2026 January 4th - 8:00am Foundations Sermon - Pastor Culbertson

·14 min·1 clip

Wise men from the East arrive in Jerusalem asking where the newborn king of the Jews is, troubling Herod and all Jerusalem.

The episode is a Christian sermon based on Matthew chapter 2, the account of the wise men visiting the infant Jesus. Pastor Culbertson begins by reading the gospel text. He establishes that the sermon will contrast two kings: Herod the Great and Jesus. The first major section delves into the historical figure of Herod the Great. The pastor describes Herod's extreme personal wealth, noting it was 100 times that of his country, inherited from the spice trade. He highlights Herod's construction prowess, citing specific projects: the Masada palace with cisterns holding millions of gallons of water in the desert, the Herodian palace built on a man-made mountain near Bethlehem, and a temple with 260-ton stones. He also details Herod's paranoia and cruelty, including killing his wife, sons, and the massacre of infants in Bethlehem. The pastor argues that despite this, Herod's traits—strength, security, wealth, political skill—are qualities people often desire in a leader. He then contrasts this with Jesus, introduced as a king whose reign outlasts all earthly empires. The sermon characterizes Jesus as a king of humility, born as a helpless baby in a stable, attended by shepherds and wise men (magi). Jesus is described as a king of sacrifice, who loved sinners, washed feet, and whose throne was a cross and crown was thorns. Finally, Jesus is presented as a king of victory, with reference to Revelation 21 depicting his future kingdom where war, crime, sickness, and death are reversed. The sermon concludes by connecting this to the church season of Epiphany, encouraging listeners to become more like Jesus and share him with others. It ends with a practical 'weekly awakening question' asking listeners to consider to whom and how they will reveal Jesus.

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