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Home , Abihud, Hezron, Matthew 1, Obed (biblical figure), Ram (biblical figure)

The Birth of

 Proposition: The birth of Jesus was a critical step in God’s plan to redeem creation  Introduction  Which are you identifying with more in this season?  A.W. Tozer on the Irony of What We've Made of  Christ came to bring peace and we celebrate his coming by making peace impossible for six weeks of each year …. He came to help the poor and we heap gifts upon those who do not need them. —A.W. Tozer, The Warfare of the Spirit (Wingspread Publishers, 1993)  U2 Singer Bono Contends, "There Must Be an Incarnation"  After returning home from a long tour, Bono, the lead singer for U2, returned to Dublin and attended a Christmas service. At some point in that service, Bono grasped the truth at the heart of the Christmas story:  in Jesus, God became a human being.  With tears streaming down his face, Bono realized, The idea that God, if there is a force of Love and Logic in the universe, that it would seek to explain itself is amazing enough. That it would seek to explain itself by becoming a child born in poverty … and straw, a child, I just thought, "Wow!" Just the poetry … I saw the genius of picking a particular point in time and deciding to turn on this …  Love needs to find a form, intimacy needs to be whispered … Love has to become an action or something concrete. It would have to happen. There must be an incarnation. Love must be made flesh. – Quoted in Matt Woodley, The of Matthew: God With Us (InterVarsity Press, 2011), p. 28-29  Are you feeling overwhelmed by all the expectations and demands of the season or are you finding a new joy in celebrating the birth of our Savior?  Let’s try and cultivate a little more of the latter  The birth of Jesus was a critical step in God’s plan to redeem creation

 Generations of Promises and Expectation (vv. 1-17) 1 The record of the the , the son of , the son of : 2 Abraham was the father of , Isaac the father of , and Jacob the father of and his brothers. 3 Judah was the father of and by , Perez was the father of , and Hezron the father of . 4 Ram was the father of , Amminadab the father of , and Nahshon the father of . 5 Salmon was the father of by , Boaz was the father of by , and Obed the father of . 6 Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of by who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 Solomon was the father of , Rehoboam the father of , and Abijah the father of Asa. 8 Asa was the father of , Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of . 9 Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of , and Ahaz the father of . 10 Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of . 11 Josiah became the father of and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of , and Shealtiel the father of . 13 Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. 14 Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. 15 Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. 16 Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.  We recently finished a series on the  Ruth is a story of God’s redemption of an outcast foreign widow  The end of the book contains the genealogy of Obed, the son of Boaz  It is not accident that Ruth and Rahab are part Jesus’ genealogy  From the beginning, the story of Israel is the story of God’s redemption of the least likely and unworthy  God promised to raise up a redeemer for humanity through the line of Abraham and more specifically David  The Generations of Israel Recorded in the  Abraham = The man called by God to leave his home and follow by faith (Genesis 12; approximately c. 2150 B.C.)  Isaac = The first child of promise (Genesis 21)  Jacob = The deceiver who became a true follower and father of a nation (Genesis 25)  Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar (Genesis 29)  One of the first notable redemptions – first woman noted in Jesus’ line  Perez = The child of promise to Tamar (Genesis 38)  Hezron = (Genesis 46)  Ram = (; )  Amminadab = (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  Nahshon = (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  Salmon = The Father of Boaz by Rahab (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  Rahab was the former prostitute and refugee from Jericho  Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth = (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  Ruth the Moabitess and widow of Mahlon, redeemed and married by Boaz  Obed = (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  Jesse = the father of David, king of Israel (Ruth 4; 1 Chronicles 2)  David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah (2 Samuel 12; 1 Chronicles 3)  David the King of Israel and “man after God’s own heart” had his failings  He committed adultery with Bathsheba and tried to cover it up by having her husband Uriah murdered  God forgave a repentant David and raised up the greatest King of Israel through Bathsheba  Solomon = The greatest of Israel’s kings who asked for wisdom above all (1 Chronicles 3)  Rehoboam = a rebellious king who divided the kingdom in his foolishness (1 Kings 11; 1 Chronicles 3)  Abijah = (2 Chronicles 14)  Asa = (1 Chronicles 3)  Jehoshaphat = (1 Kings 22; 1 Chronicles 3)  Joram = (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 21)  Uzziah = (1 Chronicles 3)  Jotham = (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 27))  Ahaz = (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Chronicles 27)  Hezekiah = (1 Chronicles 3; ; 2 Chronicles 29)  Manasseh = (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Kings 20)  Amon = (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Kings 21)  Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. (1 Chronicles 3; 2 Kings 24; 27)  Because of the faithlessness and disobedience of Israel God sent them into exile  After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel,

and (1 Chronicles 3)  God’s discipline and the years of exile ended after 70 years  Shealtiel = (1 Chronicles 3)  Zerubbabel = (1 Chronicles 3)  The Generations from the end of the Old Testament to Jesus  Abihud  Eliakim  Azor  Zadok  Achim  Eliud  Eleazar  Matthan  Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah.  17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.  Each of these generations was looking for the Promised Son  It was 42 generations, more than 2000 years, since God promised Abraham (c. 2150 B.C.) he would have an heir in whom all the nations would be blessed  Do you think any of these people lost hope or grew impatient with God because He was taking much longer than they expected?  Think about those people who do not believe Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise and are still looking for the Messiah  But God did fulfill His plans in His Son Jesus Christ  There is a plan, and that plan God has been executing according to His time and desire

 The Promise Fulfilled (vv. 18-25) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME ," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25 but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.  The Birth of Jesus also took place just as God Planned  Jesus’ mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph  But she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit (-2)  Joseph, being righteous and honorable, was going to quietly break their engagement  He was going to send Mary away to have the baby  But an angel of the Lord appeared to Him in a dream  Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife  It was a real risk for Joseph to take an already pregnant woman as his wife

 Think how people would assume what he had done  Think how his reputation might suffer  Think about the stigma that might follow this couple all their days  For the child has been conceived of the Holy Spirit  The angel reveals God’s hand in this pregnancy  God has directly intervened in the history of humanity  He has performed a subtle but powerful miracle that will change all of history  She will bear a Son  Mary will bear not just “a son”  She is about to bear “the Son”  The one generations have been looking for  You will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins  This child will grow to be the long-awaited Messiah  Now all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet  Behold, the Virgin will be with child, and shall bear a Son, they shall call His name Immanuel, which means God with us  :14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.  This was unexpected even to the wisest of men, but Matthew shows us what no one but the Lord knew He was going to do  But the Lord was working it all according to His plan  Joseph awoke from his dream and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him  He took Mary to be his wife  He risked public shame and ridicule  People would surely talk/gossip about this scandal  But he kept her a virgin until after the birth of the baby  He gave up his personal rights and prerogatives to honor the Lord  He was Mary’s husband, but the Lord’s plans were more important than his own desires and urges  He named the boy Jesus  He was obedient to the Lord’s command all the way to his son’s name  Jesus = Joshua = Salvation of Jehovah  Jesus came to save us from the consequences of our sins and reconcile us to God

 Therefore: God continues to bring about His plans and purposes in redeeming a people to Himself  Garrison Keillor and Tim Keller on Christmas  The American storyteller Garrison Keillor recently claimed that you don't have to believe in Jesus to have a great Christmas. Keillor said,  Although you may decide that instead of Christmas carols you are going to hold hands and breathe in unison, Christmas will still live deep in the cockles of your heart—or actually in your neo-cortex, stored as zillions of neuron impulses … It's [your brain] that sends tears to your eyes when you smell the saffron cookies that your grandma used to make or you sing Silent Night. So Christmas is: number one lights, number two food, number three song, number four being with people you like. You need no more.  Tim Keller comments on Keillor's quote:  Keillor is saying that it doesn't matter whether you believe in God or not. You can still hold hands, you can still breathe in unison. All the good feelings of Christmas are just a reaction in our brain. But here's why that doesn't work. I know enough about Garrison Keillor to know that he is very upset with cruelty

and prejudice. But if it's really true that there is no God, if there is no supernatural or miracles, and if everything is a function of natural causes—if that is all true, then it is also true that love, and joy, and even cruelty and prejudice are just all chemical reactions stored in our brain. Keillor is against cruelty and prejudice, but if it's true that everything is just chemistry, then how in the world can you say there's a moral difference between love and cruelty, between kissing someone or killing someone? They're both nothing but neuro-chemical responses. So if there is no God, and if Christmas is all about lights, songs, and being with nice people and your neo-cortex going crazy about it, then I don't see how Keillor can stand up and say that there is something wrong with cruelty and prejudice. He can't do it. Without the theology behind Christmas, you lose the core meaning of Christmas. – Adapted from Tim Keller, "God with Us: Conversations with Tim Keller about Christmas"

 How Do You Measure the Seriousness of Sin? How do we measure the size of a fire? By the number of firefighters and fire engines sent to fight against it. How do we measure the seriousness of a medical condition? By the amount of risk the doctors take in prescribing dangerous antibiotics or surgical procedures. How do we measure the gravity of sin and the incomparable vastness of God's love for us? By looking at the magnitude of what God has done for us in Jesus, the Son of God who became like a common criminal for our sake and in our place. Adapted from Fleming Rutledge, The Undoing of Death: Sermons for Holy Week and Easter (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), pp. 118-19;

 Philip Yancey on How Christmas Day Felt to God How did Christmas day feel to God? Imagine for a moment becoming a baby again: giving up language and muscle coordination, and the ability to eat solid food and control your bladder. God as a fetus! Or imagine yourself becoming a sea slug—that analogy is probably closer. On that day in , the Maker of All That Is took form as a helpless, dependant newborn. Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew (Zondervan, 2002), p. 106

 Baby Jesus Shows Up As "White Elephant" Gift One year we hosted the annual church staff Christmas luncheon at our home. We exchanged "white elephant" gifts, laughing until something stopped all of our fun. The tenth or so person to pick a gift lifted from a gift bag a little baby Jesus in a . My wife, Anne, was stunned when she saw it. It looked just like the central figure in the that was on our living room table. She left the room to check our nativity set, and sure enough, the baby Jesus figurine was missing. Somehow it had fallen off the table and into the gift bag on top of the tissue paper in which the real gift was wrapped. We all had a good laugh and returned Jesus to the nativity scene. The more I thought about it, though, this little incident was quite telling. So often Jesus is swept off center stage in all of our Christmas festivities, relegated to a kind of "white elephant" status. How sad, when he is so central! Dr. John A. Huffman, Jr., in the sermon Basking in God's "Good News" Glory (preached on 12-21-08 at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Newport Beach, California)