This particular sermon, as is true of the others in this Christmas series, will be Christ-centered, but with a bit of a twist. The “Magi” or “wise men” as some translations render it, will take the stage so to speak and will focus specifically on what they say and do and then consider what that means regarding the baby before them.
Many debate whether we ought to say “Happy Holiday” or “Merry Christmas”, but such a debate misses what is most critical – to know and trust the Christ of Christmas. Matthew helps us know more about Christ and helps us see how we can trust Christ.
As is well known to most, this passage is the genealogy portion of Matthew. But it is more, much more, than just “so and so begat so and so …” Within this rich portion of scripture much is revealed regarding who this child really is and what He is able to do!
Isaiah is quoted quite a bit in the Gospel of Matthew. So, it makes sense to go to this Old Testament prophet first if we are going to spend the bulk of the Advent Season in Matthew. Here in Isaiah 7:13-14 is an old, very, very old pregnancy announcement. Specifically, a pregnancy annoucement of a baby boy who will be King. But Isaiah’s words do more than simply announce the birth of King Jesus.
God is the both the SOURCE of joy and the GIVER of joy. While circumstances may IMPACT your joy, they need not STEAL your joy.
Jesus’ Love is…Humble, Sacrificial, Unconditional
We often try to find peace through our circumstances, but peace only comes as a gift from the Lord of peace and then we carry his peace into our circumstances. Whether it is relational peace or emotional peace that we need, they both flow from first having peace with God and then trusting him to be who he is and to do what he needs to do to experience his peace at all times and in all ways.
God reveals himself to all people in all different ways so that they might meet Jesus. We often tell the story of the Three Kings, or the Magi, as this side story to the coming of Christ. The deeper truth in this is that Jesus wasn’t only sent for the Jewish people, he was sent for all people. As we look deeper into the lives of the Magi, we come face to face with the Gospel truth that we are called to take the Gospel to places where it is not so that other might know Jesus.
Our souls long for grace and peace that can only be given by Jesus because he is the mediator between God and men. As we look at this song written and adapted as the Bible was first coming to be printed, the message is clear, the coming of Jesus was a turning point for all of human history. In the search for peace and grace in a trying world, there was only one who would come to restore all that sin had destroyed. The only one who could do that had to be able to mediate between God and mankind. Together we look at the implication of Jesus coming as fully God and fully man in our lives.
We have a wonderful Gospel story to show and tell the world. Jesus is a wonderful savior and King. He has impacted our lives in such way that we can’t help but talk about Jesus in the everyday things of life.