In this message, we explore the profound significance of the gifts brought by the wise men to Jesus, focusing particularly on the gift of gold. Gold, a symbol of kingship, underscores the central theme of Jesus as the King of Kings. Throughout history, gold has been a gift fit for royalty, and its presentation to Jesus signifies His divine authority and kingship. The wise men, despite their own status and wealth, recognized Jesus' supreme authority and worshiped Him, setting an example for us today.

The narrative of Jesus' kingship is contrasted with the expectations of the Jewish people at the time. They anticipated a Messiah born in grandeur, yet Jesus was born in humble circumstances, defying all expectations. His life and ministry further challenged societal norms, as He associated with the marginalized and demonstrated a love and authority unlike any other king. Jesus' kingship is not about earthly power but about a kingdom characterized by love, grace, and redemption.

The message also delves into the varied responses people have towards Jesus' kingship. Some, like King Herod, are against Him, fearing the loss of their own power and control. Others dismiss Him, acknowledging His goodness but not recognizing His authority in their lives. The wise men, however, chose to worship Him, acknowledging His divine kingship and offering their lives in reverence.

Ultimately, the question posed is personal: How do we respond to Jesus as King? Are we against Him, dismissive of Him, or do we worship Him as the King of our hearts? The call is to recognize Jesus not just as a historical figure or a good man, but as the King of Kings who offers us love, redemption, and a place in His eternal kingdom.

**Key Takeaways:**

- **The Symbolism of Gold:** Gold, a gift fit for a king, symbolizes Jesus' divine authority and kingship. It reminds us that Jesus is not just a historical figure but the King of Kings, deserving of our worship and reverence. [40:35]

- **Unexpected Kingship:** Jesus' birth and life defied expectations. Born in humble circumstances, He associated with the marginalized and demonstrated a love and authority unlike any earthly king. His kingship challenges us to see beyond societal norms and embrace His kingdom of love and grace. [46:59]

- **Responses to Jesus' Kingship:** People respond to Jesus' kingship in different ways: some are against Him, others dismiss Him, and some worship Him. Our response reflects our recognition of His authority and our willingness to submit to His rule in our lives. [50:20]

- **The Transformative Power of Jesus:** Jesus' kingship is characterized by His power to heal, restore, and redeem. He offers shelter in times of trouble and peace in the midst of chaos. Recognizing His kingship invites us to experience His transformative power in our lives. [59:25]

- **Personal Reflection on Jesus as King:** The message challenges us to reflect on our personal response to Jesus. Are we against Him, dismissive of Him, or do we worship Him as the King of our hearts? This reflection calls us to a deeper relationship with Jesus, acknowledging His authority and love. [56:21]

**Youtube Chapters:**

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [39:39] - The Gifts of the Wise Men
- [40:35] - The Significance of Gold
- [42:26] - Fun with Kings
- [44:55] - Jesus: A King Like No Other
- [46:59] - Unexpected Kingship
- [47:46] - Jesus' Unconventional Ministry
- [48:38] - The Crucifixion and Resurrection
- [49:34] - The Empty Tomb
- [50:20] - Responses to Jesus' Kingship
- [50:57] - Being Against Jesus
- [52:15] - Dismissing Jesus
- [52:59] - Worshiping Jesus
- [56:21] - Personal Reflection
- [58:05] - Who is Jesus?
- [59:25] - The Transformative Power of Jesus
- [01:04:05] - Closing and Announcements

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- **Matthew 2:10-11**: "When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh."
- **1 Timothy 6:15**: "which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords."

#### Observation Questions
1. What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus, and what is the significance of each gift? [39:39]
2. How did the wise men respond when they saw Jesus, and what does this indicate about their recognition of His kingship? [40:35]
3. What were the expectations of the Jewish people regarding the Messiah, and how did Jesus' birth and life defy these expectations? [46:59]
4. What are the three responses to Jesus' kingship mentioned in the sermon, and how do they reflect people's attitudes towards Him? [50:20]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the gift of gold symbolize Jesus' divine authority and kingship, and why is this significant for believers today? [40:35]
2. In what ways did Jesus' life and ministry challenge societal norms, and what does this reveal about the nature of His kingdom? [46:59]
3. Why might some people be against Jesus or dismiss Him, and what does this reveal about their understanding of His authority? [50:57]
4. How does recognizing Jesus as the King of Kings invite believers to experience His transformative power in their lives? [59:25]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your personal response to Jesus' kingship. Are you against Him, dismissive of Him, or do you worship Him as the King of your heart? What steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Him? [56:21]
2. How can you incorporate the symbolism of gold in your daily life to remind yourself of Jesus' authority and kingship?
3. Jesus' life defied societal expectations by associating with the marginalized. How can you follow His example in your community? [46:59]
4. Consider the ways you might be dismissing Jesus in your life. What changes can you make to acknowledge His authority more fully? [52:15]
5. How can you actively worship Jesus in your daily routine, acknowledging Him as the King of your heart? [52:59]
6. Think about a time when you experienced Jesus' transformative power. How can you share this experience with others to encourage them in their faith journey? [59:25]
7. Identify one area of your life where you struggle to submit to Jesus' authority. What practical steps can you take to surrender this area to Him?

Day 1: The Royal Gift of Gold
The gift of gold presented by the wise men to Jesus symbolizes His divine authority and kingship. Gold, historically a gift for royalty, underscores the recognition of Jesus as the King of Kings. Despite their own status and wealth, the wise men acknowledged Jesus' supreme authority and worshiped Him. This act of reverence serves as a powerful reminder for us today to recognize Jesus not just as a historical figure but as the King deserving of our worship and reverence. The wise men's journey and their offering of gold invite us to reflect on how we honor Jesus in our own lives. [40:35]

"And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can honor Jesus as King in your daily life today, acknowledging His authority and offering Him your best?


Day 2: The Humble King
Jesus' birth and life defied societal expectations of grandeur and power. Born in humble circumstances, He associated with the marginalized and demonstrated a love and authority unlike any earthly king. His kingship challenges us to see beyond societal norms and embrace His kingdom of love and grace. Jesus' life invites us to reconsider our own expectations of leadership and authority, encouraging us to value humility and service over power and prestige. His unexpected kingship calls us to align our lives with His example of love and grace. [46:59]

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV)

Reflection: How can you embody the humility and grace of Jesus in your interactions with others today, especially those who are marginalized or overlooked?


Day 3: Diverse Responses to Jesus' Kingship
People respond to Jesus' kingship in various ways: some, like King Herod, oppose Him, fearing the loss of their own power; others dismiss Him, acknowledging His goodness but not His authority. The wise men, however, chose to worship Him, recognizing His divine kingship. Our response to Jesus reflects our recognition of His authority and our willingness to submit to His rule in our lives. This calls us to examine our own hearts and consider how we respond to Jesus' kingship. Are we resistant, dismissive, or do we worship Him as the King of our hearts? [50:20]

"And he said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Peter answered him, 'You are the Christ.'" (Mark 8:29, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways might you be resisting or dismissing Jesus' authority in your life, and how can you begin to submit to His kingship today?


Day 4: The Transformative Power of Jesus
Jesus' kingship is characterized by His power to heal, restore, and redeem. He offers shelter in times of trouble and peace amidst chaos. Recognizing His kingship invites us to experience His transformative power in our lives. Jesus' authority is not about earthly power but about a kingdom characterized by love, grace, and redemption. His transformative power is available to us, inviting us to experience healing and restoration in our own lives. This calls us to open our hearts to His work and allow His love to transform us. [59:25]

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your life needs Jesus' transformative power today, and how can you invite Him to bring healing and restoration to that area?


Day 5: Personal Reflection on Jesus as King
The message challenges us to reflect on our personal response to Jesus. Are we against Him, dismissive of Him, or do we worship Him as the King of our hearts? This reflection calls us to a deeper relationship with Jesus, acknowledging His authority and love. Recognizing Jesus as the King of Kings invites us to submit our lives to His rule and experience the fullness of His love and redemption. This personal reflection encourages us to examine our hearts and align our lives with His kingdom. [56:21]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you deepen your relationship with Jesus today, acknowledging Him as the King of your heart and aligning your life with His kingdom?

"The third gift the wise men brought to Jesus is the gift of gold. And all throughout history, because of the scarcity of gold, it's been known as a gift that's fit for a king. Anybody have any gold on their finger? Raise your hand. Come up here. No, I'm kidding. Give it to me." [00:41:36] (22 seconds)


"That's what I want to talk about today. The kingship of Jesus. He wasn't just born a person on earth. He wasn't just a good man, like a lot of folks call him. He wasn't a prophet. He was and is the king of all kings. So if you doubt that this morning, hopefully by the time you end today or by the time you leave today, you will have changed your mind. Turn to 1 Timothy. Chapter 6." [00:44:26] (28 seconds)


"He is the king of kings. He is the supreme authority over all the kingdoms in this world. If you could think about it, the entire universe. Now, I mean, my mind can't wrap wrap around how many universes there are galaxies there are. But if you can imagine. Imagine he is the king of every single one of those that we'll probably never, ever see unless we see it on the way to heaven. Who knows? But he's a king like no other." [00:45:35] (29 seconds)


"See, the people were expecting a Messiah. The Jews were expecting a savior. You know, they wanted a king to be born. The problem was that the Jews expected their king to be born in a palace. So they, you know, they missed it. Most of them missed him altogether." [00:46:08] (16 seconds)


"No one expected the king to be born in a poverty, in poverty. Never expected him to be born in a cave, you know, next to farm animals and whatnot. They didn't expect his father. They didn't expect him to be a carpenter. No one predicted that the king of glory would befriend prostitutes and tax collectors." [00:47:08] (20 seconds)


"No one would have ever imagined that the king would forgive a woman caught in adultery and that he would kneel down and draw in the sand, probably writing all the names of the people that were about ready to stone her." [00:47:46] (14 seconds)


"No one expected a king to stand trial for a crime he didn't commit. No one expected a king to be beaten, whipped, scourged, and stripped naked to hang on an instrument of torture that they call a cross. No one expected it. And he died a death that only a criminal would deserve." [00:48:43] (27 seconds)


"No one predicted that after he took his last breath that the sky would grow dark and that the earth would shake and his friends would lose hope as they carried the dead king, their dead Messiah, to the grave. They lost hope." [00:49:34] (17 seconds)


"I want to tell you about a king like no other. And I think it's interesting that when all of this happened, there were three responses to Jesus being king. Three responses that all these people had." [00:50:06] (14 seconds)


"Three responses. What's the first one? Am I against him? Second? Am I dismissing him? And third, is he the king of my heart or worship him?" [00:57:21] (15 seconds)


"He's the king of glory. Amen? He's the king of righteousness. He's the king of the ages. He's the king of kings, and he's the Lord of lords. And what does our king do?" [00:58:05] (14 seconds)

Good morning.

Hey, from Jan and I, and the rest of our family and CBC Northwest, I got to get rid of doing that. Excuse me. On behalf of the Bridge Community Church, we want to wish you a merry, merry Christmas. Hope you have a wonderful time with your family, children, children's children, whoever your friends. It's going to be a great Christmas. Amen.

Well, thank you for being here online. We appreciate you tuning in. This is the third week of our series called The Gift. We've been talking about the three gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus. And if you don't know the story, they were wise men. They were wealthy, educated. They'd heard about a long-awaited birth of the Messiah. So they set out on a journey that took them a long, long time to find and to worship Jesus.

Now, my guess would be that you have a nativity scene at home. Would you raise your hand if you do? All right. Well, we all do pretty much. And when you bring it out for Christmas, I know you probably set up what? The donkeys, the baby Jesus. Who else? Joseph. And who else? And definitely the three wise men, exactly.

But that's really not necessarily true that there were three wise men. We know that there could have been up to 12 wise men. And if that's the case, then it means that nine of them were cheapskates, party crashers, and, you know, couldn't afford to buy Jesus anything.

But the three gifts they brought were very unusual. And they're not the kind of gifts that we would bring today to a king. They were gold, frankincense, and what was the last one? Myrrh. Say myrrh. Say frankincense. Say gold.

That's what we're going to talk about is gold. We've been looking at the gifts in Matthew chapter two. If you have your Bibles, you can turn there. Matthew chapter two, verse 10.

And when they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother. And what did they do? They bowed down and worshipped him. They didn't shake hands with Joseph, say congratulations, didn't hug Mary, but they bowed down and worshipped the king of kings and the Lord of lords.

Now, over the past few weeks, we've been looking at not only the practical side of these gifts, but also the spiritual side and the spiritual significance. Now, frankincense was in week one and frankincense represented the high priest. The high priest would go to God on behalf of the people. And he would also sacrifice things for the sins of the people. So the frankincense, they would dip the incense in it and light it. And the smoke that would go to heaven would represent the people's prayers to God.

And last week we talked about myrrh. Say myrrh. I love the way that word sounds. Myrrh. Myrrh was used to embalm the dead, you know, to keep the body as fresh as possible until the burial. So it was obvious why they would give that to Jesus, because he would die for the sin of mankind.

The third gift the wise men brought to Jesus is the gift of gold. And all throughout history, because of the scarcity of gold, it's been known as a gift that's fit for a king.

Anybody have any gold on their finger? Raise your hand. Come up here. No, I'm kidding. Give it to me.

So I want to talk about the kingship of Jesus. I want to talk about Jesus the king. Can you say Jesus the king? Jesus is king. One more time. Jesus is king.

All right. But before we go any further, I want to play a little game. You in the mood for a game? All right. And you've got to participate, because if you don't participate, it's not near as much fun. So turn to your neighbor and say, I'm going to do it.

I'm going to do it. All right. Here's the deal. How many of you know you can have fun in church? Yeah, you can have fun at church.

Here's the deal. I'm going to show you different kings. And your job is to name that king. OK, and here's number one. If you think of Simba, what do you think of? The lion, what? The lion king. Yeah.

All right. How about a huge gorilla? What comes to mind? All right. Excellent. And when you're hungry and you want a whopper, where do you go? Burger King. Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce. Special orders don't upset us. Remember that song? Not sure they sing that anymore.

OK, so if you want to read a scary book, where do you go? Stephen King. Man, you guys are good. And if you think about being interviewed by somebody, who do you think of? Yeah, you guys are good.

I was going to say they're getting harder, but it doesn't seem like. OK, how about sports? How about basketball? What's the king you think of? Who is it? LeBron. Yeah. King James.

How about tennis? This one's for the baby boomers. You got it. Billie Jean King. There you go. She was awesome. Who was the lady she used to beat all the time? Chris Everett. Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

So Billie Jean King. Now, going to music, if you like the blues, who do you listen to? B.B. King. Excellent. You guys are good. How about jazz? Who do you listen to? Oh, you got it. Nat King Cole. That's right. I was hoping to stump you at least once.

And even though all of those people were kings, there's only one king of all kings. And his name is King James. His name is Jesus. Jesus, the king. Say that. Jesus, the king.

That's what I want to talk about today. The kingship of Jesus. He wasn't just born a person on earth. He wasn't just a good man, like a lot of folks call him. He wasn't a prophet. He was and is the king of all kings.

So if you doubt that this morning, hopefully by the time you end today or by the time you leave today, you will have changed your mind. Turn to 1 Timothy, chapter 6. Chapter 6, verse 15. This is what the Apostle Paul said to Timothy, his protege.

1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 15. 1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 15. 1 Timothy, chapter 6, verse 15. Put any more emphasis on that he is the king of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the supreme authority. He is the king of kings. He is the supreme authority over all the kingdoms in this world.

If you could think about it, the entire universe. Now, I mean, my mind can't wrap around how many universes there are, galaxies there are. But if you can imagine. Imagine he is the king of every single one of those that we'll probably never, ever see unless we see it on the way to heaven. Who knows? But he's a king like no other.

And he's a king with love like no other. See, the people were expecting a Messiah. The Jews were expecting a savior. You know, they wanted a king to be born. The problem was that the Jews expected their king to be born in a palace. So they, you know, they missed it. Most of them missed him altogether.

They expected him to be born in a really fancy place, maybe a castle or, you know, just a beautiful, fancy house instead of a, you know, a manger scene in a barn. And they expected him to have a purple lined crib, you know, probably wearing Gucci onesies every day. I mean, he was dripping. I mean, he's got the sauce, right?

I thought I was being hip. Is that already gone? It is? OK, well, so much for that. Let me get rid of that. All right. Shouldn't try to be funny.

No one expected the king to be born in poverty. Never expected him to be born in a cave, you know, next to farm animals and whatnot. They didn't expect his father. They didn't expect him to be a carpenter.

No one predicted that the king of glory would befriend prostitutes and tax collectors. No one would have thought that he would befriend and touch lepers all the time, pray for lepers, heal them and send them to the priest. They never thought that a king would choose uneducated fishermen, a despised tax collector, a rebellious troublemaker to be his disciples.

No one would have ever imagined that the king would forgive a woman caught in adultery and that he would kneel down and draw in the sand, probably writing all the names of the people that were about ready to stone her.

No one would have thought that he'd continually confront the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. No one would have thought that when he got ticked off, he was going to turn over tables and storm out.

I never would have imagined that the king of Jews would ride into Jerusalem and the people that were worshiping him and raising their hands saying, "Hail to the king, the king of glory," that those people would be the down and outs in society. They would be the down and outs and then also the up and ins. They'd be the down and outs. And the people that a lot of people overlooked.

No one expected a king to stand trial for a crime he didn't commit. No one expected a king to be beaten, whipped, scourged, and stripped naked to hang on an instrument of torture that they call a cross. No one expected it. And he died a death that only a criminal would deserve.

No one would have thought that the creator of everything would be mocked by his creation. No one would have thought that while he was suffering, he would look to the heavens and say, "God, forgive them because they know not what they do," actually praying for the people that were killing him.

I don't know about you, but I don't think I would do that. Turn to your neighbor and say, "I wouldn't do that."

No one predicted that after he took his last breath that the sky would grow dark and that the earth would shake and his friends would lose hope as they carried the dead king, their dead Messiah, to the grave. They lost hope. And it wasn't even his grave, it was a borrowed grave.

No one expected that three days later when the stone that was in front of the tomb was rolled away and the king's body was buried, the body was not there. No one would have expected that.

I want to tell you about a king like no other. And I think it's interesting that when all of this happened, there were three responses to Jesus being king. Three responses that all these people had.

And the thing about it, kind of interesting, that they're the same three responses that a lot of folks have, actually that all of us have today. We all have one of these three responses. When you think about Jesus as the king.

Here we are, 2,000 years later, same three responses. Let me give you the first one. First one is this, that you're against him. When you hear that Jesus is king, or when you realize that maybe Jesus is king, or somebody tells you that Jesus is king, one response would be, you'd be against him. You'd be absolutely against him. You'd never say that. But your life would reflect it.

King Herod hated Jesus. He hated him. I mean, after all, he was the king, right? And all of a sudden, he hears of this other king that's supposed to be born, and then when he grows up, he's going to take over the Jews. He was against Jesus.

Not sure who this would be in this room or online today. But there might be some of us here that would say, you know what? I don't need religion. I don't need that Jesus stuff. I'm doing fine on my own. You know, I don't want anybody telling me what to do and what I can do and what I can't do. If you've said that before, you're against Jesus.

Again, you'd never say it, but your life reflects it.

Anybody against Jesus in this room? No, I don't expect you to raise your hand.

Second response to Jesus is king. There's those who dismiss him. You're not necessarily against him, but you're dismissing him. They just dismissed him as king. You know, kind of like blew him off. You know, "Ah, leave him alone. You know, I've heard he's a good man. Just leave him alone. He's not hurting anybody." That's dismissing Jesus.

Dismissing Jesus these days is, "Hey, you want to go to church with me on Sunday?" "Nah. I got to go shopping with my wife." "Hey, you want to go to my small group with me?" "No. No, I can't. Maybe next week I'll take you up on that." That's dismissing Jesus. It's kind of having just an apathetic view and attitude about Jesus.

Then there are the wise men. And they gave the third response. And the third response was to worship him. So they were... One response is against him. Next one is to dismiss him. And then what we see the wise men do is they worshiped him.

And you know, when you think about Jesus and who he is and all he's done, isn't that really the only response we can have to what he's done for us? See, they knew, the wise men knew that it wasn't about them. They knew that it wasn't about, you know, it wasn't their throne. They knew that it was his desires and not their desires. They knew that it was about him.

So they said, "With all that's in me, I want to praise you, Lord." And when they entered the stable, they bowed down and they worshiped Jesus.

So three responses. Are you against him today? Do you dismiss him today? Or do you worship him today? What's your response? If you could be... That's a rhetorical question. If you could be... If you could be completely honest with yourself, completely honest, what would your response be?

Are you against Jesus? Or you say, "I don't need religion. You know, that's not for me. It's good for you." But, you know, are you against him? Or do you dismiss him? "Leave him alone. I'll go to church next week. You know, thanks for asking, but... You know, I've got to go to the lake."

If that's you, you're against him. Or, excuse me, you're... You dismiss him, yes.

Is Jesus the king of your heart? That's the third response. You're either against him, you dismiss him, or he's the king of your heart.

You know, I grew up in church and was saved when I was six. And I wish I could say that I've never been against God, but that's not true at all. As I was growing up, I grew further and further away from God. You know, I would never say, "God, I'm against you," or tell somebody, "God, I'm against God." But, hey, I'm just having fun, you know? Not hurting anybody. Just some innocent recreational drug use and immorality. That was me.

I was opposing him with my lifestyle. I was against him with my lifestyle. But I knew the truth. And, you know, I wouldn't let the truth set me free. Because the truth will set you free. But there was a longing in my heart to return to him. It was almost like Jesus had a big, long rope tied around my waist. And I would sin, I'd confess, and then he'd reel it in a little bit.

I'd sin, I'd confess, and he'd bring more rope in. I'd sin, I'd confess. He'd bring more in. Until my rope was about this long. And that's when I said, "Okay, you win."

I'm not going to be against you. I'm not going to dismiss you any longer. I don't know whether you can relate to that story or not.

But today, you've got to be honest with yourself. You're either against him, you dismiss him, or he's the king of your heart.

So how does this happen? Why does this happen? How can God be the king of our heart? How can Jesus come to earth and be born of a virgin? How did all that happen? How did he grow up and then, at 30 years old, start a ministry for three years and then die for our sins, rise again, rise again, and then go back to be with the Father? How did that happen? Because he's the king.

He's the king of kings. He stripped himself of glory. He left heaven and came down to earth. And he loved us right where we were.

And, you know, I pray that if you're against him, or if you've been against him, or if you've been dismissing him, that today you see the unusual love of the king.

Three responses. What's the first one? Am I against him? Second? Am I dismissing him? And third, is he the king of my heart or worship him?

So be honest with yourself today. Where are you? What's your response? Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus? Well, I can tell you who he's not. He's not a distant tyrant, you know, waiting for us to mess up. He's not the man upstairs. He's not my homeboy. He's not my eight-pound, six-ounce newborn baby Jesus.

He's the king of glory. Amen? He's the king of righteousness. He's the king of the ages. He's the king of kings, and he's the Lord of lords.

And what does our king do? I'm going to say this, and I want you to repeat it. Okay? I'm going to say a bunch of things. I want you to repeat it back to me. All right? If you know what I'm saying, say, "All right."

All right. Let me back up. Jesus is the king of glory.

Okay, I want you to say it with excitement. Jesus is the king of glory.

Jesus is the king of glory. He's the king of righteousness. He's the king of ages. He's the king of kings. And he's the Lord. Lord of lords.

And what does he do? He heals the sick. He opens blind eyes. He makes the deaf hear. He strengthens the weak. He sets captives free. And he restores the broken-hearted.

Are you broken-hearted today? If you are, he wants to restore your broken heart.

Who is he? He's shelter in the time of trouble. He's the Prince of Peace. He's the Lamb of God. He's the Alpha and Omega. He's the resurrection and the life.

His goodness is indescribable. His power is incomprehensible. His grace is irresistible. The devil hated him, but death couldn't stop him. Death couldn't defeat him. And the grave couldn't hold him.

That's my Jesus. That's who Jesus is.

For a few minutes, you know we have service on Christmas Eve, right? And what time is it? 4:30. If you can get here, get here. We hope you can. If you can't, then I pray that you will have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas.

Spend it with your loved ones, that one that really irritates you. Go sit by him. Go sit by him and tell him you love him. You can do it. Don't talk politics and give him a big hug.

All right, God bless you. We've got a lot of new things happening in the new year, so we're really excited about it. Stand with me. I don't know whether you've noticed the sign, new sign outside. You're going to be seeing some different stuff around the building. And God's good. We're excited about 2025. Amen?

All right, let's give God a hand.