ADVENT: HOPE

Hey, man. Hey man, look for the next few weeks, I think about this simple question. Why did Jesus come? Where do they use the traditional at four weeks of Advent? That that look at specific themes this week. We're going to look at Hope and then we'll talk about peace and then we'll talk about joy and then we'll talk about love but all through the the framework of this question. Why did Jesus come going to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Why why was Jesus born at all? What would I find frankly tragic? Is that when we when we ask this question the answer that's given in the American context and even in the American Church contact. It's so narrow.

So so self-focused and so self-centered that it barely resembles the biblical answer to the question. Why did Jesus come? The American gospel has become so reduction is fixed. So focused on morality and sin and getting out of hell and getting into heaven that we lose the grand Panorama of Redemptive history that we see in scripture what God is doing in Christmas should take your breath away. It is a scandal. And and and it's tragic that we get so comfortable with Christmas that it's that it's adopted and accepted and co-opted into our cultural Narrative of a nice family time with a tree in a bunch of presents and some lights and we might sing some songs and isn't it cute?

What is the opposite of cute?

cutest cutest nothing Christmas is substantial. It's what we need to think this morning. We need to think over the next couple weeks last we go through the motions and are dragged through the celebration of the birth of Christ by our culture in a way that doesn't actually engage a reflect the meaning of it. And I miss it yet again.

American gospel it is so limited. It's so focused. It's so it's so personalized that it's very very difficult for us to grab the big picture. That's why we've been preaching through Genesis so that we can kind of step back and get a bigger picture of you. Remember when I moved to Texas in 1995 to go to Seminary to get a job as a youth pastor and and I was there with you through for that first Christmas in 95 and I was I was doing something with the youth group teaching on and I think it was in The Narrative of of the birth of Christ and I were talking about it and I and I am laying out I was talking about the census about how Israel Abraham's descendants were under Roman occupation and and they had to go in and take the census and and how did because Jesus is Jesus was Jewish at they had to go and do that send MSG. However, forgive it wait a minute like that.

you can do that this morning if you want, but wait a minute. Are you telling me Jesus was Jewish?

I've been skipping been in the church for a long time. This is a kid that I accepted Jesus and never once have you been exposed to the mind-boggling reality. This was not racist by the way, just flat-out ignorance never been exposed to the idea that Jesus was born in contacts.

The Jesus was Jewish that are Hollow. Is tied into a larger story. We we make it this but what's the hope of Christmas? What's the hope of Jesus? Well, if I pray a prayer and believe certain truth when I die, I don't have to go to health and I get the flu something called heaven. Don't even see the irony in that. What's the irony you ask? Thank you for asking? Here's the irony. Christmas is the Incarnation. God takes on flesh. God con carne Dawn in Flash Yeah, you're getting that tomorrow. Close enough to the Border. You should pick this up in Flash God cares about the world that he created he cared so much that he humbled himself. I said Philippians pass it takes on flash. And we turned the birth of Jesus when God took on flesh into something that gives me a hug to get away from Flash and Float off for some spiritual place called heaven when none of this really matters.

And if that's the gospel, why would he have to become Flash? You see the craziness of this we we we turned the birth of Jesus into something that reflects our cultural assumptions about eternity about what's good. And what's not an end. It's on the birth of Jesus. Becomes is dysfunctional really when Jesus was born so that he could die for our sins. As if the three plus odd years that he lived on this Earth really didn't matter was just filler right? I mean had to be born as a baby. We just kill some time till I died on the cross why why was Jesus poor guy for a since we don't even get to the resurrection?

All we really care about is this spiritual floating away into heaven sort of thing. But the resurrection is the opposite of that the resurrection is resurrection con. Carne. Touch me. He said put your hands in my womb feel it.

Christmas the birth of Jesus is a powerful moment in the history of Redemption where God demonstrates that no matter what will not give up on his creation and on his imagers in his creation. I can't help it start in Genesis since since that's where we've been in and we've we've been in this text the last couple weeks Genesis chapter 3. first 15 in the consequence in the curse to the serpent. God says if he says I will put enmity between you and the woman in between your Offspring and her Offspring and he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel nut. The work were there is literally seed. It's a it's a word that's when it when it's in a garden or plant. It's it's a literal see when talking about humanity and Seed. It's it's talking about semen at this is a verse of light a seat. I will put enmity between your seed in other words life is going to come from a woman. Life is going to come there's going to come a seed from the woman who is ultimately. So his heel is bruised he's going to bruise the head of the enemy. so big But there's hope they're almost intangible. We don't get a lot of information about right here at the very beginning. Humanities rebellion and rejection of God as God God makes a promise that in spite of what you've just done Adam and Eve.

I'm not giving up on you. And the story is not going to end here or give him the barest Glimpse that one day. A seed will come. Things will be put back, right? I'm sure that Adam and Eve when when Cain was born when Abel was born. They thought this was going to happen right away because that's how we think. But it didn't turn out so well and they had set that will maybe this is going to be at that wasn't it? And then things just kept things went from bad to worse much worse. If God has to destroy the Earth through a flood but he preserves Noah and his family a righteous man and Noah is given the ad at the examiq blessing and mandate again. He's told to be fruitful and multiply fill the Earth and subdue it. So maybe maybe maybe Noah's going to be the one that makes it happen and that goes bad really quickly. Then we get to the Tower of Babel. We're basically God has rejected in the people. We're going to get there in Genesis. That's going to be fun. All right, hold on to that. But thank God comes and disinherits the Nations and then he chooses for himself. This one little dude named Abram. And God God comes to Abraham not because Abram is strong not because Abram has anything to offer God and that God tells him quite clearly. I'm choosing you because you're weak and insignificant and nobody think you can do much. And so when I do something through you everybody's going to know that I did it.

That's good news. We're all of us. It really is. Nothing any any any comes to a Bremen in Genesis chapter 12. He says this the Lord said to Abram I want you to go from your country. I want you to go from your Kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. He says them I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing I will bless those who bless you him. Who dishonors you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed. The amazing promise to Abram. I'm going to do something if you trust me if you follow me if you walk with me. I'm going to give you a place. Where I'm going to be with you, I'm going to make a few name. I'm going to give you children which was good news for Adam and Abram and Sarai because they were Barren and hadn't been able to have children and he says and ultimately because of your faithfulness and because of what I'm going to do in and through you everyone on the face of the Earth will be blessed. It's amazing promise. It's it's it's restated if he continues and 470 says then the Lord appeared to Abraham and said to your Offspring I will give this land so we build an altar to the Lord who it appeared to him. Same same word to your offspring that we saw in Genesis 3. So now there's this this connection. So we're waiting for an offspring. It's going to crush the head of the serpent now in Genesis 12, we're waiting for an offspring that is going to inherit the land of God and be a place where God is going to dwell with man. And it will ultimately be a blessing to everyone in the earth. So now we're waiting for the seed. We're waiting for The Offspring.

Genesis 22 against Abram now Abraham the angel of the Lord a second time from the heavens and said to him by myself sworn declares the Lord because you have done this and have not withheld your son your only son. This is right after he's up there on the mountain with his son Isaac he says because you did not withhold your only son. I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your Offspring as the stars of Heaven in his ass and that is on the seashore and your Offspring shall possess the Gate of his enemies and in your Offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.

So God is moving in his original plan. God wants to establish his kingdom on Earth in partnership with his imagers. God will establish his kingdom with man. That is God's plan a and there is no plan B, he's going to make it happen. Now Don has promised on his own swore an oath on to himself that he will do this through a seed an offspring of Abraham.

What's going to be Isaac? What's going to be Jacob? It's going to be one of the 12 private keep waiting. We keep waiting. Where's the seed who's going to do it who's going to set things right? Who's going to conquer the enemy? Who's going to All Nations? Where is

It wasn't Isaac. It wasn't Jacob. It wasn't the 12 tribes in the fact not too long from there that the descendants of Abraham end up in Egypt. Because God provided for them, but then rather rather than returning to the land that God had promised to them. They stay in Egypt. Because they chose to stay in Egypt X Change Pharaoh moves on new Pharaoh comes in there enslaved. They find themselves in captivity. God moves powerful miraculously Supernatural.

Empowers Moses Moses leads his people out and when they come out in the past of the Red Sea and they come to the Mount to receive God's law to be formalized as a nation before God before before the ink is dry on the Ten Commandments.

They're down at the base of the mountain worshiping a golden calf. Israel the people which is supposed to be the blessings to the Earth, which is supposed to be the solution to our sin problem is just as simple as everybody else.

I fell and I felt it was going to wander around the Wilderness for 40 years when it when that generation finally dies author allowed to go into the promised land and they kind of conquer it and kind of don't they get there and we have the time of Judges where everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

They kept turning away from God turning away from God turn away from you. We get to the time of Kings Israelites look around and I like everybody else has a king. We should have a king. and gods like

tracks you can take your daughter as you going to do you don't want to came to like yeah, we want we want that one cuz he's really tall.

also poor kid on the playground

We want a king doesn't turn out very well.

Psalms rejected David is chosen David the man after God's Own Heart. Maybe David. Maybe David is the one that's going to conquer all his enemies. I mean David was an amazing Warrior accomplished man of battle. Maybe David was a poet he knew how to worship. You know, what a price maybe David is the one that's going to crush the head of the serpent. Maybe David is the one that's fine. We going to put things right?

David was just as jacked up as every single one of us in this room. Just ask your Raya.

Are you can't cuz David had him killed?

David's not the sea but David. He's a descendant of Abraham and David does love gotten even though he spends he repents. And he does seek after the Lord in 2nd Samuel chapter 7 David comes to the Lord. He's like I'm living in this amazing Palace. And and you're still in this tent is having I want to build a house for you guy. I want to build a Welling place for you and and God says thanks, but no you're not going to do that. Your son can do that. But here's what I'm going to do for you 2nd Samuel chapter 7 says this number State now. Therefore thus you shall say to my servant David that says the Lord of hosts. I took you from the pastor from following the sheep that you should be Prince Over My People Israel, and I have been with you wherever you went and I've cut off all your enemies from before you and I will make for you a great name like the name of the great ones of the earth and I will appoint a place for My People Israel and I will plant them so that they made their own place and be disturbed no more and Violent Men shall afflict afflict them. No more as formerly. From the time that I appointed judges Over My People Israel, and I will give you rest from all your enemies moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make for you a house. when your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your father's which is the biblical nice list and when you die, David, I will raise up your Offspring your seed after you come from your own body and I will establish his kingdom he shall build a house for my name and I will establish the Throne of his kingdom how long forever

Genesis 3. There's going to be a seed coming Genesis 12 Abram going to come from you. There's going to be a seed coming going to have a lamp going to be a place with God's going to put down all opposition and since established and Usher in a place of Peace Abram, it's not you but it's going to be one of your seats. Not right away that is hundreds of years later. Now. We have David one of the seed one of The Descendants. What are The Offspring of Amber rum and God comes to David and says David's not you, but it's going to come from your own body that the seed is going to come from you David. And I'm going to establish the Throne of his kingdom forever. He's going to build a house for me. This is not this is not this house is Temple imagery because the temple is the house of God in other words. I'm going to dwell with my I'm going to dwell with your seed forever not going to be the separation is going to be intimacy. There's going to be up forever intimacy. Because of the sea that's going to come from your body there. Here's what I need you to see specially those of you living with us last few weeks have been talking about Genesis. The promises are all tied to Eaton. Notice how that none of these promises are if you believe me when you die, you get to go to heaven.

No. No, this is this is all what was lost in Eden will be restored and renewed and redeemed through the seed.

So what I'm going to reverse the curse of the enemy and ultimately destroy him. The one who has the power of death. I'm going to put him down death will die. I'm going to renew the mandate to multiply fill and Rule God's not giving up on his plan for us to be his image bearers to rule with him and spread the glory and Order and beauty and wonder of his kingdom. to every corner of the cosmos

He's going to restore the temple god with well.

This is the promise of the seed the seed that God promises way back in Genesis chapter 3 is going to do these things. He's going to reverse the curse. He's going to renew them. He's going to restore the temple.

And I'm sure they were hoping it was Solomon. I saw them started out really. Well, right I got comes to him and says ask ask of me anything and Solomon in the irony of this asked for wisdom. Where do they have the wisdom to ask for wisdom? But he asked for wisdom and got those. All right. I'm going to be the wisest person on the place of the Earth. nnn

Wisdom is good, but wisdom in and of itself didn't make Solomon the seed. Solomon was just as broken as Adam just as broken as Noah just as broken as a room just as broken as Moses just as broken as his dad David.

So when is the seed going to come? The descendants of Abraham the descendants of David. They know the promise. They know that God has made his word known and God will not violate his word. The seed is going to come. So they're waiting and they're waiting.

Solomon becomes a king and he reigns her after Solomon's death. Things get bad. 9:30 BC. The kingdom is divided. 10 tribes of the north 2 tribes in the South different things. They set up a different Temple. There's all sorts of chaos going on within godson's prophets. The Northeast sense prophets to the South. Both of them are ignored rejected some of the Kings do okay, but most of the Kings lead their people into evil and away from God. It's an ugly ugly ugly time and 722 BC the northern kingdom falls to the Assyrians in the Syrian Dynasty begins. It comes in and the 10 tribes are no more the two tribes in the South are still there Israel still kind of hanging on they still have their place for that is a power of the Assyrian Empire is right there on their borders NM in trouble is coming. 597 BC the southern Kingdom falls to the Babylonians now the Babylonians take over from the Assyrians. And they come in and they destroy the southern Kingdom 587 they they level Jerusalem so much so that the prophet says that there was not one stone upon another in the vast majority of the population was taken out of the promised land of Israel into Exile in Babylon.

They Wonder when's the seed coming? in in 539 Babylon falls to the Persians Nurse comes in and takes over the Persian Empire Dynasty begins now they're under the control of the Persian. It's a little bit better for them because in 538 Cyrus allows the exile to begin to return it. So a portion of them but a very minor portion of them returned to the land of the vast majority of the Jewish people that were taken in the SX. I'll either stay in Babylon or have been spread out to the nations of the Earth. So minority returns to the land and then they begin to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. They begin to rebuild the Temple.

Takes him awhile to completed in 5:16, BC.

For a couple hundred years they just exist. Under the Control Authority of the Persian Empire about 336 do named Alexander the Great Rises to power Greece begins to flex its muscle Alexander becomes one of the greatest conquerors of history is spreads his Empire farther and faster than anybody before him.

73302 the Greeks conquer Palestine and the Greek Dynasty begin and I didn't come here for a history lesson.

Jesus was born in context you got to understand the story. You don't understand imagine when I talk to him 10 years of waiting a lifetime of waiting for Generations upon Generations upon Generations dogs has promised a seed to these people has promised them Al and he's promised to Victor. He's promised them. Peace. He's promised them that she would dwell with them. And now they've gone from the Assyrian to the Babylonian weather gets bad and ugly. It's 3:20 the Egyptians go. No, we want a piece of that. Show me a Gyptian come and rule over Palestine is called the ptolemaic dynasty. Now we're Under The Sun Will Ferrell and he sends a bunch of his high priest from Egypt to rule over Jerusalem and control the land.

For a hundred and twenty years the Egyptians Rule and then income the syrians and 200 BC. They defeat the Egyptians is called the seleucid Dynasty. Now, we have the syrians that are ruling.

This is Antiochus the Third. You look pretty good conqueror his son Antiochus the 4th known as Antiochus epiphanes when he assumed the throne from his father. He entered into the city of Jerusalem.

He desecrated the temple. He went into the temple in the temple, he built an offer an altar to Zeus and offered worship Jesus in the temple of God.

Where's the sea? When's it going to happen? Not only are we under the control now, they're worshipping foreign and false gods in your very Temple which by the way, the presence of God was no longer in that Temple.

Well 166 Judas maccabaeus leads a Revolt. They can't handle the desecration of the temple and Judah the Maccabee Brothers. They raise up an army they revolt against the syrians and they destroy them.

Psalm 142 the given Travis semi independence from Siri Siri withdraws Direct Oversight but they're still under their power. That's what's known as the hasmonean dynasty that they install some semi Jewish rulers over a semi-formal Jewish state. That doesn't last too long because in 64 BC the new Power in town is Rome. And Pompey goes on his conquering streak. He takes over Palestine. He captures Jerusalem.

in the Roman Dynasty begin

Pompeii also enters into the temple. He goes into the holy of holies just for a little look-see. The place that nobody is supposed to go into. When Antiochus epiphanes did it the Mac is he rose up and threw him out now, it's happening again. The Romans did it this time Pompeii did it and

where's another man could be worse what is going on?

and oh, by the way During the last four hundred years of this time. God stop sending His prophets. Cuz they just kept killing them.

God went silent

Dynasty after Dynasty after Dynasty after Dynasty oppression and oppression and Injustice.

It's slavemouth rather than Freedom defeat rather than victory over and over again.

Romans rule up until the time of Christ

when we get there.

Matthew 1:1 the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ not his last name. His title and means king. It means anointed one. It means Messiah. This is the genealogy. This is the backstory. This is the family of Jesus. Who is the Christ he is. the son of David and the son of Abraham's first verse we have in our new testament scriptures doesn't start from nothing.

This is the continuation of the story in days of old God spoke through His prophets now. He has spoken through his son.

Here is the long-awaited seed here is the one who is going to do what the promises of the sea have always said he would do not remember the promises of the seed was not to get you a get out of hell free ticket and get you off of this evil place called Earth to some place called have another promise of the sea with always the Redemption and restoration of what was lost in Eden.

So, why was Jesus born he was well, he was born at the filming of God's prophetic promise that he would undo what we messed up in the garden. The God will not move to plan beef because he doesn't have a plan B. God will establish his kingdom and his dwelling place with Mankind through Man X.

Where everyone else fail? Jesus succeeded key is the long ways if you We're Jewish person in the time of Christ. And you picked up Matthew's gospel. And you read this first verse the book of the genealogy of Jesus the Christ son of a son of David Son of a boy. It's on That's a startling claim. This is the promised seed. Pump up except on his and he has some really interesting exegesis. He actually he messes with the word in Galatians 3:16. He says now the promises were made to Abraham and his offspring it does not say to offsprings. Referring too many but referring to one to your Offspring who is the Christ it's a little funny exegesis because the word Offspring can either be plural or singular depending on how you use it. Just like seed can be right that we have many words in the English language that context tells you is this plural or is this singer picks up on this just weird function of language and vocabulary to go take a look at this word. It's in the plural. But it's actually a singular and it's so even though we read it and we think so. It's a whole bunch of seeds seed the Christ.

Why was Jesus born Jesus came to redeem what was lost in Eden?

Jesus was born to redeem what was lost in Eden. First of all, he came to reverse the curse of the enemy and destroy him. Jesus came to reverse the curse of the enemy and destroy him First John 3 7/8 as this little children. Let no one deceive you whoever practice is just as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

We turning into Jesus came so you can get out of hell where the devil's raining and go to heavens and hang out with gods and Float On A Cloud and play harp and I never understood how you a float on the clouds or beef play if you don't have a body. Our home messages so incredibly inconsistent.

message of the scripture is that

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. I love Kira's to since therefore the children share in flesh and blood work on carne to he himself likewise partook of the same thing. That's the power of death. That is the devil and deliver all those long slavery. Jesus came to reverse the curse and destroy the enemy. That's why he was born.

Well, he came to renew the mandate to multiply for Phil and rule the Earth. Jesus came as the new and better Adam. Jesus is given the same mandate that Adam was given and Jesus gives us that same man day after his death burial and Resurrection. We call it the Great Commission. We we think of it in terms of evangelism and knocking on doors and handing out tracks and having It's so much bigger than that. Jesus Elvis why Jesus came and said I'm also already in heaven and on Earth has been given to me why because he was faithful and obedient. That's what's up. I want you to go therefore and as you're going I want you to make disciples of all the nations in you all the nations of the Earth shall be blast. Jesus didn't die just for Abraham and his descendants Jesus died for the world. Jesus is not simply the Christ of the Jews Jesus is the Christ of the world. I Want You To Go Make Disciples of all nations were you baptized in the name of the Father the Son of the Holy Spirit? I want you to teach them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold I Am With You Always to the End of the Age. Adam was told X Phila Eros subdue it Jesus as X fill the Earth and subdue it teach them to bring the kingdom. Be the king.

Lashley Jesus came to restore the temple. God dwells with man on Earth that Jesus himself was a temple, right? That's John. God dwelt Among Us literally tabernacled. God's presents wrapped up in Flash not in the building of stone in the person of Jesus. And that Temple was torn down and Jesus raised it up three days later. But more than that. Because Jesus is the new and better Adam because Jesus is the promised seed because Jesus came to restore the temple. He makes us. Into his Temple The Dwelling Place of God Ephesians chapter 2 for through him. We both have access in one Spirit to the father. So then you are no longer strangers and Aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God. Built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Christ. Jesus himself being the Cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grow into a holy Temple in the Lord. What is the temple is the place where God dwells? What is the temple is the place where God's presence and God's glory is Manifest. Where on the Earth?

Jesus came to re-establish what was lost in Eden when we lose in Eden, we lost access to God got removed himself and bar the way with some freaky cherubim with a magic store.

Jesus Rings back to the presence of God and he makes us into it. In him you also are being built together. Intuit swelling dwelling place for God by the spirit in him in Jesus you also

You're being made at the gods temp.

Why did Jesus come?

Came to redeem what was lost in the 80? He came to reverse the curse and destroy the enemy. Deliver us from death and the one who holds the power of death He came to bring us back to that. What it really means to be human.

Thrift store that Imago Dei within us, but we might join God in his work of taking pay off and turning it into order.

Jesus came to once again establish God's dwelling with man on Earth.

Man how I ended last week Revelation 21. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth. This is the story of the Bible. This is the Hibiscus is why Jesus was born to get us to this play. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first seven in the first Earth had passed away. They've been transition. Sea was no more. There's no more chaos. There's no more evil. There's no more Rebellion. I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The story of the scripture is not God takes us off Earth into some place called Heaven the story of the scriptures God through Jesus redeems all of creation. And then the New Jerusalem comes from the Heavens to the year.

I heard a loud voice from the throne saying Behold The Dwelling Place of God is with man he will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them. As their God he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither. Shall there be morning neither shall there be cry neither shall there be pain anymore for the former things are passed away.

And he who is Seated on the throne three guesses who that is?

seed the anointed one Christ the King the king of kings and Lord of lords the Alpha and the Omega the Spotless Lamb of God, who is the Roaring Lion of Judah sat on the throne and said behold I am making all things new.

Why was Jesus born?

It wasn't so we could put up trees and have presents. It wasn't so we could get ourselves into debt buying things that we really probably don't need. Wasn't about lights and carols it was about the Redemption of what was lost when rebellion and sin entered into the world. God didn't give up on us. God will never give up on us God proves that and sending Jesus not just as a man, but a man that humbled himself as a servant a man that died not just an ordinary death with the death of a curse the death on the cross so that in him we might know the very righteousness of God. Why did Jesus come why do we remember Christmas? Why do we celebrate Advent because Jesus came to make all things new somebody say Amen.