Who is Jesus?

Children’s Story

Mary’s Father was a lighthouse keeper, and her mother had died when she was little. Every night Mary’s father would light the wicks of the lighthouse and every morning he would trim the lamps, polish the glass, and fill the tanks with oil. One day Mary’s father went to town, promising to be back before the land bridge that connected their home to the mainland was covered by the rising tide.

Mary did her chores and played around the lighthouse until supper time, and her father was still not home. She made supper, but her father was still not home. The tide was rising and night was falling, but her father was still not home. Her little heart became worried, both for her father who was never late to return from town, and for the ships that would soon be navigating their way along the water without a light to guide them—especially since the clouds had rolled in and the winds had picked up.

When it became clear that her father was not coming back before nightfall Mary knew that she must light the lamps. But how could she? Her father used a step-ladder to climb up to the lamps, but he was much taller than she was. Her mother used to tell her, “we should pray in every time of need.” Mary sent up a quick prayer, “O Lord, show me what to do, and bless my father and bring him back.“ After praying she had a thought. She would move a table over and then put the step ladder on the table. But she found she was still too short to reach. She thought she might use a stick and tie a match to that, but she couldn’t find a stick anywhere. Then she remembered the thick family bible they had. She could use it to put under the ladder. Her father was very strict about how they treated the family Bible. It was a book to reverence, and never misuse. But then she remembered what her mother used to say, “this book is to save life.” She knew she must use it, and when she did she was just tall enough to reach the three wicks.

The light shone, and the ships were saved.

What she didn’t know is that her father had been detained by bad men who wanted the ships to crash so they could steal from them. They thought that if they kidnapped the lighthouse keeper the light wouldn’t come on and the ships would crash against the shore and be easy targets. Mary’s Father spent the night tied up in a shed near the water, praying that God would protect and help Mary. When Mary lit the lamps, the bad men knew their plans had failed And they left. When the morning came, her father escaped the shed and was able to come home to Mary.

I’m thankful Mary had Jesus and the angels to keep her company and give her comfort when she didn’t know what was going on with her father.

I’m also glad she got that lamp turned on to guide the ships.

Lights are useful for so many things, and did you know that God is the creator of light? The Bible says, “in the beginning… God said, Let there be light.” I’m sure glad he made the light—the sun, the moon, the stars, and fire. Christmas time is close to the darkest time of the year when the sun shines the least amount of time each day. its no wonder we like to light candles and put up twinkling lights. It helps remind us that the light isn’t going away for good. Many pagan religions actually worship the light. Isn’t that a silly idea? Why would you worship something that God made? it makes more sense to worship The creator of light. But they don’t know God, and so they have festivals of lights to try to convince the sun to come back. If they only knew the true God of light. He’s the God that put a new star in the sky to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to lead the wise men to Him. When Jesus was older he said, ”I am the light of the world.” People who look at the light of Jesus will live, just like the boats who see a lighthouse are safe, but would crash against the rocks if the light wasn’t there.

A little while later Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “You are the lights of the world.” Because they knew Jesus, He wanted them to go and tell the world about the true Light and help them to get to know Jesus for themselves. When I see all the Christmas lights this time of year, that’s what I think about. Jesus wants us to be like so many little lights that point the way to Him. So many people are living in darkness, and they need us to introduce them to the best friend they’ll ever have. It may not be easy, like Mary lighting the lamps in the lighthouse, but we’ve got a good formula. 1) pray and ask Jesus for help, and 2) use the Bible.

You may go back to your seats.

Sermon

Who is Jesus?

The question is probably a lot different for you and me today than it was for the Jewish readers of the book of Matthew. For us, we want to know about a historical figure who is the savior of the world. We explore Jesus from a presumption of divinity because that’s what the major teaching of our day is. But when Matthew wrote his gospel he was writing to a group of Jews who were still waiting for the Messiah. These were people who knew Jesus to be a revolutionary, maybe a pacifist zealot of some kind, but otherwise an everyday Jew. And you might even have heard stories that Jesus was an illegitimate child born out of wedlock.

Now, add on to that the fact that Christians had already begun starting churches among the gentiles by the time Matthew was writing this gospel sometime in the last half of the first century.

How was Matthew going to tell the story of Jesus to this group of skeptics? And how was he going to show that it was OK for the gentiles to become followers of the Jewish Messiah?

If you’re saying “I know, I know! He’s going to start with an ancestry tree!” Then you’re right. But, huh?

I have a few relatives that are very interested in ancestry. One is writing a book about their family history. Another has visited many different cemeteries across the country identifying their ancestors. What I’ve noticed about their search for ancestors is that they’re not just looking for a name or a relationship link—they’re uncovering stories. This guy was in that war and then married this girl and then started a business and then they had that kid who grew up to be part of an explorer’s team who traveled over there… It’s not just the “where do I come from?” question that people are answering; it’s the “who am I?” question that these stories seem to give insight into.

The first story Matthew ties Jesus to is the story of Abraham. All Jews trace their history back to Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Not Noah, not Adam, … Abraham.

Let’s read a little of this genealogy starting in verse 3:

Matthew 1:3–6 ESV

and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

Whoa!

Did you catch some of those stories? In three verses we go from Abraham to Solomon by way of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and “the wife of Uriah”!

First of all, ancient genealogies rarely mentioned women, much less women that would have been a disgrace. Three out of four of these women were gentiles, and all of them had a sketchy background.

Tamar was a Canaanite who had married Judah’s son, who died, and then his second son, who died, and then she had Perez and Zerah from an illegitimate encounter with Judah himself—her father-in-law. This isn’t a kosher story.

But let me ask you, does your ancestry have an illegitimate origin somewhere? Most of us can relate to this kind of story in our history.

And then there’s Rahab. You know the story: the Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years and now they’re at the border of Canaan and they’ve sent in their spies to check out the land. Not 12 spies this time and not 40 days of discovery; it’s just two guys who were sent to check out the first place God was going to conquer—Jericho. They had to stay the night so they went to the multi-use tavern/hotel/brothel. Apparently soldiers had discovered them and were beating on Rahab’s door. So Rahab hid them under some straw. After she lied to divert the soldiers she helped them escape out the back window which happened to be part of the city wall. In the process, the Israelite spies promised they would save her from destruction if she would hang a red chord out her window. Rahab apparently believed in the stories she heard of the God of the Israelites, and she decided to trust them. She was saved, and joined the Israelites. Apparently married a guy named Salmon, and with him she became the mother of Boaz.

From madam of a brothel and a prostitute to the great, great grandmother of David. That’s quite the story! And, also not really a kosher one.

It just doesn’t seem like we’re getting off to a great start in convincing the Jews that Jesus comes from good stock. But let’s keep looking.

Rahab had Boaz, and Boaz was the father of Obed… by Ruth. It’s only one generation and we have yet another questionable woman in the mix, and a levirate marriage too. A what? You may ask. A levirate marriage is when a man takes a widow who had been married to a close relative as his wife. Usually the widow would be in financial ruin if they weren’t given an heir to take over their late husband’s estate. Even though Ruth was a widow of a close relative of Boaz, she was a Moabite.

To understand the hostile relationship that Israel had with the Moabites we need to remember the story of Lot, the greedy nephew of Abraham. Lot was the guy who was reluctant to flee Sodom when it was going to be destroyed. His wife was turned to salt when her longing for her stuff made her turn back while they were fleeing. Lot was also the guy who lived in a cave out of fear that God would destroy the next town he moved to. So, with no marriage prospects, his daughters made him drunk so they could lie with him and then have children. One of those children was named Moab. Moab, the father of the Moabites, a nation of people who were unfriendly to Israel and who worshiped idols. Yeah, Ruth’s background is not a kosher story either… But Matthew seems like he wants us to notice this story.

So Boaz had Obed by Ruth and Obed was the father Jesse and Jesse was the father of King David, and David was the father of Solomon… by the wife of Uriah! Hold on, it hasn’t been very long here and we’ve uncovered another unsavory story that includes a woman. Bathsheba’s name was conspicuously left out of this genealogy. Instead, Matthew calls her “the wife of Uriah,” with the goal of reminding us of the story that led to Bathsheba’s association with David. It goes something like this, she was going through a ritual bathing process after her monthly cycle when a messenger from the palace came to tell her the king needed her urgently. The Bible says that David “took” her—a word that implies force. He raped her and she got pregnant. In the process of covering up his evil deed he had Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, murdered, and then he forced Bathsheba into a marriage contract during the time of her mourning. That baby, perhaps mercifully, died in infancy. And then they had Solomon who later became king. So, here again Matthew includes an unsavory story of Jesus’ background.

I have an unsavory story like this in my background, and maybe you do to. Sexual sin and abuse are the backdrop to many of our histories. And maybe it’s no wonder that David struggled with sexual sin. His great, grandfather’s mother had been a human trafficker and a prostitute. And as we’ve already discussed, many others in his family tree struggled with sexual sin too.

Is it possible for Jesus to come out of this lineage and survive? Could the Messiah really have this sketchy of a background?

Let’s keep reading in verse 7

Matthew 1:7–16 ESV

and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

There are a lot of stories in this family tree. It skims past the story of Rehoboam who’s cruelty led to the division of Israel. Then it races past the story of Jechoniah and his brothers who led Israel during the time when Babylon took over Judah. These were men who refused to accept the warning of God through Jeremiah—even tearing up Jeremiah’s scroll and burning it in the fire. And then there’s the whole story of the deportation to Babylon—a story that Matthew is interested in us noticing. And that’s the story of Judah’s rebellion against God and God’s severe punishment to help motivate them to not worship false gods.

There is also the story of Zurubbabel, the man who led the Israelites in the long journey back to Judah after their exile in Babylon. It was his leadership that began the rebuilding of the temple that Babylon had destroyed.

After all these stories, and many more that we don’t have time to tell, Matthew did what seems to be the worst thing he could do: he confirmed the rumors of Jesus’ illegitimate birth.

“…Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.” (verse 16). Not Jacob, the father of Jesus, but Jacob, the husband of Mary.

Keep reading in verse 18 for the kicker:

Matthew 1:18 ESV

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

How could this benefit Matthew’s argument that Jesus is the Christ—the Messiah—the anointed one? He’s proven that JOSEPH’s line comes from Abraham and David, but then he makes it pretty clear that Joseph is Jesus’ adoptive father.

Matthew 1:19–25 ESV

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

All his stories are done, the genealogy is complete and matthew tells us what he’s really trying to get at:

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet...”

Who is Jesus?

He’s the one that the prophets told about. He’s the Jewish Messiah, or in Greek, The Christ.

In Genesis 3:15 the Bible says that the messiah would be a descendant of Eve—a woman. No wonder Matthew put a few women in his genealogy.

In Genesis 12:3, it says one of Abraham’s children would be the messiah who would bless all nations of the earth.

In Genesis 49:10 the prophet says that the Messiah would be a ruler in the line of Judah. and in 2 Samuel 7:12-13 we’re told that the ruler would sit on the throne of David.

In Micah 5:2 the prophet said that the messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

In Isaiah 7:14 it prophecies that the messiah would be a son who is born to a virgin—a girl who had never been intimate with a man. And that the Messiah would be called Immanuel—God with us.

In Hosea 11:1 we’re told that the Messiah would spend some time in Egypt.

Psalm 2:7 identifies the Messiah as the Son of God.

And in Daniel 7:3 we’re told that he would take the title Son of Man.

There are so many prophecies about the Messiah, and Jesus fits each prophecy like a glove. throughout his entire book, Matthew brings our attention back to these prophecies — yep, born of a virgin; yep, son of David and Abraham; yep, they called him Immanuel, God with us.

But here’s the clincher to Matthew’s argument—they named him Jesus.

The name Jesus is a Greek version of the name Joshua which means, “God is deliverance.” Matthew puts it this way, “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (verse 21)

And who are Jesus’ people that He came to save? This sketchy genealogy makes it clear, Jesus’ people come from every walk of life, from every sketchy background and from every nation of the earth.

Conclusion:

Through the stories of Jesus’ ancestors we see three common themes—God’s desire to be with His people, God’s mercy expressed through their deliverance, and God’s inclusion expressed in His adoption of foreigners into His family. Even Jesus was adopted.

I was talking with a gentleman recently who had been unfaithful to his first wife. They divorced and he wandered away from the church. He remarried and now they have children together. But somewhere in the back of his mind is this thought that because of his infidelity and remarriage in sin that he is doomed. He feels like there is no more opportunity for him.

Maybe you feel like that too. Something you’ve done has messed up your opportunity. You come to church, you believe in God; but for you, it’s hopeless. If that’s where you are in your walk with God then take a second look at these stories in Jesus’ family tree. If God can take the madam of a brothel and put her in the line of people like Eve and Sarah and Mary—essential links in the chain to the Messiah—then God is able to do something wonderful in your life too.

Redemption is possible for you. Adoption is God’s plan for you.

Who is Jesus? He is your savior.

On June 23, 2018, a 25 year old soccer coach took his team of 12 players into a cave in Thailand that the local kids often played in. They dropped their bikes at the entrance of the cave and began exploring. When they realized the water in the cave was rising they were over 2 1/2 miles into the cave. The water was rising so fast they couldn’t make it very far before the water completely swallowed up their exit. The coach parked them on a high spot and waited. They waited without food or clean water or warm clothes for days.

Imagine that experience with me. What would you be thinking and feeling? There would be no sense of time—no rising or setting of the sun to mark the passing days. Nothing to do but talk to each other. No comfort for your shivering body. Nothing dry. And after a few hours, no light.

You’d be thinking about every interaction you had with friends and teachers and parents. Did they know where to look? Would they find your bike at the cave entrance? Would someone try to swim up stream to get you?

The water in the cave was moving so quickly that it wasn’t safe to even step into it for fear you’d be washed down with the current and trapped in an underground river with no way to breath.

Would you feel hopeless by the end of the first day? The 2nd day? The 8th day?

Finally, on July 2nd, the 9th day of their entombment in that cave, the kids saw lights in the water and then two British divers surfaced. And with them their hopes surfaced too. Someone had found them. They were known and wanted and pursued and loved. And soon they would be saved.

But the divers had to leave. They had a few nutritional bars with them that the boys split between them, but no blankets, no real food, no clean water, and no way to get the boys out.

At the entrance to the cave the Thai navy seals, the British consulate, the US marines, and a wide variety of local government officials and corporate sponsors and underwater caving enthusiasts had assembled to do whatever it took to save those kids.

As the monsoon rains poured down, crews went up the mountain to divert any trickling stream or rushing river away from the cave system. If they couldn’t divert it they put giant pipes into the water and huge truck-mounted water pumps took the water away to the tune of thousands of gallons a minute.

While sandbaggers and river cutters and pump operators waged war against the falling rain, navy seals and cave divers fought the current to lay rope and scour the cave. They were nearly certain, after 8 days of looking, that all they would find would be dead bodies, but they fought on despite the seemingly insurmountable odds. The navy divers had never been in a cave system, and because of their lack of experience and the very dangerous conditions, one of them gave their life in the attempt to save those kids. After the two British divers confirmed they were alive the search efforts redoubled and the resources to save them came pouring in from around the world.

There was an urgency behind their efforts. While rains had poured down more water than they wanted, the rain had been mercifully sporadic, allowing them to get ahead of the water. But the weather stations were predicting the arrival of a torrential down poor that wouldn’t let up for days or even weeks, making a rescue impossible. Also, in a second visit to the boys, the British divers had discovered that the oxygen levels in the boy’s chamber were already low enough they couldn’t support an active human. Hypoxia would soon set in and the boys would die.

Finally, 14 days after they were first trapped in the cave, the first of the boys were brought out. It wasn’t easy, the boys had no experience diving. If they were taken out with a buddy breather system, they would flail and attempt to swim and try to find air above the water, and they would surely die within the first minute or two of the more than 2 hour swim back to the cave entrance. So, along with all the other volunteers that were working hard to make the rescue possible, specialist doctors figured out a way to sedate the boys and bring them through the cave system unconscious. It was risky, but the alternative was impossible. So they tried it. And one after another, for the next 3 days, the boys were brought out, alive.

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Jesus came to save His people from their sins.

Paul says that you and I are slaves to sin. He even goes a step further and says that we are dead in our sins (Eph 2:1)—entombed with no possibility for escape. Any effort we might make to get out of our predicament only guarantees our failure, like those boys if they tried to swim out on their own.

We’re stuck in our cave of sin, sometimes hopelessly unaware of what is going on outside.

But that’s what Matthew wants to draw our attention to in Jesus’ story—all the stuff that’s going on outside of our perspective to make it possible for us to be rescued.

The local Thai government, it’s citizens, it’s industries, its military, and its every volunteer and official they could round up were enlisted to help those boys. Money was no object. Companies donated machines, governments diverted resources. If there was a rock in the way, no one asked permission if they could move it, they just moved it. They had no concern with keeping the cave pristine—they were happy to destroy the natural beauty if they could save those kids.

The same is true of God’s rescue effort for mankind. There was a before sin where angels had various responsibilities that didn’t include you and me. But when the human race got trapped in sin God enlisted every resource and every able body in the universe to help Him save us. He even came Himself and gave His life to save ours. Every possible resource has been and is still being poured into God’s plan of salvation. And if those divers could save a dozen soccer players, I’m confident that the God of the universe can save you and me.

Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

...and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Are you willing to be put to sleep to let Jesus save you? To die so that you might live? If you will let Him, Jesus will save you. And more exciting than than that. If you will allow it, He will adopt you as His own child.

Who is Jesus? My savior, and yours.

Please stand with me and sing our closing song… 125, joy to the world

Christmas Concert Message: Intro to Wise Men Seek Him

This afternoon I‘m going to share a teaser from my sermon for next Sabbath entitled, Wise Men Still Seek Him.

———

He had given them everything they needed to find Him, but it was up to them to figure it out.

Daniel’s book ends with this ominous statement:

Daniel 12:4 ESV

But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

Daniel began his job in the palace as a student, but through two kingdoms and five kings Daniel rose to the head of all the scribes and advisers and wise men of the land. As one of his many tasks he oversaw the royal library and made sure that the records of the nation were safe and secure. When God gave him visions, he added them to His own scroll In the library. Whenever there was a lull in their work, he would have the scribes copy the Hebrew Scriptures that he borrowed from various families among the exiles, and those too would go into the royal library. By the time of his death he had copies made of the book of origins — Genisis—and its accompanying scrolls of the exodus and the readings of the levites, and even the 2nd reading of the law. He also stored away copies of the prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah and any of the historical records of the judges and kings he could find, along with some of the psalms of his people. He wanted to give them more, but he could only do this in his spare time. Before his death he was able to introduce King Nebuchadnezzar, King Darius, and King Cirus, to the God of heaven. Nebuchadnezzar loved reading the scrolls of origins, and the prophecies of Jeremiah in particular. Cyrus, understandably, thought Isaiah was the best. These scrolls had become important enough in the kingdom that extra copies were made to ensure they survived. The various scribes and court assistants through the years were tasked with reading them and taking care of them. The stories that Daniel told were particularly interesting to watch unfold. One after another the scribes and counselors from the east watched the kingdoms crumble and rise just like Daniel’s stories had predicted. The Greeks were at their door, and then the Romans.

One day, one of these royal counselors—wise men—made a startling discovery. Maybe it was because the prophecy was about to be completed, but something clicked in his mind that he had Remained confusing until that moment—In just over 30 years Daniel’s prophecy about the anointed one—the Messiah—the Christ—would be fulfilled! He began scouring the Hebrew scrolls to discover anything else he could about this anointed one. Perhaps with the nudge of an angel he stumbled across a line one of the exodus scrolls that said,

Numbers 24:17 (ESV)

I see him, but not now;

I behold him, but not near:

a star shall come out of Jacob,

and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;

On one occasion he was talking with one of the nation’s top scientists—a mathmatician and astronomer—and he mentioned the prophecy from Daniel about the anointed one and the idea about this star rising from Jacob. The astronomer suddenly got excited, “We’ve been tracking a new star that just appeared out of nowhere a week ago!” He said. Could it be that this is the star from the prophecy‽

With an excitement they had never known before, the two men began preparing for a journey to find out If the prophecy was true.

———

Some people find prophecy to be too cryptic or scary or just unnecessary. But if someone were able to go back in time to the moment when those men found that these two prophecies were being fulfilled in front of their eyes, I think they would find a whole new purpose for prophecy.

Because wise men still seek Him.

Over 2,000 years ago they found a little baby lying in a manger—a baby that would soon become a man who would give his life for the salvation of mankind.

Today we look for something different. Today we seek a high priest in heaven who will one day soon come in the clouds as a conquering king.

And if you are wise, you will seek him, and in seeking him, you will become like that guiding star leading others to Jesus too:

Daniel 12:3 ESV

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.