This entire passage deals, in one way or another, with the “day of the Lord” but there is far too much to preach on in one sermon. This week is Part 1 of 2 that we look at the nature of Jesus’s return and how it will be unpredictable as well as Inescapable.
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.
The Kingdom of God is a mystery. It is here now but not in its fulness. We are welcome to live in it now and point to our coming King by living with Jesus as our king right where we are.
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.
(Mark 11:1-11/Zechariah 9:9 /Matthew 21:10-11)