus.这国度的王就是你，耶稣。

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for your death and Your resurrection 主耶稣，感谢你的死和你的复活，to restore the rulership of the Kingdom of God on earth 来恢复神国度在地上的治理，and disempower what Satan had got from Adam, 剥夺了撒旦从亚当那里得到的权力，and to restore the Kingdom government back to man. 把神国的治理权归还给人。Open our eyes to see the purpose of calling us to honour Jesus as King, 求你开我们的眼睛，看见这呼召尊耶稣为王的目的，help us to become like the wise men to honour You 帮助我们能像这些博士那样，with all our hearts, all our minds and all our strength. 用我们全心，全意和全人来尊你为王。

If you’re willing to respond to God’s call, you can pray like this, 如果你愿意回应神的呼召，你可以这样祷告: “Lord Jesus, I repent “主耶稣，我忏悔，and recognize that the ways I’ve tried to manage my life and control my life don’t work at all. 我意识到我自己想掌控人生是不管用的。 It has given the enemy opportunity to steal, kill 这给了仇敌偷窃、杀害的机会、and destroy my health, relationships, finances, and every aspect of my life. 来毁坏我的健康、人际关系、财务以及我生活的方方面面。I need Your ongoing forgiveness and mercy to set me free，我需要你持续不断的饶恕和怜悯来释放我，

Lord, I repent of not put my hope in You, 主耶稣，我悔改，因没有把我的盼望放在你身上，and not fully allowing You to be my King, 没有完全让你做我的王，so that I had insecure thoughts, fear and worry to torture my life a lot. 所以我让不安全感的思想，恐惧和担心，折磨我。 Today, I wanna exalt You as my King. 今天，我要尊你为我的王。 I ask You to tear down the strongholds of self-righteousness, unbelief, fear, and insecurity. 我求你拆毁自以为是、不信、恐惧和不安全感的营垒。

You’re my King who loves me, You’re my King forever.”你是爱我的王……你永远是我的王。”  Now you can pray on your own. 现在你可以自己祈祷了。I want those who are going to be baptised to come forward, I wanna pray for you. 下周要受洗的弟兄姊妹请上前来，我要为你们祈祷。If the rest of you like, you can stretch your hands towards them and pray for them too. 如果其他人愿意，你也可以向他们伸出手来，为他们祈祷……..

Thank You Lord for Your presence with us. 感谢主与我们同在。Thank You for calling us to honour You as King in our lives, 感谢祢呼召我们在我们的生命中尊祢为王，which is not to control us 这不是要控制我们，but for us to live in alignment with the kingdom principles and rules, 而是要我们与国的原则和规则一致地生活，so that we can flourish in Your Kingdom.以便我们能在祢的国中兴旺。 Holy Spirit, continue to teach us what it means to enter Your Kingdom 圣灵，求你继续教导我们进入你的国度意味着什么，and what the values and rules the Kingdom are, 神国的价值观和规则是什么，guide us to abide with them so that we won’t live according to the values and the lifestyle and the rule of the world, 引导我们连于你的话就不再跟从世界的价值观、生活方式和法则， but live like Kingdom people 而是活出神国度的人的样式，to fulfil our destiny in life and bring glory to Your name! 来完成我们的人生使命，荣耀你的名! Amen. 阿门。