How Did Jesus Christ Come? | Matthew 1:18-25

How Did Jesus Christ Come? | Matthew 1:18-25

Darien Gabriel

Series: The Sovereign King Arrives

Title: “How did Jesus Christ come?”

Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25; Gen 3:15

(Commentary helps listed at the end)

Bottom line:

How did Jesus come?

1. Personally, motivated by love

2. By the Holy Spirit,

3. Humbly as a human baby boy.

INTRODUCTION

Opening story:

“Douglas Osbourne (?) was having opportunity bear witness to the incarnation was sitting across the table from a group of Muslim men in the Middle East during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. They were finishing a meal late one night (they just broke in their fast), and they asked me to share with him what I believe about God.

Knowing that Muslims believe Jesus was a good man, but certainly not God in the flesh (such a claim is blasphemous in Islam), I began to share about who Jesus is.

I told him that when I decided to ask my wife to marry me, I did not send someone else to do it for me; I went myself. Why? Because in matters of love, one must go him/herself. That’s a picture of the incarnation.” Page 27

OUTLINE

I. The scandal (1:18 - 19) surrounding Christ’s conception.

A. read verses 18–19 first without the phrase, “from the Holy Spirit.“ Then add it later.

Two facts:

1. Mary is “with child“

2. Joseph doesn’t want to stay with her

3. “Now, if this scenario is still scandalous in our anything goes, play by your own rules culture, imagine how it would have been in there anything does not go, abide by gods rules culture”

B. explain cultural context

1. Fathers first arrange the marriage

2. They become “betrothed“ for a year. Married but not living together nor sleeping together.

3. How does Joseph feel? Angry? Jealous? Humiliated? He’s resolve to do what is best for both of them: divorce her quietly.

4. A. Obey the law by exposing her sin and letting punishment occur

5. B. Compassion/mercy equals do it quietly

6. C. Shows the justice and mercy of God

II. The spirits (20–21) significant role in Christ’s conception. “From the Holy Spirit“ compared to Luke 1:35

A. it was the work of the Holy Spirit to genesis Jesus.

1. Not that he was born to become gods son. He was and always has been the pre-existent son of God.

2. The Holy Spirit took the preexistent son of God informed him into a human man. (Psalm 139:13–14)

III. The surrogate (22–25) referring to Jesus his surrogate, earthly father, Joseph.

A. If the Holy Spirit is the shy member of the Trinity, Joseph is the shy (or quiet) member of the holy family. We have no recorded words of Joseph. Yet, his actions speak loudly of obedience rooted and 1) love, and 2) Faith.

1. Read versus 19–25 to list all Joseph did

2. He obeyed

3. A. Quickly

4. B. Completely

B. Why is Joseph so important to Jesus?

1. He functions as a competent and reliable witness to Mary’s virginity. (Isaiah 7:14)

2. “Joseph, son of David” (1:20). Joseph adopts Jesus into the house of David fulfilling prophecy. Joseph is legally and biologically from the line of David. The only one (besides Jesus) called a “son of David“ in the gospels is Joseph.

3. Jesus becomes legal for two reasons:

4. A. Because he married Mary, believing her and the angel.

5. B. Because he named Jesus as his legal father.

6. How did Joseph make Mary‘S son his?

7. A. The first 17 verses confirm Jesus is the promised one (genealogy)

8. B. The last eight verses confirm Jesus is truly from the light of David.

CONCLUSION

Bottom line:

How did Jesus come?

1. Personally, motivated by love,

2. By the Holy Spirit,

3. Humbly as a human baby boy.

Therefore, we

1. Fear God,

2. Walk in the Spirit,

3. In prompt and complete obedience.

Martin Luther…

In the 16th century, Martin Luther said, ‘Scripture is the manger in which the Christ lies.’ As a parent goes to a crib to find their baby, so the Christian goes to the Bible to find Jesus.

Don’t inspect the crib and forget to gladly submit to (obey) the baby.

Transition:

One of the things Jesus commanded us to do was to remember the cross through the Lord’s supper.

Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭11:23-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.11.23-26.NIV

MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:

• Exalting Jesus in Matthew by David Platt

• Preaching the Word: Matthew commentary by Douglas Sean Osbourne

• ESV Global Study Bible

• Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel

• Bible Knowledge Commentary

• The Outline Bible, Wilmington

• Gospel Transformation Bible

• NIV Study Bible

Why Did Jesus Christ Come? | Matthew 1:1-17

Why Did Jesus Christ Come? | Matthew 1:1-17

Darien Gabriel

Series: The Sovereign King Arrives

Title: “Why Did Jesus Christ Come?” #Advent #MakeDisciples

Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17; Gen 12:1-3; 2 Sam 7:12-13; Matt 28:16-20

(Commentary helps listed at the end)

Bottom line: The sovereign, savior-king Jesus came to rescue people from the kingdom of darkness and to send us out to do the same.

INTRODUCTION

Opening story:

If you were to hold a gem in your hand to view it’s beauty, wouldn’t you almost immediately begin to turn it as you looked at it? Sure. And you’d do that because you know that it could look a little different depending on the angle from which you view it. Yet at the end of the day, it’s the same gem.

Looking at the four gospels is kind of like that.

OUTLINE

I. The Gospel of the Kingdom.

A. Matthew is a gospel or good news.

B. Matthew is 1 of 4. Yesterday, I bought a book that is a chronology of the life of Christ based on the 4 gospels (harmony of them)

1. John: Son of God

2. Luke: Son of man

3. Mark: Suffering servant

4. Matthew: Sovereign King

II. Intro to the King. King Jesus is…

A. Son of Abraham (2,000 BCE) (Gen 12:1-3)—Abrahamic Covenant

B. Son of David (1,000 BCE) (2 Sam 7:12-13)—Davidic Covenant

C. Messiah—Christ is Messiah in Greek. Means anointed one or king.

D. Jesus—Jesus is Joshua in Greek. Means Yahweh or the Lord saves.

III. Overview of the Kingdom

A. Gospel: the Message of the kingdom

B. Disciples: the Citizens of the kingdom

C. Discipleship: the Demands of the kingdom

D. Church: the Outposts (FOB) of the kingdom

E. Mission: the Spread/Expansion of the kingdom

F. Demons: the Enemy of the kingdom

G. Hope: the Coming of the kingdom (in full)

IV. Timing off the Kingdom

A. 3-14s generations

B. DVD = 14

C. Letter N

D. God designed history around the birth of his Son. Christmas is at the center of salvation history. And yet our hearts are so far from comprehending the importance of the gospel.

1. Israel was so immersed in their culture that the were blind to the arrival of the Messiah they were praying for

2. America is too.

3. John writes to Christians to, “Be in the world but not of it.”

V. The Scandal of the Kingdom

A. The pattern of unrighteousness

B. The women

C. The gentiles/races

D. The sexual immorality

Matthew 28:16-20

Notice what the Savior-King, Son of Abraham and David came to do: To send us out into this world…

CONCLUSION

Bottom line: The sovereign, savior-king Jesus came to rescue people from the kingdom of darkness and to send us out to do the same.

Questions:

A. Like the leaders, will you completely reject Jesus?

B. Like the crowd, will you casually observe/consume Jesus?

C. Like the disciples, will you unconditionally follow Jesus?

Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32

Other Notes

Platt’s bottom line: “The Gospel of Matthew is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Messiah and King predicted by the OT.”

OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:9

Song:

“Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within

Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin”

MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:

- Exalting Jesus in Matthew by David Platt

- Preaching the Word: Matthew commentary by Osbourne

- ESV Global Study Bible

- Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel

- Bible Knowledge Commentary

- The Outline Bible, Wilmington

- Gospel Transformation Bible

- NIV Study Bible

Heading Into A New Year | Psalm 146

Praise The Lord

Darien Gabriel

Bottom line: As we wait for his return in these uncertain times, let’s put our hope in the Lord for all time. The Lord who is good and able to bless us infinitely better than any person can.

Times are uncertain. In times like these, it is easy to put our hope in people and things. But, our hope should not be in presidents, supreme court justices, governments, finances, or anything like that. We must hope in the Lord. You can tell whether or not someone has hope by how they react in uncertain times.

Remember that we are commanded to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). If we don’t have hope, we can’t give an answer. Our hope must be in the Lord, because Christ has by His atoning death and resurrection saved us from the power and penalty of sin and restored us to relationship with God. Not only do we have future hope of eternity with Him, we have present hope in delighting in God day by day (Psalm 16:11).

Psalm 146 gives us a picture of what it means to worship the Lord regardless of our circumstances.

Series: As We Wait (for His Second Coming) #Advent

Scripture: Psalm 146

We live in uncertain times. We always have but this year seems worse than usual. By a lot.

Who’s our next president? The electoral collage voted for Biden. But Congress still has to confirm that vote. Giuliani says there’s more to come out after Christmas.

And then there’s the virus. Vaccines are being distributed as we speak. But then there’s a newer, supposedly stronger COVID virus in England right now. Talk about uncertainty!

The unnamed psalmist tells us, “Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.” (V. 5)

How do we walk in that blessing? We do what the psalmist tells us to do at the beginning and the end of this psalm. We praise the Lord.

How do we do that?

I. Let’s praise the Lord (1-4)

He tells us right from the start: with our lives and our lips. (Vv. 1-2)

He vows to praise the Lord all his life.l (1-2)

He exhorts us to join him. (3-4)

Cf. Hebrews 13:15-16

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:15-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://www.bible.com/111/heb.13.15-16.niv

Let’s trust and praise the Lord—not people; not leaders.

Your leaders to win their election? (GA race in early Jan.)

Your friends to help you in your trials?

Your family to accept you as you are?

Your boy/girl friend to be yours forever?

Your life to be healthy and wealthy forever?

The Lord tells you through this unnamed psalmist that your hope shouldn’t be in a circumstance or situation or person. It should be in a God who is good and able; it should be in Him!

As we wait for his return, we should live full of hope in a God who is good and able to bless us with himself instead of just ideal circumstances.

II. Praise for our faithful Creator (5-6)

III. Praise for the gracious Lord. (7-10)

• How God is faithful:

  • He helps the oppressed

  • He gives food to the hungry

  • He releases prisoners.

  • He gives sight to the blind.

  • He raises up the defeated.

  • He loves the righteous.

  • He protects the immigrant/sojourner.

  • He leads the orphan and widow (vulnerable) to security.

• But, because he is just (holy), he also leads the wicked away in frustration (and eventually, judgment).

• The psalmist concludes that the Lord reigns forever. As eternal ruler, he is

  • sovereign

  • just

  • Therefore, meriting our praising him above all things.

Our part/application is seen in bookends of this Psalm. “Praise the Lord!”

As the writer of Hebrews tell s us in 13:15-16, we can praise him with our lips and our lives.

Praise him with our lips. How? Sing, praise, celebrate, shout, whisper, preach, teach, herald, write, post, video, rap, and/or hum our focused praise and proclamation of who he is and what he’s done (and is doing) for all to hear. We do this as a sacrifice of praise. (Sacrifice meaning in a way that costs us something)

“Sacrifice of praise.”

1. Openly

2. Profess

3. His name

Praise him with our lives.

1. “Do good”

2. “Share with others”

3. “Sacrificially”

Sacrifice is key word.

• It cost God his son and Jesus his life to enable us to receive mercy.

• It costs us comfort as we live surrendered to this way of life too.

So God is calling us to find our hope and help in him.

As we wait for his return in uncertain times, let’s join this psalmist and find our help and hope in Him for all time.

How do we do this? By praising God with our lips (sacrificial praise) and our lives (sacrificial living) around the corner and around the world.

Amen

What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for? | Luke 2

What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for? | Luke 2

Chris Karpus

Luke 2: What are we so excited about? Who are We Waiting for?  

Bottom Line: God Became a Man 

So, what we’re NOT trying to do on Christmas Eve is try to make the birth of Christ more exciting. 1. If we don’t think “God became a man” is exciting enough, we should get our pulse checked. 

God Became a Man, and He shouldn’t have to compete for our affection with a new phone, nunchucks,  a new car or a big guy in a red suit. We don’t have to hang lights on the Light of the World. 

God Became a Man – the greatest event to occur in the history of the universe Video – Tribe celebrates receiving Bibles 

Luke 1:39-45 (Mary went to visit Elizabeth) 

39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered  Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in  her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are  

you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of  my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my  womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! 

John, even as a baby…not a fetus…a baby…knew who to get excited about 

Rosie (rescued, separation anxiety from her rescuers and pure joy in being  reunited) 

John 1:1-5 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God  in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been  made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and  the darkness has not overcome[a]it. 

John 1:14 

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one  and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

1. The Creator of the World humbled Himself and became a man, just to live for us, die for us (by our  own hands) and raise from the dead…all for our forgiveness and redemption. 

Best summed up by: 

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not  perish but have eternal life.

There are over 400 prophesies about the Messiah in the Old Testament – Jesus fulfilled them all. The  odds of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of those prophesies is 1 in 1 quintillion (18 zeroes) 

Lee Strobel figured out a visual for that: tiles 1 1/2” square, one with red on the bottom – covering the  every bit of dry land on the earth - 1 person walking the earth for a lifetime can only pick up 1. 

Genesis 49:10 (about 1500 years before Christ) The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah 

The scepter will not depart from Judah, 

 nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,[a] 

until he to whom it belongs[b]shall come 

 and the obedience of the nations shall be his. 

Isaiah 7:14 (about 700 years before Jesus was born) The Messiah would be born of a virgin 

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a  son, and[e] will call him Immanuel. 

Fulfilled: (Luke 1:26-33)  

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in  Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s  name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is  with you.” 

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the  angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give  birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most  High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s  descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

Jeremiah 23:5 (about 646 years before Jesus)  

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, 

 “when I will raise up for David[a] a righteous Branch, 

a King who will reign wisely 

 and do what is just and right in the land. 

2 Samuel 7:12-13 

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you,  your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my  Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

Back to Luke: 

Luke 2:1-7 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman  world. 2(This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And  everyone went to their own town to register. 

Micah 5:2 (400 years before the birth of Christ) The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, from the tribe  of Judah 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, 

whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (In the beginning was the word) Luke 2 

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,  because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was  pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the  baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him  in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

0. Jesus is born when Israel is under Roman Rule. 

1. There is an invisible power behind and OVER the human rulers. They didn’t know it at the time, but  God used Caesar and Quirinius to fulfill what He had promised long before that. 

2. If you’re tempted to worry or celebrate over who is in charge of this great nation, your town or you  HOA, DON’T. The same God is behind and over all OUR rulers too.  

3. The birth of Christ…God became a Man. 

4. Nothing about this particular scene says “GLORY”, but everything about this scene INSTRUCTS us  about Glory. 

5. In the Kingdom of God, HUMILITY always precedes GLORY 

- The first will be last, and the last will be first (Mark 10:31) 

- God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) …also 1 Peter -Humble yourself before the Lord, and in good time, He will exalt you (James 4:10) + We see this modeled right from the beginning of Jesus’ life 

+ True greatness is not always visible greatness

One of our favorite Christmas songs is “Christmas Snow” by Audrey Assad (on Chris Tomlin’s Christmas) 

Could've come like a mighty storm With all the strength of a hurricane 

You could've come like a forest fire With the power of Heaven in Your flame 

(But) You came like a winter snow Quiet and soft and slow 

Falling from the sky in the night To the earth below 

6. Truth is, most of us have glory-craving hearts, and the incarnation of the Son of God in an animals  feeding trough should put our hearts in check. In fact, Jesus spent a lifetime showing us how to live like  Him. 

Philippians 2:3-11 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above  yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 

5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 

6Who, being in very nature[a] God, 

 did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing 

 by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, 

 being made in human likeness. 

8And being found in appearance as a man, 

 he humbled himself 

 by becoming obedient to death— 

 even death on a cross! 

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place 

 and gave him the name that is above every name, 

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, 

 in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, 

 to the glory of God the Father. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of  God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 

Luke 2:8-20 

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An  angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were  terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy  for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the  Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, 

 and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to  Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

1. The angels appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flock. 

- Not glorious work / bad reputation / they were considered unreliable and despised. - God chose THEM to get the good new first…the first to hear of the great joy for all people - These despised individuals were the first to hear that God became a man… 

- These guys were the first to hear all of the titles of Jesus brought together – Savior, Messiah,  Lord 

WHY? The Bible doesn’t necessarily say why them…but 

It appears that God chose the humbled of society to reveal the humble beginnings of the life of  His glorious Son. 

Jesus was consistent throughout His ministry in is love for the humble 

Jesus’ very beginning didn’t demonstrate the riches of His existence, but Jesus Himself was born  into poverty. 

SIDE NOTE – What do you think that implies? 

1. Poverty is not a sin. 

2. Poverty is not God’s disapproval 

3. Poverty does not prevent a person from worshipping God 

4. Poverty does not necessarily doom a person to poverty forever 

5. Poverty does not excuse unrighteousness  

6. Poverty is not shameful in and of itself 

7. Poverty is a cross that God entrusts to some people for a time 

If some prosperity gospel preacher tries to tell you that poverty is a sin, of that it is God condemning  you, and that you just have to give a certain amount of money to be released, they are lying to you.

Some poverty is our own responsibility. Point to Jesus. 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When  they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all  who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things  and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things  they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

1. That does not mean…”huh?”.  

- An angel had visited her (and her fiancée), she became pregnant as a virgin and just gave birth  to the Savior of the world in barn. A bunch of stinky shepherds came to visit her baby, the Good  Shephard telling them of heavenly hosts of angels…she didn’t go “huh”…”what do ya know…” 

2. She treasured the moment as a mother and pondered the events leading up to it in her heart. 3. People who ponder the fact that God Became a Man, don’t just go “huh”.  

God became a man – THAT is what we’re excited about 

And if you really want to get excited, knowing that Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies  about the Messiah, give this a pondering: He’s Coming Back as a conquering King 

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel,  and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive,  who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we  will always be with the Lord. 

Revelation 22:12-13 

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I  am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

The one who fulfilled all of the prophesies about the Messaiah, Jesus himself, said He is coming back… We better believe it 

We better be ready

Believe It Or Not, Jesus Is Coming | Luke 1:5-38

Believe It Or Not, Jesus Is Coming | Luke 1:5-38

Darien Gabriel

Believe it or not, Jesus is coming

Series: As We Wait (for His Second Coming) #Advent

Scripture: Luke 1:5-38

Bottom line: whether you believe God’s word or not, Jesus is coming...again.

A dog and the point

“If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of at the object you’re trying to point out. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story in Luke’s Gospel: focusing on the manger—the Christmas crib. The most famous animal feeding-trough in all history. To concentrate on the manger and to forget why it was mentioned in the first place is like the dog looking at the finger rather than the object.

The point Luke is making is clear. The birth of this little boy is the beginning of a confrontation between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world. (Caesar) Augustus never heard of Jesus of Nazareth. But within a century or so his successors in Rome had not only heard of him; they were taking steps to obliterate his followers. Just over three centuries later, a Roman emperor became a Christian.

Luke’s narrative reminds us not to stop at the manger but to see the explosive truth it’s pointing to.”

-NT Wright, Luke: 26 studies for individuals and groups, p. 23

Advent wreaths

I grew up with advent wreaths...

Advent = Coming

1st advent = 1st coming of Jesus (as a baby/Christmas/incarnation)

2nd advent = 2nd coming of Jesus (as a warrior-king/consummation of his earthly reign)

Luke 1:5-38

Compare and contrast 2 faith responses to God’s word (truth).

Applications

Whether you believe God’s word or not, it will come to pass.

Even when you fail to believe, God’s mercy is there for you. He disciplines his children when they fail to trust him. But he brings them back into fellowship as well. Just ask Zechariah.

You can please God when you take him at his word. Just ask Mary. (Cf. Heb 11:3)

Make sure you don’t miss the point for the pointer. The point is that God wants to walk in fellowship with you. He sent Jesus to restore our fellowship with him. That’s why he came the first time. The second time he’s coming to finish what he started. Are you ready?

Cross-reference

I want to be “confident and unashamed” at Jesus’ return. 1 John 2:28

Illustration

We're all waiting for something, but the Christian hope is the difference between waiting impatiently and waiting expectantly. Waiting for time to heal wounds is an exercise in futility. We sit impatient while growing both more agitated and more numb. But waiting expectantly means we hope in the healing that God promises, while expecting the world we live in to continue in its brokenness. In the hope of Advent, we’re not surprised by the darkness, but we’re not consumed by it either.

This is not a fine and theological distinction that has no bearing on life today. In fact, I would suggest this is the only way to make sense of your life today. Hoping in Jesus’ return is the only way to look at the brokenness of reality and maintain hope despite it all. And this takes practice. Just like our waiting impatiently is a learned practice reinforced through daily habits of expecting news and notifications and clicks to make us feel better, so waiting expectantly is a learned practice reinforced through communal spiritual disciplines of reading, praying and carefully directed longing.

-Justin Early, email