God’s Love Story
Matthew 1: 1 and 18 – 25.
I. Introduction.
John 3:16 tells us, “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.”
Does that sound like the story of Christmas? Or does that sound like the story of Easter? In some ways it is hard to tell the difference between Christmas and Easter. On one hand, Christmas and Easter are difference in that they remember different events in the life of Jesus: Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth and Easter is the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. On the other hand, Christmas and Easter have a lot in common: both the birth of Jesus and the death and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate God’s love.
Christmas and Easter are interdependent. You can’t have one without the other. If there were no Christmas, there would be no Easter. If there were no Easter, Christmas would be empty and meaningless. Jesus had to be born before he could offer his life as a sacrifice for our sins and to rise again to give us eternal life. However, if Jesus never died on the cross and rose again, then the birth of Jesus would be nothing more than the birth of a baby.
Four weeks ago, we began the Season of Advent. I told you that we were not going to rush into Christmas. We took some time to prepare for the coming of Jesus. We are not only preparing for the coming of Christmas Day; we are preparing for the coming of Jesus. Just as Jesus came to earth on the first Christmas, we wait in expectation for Jesus to come to earth a second time.
Both the first coming of Jesus and the second coming of Jesus signal a new day. The birth of Jesus is the source of true Hope, true Peace, true Joy and true Love. The second coming of Jesus will be the final realization of true Hope, true Peace, true Joy and true Love.
In fact, I think this is the big difference between Christmas and Easter. Christmas and Easter are two parts of the story of Jesus. Christmas is not the whole story of Jesus. Easter is not the whole story of Jesus. Christmas and Easter together are not the whole story of Jesus. Christmas and Easter are simply two points in the story. Christmas is the beginning of the story, and Christmas is all about Potential. Easter is the middle of the story, and Easter is the first stage of Fulfillment. The Second Coming of Jesus is the end of the story, and the Second Coming is when all God’s promises will be fulfilled.
The story of Jesus—Christmas, Easter and the Second Coming—is the story of God’s Love for us. But, it would be a mistake to think the story of Jesus is God’s only love story. The fact is that God’s Love story began with the story of Creation. It continued through the entire Old Testament. It became Personal when God sent his Son, Jesus, on that first Christmas Day.
There four Gospels in the New Testament that tell the story of Jesus’ life. However, only two of those Gospels thought it was important to tell the story of Jesus’ birth. The traditional Christmas story is in Luke 2. The other Christmas story is in Matthew 1.
Read Matthew 1: 1.
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:(NIV)
II. Theological Statement about Jesus.
Matthew begins his Gospel with three statements about Jesus. He begins with a theological statement. He then makes a historical statement. He follows it up with a statement that integrates theology and history.
Theologically speaking, Matthew tells us three things about Jesus in verse one. First, Matthew tells us that he is writing the story about Jesus the Christ. Our English word “Christ” comes to us almost directly from the Greek word “Christos.” Christos is the Greek form of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” In other words, Matthew is telling us in the very first verse of his Gospel exactly why he is writing this book. He is writing to prove that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Of course just because Matthew tells us that Jesus is the Messiah does not mean that we are going to believe him. That is why he writes the rest of the book. He wants to lay out all the facts about the life of Jesus, the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as the various Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, which were fulfilled by Jesus.
To believe Matthew’s claim that Jesus is the promised Messiah is the one thing that caused the Christian faith to become a separate faith. Some people in the First Century thought that Christianity was a sect of Judaism. The Christians saw themselves as separate from Judaism. We are different, because we recognize Jesus as the Messiah promised in the Old Testament, and because we worship Jesus as Lord.
Second, Matthew tells us that Jesus is the “Son of David.” This title makes two very important points about who Jesus is. It is an obvious reference to Jesus’ role as the Promised Messiah. All first century Jews believed that the Messiah would be a descendant of David. This is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that one of David’s descendants would always be king over God’s people.
Very closely related to this Messianic claim, Matthew’s claim that Jesus is “Son of David” indicates that Jesus is to fulfill a kingly role. This fits very well with the rest of Matthew’s Gospel in that Jesus announces the Kingdom of Heaven has come to earth. That Kingdom is not a political kingdom defined by the boundaries of Israel. It is a Kingdom which is spiritual in nature. It is the realm in which God is sovereign.
Third, Matthew tells us that Jesus is the “Son of Abraham.” Again, I think this claim serves a dual purpose. At a very basic and literal level, it tells us that Jesus is related to Abraham. Just as Jesus has a legitimate claim to the throne over God’s people through his relationship to David, so Jesus has a legitimate claim to the Jewish heritage through his relationship to Israel’s founding father, Abraham.
However, I also think we are supposed to remember the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12: 1 – 3, The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."”
Through Jesus’ relationship to Abraham, Jesus can claim to be a legitimate member of God’s people. Through Jesus’ relationship to Abraham, Matthew can claim that God is fulfilling his promise to extend God’s Kingdom and God’s blessing beyond the political borders of national Israel. Through Jesus, all nations and all peoples can receive God’s blessings…Ultimately, this means God loves all people!
III. Historical Statement about Jesus.
I am not going to read Matthew 1: 2 – 17 today. This does not mean these verses are not important. In fact, they are very important. It is just difficult to listen to someone read a list of names of fathers and sons from Abraham to Jesus.
Matthew does this to prove his claims about Jesus. Matthew knows that it is not enough simply to claim that Jesus is Son of David and Son of Abraham. The Jewish men and women who read this Gospel needed historical proof. Therefore, Matthew traces Jesus’ family through the stories of the Old Testament and Jewish history.
Theologically, Matthew claims that Jesus is the Promised Messiah. Historically, Matthew shows us how Jesus can be the Promised Messiah. He also shows us that God has been at work throughout the entire history of Israel. Jesus is the Messiah, because God has brought all things together for this moment in history. The birth of Jesus was no accident. It was a divinely inspired event which was only possible through God’s constant work in the lives of ordinary Jewish people.
Read Matthew 1: 18 – 25.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-- which means, "God with us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.(NIV)
IV. When Theology Entered History.
The NIV translation of verse 18 tells us this is the story of the birth of Jesus the Christ. Since we just read verse one a few minutes ago, you can hear that Matthew is repeating himself here by claiming Jesus as the Promised Messiah of the Old Testament. But, this is not the only phrase Matthew has repeated. Literally, verse 18 reads, “This is how the GENESIS of Jesus the Christ came about.” The Greek word GENESIS is the same word Matthew used in verse one—“A record of the GENESIS of Jesus the Christ…”
While the word GENESIS can be translated either genealogy or birth, it could also mean GENESIS. Perhaps this is a way of reminding us of the first book of the Old Testament, which contains the story of creation and the story of the first human being. If so, Matthew is writing about a New Creation. This New Creation is not something done by human efforts. It was a direct result of God’s breaking into human history in the form of a miraculous birth.
The Bible is filled with stories of miraculous births. We spent several weeks this year reading the story of the life of Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation. Yet, Abraham and his wife could not have children. They struggled with their faith in God’s promises to them. They tried to do things their own way, by having children with another woman. But, that was not God’s plan for them. God waited until Abraham was 100 years old to fulfill his promise and make Abraham a father.
When Abraham and Sarah had a child, it was a miracle. It was miraculous, because 100 year old men and 90 year old women are supposed to be beyond the age of child bearing. But, the birth of Isaac happened in the natural way—husband can wife coming together to bring a baby into the world. The birth of Jesus was different. It was a miraculous birth, because it happened in a way that was physically impossible! Jesus was conceived by an act of God in the womb of a virgin woman.
The virgin birth is significant because it shows us that Jesus is no ordinary human. Jesus is the divine Son of God. Since Jesus is divine, he is the only One capable of offering himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Since Jesus was born of a woman, we can also say that he is fully human. As the fully human Son of God, Jesus is the only One capable of communicating the Love of God to us in a way we can understand it. He taught us about the Love of God through his preaching and his parables. He demonstrated the Love of God to us by living his life as our example.
Jesus, the fully human and fully divine Son of God, is the only example worth following in life. Other people will let you down. Your spouse, your boyfriend / girlfriend, your parents, your children, your friends, your pastor…All other people will let you down.
If you go back and read the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1: 2 – 17, you will discover something very interesting about Jesus. According to Matthew’s genealogy, Jesus was “Son of David” and “Son of Abraham,” because he was Joseph’s son. But, the virgin birth demonstrates that Jesus was NOT Joseph’s son. Jesus was the son of Mary and the Son of God. Does that mean we are wrong to insist that Jesus is the Promised Messiah?
Matthew 1 describes a very important event in Joseph’s life. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant before they were married, he thought about divorcing her. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to us, because we associate divorce with marriage. A couple has to be married before they can be divorced.
That was not the case in the ancient world. Engagement was much more complicated and meaningful than it is for us. When Mary and Joseph became engaged, they entered into a legal arrangement that could only be dissolved by a written divorce. They were pledged to be married to each other. In the eyes of the law, they were already married and considered husband and wife. They were married in almost every sense of the word. Engaged couples were considered married; but they could not live together in the same house, and they could not have sexual relations. Therefore, Mary’s pregnancy was scandalous!
According to the Law, Joseph had only one option. He could not go ahead and marry his fiancée. If Joseph married his pregnant fiancée, he would have committed a sin. The only option was to file the necessary paperwork and get a divorce. But, Matthew tells us that Joseph was “a righteous man.” I think this tells us he wanted to do the right thing in the eyes of the Law, and that he wanted to demonstrate his love for Mary. So, he created his own option. He would fulfill the requirements of the Law by divorcing Mary, but he would demonstrate love by divorcing her in a private way. He would not damage her reputation by dragging her through a public divorce, and he would not press criminal charges that would certainly result in the death penalty for Mary.
Joseph’s righteousness placed God’s plans in jeopardy.
This is why God stepped into history by sending an angel to visit Joseph during the night. In this very brief encounter, the angel did several things for Joseph.
First, the angel gave Joseph the assurance he needed. The angel told Joseph not to be afraid to proceed with the marriage. The angel confirmed Mary’s story. As unlikely as it sounded to Joseph, this baby growing inside Mary really is the Son of God. God had created this new life, and God was going to work things out for Mary and Joseph.
Second, the angel gave Joseph some very specific instructions. Go ahead with the marriage. Then, Joseph was instructed to name the baby Jesus.
Naming a baby doesn’t sound like a very big deal to you and me in twenty-first century American culture. Lots of people get involved in naming babies in our culture. When a woman is expecting a baby, everyone has an opinion. Everyone wants to tell you what they think would be a good name for your child. In the ancient world, naming was the responsibility of the father.
For boys in Israel, the father usually waited until the eighth day to name the baby. It was a part of the circumcision ritual. Through circumcision, the family was declaring this child is a part of God’s people. Through naming the child, the father was declaring this child was his child.
It was normal and natural for a biological father to name his own child and to claim the child as his own. But, what about Joseph? Joseph was not Jesus’ biological father. Therefore, Joseph’s naming of Jesus has a different meaning. It was basically the same thing as modern day adoption. When Joseph named Jesus, he claimed Jesus as his own. He accepted Jesus into his own family. He offered Jesus all the same rights and privileges of his natural born son. He adopted Jesus into the family of Joseph, David and Abraham.
It is worth noting here that there was NO DIFFERENCE between the rights of biological children and adopted children. If the father named the child, the Law recognized the child as legitimate!
V. Conclusion.
The name Joseph gave to his son was significant. In fact, Matthew tells us this child had two names: Immanuel and Jesus.
For Hebrew families, names were significant. A name represents the character and the destiny of the child. Therefore, both names mentioned in Matthew 1 are important.
First, his name is Immanuel. The fulfillment of Isaiah 7: 14. El is one of the Hebrew names for God. Immanuel means “God is with us.” In God’s Love Story, God has not left us alone. He has sent himself to live among us…to live out his Love.
Second, his name is Jesus. This is a form of the Hebrew name Joshua, or Yeshua. The name literally means Yahweh Saves. Just as Joshua in the Old Testament was a savior for God’s people, so Jesus would be a savior. There is one big difference. Joshua was a political and military savior. Jesus is a spiritual savior. He meets our greatest need by offering us salvation from sin.
This is what Love truly means. If you love someone, you will meet their needs. God recognized that we are very needy people. Ultimately, we do not need solutions to our political or military problems. We need a solution to our spiritual problem.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Joy in Christ
Joy in Christ
Matthew 11: 1 – 15.
I. Introduction.
In the story of the first Christmas, Luke tells us there were shepherds out in the fields watching their flocks at night. These shepherds were simply doing their daily job of taking care of sheep, when suddenly a choir of angels appeared to announce the birth of a new king. Of course, this was not just any king. This was the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.
The angels told the shepherds that this was no ordinary birth and Jesus was no ordinary king when they said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2: 10 NIV).”
The birth of Jesus is Good News of Great Joy for All People. Perhaps this is why our Advent theme for today is Joy. Christmas is supposed to bring us Joy.
Last week our Advent theme was Peace. It’s hard to think about Peace when the world is at conflict. But Peace is not found in the absence of conflict. True Peace only comes from the presence of God in our lives.
We might make the same argument about true Joy. Many people have a hard time thinking about Joy during the Christmas season. People who are experiencing Christmas for the first time without their loved ones don’t think of Christmas as a time of Joy.
In the New Testament Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes a great deal about Joy. He tells the Christians at Philippi to rejoice in all things and to rejoice in all circumstances. Remarkably, Paul’s circumstances at the time he wrote those words were not what we might call joyous circumstances. He was not on the top of the world at the time. He was not experiencing an easy life at the time. No. Paul wrote those words from prison.
If Paul can write about Joy while he was in prison, then I think we can safely assume that true Joy does not depend on our current circumstances. Circumstances can change very quickly. Circumstances can bring happiness. But Joy must come from something else. Our Joy must depend on something that can never change.
Our Scripture today is not about the Apostle Paul. It is a story from the life of John the Baptist. But, John had at least one thing in common with Paul…John spent some time in prison. John was in prison, because he spoke out against the sins of King Herod.
Read Matthew 11: 1 – 15.
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples
3 to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
7 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.
9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
15 He who has ears, let him hear.(NIV)
John the Baptist started out as a very popular preacher. He didn’t preach in the Jerusalem Temple or in one of the important Jewish synagogues. He preached in the desert. But, his popularity did not depend on where he preached. John was popular because of his message.
John’s message does not sound very popular. Most of his sermons were about repentance. John told the Jewish people that they were living in sin and needed to repent of their sins. He told them to turn away from their sins and turn toward God. This is not what made his message popular—no one likes to hear about their sins. John was popular because he announced the coming of the Messiah.
In Matthew 3, John preached about baptism. He said, “I baptize you with water, but the coming one will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire.” John made a distinction between himself and the coming Messiah. Their messages might be similar, but they were different. John knew that he was not the Messiah. John was the one charged with the mission to prepare the way for the Messiah. In fact, John told us that he was not even worthy enough to be the slave of the Messiah. He was unworthy to carry the Messiah’s shoes.
John’s reference to Holy Spirit and fire indicates that John expected the coming Messiah to bring God’s judgment on earth. This judgment would be like an unquenchable fire. Those who repented of their sins would experience the fire of judgment as a purifying fire—burning away sins and impurities. Those who did not repent would experience the fire of judgment as an eternal separation from God.
Later in Matthew 3, Jesus came to John to be baptized. The way John greeted Jesus shows us that John knew who Jesus was. He first refused to baptize Jesus, saying that Jesus should be the One doing the baptism. Eventually, John agreed to baptize Jesus and then witnessed Jesus in all of his glory. Immediately after baptism, Heaven was opened; the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove; and God himself spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John knew that God had a plan for his life—to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John knew who Jesus was—the Son of God who received the Spirit of God at baptism and the One whose shoes John was not worthy to carry. But, somewhere along the way, John began to have doubts about Jesus.
II. John’s Doubts.
We know that John was having doubts about Jesus, because of his question in verse 3. Since John was in prison, he didn’t have the freedom to go to Jesus and ask questions. So, John sent some of his disciples to find Jesus and ask a question. I guess it is technically two questions: “Are you the one who is to come? Or, should we expect someone else?”
“The one who is to come” is an obvious reference to the Jewish Messiah. This title fits with the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah who would come into the world and establish God’s Kingdom. It also fits with John’s preaching. John preached repentance in order to prepare for the one coming after him. Therefore, we can say that John was beginning to doubt that Jesus was who John originally thought he was.
Verse 2 tells us that John heard in prison what the Christ was doing. I suppose it is possible that John was having doubts as a result of his circumstances. He was in prison for doing the right thing. He preached his message of sin and repentance to the peasants and to King Herod. Actually, I think John’s doubts were the result of what he heard about Jesus.
Matthew doesn’t tell us when John went to prison or even what John might have heard about Jesus while he was in prison. But Matthew does say that John heard about what Jesus was DOING, and not what Jesus was SAYING…
Matthew gives us a snapshot of what Jesus was doing in chapters 8 and 9… Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons from people who were demon possessed. We expect to read about miracles like this. But, there are two miracles that may have seemed unusual to John.
In the first story, Jesus healed a man with leprosy. This was something only Jewish priests dealt with in the ancient world. The ancient view was that leprosy was the result of sin. As such, lepers had two strikes against them. They were physically unclean and spiritually unclean. They could not interact with their friends and families. They could not worship God. And, Jesus actually touched an unclean man. Perhaps John had a hard time believing that the Messiah would touch an unclean person.
In the second story, Jesus was approached by a Roman Centurion. He asked Jesus to heal his slave. Jesus healed the slave, but John might have had a problem with this. This man was a military man. But, he was no ordinary soldier. He was a Centurion, which means that he was a commander of an army of 100 soldiers. He was a big deal. AND, he was a Roman Centurion. Can you believe that? The Messiah was not supposed to HELP the Romans. He was supposed to OVERTHROW the Romans.
John thought Jesus would be a political Messiah. If you think about it, it makes sense. God promised in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come and establish God’s Kingdom on earth. Kingdoms are political.
At the time of John’s life, the political status of Israel had changed. Israel was no longer a powerful political entity. In fact, they weren’t a political entity at all. They were simply a part of the Roman Empire. Israel didn’t elect their own leaders and they were occupied by a foreign army. If God was going to establish a Kingdom on earth, he would first have to establish Israel as a political entity.
III. Jesus’ Answer.
Look at how Jesus answers John’s question in verses 4 and 5, “Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”
I think there are two ways to interpret Jesus’ answer…
First, it is possible to look back at the miracles in Matthew 8 and 9. Jesus might be telling John to look at the way he is demonstrating compassion and mercy to those who are in need. Jesus is taking care of the poor and the unclean. But, I think that was the source of John’s problems and not a good answer to the question.
Second, it is possible to look back even farther and compare the life of Jesus to the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah…
Isaiah 35: 3 – 6, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
Isaiah 61: 1 – 3, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”
Jesus’ answer confirms that he DOES fulfill the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Even though Jesus does not fulfill the expectations of the Jewish people, he does fulfill all the promises God made to the Jewish people.
IV. Expectations and Joy.
John had doubts about Jesus, because his expectations for Jesus did not fit with his experience of Jesus. This is why Jesus added his comment in verse 6, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
John had a common expectation for Jesus. He expected Jesus to be a political Messiah, who would accomplish a political agenda in the world. But, Jesus was not a political Messiah with a political agenda. In fact, Jesus came to accomplish something much more important than politics. Can you imagine that? There are some things in life that are more important than politics!!
I think we all know there are things in life more important than politics. But, we don’t always live that way. We make the same mistake that John made when we place political aspirations ahead of the spiritual work God wants to do in our lives.
But, there is a lesson in this about Joy…
As long as John held on to his expectations of Jesus, John would never experience what God wanted in his life. As long as John thought politics would bring his salvation, John would never experience Joy.
We could even say the same thing about John’s incarceration. Matthew doesn’t say this, but we can probably assume that John had hoped Jesus would get him out of prison. Yet, Jesus clearly stated—in both his actions and his words— that Jesus would not get John out of prison. As long as John held on to this expectation, John would not experience Joy.
True Joy is possible for us when our expectations for Jesus match our experience with Jesus.
V. Conclusion.
Many of us place false expectations on Jesus and never experience true Joy.
For example, many of us expect that if we will give our lives to Jesus we will live a pain free life. We think that Jesus will make us rich and take away all of our sickness and bless us with the most obedient children in the neighborhood. That’s not the reason God sent Jesus to be the Messiah.
Jesus came to overcome our sin problem. Jesus came to give us true life…Life that involves a proper relationship with God on earth and an eternal life with God in Heaven.
Matthew 11: 1 – 15.
I. Introduction.
In the story of the first Christmas, Luke tells us there were shepherds out in the fields watching their flocks at night. These shepherds were simply doing their daily job of taking care of sheep, when suddenly a choir of angels appeared to announce the birth of a new king. Of course, this was not just any king. This was the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.
The angels told the shepherds that this was no ordinary birth and Jesus was no ordinary king when they said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people (Luke 2: 10 NIV).”
The birth of Jesus is Good News of Great Joy for All People. Perhaps this is why our Advent theme for today is Joy. Christmas is supposed to bring us Joy.
Last week our Advent theme was Peace. It’s hard to think about Peace when the world is at conflict. But Peace is not found in the absence of conflict. True Peace only comes from the presence of God in our lives.
We might make the same argument about true Joy. Many people have a hard time thinking about Joy during the Christmas season. People who are experiencing Christmas for the first time without their loved ones don’t think of Christmas as a time of Joy.
In the New Testament Book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes a great deal about Joy. He tells the Christians at Philippi to rejoice in all things and to rejoice in all circumstances. Remarkably, Paul’s circumstances at the time he wrote those words were not what we might call joyous circumstances. He was not on the top of the world at the time. He was not experiencing an easy life at the time. No. Paul wrote those words from prison.
If Paul can write about Joy while he was in prison, then I think we can safely assume that true Joy does not depend on our current circumstances. Circumstances can change very quickly. Circumstances can bring happiness. But Joy must come from something else. Our Joy must depend on something that can never change.
Our Scripture today is not about the Apostle Paul. It is a story from the life of John the Baptist. But, John had at least one thing in common with Paul…John spent some time in prison. John was in prison, because he spoke out against the sins of King Herod.
Read Matthew 11: 1 – 15.
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples
3 to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
4 Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see:
5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
6 Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me."
7 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?
8 If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings' palaces.
9 Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
10 This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
15 He who has ears, let him hear.(NIV)
John the Baptist started out as a very popular preacher. He didn’t preach in the Jerusalem Temple or in one of the important Jewish synagogues. He preached in the desert. But, his popularity did not depend on where he preached. John was popular because of his message.
John’s message does not sound very popular. Most of his sermons were about repentance. John told the Jewish people that they were living in sin and needed to repent of their sins. He told them to turn away from their sins and turn toward God. This is not what made his message popular—no one likes to hear about their sins. John was popular because he announced the coming of the Messiah.
In Matthew 3, John preached about baptism. He said, “I baptize you with water, but the coming one will baptize you with Holy Spirit and fire.” John made a distinction between himself and the coming Messiah. Their messages might be similar, but they were different. John knew that he was not the Messiah. John was the one charged with the mission to prepare the way for the Messiah. In fact, John told us that he was not even worthy enough to be the slave of the Messiah. He was unworthy to carry the Messiah’s shoes.
John’s reference to Holy Spirit and fire indicates that John expected the coming Messiah to bring God’s judgment on earth. This judgment would be like an unquenchable fire. Those who repented of their sins would experience the fire of judgment as a purifying fire—burning away sins and impurities. Those who did not repent would experience the fire of judgment as an eternal separation from God.
Later in Matthew 3, Jesus came to John to be baptized. The way John greeted Jesus shows us that John knew who Jesus was. He first refused to baptize Jesus, saying that Jesus should be the One doing the baptism. Eventually, John agreed to baptize Jesus and then witnessed Jesus in all of his glory. Immediately after baptism, Heaven was opened; the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove; and God himself spoke: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John knew that God had a plan for his life—to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John knew who Jesus was—the Son of God who received the Spirit of God at baptism and the One whose shoes John was not worthy to carry. But, somewhere along the way, John began to have doubts about Jesus.
II. John’s Doubts.
We know that John was having doubts about Jesus, because of his question in verse 3. Since John was in prison, he didn’t have the freedom to go to Jesus and ask questions. So, John sent some of his disciples to find Jesus and ask a question. I guess it is technically two questions: “Are you the one who is to come? Or, should we expect someone else?”
“The one who is to come” is an obvious reference to the Jewish Messiah. This title fits with the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah who would come into the world and establish God’s Kingdom. It also fits with John’s preaching. John preached repentance in order to prepare for the one coming after him. Therefore, we can say that John was beginning to doubt that Jesus was who John originally thought he was.
Verse 2 tells us that John heard in prison what the Christ was doing. I suppose it is possible that John was having doubts as a result of his circumstances. He was in prison for doing the right thing. He preached his message of sin and repentance to the peasants and to King Herod. Actually, I think John’s doubts were the result of what he heard about Jesus.
Matthew doesn’t tell us when John went to prison or even what John might have heard about Jesus while he was in prison. But Matthew does say that John heard about what Jesus was DOING, and not what Jesus was SAYING…
Matthew gives us a snapshot of what Jesus was doing in chapters 8 and 9… Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons from people who were demon possessed. We expect to read about miracles like this. But, there are two miracles that may have seemed unusual to John.
In the first story, Jesus healed a man with leprosy. This was something only Jewish priests dealt with in the ancient world. The ancient view was that leprosy was the result of sin. As such, lepers had two strikes against them. They were physically unclean and spiritually unclean. They could not interact with their friends and families. They could not worship God. And, Jesus actually touched an unclean man. Perhaps John had a hard time believing that the Messiah would touch an unclean person.
In the second story, Jesus was approached by a Roman Centurion. He asked Jesus to heal his slave. Jesus healed the slave, but John might have had a problem with this. This man was a military man. But, he was no ordinary soldier. He was a Centurion, which means that he was a commander of an army of 100 soldiers. He was a big deal. AND, he was a Roman Centurion. Can you believe that? The Messiah was not supposed to HELP the Romans. He was supposed to OVERTHROW the Romans.
John thought Jesus would be a political Messiah. If you think about it, it makes sense. God promised in the Old Testament that the Messiah would come and establish God’s Kingdom on earth. Kingdoms are political.
At the time of John’s life, the political status of Israel had changed. Israel was no longer a powerful political entity. In fact, they weren’t a political entity at all. They were simply a part of the Roman Empire. Israel didn’t elect their own leaders and they were occupied by a foreign army. If God was going to establish a Kingdom on earth, he would first have to establish Israel as a political entity.
III. Jesus’ Answer.
Look at how Jesus answers John’s question in verses 4 and 5, “Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.”
I think there are two ways to interpret Jesus’ answer…
First, it is possible to look back at the miracles in Matthew 8 and 9. Jesus might be telling John to look at the way he is demonstrating compassion and mercy to those who are in need. Jesus is taking care of the poor and the unclean. But, I think that was the source of John’s problems and not a good answer to the question.
Second, it is possible to look back even farther and compare the life of Jesus to the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah…
Isaiah 35: 3 – 6, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.”
Isaiah 61: 1 – 3, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.”
Jesus’ answer confirms that he DOES fulfill the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Even though Jesus does not fulfill the expectations of the Jewish people, he does fulfill all the promises God made to the Jewish people.
IV. Expectations and Joy.
John had doubts about Jesus, because his expectations for Jesus did not fit with his experience of Jesus. This is why Jesus added his comment in verse 6, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
John had a common expectation for Jesus. He expected Jesus to be a political Messiah, who would accomplish a political agenda in the world. But, Jesus was not a political Messiah with a political agenda. In fact, Jesus came to accomplish something much more important than politics. Can you imagine that? There are some things in life that are more important than politics!!
I think we all know there are things in life more important than politics. But, we don’t always live that way. We make the same mistake that John made when we place political aspirations ahead of the spiritual work God wants to do in our lives.
But, there is a lesson in this about Joy…
As long as John held on to his expectations of Jesus, John would never experience what God wanted in his life. As long as John thought politics would bring his salvation, John would never experience Joy.
We could even say the same thing about John’s incarceration. Matthew doesn’t say this, but we can probably assume that John had hoped Jesus would get him out of prison. Yet, Jesus clearly stated—in both his actions and his words— that Jesus would not get John out of prison. As long as John held on to this expectation, John would not experience Joy.
True Joy is possible for us when our expectations for Jesus match our experience with Jesus.
V. Conclusion.
Many of us place false expectations on Jesus and never experience true Joy.
For example, many of us expect that if we will give our lives to Jesus we will live a pain free life. We think that Jesus will make us rich and take away all of our sickness and bless us with the most obedient children in the neighborhood. That’s not the reason God sent Jesus to be the Messiah.
Jesus came to overcome our sin problem. Jesus came to give us true life…Life that involves a proper relationship with God on earth and an eternal life with God in Heaven.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Peace with God
Peace with God
Matthew 3: 1 – 12.
I. Introduction.
It is very hard to talk about Peace today. As citizens of the United States of America, we find ourselves under attack by a hidden enemy. We are not at war with Islam. However, there is a radical group of Islamic extremists, who want our nation and way of life destroyed. Most of this war is being fought outside of our national borders. But, we have imposed serious restrictions on American freedom to prevent them from bringing the war back into our country—as the terrorists did on September 11, 2001.
We have U.S. military deployed to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, we see reminders of the violence and warfare on the nightly news.
Just last month, we witnessed an escalation of conflict on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea attacked and killed South Korean marines stationed on an island in South Korean waters. The U.S. military has begun training exercises in the region, and Japan has promised to send their troops in the future. On Monday, South Korean and Japanese diplomats will meet with U.S. diplomats in Washington to talk about forming a coalition.
How can we talk about Peace with all the conflict in the world today?
I think there are two answers to this question.
First, Peace is what the angels promised on the first Christmas. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there were shepherds in the fields, watching their flocks through the night. Angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of a new king.
Luke 2: 10 – 14, “But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."”
Second, the concept of Peace in the Bible is significantly different from our understanding of Peace. You and I think that Peace is the absence of conflict. If there is no war, then our nation is living at Peace. If there is no fight at home, then our family is living in Peace. If there is no division in the church, then there is unity and Peace in the Body of Christ. However, this is not what Peace meant in a biblical understanding.
The biblical concept of Peace comes from the Hebrew word “Shalom.” Shalom is most commonly translated as “Peace.” Yet, it is formed on the Hebrew root which means “whole” or “complete.” If we think of Peace as a state of wholeness, then we can understand what the Bible means when it promises Peace…And what the angels meant when they associated the birth of Jesus with Peace on earth.
Before Jesus was born, the world was missing something. Jesus is the unique, Only Begotten Son of God. When Jesus was born, God himself came to earth. There was no Peace on earth, because the earth was missing something. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is not the absence of anything. Peace can only be found in the presence of God. If God is present in your life, you can live in Peace. If God is not present in your life, you are missing something. Your life is incomplete. Even if there is no conflict in your life, Peace is not possible.
The story we read from Scripture today is not a Christmas story. But, remember what I shared with you last week. We are not going to rush into Christmas. We are going to prepare for the coming of Christmas. Christmas is more than a break from work and school. Christmas is the coming of a Person…the birth of Jesus…God himself coming into our world. Therefore, we are not preparing for the coming of a holiday. We are preparing for the coming of a Person…the coming of Jesus…the coming of God himself.
The story we read today is the story of John the Baptist. God gave John one job to perform. He was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.
Read Matthew 3: 1 – 12.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."(NIV)
One of the unique characteristics of the Jewish religion is the way it is based on the Word of God. In the story of Creation, all of heaven and earth came into being when God spoke. In Exodus 3, God called Moses to rescue God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses SAW a burning bush, but that bush was not God. Instead, God spoke to Moses from the bush. In Exodus 20, God gave his Ten Commandments to his people. In the first two commandments, God described WHO God is and HOW God’s people were to relate to him.
The first commandment says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” The second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
In the first commandment, God demands absolute loyalty of his people. God’s people are not to worship competing gods. They are to worship the One True God…the God who has rescued them from slavery…the God of their salvation…the ONLY God who saves.
In the second commandment, God demands that his people should never worship an image. We are not to worship an image of fish in the waters; we are not to worship images of animals or people on earth; we are not to worship an image of God in heaven. We are not to make an image of God, because until Jesus was born, God never revealed himself in an image. God revealed himself through his word…speaking at Creation, speaking to Moses, and eventually speaking to his prophets.
Most of the Old Testament prophets began their sermons with the words, “Thus says the LORD…” Or, as we might say today, “God told me to tell ya’ll…”
One day God’s prophets stopped speaking. God was no longer speaking to his prophets and was no longer speaking to his people. This silent period lasted 400 years. It ended when John the Baptist began preaching in the desert.
II. John’s Appearance.
Matthew tells us some unusual things about John the Baptist. He wore unusual clothes of camel hair and ate an unusual diet or locusts and wild honey. At least it sounds unusual to us. It probably wasn’t that unusual for a person who lived every day in the desert. He ate food that could be found in the desert. If he had lived in the city of Jerusalem, he would have eaten city food. He wore clothes that were appropriate for the desert. He didn’t dress like a man preaching in the Jerusalem Temple. The Temple preachers probably wore really nice suits. But, John was not a Temple preacher. John was a desert preacher. And just as his attire would not have been welcomed in the Jerusalem Temple, his message would not have been welcomed in the Jerusalem Temple.
In fact, I think Matthew is telling us something about the Jewish religion in his description of John. John didn’t preach in the Temple, because he would not have been welcomed in the Temple. But, the religious leaders of Jerusalem travelled out to the desert to hear John’s message.
It is also significant that John’s appearance reminds us of the way Elijah used to dress. Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament. The prophets were silent for 400 years. Then, along came a man who dressed like Elijah, breaking the prophetic silence and preaching the Word of God in the desert. Why do you think Matthew wants us to think about Elijah? It’s probably because of the long held Jewish belief that Elijah would return before the Messiah would come.
In Matthew 1 – 2, Matthew goes to great lengths to quote the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah and to show how the birth of Jesus fulfilled each of those prophesies. Then, in chapter 3, Matthew shows us how John the Baptist fulfills Old Testament prophesy. John fulfilled the role of Elijah. AND, John fulfilled the words of Isaiah: “A voice calling out in the desert…”
In Matthew’s understanding, Jesus is the Promised Messiah—the One to establish God’s Kingdom. John had a role to play in God’s plan. John came to prepare the way. Jesus came to establish the Kingdom.
III. John’s Baptism.
John got his name from the act of baptism. We know him as “John the Baptist,” but he could also be known as “John the Baptizer.” He got this name, because he practiced baptism and not because he invented baptism.
More than likely, baptism was something the Jews already knew about. It was something required of Gentile people who converted to the Jewish religion. These new converts would commit themselves to the teachings of the Old Testament, the Jewish dietary laws, the Jewish forms of worship and, then, they would be baptized. Baptism marked the end of their conversion and the beginning of their new life as a Jew. However, John was not baptizing Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. John was teaching something new by demanding that Jews needed to be baptized!
We can understand a little about what John’s baptism meant by looking at the ways Matthew describes it for us.
First, Matthew tells us in verses 5 – 6, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”
It was the Jewish people who were coming from Jerusalem and Judea to be baptized. And, they submitted to baptism after confessing their sins. The baptism was not intended to wash away their sins. Baptism came after confession of sin.
Second, Matthew quotes John in verse 11, “I baptize you with water for repentance.”
This is confusing. It sounds like baptism is necessary for repentance. It’s actually the other way around. Repentance is necessary for baptism. Baptism is an outward sign that a person has confessed their sins and repented.
IV. John’s Message.
Since John had a role to play in God’s plan, all of John’s preaching fit into that plan. He basically preached one message, “Get ready, because the Messiah is coming.”
On one hand, John told us what would happen when the Messiah came. John told us that the Messiah would have a similar ministry to his own. John preached and baptized. The Messiah would preach and baptize. The difference between John and the Messiah was in the way they baptized. John baptized with water. The Messiah would baptize with Holy Spirit and fire.
The two images of Spirit and fire are intended to remind us of God’s judgment. John was warning the Jews about the coming of God’s judgment. We might not like to talk about the judgment of God. We prefer to talk about the love of God. But you can’t have one without the other.
God is holy and righteous. He does not sin. He does not commit evil deeds. Human beings are not holy, not righteous, and we are plagued with sin. If God enters into a relationship with sinful human beings, something must be done about our sin problem. If God accepts us as sinners, then we have every right to question his holiness and righteousness.
This is where judgment becomes necessary. In order for God to maintain his character as holy and righteous, God must hate sin. God must do everything to eradicate sin from human beings with whom he has relationship.
John tells us that the judgment of God is an all-consuming fire. God’s judgment destroys sin. In this sense, we can think of God’s judgment as a purifying fire. It burns away all the sin and the evil in our lives. Yet, that is not true for those who do not repent. The unrepentant will be consumed—along with their sins—by the purifying fire of God’s judgment.
The crowds of people from Jerusalem and Judea came out to hear John preach about God’s judgment and our need for repentance. Matthew tells us that the crowds were not the only ones who came. The Pharisees and Sadducees came as well. The Pharisees were the group of men who had devoted their lives to the written Law and the oral interpretations of the Law. The Sadducees were the men who had devoted their lives to the priesthood and the integrity of Temple worship.
Interestingly, John told the Pharisees and the Sadducees that they needed to repent as well. No one in ancient Jerusalem thought the Pharisees and Sadducees needed to repent. They represented the very best that Judaism had to offer in the first century. They were devoted to the Law and the Temple… But, John told them that wasn’t enough.
John even told them not to appeal to their biological connection to Abraham. John said, “Sure. You really are children of Abraham. But if God wanted to turn these stones into children of Abraham, he could do that.”
If God can turn stones into children of Abraham, then God can turn Gentiles into children of Abraham. If God can cause stones to turn into the people of God, then none of us can tell God whom he can save and whom he cannot save. John understood that the work of the Messiah included the people of Israel, but was not limited to the people of Israel.
V. Conclusion.
John’s role was to preach about the coming Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord. John’s message was for all people to get ready. There is only one way to get ready. You must repent. Repentance means to turn around… Turn away from sin, and turn toward God and his purposes in the world.
John’s message continues to be true for us today. Yes, Jesus has already come into the world. We celebrate his birth at Christmas every year. But, Jesus is coming back. He will return and brings God’s final judgment on all the people of the world.
You may be more comfortable talking about the Love of God at Christmastime. And, that is true. God loved the world so much that he sent his Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to come into the world. God loved us and sent Jesus so that we would not have to face his judgment. God’s love is based on the reality of judgment. The people who receive God’s love are the people who repent. This is the only way to escape God’s judgment.
You may be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they were devoted to the Bible. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they gave their lives to work at the church. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they were born into good families.
One of my seminary professors used to say it this way, “Just because you were born in the kitchen, doesn’t make you a biscuit.” Other people say, “God does not have any grandchildren.” The message is the same. You cannot depend on your parents or your upbringing to get you into heaven. The only people who go to heaven and escape the judgment of hell are the people who repent as a sign of receiving God’s gift of love.
Matthew 3: 1 – 12.
I. Introduction.
It is very hard to talk about Peace today. As citizens of the United States of America, we find ourselves under attack by a hidden enemy. We are not at war with Islam. However, there is a radical group of Islamic extremists, who want our nation and way of life destroyed. Most of this war is being fought outside of our national borders. But, we have imposed serious restrictions on American freedom to prevent them from bringing the war back into our country—as the terrorists did on September 11, 2001.
We have U.S. military deployed to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. And, we see reminders of the violence and warfare on the nightly news.
Just last month, we witnessed an escalation of conflict on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea attacked and killed South Korean marines stationed on an island in South Korean waters. The U.S. military has begun training exercises in the region, and Japan has promised to send their troops in the future. On Monday, South Korean and Japanese diplomats will meet with U.S. diplomats in Washington to talk about forming a coalition.
How can we talk about Peace with all the conflict in the world today?
I think there are two answers to this question.
First, Peace is what the angels promised on the first Christmas. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there were shepherds in the fields, watching their flocks through the night. Angels appeared to the shepherds and announced the birth of a new king.
Luke 2: 10 – 14, “But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."”
Second, the concept of Peace in the Bible is significantly different from our understanding of Peace. You and I think that Peace is the absence of conflict. If there is no war, then our nation is living at Peace. If there is no fight at home, then our family is living in Peace. If there is no division in the church, then there is unity and Peace in the Body of Christ. However, this is not what Peace meant in a biblical understanding.
The biblical concept of Peace comes from the Hebrew word “Shalom.” Shalom is most commonly translated as “Peace.” Yet, it is formed on the Hebrew root which means “whole” or “complete.” If we think of Peace as a state of wholeness, then we can understand what the Bible means when it promises Peace…And what the angels meant when they associated the birth of Jesus with Peace on earth.
Before Jesus was born, the world was missing something. Jesus is the unique, Only Begotten Son of God. When Jesus was born, God himself came to earth. There was no Peace on earth, because the earth was missing something. Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is not the absence of anything. Peace can only be found in the presence of God. If God is present in your life, you can live in Peace. If God is not present in your life, you are missing something. Your life is incomplete. Even if there is no conflict in your life, Peace is not possible.
The story we read from Scripture today is not a Christmas story. But, remember what I shared with you last week. We are not going to rush into Christmas. We are going to prepare for the coming of Christmas. Christmas is more than a break from work and school. Christmas is the coming of a Person…the birth of Jesus…God himself coming into our world. Therefore, we are not preparing for the coming of a holiday. We are preparing for the coming of a Person…the coming of Jesus…the coming of God himself.
The story we read today is the story of John the Baptist. God gave John one job to perform. He was to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus.
Read Matthew 3: 1 – 12.
1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea
2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan.
6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."(NIV)
One of the unique characteristics of the Jewish religion is the way it is based on the Word of God. In the story of Creation, all of heaven and earth came into being when God spoke. In Exodus 3, God called Moses to rescue God’s people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses SAW a burning bush, but that bush was not God. Instead, God spoke to Moses from the bush. In Exodus 20, God gave his Ten Commandments to his people. In the first two commandments, God described WHO God is and HOW God’s people were to relate to him.
The first commandment says, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” The second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”
In the first commandment, God demands absolute loyalty of his people. God’s people are not to worship competing gods. They are to worship the One True God…the God who has rescued them from slavery…the God of their salvation…the ONLY God who saves.
In the second commandment, God demands that his people should never worship an image. We are not to worship an image of fish in the waters; we are not to worship images of animals or people on earth; we are not to worship an image of God in heaven. We are not to make an image of God, because until Jesus was born, God never revealed himself in an image. God revealed himself through his word…speaking at Creation, speaking to Moses, and eventually speaking to his prophets.
Most of the Old Testament prophets began their sermons with the words, “Thus says the LORD…” Or, as we might say today, “God told me to tell ya’ll…”
One day God’s prophets stopped speaking. God was no longer speaking to his prophets and was no longer speaking to his people. This silent period lasted 400 years. It ended when John the Baptist began preaching in the desert.
II. John’s Appearance.
Matthew tells us some unusual things about John the Baptist. He wore unusual clothes of camel hair and ate an unusual diet or locusts and wild honey. At least it sounds unusual to us. It probably wasn’t that unusual for a person who lived every day in the desert. He ate food that could be found in the desert. If he had lived in the city of Jerusalem, he would have eaten city food. He wore clothes that were appropriate for the desert. He didn’t dress like a man preaching in the Jerusalem Temple. The Temple preachers probably wore really nice suits. But, John was not a Temple preacher. John was a desert preacher. And just as his attire would not have been welcomed in the Jerusalem Temple, his message would not have been welcomed in the Jerusalem Temple.
In fact, I think Matthew is telling us something about the Jewish religion in his description of John. John didn’t preach in the Temple, because he would not have been welcomed in the Temple. But, the religious leaders of Jerusalem travelled out to the desert to hear John’s message.
It is also significant that John’s appearance reminds us of the way Elijah used to dress. Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament. The prophets were silent for 400 years. Then, along came a man who dressed like Elijah, breaking the prophetic silence and preaching the Word of God in the desert. Why do you think Matthew wants us to think about Elijah? It’s probably because of the long held Jewish belief that Elijah would return before the Messiah would come.
In Matthew 1 – 2, Matthew goes to great lengths to quote the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah and to show how the birth of Jesus fulfilled each of those prophesies. Then, in chapter 3, Matthew shows us how John the Baptist fulfills Old Testament prophesy. John fulfilled the role of Elijah. AND, John fulfilled the words of Isaiah: “A voice calling out in the desert…”
In Matthew’s understanding, Jesus is the Promised Messiah—the One to establish God’s Kingdom. John had a role to play in God’s plan. John came to prepare the way. Jesus came to establish the Kingdom.
III. John’s Baptism.
John got his name from the act of baptism. We know him as “John the Baptist,” but he could also be known as “John the Baptizer.” He got this name, because he practiced baptism and not because he invented baptism.
More than likely, baptism was something the Jews already knew about. It was something required of Gentile people who converted to the Jewish religion. These new converts would commit themselves to the teachings of the Old Testament, the Jewish dietary laws, the Jewish forms of worship and, then, they would be baptized. Baptism marked the end of their conversion and the beginning of their new life as a Jew. However, John was not baptizing Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. John was teaching something new by demanding that Jews needed to be baptized!
We can understand a little about what John’s baptism meant by looking at the ways Matthew describes it for us.
First, Matthew tells us in verses 5 – 6, “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”
It was the Jewish people who were coming from Jerusalem and Judea to be baptized. And, they submitted to baptism after confessing their sins. The baptism was not intended to wash away their sins. Baptism came after confession of sin.
Second, Matthew quotes John in verse 11, “I baptize you with water for repentance.”
This is confusing. It sounds like baptism is necessary for repentance. It’s actually the other way around. Repentance is necessary for baptism. Baptism is an outward sign that a person has confessed their sins and repented.
IV. John’s Message.
Since John had a role to play in God’s plan, all of John’s preaching fit into that plan. He basically preached one message, “Get ready, because the Messiah is coming.”
On one hand, John told us what would happen when the Messiah came. John told us that the Messiah would have a similar ministry to his own. John preached and baptized. The Messiah would preach and baptize. The difference between John and the Messiah was in the way they baptized. John baptized with water. The Messiah would baptize with Holy Spirit and fire.
The two images of Spirit and fire are intended to remind us of God’s judgment. John was warning the Jews about the coming of God’s judgment. We might not like to talk about the judgment of God. We prefer to talk about the love of God. But you can’t have one without the other.
God is holy and righteous. He does not sin. He does not commit evil deeds. Human beings are not holy, not righteous, and we are plagued with sin. If God enters into a relationship with sinful human beings, something must be done about our sin problem. If God accepts us as sinners, then we have every right to question his holiness and righteousness.
This is where judgment becomes necessary. In order for God to maintain his character as holy and righteous, God must hate sin. God must do everything to eradicate sin from human beings with whom he has relationship.
John tells us that the judgment of God is an all-consuming fire. God’s judgment destroys sin. In this sense, we can think of God’s judgment as a purifying fire. It burns away all the sin and the evil in our lives. Yet, that is not true for those who do not repent. The unrepentant will be consumed—along with their sins—by the purifying fire of God’s judgment.
The crowds of people from Jerusalem and Judea came out to hear John preach about God’s judgment and our need for repentance. Matthew tells us that the crowds were not the only ones who came. The Pharisees and Sadducees came as well. The Pharisees were the group of men who had devoted their lives to the written Law and the oral interpretations of the Law. The Sadducees were the men who had devoted their lives to the priesthood and the integrity of Temple worship.
Interestingly, John told the Pharisees and the Sadducees that they needed to repent as well. No one in ancient Jerusalem thought the Pharisees and Sadducees needed to repent. They represented the very best that Judaism had to offer in the first century. They were devoted to the Law and the Temple… But, John told them that wasn’t enough.
John even told them not to appeal to their biological connection to Abraham. John said, “Sure. You really are children of Abraham. But if God wanted to turn these stones into children of Abraham, he could do that.”
If God can turn stones into children of Abraham, then God can turn Gentiles into children of Abraham. If God can cause stones to turn into the people of God, then none of us can tell God whom he can save and whom he cannot save. John understood that the work of the Messiah included the people of Israel, but was not limited to the people of Israel.
V. Conclusion.
John’s role was to preach about the coming Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord. John’s message was for all people to get ready. There is only one way to get ready. You must repent. Repentance means to turn around… Turn away from sin, and turn toward God and his purposes in the world.
John’s message continues to be true for us today. Yes, Jesus has already come into the world. We celebrate his birth at Christmas every year. But, Jesus is coming back. He will return and brings God’s final judgment on all the people of the world.
You may be more comfortable talking about the Love of God at Christmastime. And, that is true. God loved the world so much that he sent his Only Begotten Son, Jesus, to come into the world. God loved us and sent Jesus so that we would not have to face his judgment. God’s love is based on the reality of judgment. The people who receive God’s love are the people who repent. This is the only way to escape God’s judgment.
You may be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they were devoted to the Bible. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they gave their lives to work at the church. They thought they were safe from God’s judgment, because they were born into good families.
One of my seminary professors used to say it this way, “Just because you were born in the kitchen, doesn’t make you a biscuit.” Other people say, “God does not have any grandchildren.” The message is the same. You cannot depend on your parents or your upbringing to get you into heaven. The only people who go to heaven and escape the judgment of hell are the people who repent as a sign of receiving God’s gift of love.
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