Hope and the Scandal of YOUR _______
Scandalous Hope • Sermon • Submitted
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· 14 viewsWe love a good scandal in the news or on Netflix, but what if YOU are part of the scandal? What if YOU come from a family filled with scandal and drama? What if YOUR life and past has been filled with hard things? What if YOUR identity seems like a scandal? Is it possible for hope? Matthew 1:1-17 seems like a boring genealogy, but it is filled with scandal yet hope in Jesus, the one uniquely qualified to be our Savior, Lord, and hope this Christmas.
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Transcript
Give thanks to those who decorated (please stand)
Special thanks to Mike Wilson on staff who coordinates this, and Lana Sprunger who is the genius behind the decorations and came even several days this week, fluffing, adding...
the building is truly transformed
If you are online, welcome, too, and you will have to imagine them I guess.
Please stand. We are starting a new Christmas series. I want to read Matthew 1:1-17. I want to invite Gabe Bailey up as well who will help us with this passage.
1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
Don’t you feel inspired?
and to help us instill this passage—there is a song written by Andrew Peterson—that Gabe Bailey is going to sing. You are welcome to sing along.
Matthew is not the book of Revelation. We are 3 weeks from Christmas Day, and I want to take us these next few Sundays through the first couple chapters of Matthew in a series we are calling “Scandalous Hope.”
Say that with me.
Those 2 words may not seem like they go together.
The word scandal means this:
“it is an action or an event that causes a public feeling of shock and strong moral disapproval.”
(repeat)
so something happened; you didn’t expect it to happened, often in the public spotlight.
one of the most famous scandals occurred...
back in the early 1970’s in American Politics.
5 men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, DC.’s Watergate complex on June 17, 1972.
the trail eventually led to Republican President Richard Nixon—despite his attempts to cover up his administrations’ attempt to cover up the break-ins—he was ultimately incriminated by tape recordings that he had made of Oval office conversations.
and a couple of years later—August 9, 1974, facing likely impeachment, President Nixon became the first and only President to resign from office.
In this SCANDAL—69 people were indicted and 48 people many of his administration were convicted.
What would cause President Nixon to authorize a team of men to break in to a Democratic office? Maybe they were just cleaning, right?
and since that time—we add the suffix— “gate” to scandals.
Think of one of the New England Patriots and one of their playoff wins--famously called “Deflate-gate...” because Tom Brady allegedly ordered the deflation of footballs used in their victory over our Indianapolis Colts during the 2014 AFC Championship Game on January 18, 2015. the idea is that if the footballs are underinflated—it gives the quarterback an added advantage to grip the ball—making it easier to grip, throw, and catch.
scandal—outrage…shock…over something morally egregious.
WE love a good scandal. we do—whether on the news or in Netflix.
even in a small town...
we love IT OUT THERE...
the problem is when the scandal becomes personal and affects us IN HERE.
PERSONALLY. scandals happen all the time in our lives at some level—in our families, in our family history, in our personal lives, in our pasts, the choices we make and fail to make. and people react…people gossip, rumors spread. SCANDAL. IT MAY NOT MAKE NATIONAL NEWS OUT THERE—BUT IT MAKES NATIONAL NEWS IN HERE. AND IT’S PAINFUL.
and this affects us—deeply to our core if it involves us. guilt…embarassment....deep shame…maybe deep defense—we got to fight back....cover it up…OR JUST “I’m done...” “There’s no way I can recover from this—especially socially, mentally, emotionally, let alone spiritually alone.”
some of you feel that way or know someone who does.
but here in Matthew 1:1-17 what seems like an innocent list is filled with SCANDAL.
did you catch all the scandal?
Maybe not...
let me show you.
There are 4 Gospels in the NT—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All accounts of Jesus’ life.
Matthew’s Gospel has been noted as the Gospel to the Jews—showing how Jesus is the truly uniquely qualified Messiah. He is the one PROPHESIED by the Jew’s OT to come, in the line of Abraham and David, and be our king, and set his people free. The Kingdom of God is here!
but this genealogy that ends in Jesus is filled with scandal…
and yet hope...
let me take you on a walk through Genealogy - Gate here for Jesus.
b/c back then a genealogy was a little bit like your resume—your credentials. when you and I make a resume—we include certain things—work history, accomplishments, we may leave out some failures, embarrassments—all trying to put our best foot forward to be hired. and employers try to find that...
your genealogy and our family, your clan, your connections, your bloodlines—was EVERYTHING! you wanted to impress others with your genealogy.
If you look at this genealogy, we see a lot of expected names in Jesus’ Jewish background—famous names like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—king David—more on those guys in a bit.
But we also see a lot of names that are UNEXPECTED!
several women are mentioned in this genealogy which is UNUSUAL for that time because was a patriarchal society, meaning men had more authority and power than women. one scholar calls them “gender outsiders” back then. (Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas)
so verse 3 — Tamar is mentioned
vs. 5 - Rahab, Ruth
vs. 6—Uriah’s Wife aka Bathsheba,
vs. 16 - Mary, the mother of Jesus
5 women! and yet they are there...
not only are they gender outsiders, one scholar calls them “racial or ethnic outsiders”.
Tamar was a Caananite - not an Israelite
because Rahab was a Caananite — not an Israelite
Ruth was a Moabite
they belonged to the other “ites.” these nations were outsiders, foreigners, in many ways considered unclean to the average Jew reading the book of Matthew. yet they are part of Jesus’ genealogy...
furthermore, each woman mentioned, reminds us of a particular story that most of us would want to cover up—that would be “SCANDALOUS.”
for instance, verse 3--
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram,
we know Judah is important--- back in Genesis 49:10
10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his.
the Messiah was to come from Judah.
but do you know what Judah did…we read in Genesis 38, that Judah was away on a business trip. on the way, he sought a prostitute to sleep with. Unbeknownst to Judah, his daughter-in-law Tamar, disguised herself as one so she could sleep with her father-in-law and get pregnant. This happened in Genesis 38, and she had twin boys b/c of this—Perez and Zerah.
and you may say that’s crazy—that’s a scandal! what caused all this! We learn back in Genesis 38—that Tamar’s husband, Judah’s son was wicked—the Lord put him to death. they didn’t have children. back then, it was required for the brother to then sleep with the widow to have at least a child—to carry on the family name. family was everything. having kids was everything for survival and economic benefit. and Judah had promised that one day he would give one of his sons to her to provide for her—but he never did. so she in desperation disguised herself to sleep with her father in law who seeking out a prostitute…to carry on the family name. SCANDAL.
amidst that scandal in Jesus’ family line---Jesus came.
remember Rahab—verse 5—she was a prostitute in the Canaanite nation. not the kind of person you would expect to be mentioned in Jesus’ family line—but she was, and she actually serves an incredible moral example in the book of Joshua, helping God’s people, confessing that God is the true God! Is it possible that a prostitute from another nation could be a part of Jesus’ family tree? SCANDAL.
as you keep looking at the family line—it’s not just the women that remind us of these scandals—the men, they are far more to blame.
Think of Abraham - vs. 2. God called him way back in Genesis 12 to leave his country and people and go to the land God would show him—and He did. and God made a big promise that He would bless him and his descendants would be like the stars in the sky, and He is known as the man of faith.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
we know in the NT that Jesus is the one who fulfills that—that Jesus the ultimate offspring of Abraham—is the one through whom all nations can be blessed by faith.
BUT
if you read Genesis chapters 12 - 22—it TAKES Abraham decades to become the man of faith (twisty ride)
A couple of times, he told foreign kings that his wife Sarah is not his wife, but his sister so that the kings could sleep with her if they wanted to (it didn’t happen—God protected them). Abraham slept with Ishmael his servant, common back then to get an heir b/c his wife couldn’t get pregnant.
Think of Jacob - vs. 2—was a twin to Esau, and he is depicted in Genesis as a trickster, a shady character, filled with lies and deceit. he steals Esau’s blessing…with his mom’s help. talk about a dysfunctional family to the core.
Abraham—Isaac—Jacob—Judah—not to mention Judah’s brothers—who sold Joseph into slavery—b/c they were jealous of him and his relationship with their father, and lied to their father that he was dead. Genesis is one big soap opera filled scandal—and yet these are the fathers of our faith...
King David....
vs. 1— mentions that Jesus is the Son of David...
it was prophesied that the Messiah, the Savior, the one who would come and save his people—would be a descendant of David, the most famous king in Israel’s history
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
but look at Matthew 1:6--
vs. 6
6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
why not just give the name Bathsheba—why is Uriah’s wife mentioned.
we know in the OT—that Uriah was actually one of the Mighty Men who protected David—when he was running for his life—Uriah would have been one of those men. they risked everything for David.
yet years later—when David was king—he saw Bathsheba, and he wanted her, and took her, and slept with her. then he arranged to have Uriah killed and lied about it in order to marry Bathsheba. and one of their children became King Solomon—from whom Jesus descended.
Do you know why Matthew leaves off the name “Bathsheba”? It is not a slight of Bathsheba—it is a slam of David. It was out of that dysfunctional family, and out of that deeply flawed man, that the Messiah came. (Keller, Timothy. Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ (p. 31).)
as we look at this genealogy overall...
there are 3 sets here of 14—the first set in vs. 1-6 is mainly the forefathers of the OT—we don’t everything about them.
the 2nd set in verses 6-11 is all about the kings of Israel and Judah—we read about in 1st and 2nd kings.
and then in verses 11-12 as we get to the 3rd set…it mentions an entire people group
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
12 After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
it mention the exile—God’s people in the OT—the Israelites—God saved them so many times. provided. delivered. and yet he warned that if they turned their backs on him and worshipped other gods, the day would come when other nations would invade, take over, and take them into slavery and exile—and that’s what happened. talk about another NATIONAL scandal.
why is this all mentioned?
One writer says it like this: Here, then, you have moral outsiders—adulterers, adulteresses, incestuous relationships, prostitutes. Indeed, we are reminded that even the prominent male ancestors—Judah and David—were moral failures. You also have cultural outsiders, racial outsiders, and gender outsiders. The Law of Moses excluded these people from the presence of God, and yet they are all publicly acknowledged as the ancestors of Jesus.
(Keller, Timothy. Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ (pp. 31-32). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.)
this is finally getting into my application—and outline. it’s all application.
we can have hope amidst scandal.
I called this sermon:
“Hope and the Scandal of YOUR _____”
PAST (the scandal of your past…)
this genealogy reminds us that no matter if you are “respectable” in society, or your past is one scandal after another—all can be a part of the family of God. all can be a part of Jesus’ family. “It doesn’t matter your resume, what you have done, whom you have slept with or killed…if you repent, that is turn from your sin and selfishness, cry out to Jesus, believe He is the uniquely qualified Messiah…his grace can cover your sin and unite you to Him.”
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
it doesn’t matter what you have done or failed to do. who you descended from or failed to. you can…he can overcome your scandal and shame—your guilt is wiped clean; your shame; your scandal. all because Jesus paid it all on the cross.
even those of you who think you have it all together—this genealogy reminds us—WE DON’T. EVEN Abraham and King David, the 2 most important men on this list—are only in God’s family by pure grace, not works.
even the “best” human being, needs the grace of Jesus, and even the worst can receive it by humbling ourselves, confessing our sin to God and believing in Him.
God’s grace gives us hope to overcome the scandal of our past
the 2nd application point...
FAMILY (Hope and the scandal of YOUR)
“Hope and the Scandal of YOUR _________”
one of the big issues this genealogy brings up is the reality of family.
family life is COMPLICATED with a capital C
even the best families here—have drama. maybe you have that weird uncle or cousin who always makes things awkward. holiday gatherings remind you of that.
maybe your family pretends that they have everything together; we got to “keep up appearances.” but you know that’s not reality...
maybe there is tons of dysfunction—generational dysfunction—like we see here by the way...
maybe you are just ashamed of your family
maybe you are the one that caused harm to your family
this genealogy reminds us that there is hope amidst whatever family drama or scandal is going on—because Jesus descended from that. Yes he is fully God, but he also has human ancestry. the very people he descended from—He came to save.
and though he saves us as individual sinners—he came to save and make A PEOPLE. A COMMUNITY. A FAMILY—BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN JESUS.
not I am saying that Jesus will give your family magically peace on earth right away—but this genealogy reminds us that there is incredible grace for sinners like us, incredible grace for your family, incredible grace if you have done something to make your family ashamed. incredible grace to apologize and make things right.
that he can work through your past, individually, and family wise—community wise. God came to make a family...
and even if your physical family never becomes the family you desire—in Christ—you get a new family—brothers and sisters in Christ—the church, the people of God. in this family, God redefines what’s important—it’s not achievement, race, money—Jesus turns those upside down—it’s grace, love ,mercy, and truth, we are united by Jesus.
God’s grace can give hope to our family.
Identity (Hope and the Scandal of YOUR Identity)
I mentioned that this genealogy established Jesus’ resume. He is uniquely qualified—He is the offspring of Abraham that God would bless the world through
He is the son of David—promised to come and rule and reign forever. He is uniquely qualified.
all of us here have tremendous search for an identity in life. our culture is hungry and preaching to you—to have an identity. it’s endless. a sense of self (who we are) and significance).
and all of us build it on things like jobs, success, education, family life, money.
failures can sometimes identify us. mistakes, scandal.
the beauty of this list reminds us that Jesus comes and we are not defined by anything the world wants us to be defined by.
we are not defined by successes (they don’t last) or failures and shame.
you see Jesus lived the life you and failed to live before God.
and he came on a mission to die on the cross in our place for sinners like us...
so that when you and I believe in Him—our resume is put on Jesus, and his beautiful, sinless, perfect resume is now ours. it’s all by grace. it’s by faith we receive it.
we get a new identity—it’s like we are BORN AGAIN Jesus says. we are new creations in Christ. and in Jesus we are being built into what He wants us to be.
do you have that hope?
i want to invite the worship team forward--
look at Matthew 1:17
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
42 generations mentioned
there are 6 “sevens” 6 x 7 is 42.
the # 7 is mentioned a lot in Scripture (like the book of Revelation)—it’s number of completion, perfect, rest--
Jesus here—He is the 7th seven.
What do I mean?
In the first book of the Bible, we see a God who made all things by speaking in 6 days—and on the 7th day—he what—He rested. (not that He needed it)
and then in the OT law of Moses in Leviticus—we learn that every 7 years, the farmer was to let the land lie—not farm it—let it rest. giving it a chance to rest and replenish.
in Lev. 25—that every 7th seven—so every 49th year—to the 50th year—was to be a jubilee.
in that year all slaves were freed.
debts cancelled.
the land and the people were to have a year of rest.
one scholar says “this was a foretaste of the final rest that all will have when God renews the earth.”
well Matthew is telling us here that Jesus—he is the only one that we will find rest in.
He accomplished your salvation.
He gives you hope amidst scandal from your past, your family, a new identity. in Jesus, you don’t have to earn your salvation or prove anything. He did by grace.
we learn hear that God is in control of history—even if it moves slow. we don’t have to take the handles of our lives and try to control everything—we can literally rest in God daily, and for eternity. let’s pray.