Advent 2: Who is Jesus ... The Son of Abraham

WHO IS JESUS? AN ADVENT/CHRISTMAS SERMON SERIES ON

ADVENT 1: JESUS IS THE SON OF DAVID (, , )

ADVENT 2: JESUS IS THE SON OF ABRAHAM ()

ADVENT 3: JESUS IS THE SON OF SOLOMON ()

ADVENT 4: JESUS IS THE SON OF MARY ()

CHRISTMAS: JESUS IS THE SON OF SINNERS ()

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Goal: For the Hearer to Understand Who Jesus really Is, and where he came from in order to save us.

Good Morning Sons & Daughters of St. Paul’s … May the Grace & Peace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all … Let Us Pray.

Last week in Part one of our Advent Sermon series, we talked about Jesus being the Son of David and how David is a king. This then makes Jesus the King. We were reminded that when we confess that Jesus is the King, we must be careful not to confuse him with European Kings or worse yet … American politicians. While all are rulers of some sort, they couldn’t be more different! Jesus is, indeed, the promised King. Jesus is also the compassionate King. Today we will continue to look at the question of Who is Jesus? Today we find that “Jesus is the Son of Abraham” ()

More attention has been given to Jesus; more devotion has been given to Jesus; more adoration has been given to Jesus; more opposition has been given to Jesus than any other person—ever. Every recorded word that Jesus said has been sifted, analyzed, scrutinized, debated—every word. More than all of the kings and queens, philosophers and scientists put together. After 2,000 years, there is never one minute on earth that millions are not studying what Jesus said. Think about it—really think about it. Here’s a person who lived in a tiny land two millennia ago, yet his birth divides the centuries—AD, BC—before Christ and Anno Domini, the year of our Lord. I refuse to use those atheistic labels CE or BCE. The world was divided around the Death of Our Savior Jesus Christ and I refuse to acknowledge any other referencing criteria. The Common Era? Really? Ok, Off my soapbox and back to Jesus.

Just who is this person? Just who is Jesus? That’s the question we’re asking during this Advent Season. Who is Jesus? Matthew is our guide. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham” (). Question … Who is Abraham’s famous son? (Solicit Response) Answer … That would be Isaac—the son of sacrifice. So then … using that sacrificial logic, that would mean that—Jesus is the Son of sacrifice.

You know Isaac’s story—it’s one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible. Abraham and Sarah had been trying to have children all their adult lives. Then at the ripe old age of one-hundred for Abraham and ninety for Sarah, the son is born, the miracle son. His name is Isaac. Isaac! His name in Hebrew means “laughter.” Isaac brought Abraham and Sarah great joy! After Isaac had grown up God speaks these haunting words to Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” ().

We know something of what Abraham felt. We’ve all had our heart leap into our throat at some point in our lives. We’ve all been filled with panic and we’ve buried our head in tears and anguish at some point in our lives too. We know what it’s like to see a cloudless day suddenly change into dark clouds, storms, lightning, and tempest!

A child is born with spina bifida. A grandmother just died. A career isn’t in gear. A father has dementia—he doesn’t know anyone anymore. A childhood was ripped apart by an alcoholic parent. A constant state of depression refuses to lessen its grip. A miscarriage still hurts— after all these years.

At such points in life, it’s easy to get lost in despair. We lose ourselves in our jobs, or in the internet or TV or alcohol. We express our pain in anger and hatred and revenge. Jesus comes. Jesus helps. Jesus provides. And why is that? Because Jesus is the Son of Abraham, He is the Son of sacrifice. Let’s take a look at what that looks like.

The preparation for the Abraham’s test. “After these things God tested Abraham” (). The key words are “after these things.” What things? Abraham had seen the LORD faithfully guide him from Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran and then to Canaan. Abraham had heard the LORD say, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the heavens” (). Abraham had witnessed the miraculous birth of Isaac. But What does it all mean? My beloved … It means that God prepared Abraham for his test.

God has prepared us, too! Holy Baptism, the Holy Gospel, and the Holy Supper deliver the Holy Spirit and with him we have forgiveness, joy, and power! Through the means of grace, God pours out upon us courage and confidence, insight and wisdom. The test we’re going through isn’t random, it’s not an accident. Every test is Father-filtered. Whatever it is, God has prepared us for the test! What was the purpose for the test? “God tested Abraham ...” (). When a storm hits an eagle it initially appears as though the storm’s fury is going to crush the eagle against a rocky cliff. But the eagle faces the storm, tilts his wings at the proper angle, and slowly the fury that might have crushed him begins to drive him upward until he rises above the storm. What’s true of eagles can be true for us. The power that looks to destroy us is the same power by which we rise to new heights. God sends tests to bring us to greater heights of conviction and courage and Christian character. There is a purpose for the test.

That’s what Peter says. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be tested genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (). Things in my life haven’t gone as I hoped they would. I have made some horrible choices … I have hurt and been hurt by people in my life … I have had some tragic things happen to my family members. But all of it has given me the tools that I need to be successful in this job. I know the mistakes that I made and the sadness and despair I have seen manifested in my family has refined me and the person that you see before you today. That old saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is applicable to a degree … what trial truly does though, is refine you and your action towards similar situations you may encounter in the future. We must look at trial as a tool that God uses to refine us to be the people that He wants us to be. As you are going through these trials … we must remember that we are not alone. Our Father God will never leave us to deal with adversity without Him.

I once heard a story about a young man who was taking a philosophy course. He’d studied and studied—and studied some more! When he came to the final exam, the philosophy professor wanted to see how much philosophy these young people knew, how well they could think. The final examination was one word: “Why?” The young man thought for a while, wrote one word down, and walked out: “Because!”

So I ask you today … Why? Do you ever ask that question when you’re going through a test? Why? Why me? Why me now? Why this? God simply says, “Because.” But he adds these words, “Because I love you right where you are, but I love you too much to leave you right where you are!” Our tests refine us. They mature us. They season us and most of all they humble us.

God tests us to strengthen us. Satan tests us to destroy us. Satan attacks at the weakest points of our life, to bring us down, to bring us defeat. Do you remember when you were in high school or college and you’d have a teacher or professor that would say this on the first day of class, “Half of this class is going to fail this course!” Do you remember that? Now didn’t that just make your day? And the way they said it, I often believed that they were going to take great joy in my failure. But My Beloved … that’s not the God of Abraham and Isaac. God’s tests aren’t intended to destroy us. God’s tests are intended to develop us.

God provided for Abraham’s Faithfulness in trial and he gave him a provision for the test. “He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So, Abraham called that place, ‘The LORD Will Provide.’ And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” ().

Hallelujah! This is our God!

· Our God sees the need of Noah and provides an ark.

· He sees Israel in Egyptian bondage and provides a way through the Red Sea.

· He sees David out-muscled by Goliath and provides a rock to hit that Philistine right between the eyes.

· He sees Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in a fiery furnace and provides a fourth Man.

With every test, God provides a way out. “And God is faithful; he will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” ().

The God of Abraham and Isaac is also the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have the ultimate provision. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (). God spared Isaac … but He couldn’t spare Jesus.

Jesus willingly took the wood and marched up the mount—not Moriah—but Golgotha. There would be no substitute ram this time. Arrested abruptly. Tried unjustly. Sentenced callously. Mocked repeatedly. Abandoned ruthlessly. Beaten brutally. Crucified barbarously. But He is risen triumphantly! God reversed the curse. Christ is alive, never to die again. Death has no more dominion over him! Because of our faith in Christ, death will not keep his children from an Eternity in heaven either.

Jesus lives to provide what we need when faced with life’s tests. “And my God will provide for all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” ().

Notice the joy of Abraham. He doesn’t call his mountain Mt. Sacrifice, or Mt. Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Abraham calls the Mountain “The LORD Provides!” My Beloved … Where God guides, God provides! How do we know? Because, We know Jesus. And Jesus is the son of Abraham … the Son of sacrifice! Amen?

Let Us Pray … Father help us to be able to see you through the trials we face in this world. Help us to understand that just like anything that is to be purified … we too must be refined to become stronger and better witnesses to the power and majesty of Christ’s Gospel. Help us to be ready … Come Jesus Come. We ask all these things in the precious name of your Son Jesus Christ. AMEN.