Sermon Video: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:6b

What's in a name?  The Messiah promised by the prophet Isaiah is given many names in Scripture: Jesus, Emmanuel, Son of Man, Son of God, Lamb of God, and Man of Sorrows (among others).  Here in Isaiah 9:6b, the prophet adds four titles given to the one who will bring God's salvation to earth: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Each of these in turn further explains who the Messiah will be and what he will accomplish.

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Sermon Video: The Government on His Shoulders - Isaiah 9:6a

Why did take the extraordinary step of the incarnation?  Why come himself to earth, taking on human likeness, why not just continue using intermediaries like the prophets and priests of old?

In this crucial passage about the promised Messiah, the prophet Isaiah lays forth who the child that he called Emmanuel ("God with us") back in chapter 7 is going to be and what he will accomplish.  Jesus, who 8 centuries after Isaiah fulfilled his promise, would be no ordinary man, but the very Son of God, God in the flesh, here on earth to save humanity from itself.  Why?  Because humanity was hopeless, even with the assistance of God's Law and those called by God to assist his people, to save itself.  Humanity couldn't even govern itself, let alone save itself.  Outside help was needed, mankind needed a Messiah.

The reason why is simple: The sinful nature of humanity prevented any form of reform or revival in the face of how deep-seated our rebellion against God was in human nature.  A rebirth was needed, and for that the penalty for sin of death would need to be paid for.

In addition to solving the problem of sin (no small task!), the Messiah would also one day take upon his shoulders the government of the world.  Every human leader who ever has been, male or female, and who ever will be, is inherently flawed.  All are either sinners in need of God's grace, or sinners saved by God's grace, all are sinners.  Every human leader, no matter what form of government, will be prone to the temptations of sin, will fail at some point, for none can compare to the perfect Messiah.

As Christians, we long for a leader unlike any other, we long for a government unlike any other.  Our kingdom is not of this world, for we await the return of the Messiah, for when he returns to reign there will truly be a government of justice and peace.

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Sermon Video: A baby whose origins are from of old - Micah 5:2

The prophet Micah predicted that the future king in the line of David would be "from of old"; yet how could this be?  How could a future king be from the past?  The mystery of this prophecy was solved at Bethlehem when Jesus Christ, the God-Man, became flesh and he who had created the world entered into time.

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Sermon Video: "Who do you say I am?" - Luke 9:18-22

The most important and contentious question faced by the Early Church was this: “Who is Jesus?”  There were those who questioned the humanity of Jesus, primarily those from a Gnostic viewpoint, and there were those who doubted the full divinity of Jesus, led by Arius.  At the Council of Nicea in AD 325, these issue were brought to the forefront by the Emperor Constantine who had no tolerance for division within the Church.  The resulting creed solidified the Orthodox position on the person of Jesus, and even though it didn’t eliminate for good those who would occasional challenge the Church’s teachings on the full humanity and full divinity of Jesus, it did set the boundary as to what those teaching would be.

            This same question about who Jesus really is was actually asked, by Jesus, of his disciples.  The disciples had a much closer and prolonged experience with Jesus than the crowds, and thus were able to see beyond the possibility that Jesus might be John the Baptist defying death, or Elijah back to fulfill Malachi’s prophecy, to the truth behind all of the miracles.  Peter spoke up for the disciples to declare of Jesus, “the Christ of God”.  This declaration by Peter reflects the belief by the disciples that Jesus had been chosen by God to fulfill the long-awaited role of Messiah.  “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of “Anointed One”, a term that in Israelite history could refer to both the kings who were anointed by before assuming the throne, and the priests who were anointed before they began to serve in the temple.  Jesus, as the Messiah, would go on to fulfill both leadership roles, as the priest-king, descended of David with the right to sight upon the throne, but also performing the priestly duty of offering a sacrifice on the behalf of the people.

            Rather than basking in the glow of their acknowledgment, Jesus immediately informs his disciples that his role as Messiah will be far different than anyone anticipates.  Instead of glory and victory on the battlefield, the Son of Man “must suffer many things”, be betrayed by his own people, and killed.  This shocking revelation must have made the disciples stagger, how could God’s Messiah suffer like the prophets of old, how could his own people possibly reject him, and how could he fail to overcome their attempt to kill him?  Before they can even process this wholly unexpected prediction, Jesus finishes it off with the finale to his mission, “and on the third day be raised to life.” 

            Was Peter right to declare that Jesus was the Messiah?  Absolutely, but he had no idea what God’s Messiah was really here to do.  The incarnation of Jesus, God made flesh, has far loftier goals than mere political solutions, far more lasting than simply being a good role model.  The Christ will change everything between God and mankind, not through his miraculous power, but through his willingness to accept an unjust death.  Who is Jesus?  He is the Christ, the Son of Man and the Son of God, sent to live, die, and be raised to life to save us from our sins.

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Sermon Video: The Messiah and the Magi - Matthew 2:1-12

The humble birth of the Messiah that we celebrate each year from the account of the Gospel of Luke is given an exclamation point by Matthew's focus on the story of the unexpected visitors that came to see the Christ child some time later.  That the Roman puppet-king Herod features prominently in this story is no fluke because his power hungry kingship is in stark contrast with the type of king that God's Messiah will be.  The gifts of the Magi serve as a reminder that Jesus was indeed worthy of the gifts of a king even while he himself has come into the world to be a gift for all mankind.  The story of the Magi ends on a tragic note, with Herod's bloodthirsty vengeance upon the innocents of Bethlehem while Jesus flees to Egypt in the arms of Mary and Joseph.  How does such a gruesome story fit in with the celebration of Christmas?  Can a tale of the evil of the heart of man fit with the story of the newborn Messiah?  It actually fits perfectly as it reminds of of the reason why Jesus had to take the extraordinary step of becoming a man in the first place.  The reason why we can still celebrate Christmas, even in a world mired in hatred and sin, is that the birth of the child of promise was just the beginning of God's ultimate plan of salvation for humanity, a plan that ended in ultimate and final victory on Easter morning.  So as we celebrate Christmas, we too can bring our gifts and bow before the Christ child.

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Sermon Video: Immanuel, "God with us" - Matthew 1:22-25

"God is with us", what does this mean?  When Isaiah declared that the virgin's child would be named Immanuel, it seemed most likely that God would be with his people in Spirit.  After all, God had gone to great lengths to convince his Covenant people that he was the only true God, that they need seek no other.  God could be "with" his people wherever they were.  And yet, more was needed, the Covenant people were unable to lift themselves up to the lofty standard of the Law of Moses, they needed help.  As Matthew recounts the story of Jesus, the term Immanuel takes on a whole new meaning.  Because Mary's conception was an act of the Holy Spirit, God himself would be entering into his creation in new way unlike anything that had happened before.  The God of the universe, not bound by time or space, would take upon himself human flesh and live as we do, bound by the laws that he himself had helped his father craft.  Immanuel would go from being a symbol of God's relationship with his people to being a literal truth; God would indeed be "with us" when the Christ was born.
How would this advent of Creator into his creation change our world?  One thing became crystal clear, if God is willing to condescend so much to save us, his love for us cannot be doubted.  Likewise, if God found it necessary to go to such an end to save humanity, our hope of ever fixing ourselves must have been false all along.  God came down to earth at Bethlehem because there was no other way, Immanuel was our only hope.
After his dream ends, Joseph proceeds to obey the word of God by bringing Mary home as his wife.  The Son of God will now have an adoptive father to raise him on behalf of his heavenly Father. 

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Sermon Video: The Genealogy of Jesus, Part 2 - Matthew 1:6-17

In this 2nd message on Matthew's genealogy of Jesus, there are two more women, an obvious reference to sexual scandal, and the destruction of the kingdom of Judah.  The list begins with "King David", the only person on the list given the title of king, even though the rest of his descendants until the exile were kings.  David received powerful promises from God that his descendant would one day sit upon a throne that would last forever.  Immediately following this triumphant mention of David as King comes the lowest point in the entire genealogy: the adultery and murder associated with "Uriah's wife".  Matthew didn't have to mention Solomon's mother at all, but when he did he called her "Uriah's wife" instead of Bathsheba.  This usage only shines the spotlight even more upon the deadly road of sin that David walked down from his lust to have Bathsheba, to his adultery with her, to his attempted cover-up, and eventually to his willingness to conspire to kill one of his most loyal and faithful soldiers, Uriah.
The rest of the kings in the list until the exile are a mixture of the good and the bad.  Some followed after God, others led the people astray toward wickedness and idolatry.  Overall, the trend of decline continued for the kingdom as God's people drifted further and further away from their Covenant promises.  Just before the exile in the list is the name Josiah.  Josiah became king of Judah at eight years of age when his father was assassinated; both is father and his grand-father were exceedingly wicked, what hope is there that this boy-king could save a nation headed for destruction?  Josiah's efforts at restoration had no chance of success until his high priest found a copy of the Law.  The actual words of Moses, the Covenant between God and the people of Israel had been lost!  Despite Josiah's efforts, the wrath of God at the broken promises of his people could not be assuaged.
The throne of David came to an end in 586 BC with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.  All of the names from the exile until Joseph are unknown to history, but we do know that David's throne is vacant, no fulfillment of God's promise seems possible.  And then, at the end of the list, we have something odd.  Matthew calls Joseph the "husband" of Mary instead of the father of Jesus as he had every other name in the list.  He also tells us that it is Mary "of whom" Jesus is born (the Greek makes it clear, the pronoun is singular and feminine and cannot apply to Joseph or to both Joseph and Mary).
It is at this point, with this list of ancestors, some great and some exceedingly wicked, with gentile blood in his veins (especially through the women Matthew highlighted), that Jesus is born of Mary.  Josiah was unable to save his people from their sins as he sat on the throne of David, how can a child born in far humbler circumstances hope to do better, he will have to be no ordinary child, he will have to be the Christ.

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Sermon Video, The Genealogy of Jesus Part1 - Matthew 1:1-5

I know what you're thinking, there can't be anything worth learning about a list of names.  The Genealogy of Jesus is just a list of names isn't it?  For Matthew, the inclusion of a genealogy at the start of his biography isn't unusual for the world he lived in, but a simple list of names this isn't.  Matthew tells a story through his list of names by including five women in the list.  It was unusual in such list to include any mothers, let alone five, but what strikes us as we look at the list is which mothers Matthew chose to highlight.  It wasn't the most respectable of the ancestors of the Messiah, but rather a trio (in the first half of this 2 part message) of women with foreign roots, two of whom had a checkered past.
The first woman listed in Matthew's account is Tamar.  Tamar isn't very familiar to us because her story is left out of every Sunday School material packet on Genesis.  Tamar was married to a dishonorable man, taken advantage of sexually by a greedy brother-in-law, and backed into a corner where she resorted to prostitution at the hands of a lustful father-in-law.  The twins boys who resulted from this union were included in the line of David, and hence the Messiah, rather than any of the other sons of Judah.
The second woman in the list is the prostitute and Canaanite, Rahab.  Now, Rahab is included in our telling of the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho, although her profession prior to the arrival of the spies is often left out.  How did this woman, renowned for her faith in a God she didn't know about (see Hebrews chapter 11) end up marrying into the line of Judah after the Israelites entered into the Promised Land?
The last woman in the list is actually one that we have no problems with but that would have been considered suspect in her day because of being a Moabite.  Ruth is remembered for her loyalty and faith, and for finding a good and faithful man in Boaz, but she would have been an unlikely grandmother for Israel's greatest king had not God provided for her in response to her faith.
In the end, Matthew didn't have to include any of these women, but he chose to, that means something.  Is he trying to tell us that the Messiah came from an imperfect line as we all did, but was perfect himself?  Is he trying to tell us to judge these women with fresh eyes and see their true value by including these three in particular?  Regardless of what conclusion we come to about Matthew purpose, it seems clear that this isn't just a list of names.

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Sermon Video: Simeon and Anna, Luke 2:21-38

As Mary and Joseph travel to Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements of the Law, (a redemption of the firstborn of silver and a sacrifice of purification for Mary) as well as the circumcision and naming of Jesus, they are confronted in the Temple by two righteous followers of God.  Simeon and Anna have both spent their lives in anticipation of God's redemption of his people Israel, and on this day are both rewarded for their fidelity with the opportunity to see the Messiah for themselves.  Simeon predicts the mission of Jesus to the Gentiles and warns Mary that he will face opposition stiff enough to "pierce your own soul".  With the exception of the visit to the Temple twelve years later, this is the last we see of Jesus until he begins his public ministry. 

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Sermon Video: The Angels and the Shepherds, Luke 2:8-20

With the culmination of God's divine plan taking place in Bethlehem, all that remains is to announce the arrival of the Messiah to the world.  For God, contrary to our own instincts, the beginning of his Son's ministry on earth will be announced to lowly shepherds out in the fields.  The "good news of great joy" that a "savior" has been born who is both "Christ" and "Lord" begins as only the mission of a suffering servant could; with humility.  As the shepherds visit in awe, Mary ponders the implications of all she has seen, who will this child be?

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Sermon Video: "no prophet is honored in his hometown" - Luke 4:22-30

As Jesus begins his public ministry he proclaims his calling in his hometown by reading a passage from Isaiah concerning the Messiah.  Those who knew him best were perplexed because his wisdom was obvious, but they were unwilling to accept such a claim by "Joseph's son".  The double mistake of being judgmental and unwilling to recognize error leads Jesus to tell the fellow Israelites of his hometown that God is willing to go to the Gentiles if his people reject their chance.  Rather than respond with repentance, the people attempt to kill Jesus, but he simply walks through the crowd and goes on his way.

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Sermon Video: The Shepherds' Tale - Luke 2:8-20

Why were lowly shepherds chosen by God to be the first to hear the message of the newborn Messiah?  Imagine their amazement when not only one, but a whole choir of angels sang in praise of Christ's arrival in the flesh.  That God chose to speak to shepherds should come as no surprise, he has a long history of working with those that society has forgotten and using our weakness as his strength.  How did the shepherds prove that God made the right choice?  They went quickly to see the Christ-child, and just as quickly went out and told others of the wonderful things which God had done.

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Sermon Video "O Come, O Come Immanuel!" - Isaiah 7:14, 9:2,6-8

How long would you wait for something you wanted? The prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel, God's covenant people, that the promises to Abraham and David will be fulfilled. Little did they know that they would have to wait 700 years for the virgin Isaiah spoke of, Mary, to hear from the angel announcing the coming of the Messiah. In addition, Isaiah tells us that the one to come will be a light in our darkness, will institute a government of justice and righteousness, will establish the throne of David, and will save all of us from our sins.


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Sermon Video: "I am the resurrection" The Raising of Lazarus Part 2 - John 11:17-27

In the second part of the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus speaks with Lazarus' sister Martha whose continued faith in him defies the disappointment that she must have been feeling.  Jesus tells her that her brother will rise again because, "I am the resurrection and the life".  Jesus' bold claim to being the power over life after death is a fundamental belief of all Christians.

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Sermon Video: "Jesus had to rise from the dead" - John 20:9

The account of Resurrection Sunday in the Gospel of John contains a note from the author that Peter and John didn't understand that "Jesus had to rise from the dead".  Not simply that he did rise from the dead, but that it was predicted, necessary, and inevitable.  As the Messiah, the Lamb of God, and the sinless Son of God, the grave had no hold upon Jesus.  He had to rise from the dead.

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Sermon Video Part 2