Fourth Sunday of Advent - Year A

Welcome Statement

Good Morning Church, today is an exciting time, it is getting close to Christmas, that time when God incarnates into our life. We celebrate on the 4th week, the candle representing Love. There is an immense importance that this is the candle we see lit right before the Christ Candle, the candle representing Christ entering our lives and fulfilling the promise. Today, we reflect and prepare our hearts on what Gods love means. Why Love is what embodies the Deepest aspects of our heart and faith. Love, is what made creation, we read how integral love is throughout the scriptures, without it, creation, everything we love and hold dear, would not be able to retain shape or connection, its what binds the very fabric of this universe together, as chaotic as it can feel sometimes.

John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

1 John 4:8–10 – “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.”

We read about how God with us, Immanueal is a prophecy early on in the book of Isaiah. In Chapter 7, Isaiah is addressing Ahaz directly. King Ahaz has given up on his faith, and has relied on human strength, and human weapons to try to protect what he sees as his Kingdom, not God’s kingdom. He gets Judah locked into foreign alliances with pagan nations, which seems reasonable and pragmatic, but these nations influence Judah’s behavior. Judah is fearing its future. the Judeans believe that they will not live, and Ahaz has given up trust in god, for worldly power. This does not bode well for the entirety of Israel as a fragmented nation of both the north and southern kingdoms at this time.

Old Testament Reading - Isaiah 7:10-16

Isaiah 7:10–16 NRSV

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Faith over Fear

King Ahaz, at the time of his reign, inherited a pretty bad political situation. Assyria was on the warpath conquering every nation in its wake, The northern our southern kingdoms at this point were established and not at peace, and Aram (ie. Syria), had made an alliance with Israel. Ahvaz aligned himself more closely with Assyria, and refused to join the fight with Assyria, so Aram and Northern Israel was going to invade Israel and install a different king.

Even though some of the situation was not his fault, his alignment with paganism to try to protect the nation, rather than trust in God’s covenantal promises, is what later brings his downfall and contributes to the exile to Babylon.

We are called ourselves, to not trust in nations, worldly powers, any principalities, but rely solely on Christ, and this is why we can sometimes see our own aspects in our lives similar to

God is Weary?

Recall in the OT that God is slow to anger:

Exodus 34:6 “The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”

God has at this point given a ton of

What does this prophecy really mean?

The Old Testament is full of dual meaning prophecies

God is still with Judah, all of Israel in fact, and this sign will prove it

New Testament Reading - Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18–25 NRSV

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do 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 as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Immense Faith, Rather than Fear

Old Testament prophecy often has dual meaning, immediate, and far off. Christ continues this same thing, We realize a lot of prophecies weren’t really fulfilled until Christ tied the knot

Joseph could have ran away but instead held onto God’s promises of faithfulness for him and Mary. The same faith that carried Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Worldly Sight versus Heavenly Sight

Joseph’s fears of what would be perceived regarding the heavenly covenant

Immense Love through Parallels

Jesus was not born at a high point in Israel’s story. Israel was split up, both the northern and southern kingdoms had fallen from Assyria and Babylon respectively and now everything is under the control of Rome. Israel at this point is fractured into 4 ways, Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and Idumea. All culturally and religiously Jewish, but all seen as separate, some seeing themselves as true, others finding themselves on the fringe. YHWH is recognized by them all, but due to their own human sin, they could not see each other as brothers and sisters anymore. Sin is literally brokenness, and Christ was about to inherit and bear all of it, by being a part of the lineage of David, a line of both good and bad kings, and even the Good kings have their own problems that stained their image (Saul and David both had issues for example).

Closing Statement

The incarnation is not just about the beginning of a plan to save humanity, it is the physical manifestation, in body, from dust to body, to show God’s love incarnate, his love becomes a walking individual, that is capable of his own thought, yet somehow at the same time of one mind as God. This savior shows ultimate sacrifice, through death, sacrifice, weeping, and care for others. He bears not just the sins of the 4 corners of Israel, but of the entire world.

As we prepare our hearts for Christ’s birth, let the Holy Spirit enter our hearts, and give our hearts new life, new birth, into the close of this year.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, We thank you for the birth of your son, that even though we were broken, impure, disparate from each other, you still brought us all back together through your love. You Have justified us and redeemed us through your son. Give us new hearts this new year, reveal to us what you desire from us, let us be your bearers of Good News, as we walk along side you this Christmas

Amen.

Doxology / Benediction / Closing

This is the Good News, God came down, even with the foreknowledge of every suffering that may occur, and was born in the lowest depths of society and humanity.

May you Have a Blessed Sunday, and rest of your Week! Amen!