Sermon Tone Analysis
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Light in the Darkness
Every evening after dinner in our house there are 3 chores to be done which are rota’d for our kids.
Washing up and loading the dishwasher,
Setting up the bread machine so bread is ready in the morning
and vacuuming the stairs, sweeping the floors and emptying the kitchen bins and compost.
It’s that final one that the younger ones don’t like - becasue in the winter at least it means going out to the front of the house in the dark.
Perhaps being afraid of the dark is an excuse
but it’s something we inherently know and experience
on the whole we grow out of it as we get older - but that is only in a context where we rationalise what dangers the dark might hold.
Most of us aren’t scared to put the bins out - or go down to the garden shed at night
In many parts of the world the dark is still something to be afraid of.
When we lived in the capital city of Lesotho, we, no-one really, went out after dark on foot if they could help it - it’s wasn’t safe.
If you drove out you didn’t stop at red lights or junctions.
The darkness conceals crime and danger, fear and the unknown.
It’s secretive and uneasy.
You cannot rest.
And the one thing you want and need when it’s dark and you’re fearful - is light.
Let’s pray
So far in Matthew’s gospel we have seen how Jesus is of the right ancestory,
He’s the king in the line of King David,
He’s the Messiah, the chosen one of old.
He’s is born of MAry and of God the HS.
Fully Human and fully God.
He is the perfect Israel, who also was brought out of Egypt
- but This Israel Jesus - never put a foot wrong - He is the obedient servant of God,
We have had a few reminders
from the OT that Jesus will suffer and be rejected by the world he came to save
- his crucifixion and suffering servant life should not surprise us!
He’s been baptised and anointed by God the father and God the HS as God the Son.
And he’s demonstrated his unquestionable perfection and obedience and trust in the Word of God and His will,
in the face of temptations from Satan himself.
Jesus is ready to begin his public ministry.
The announcer of Jesus - John the Baptist - the one who would pave the way for Jesus’ ministry is put into prison
and so it is time to come forward and preach.
Does he head to Jerusalem - the capital to preach at the roman occupation?
Does he head to the temple or a synagogs to teach and tell the Israelites - God’s chosen people - I your king am here?
Well done - stand strong?
Not really...
He doesn’t go where they might have expected
and he does not preach the message they might have expected either..
Why there...
The fulfilment Matthew says that Jesus fulfils is from Isaiah 9.
And as with most OT prophesy it has a double horizon in view when it’s given.
Isaiah was initially speaking and predicting a return of the Israelites from the Northern Kingdom of Israel that had been exiled to the Assyria.
History tells how after the reign of King Solomon, 3000 years ago Isreal split into 2 kingdoms - both of which had good and bad kings.
eventually over about 400 years, the Northern Kingdom became so sinful and rebellious before God,
that he allowed the Assyrians to invade and take into exile vast swaths of the population.
there’s a map on the screen - of where they were taken.
You can only imagine the devestation,
the chaos and confusion,
Most of all the sadness.
Some here understand leaving home countries for work,
or a better life,
but few of us will understand the sadness of being forcibly exiled from your home and nation and culture.
The words of Isaiah 9 then would be one of extraordinary hope.
Even before the exile - the northern parts of Israel around the sea of Galliee,
the areas of Naphtali and Zebulun - had become known as the Galilee of the Nations.- or gentiles as translated in Matthews reading.
see map
With refugees, countless attacks and invasions, many nations and foreign settles had made it home.
Of course a gentile is simple a non-Jew - a non-Israelite.
And of course Gentiles were considered as pagans - as dark,
They did not recognise nor follow the one true God.
The God of light.
They were a dark people - spiritually speaking.
It was a dark and despised part of Israel.
But the route that the returning exiled Israleiets would take was what was known as the ‘Way of the Sea’.
Following the river Jordan from north to south on the west side of the sea of Galliee.
And it travelled right through Caperneum - right through Galilee of the nations - right through - the region of darkness.
The Surviving Israelites still in that region
- who had had dark lives while their nation was in exile
living amoung a people considered to be in the dark,
would see a great light as the ‘way of the sea’ road was full of returning exiles.
hope and salvation for God’s people was here.
And the first to see the light was Galilee of the nations!
now
That prophesy came true - the exiles did return as predicted on along that route,
But Isaiah had more than just ‘that light’ on his mind..
That small victory of light in the darkness was to be a sign post to a greater light and salvation,
as he makes clear in the later part of Isa 9 in that very familiar passage
There needs to be a full and final fulfilment.
And full and perfect light in the darkness,
Who also needs to arrive by the ‘way of the sea’
In the land of Naphtali and Zebulam,
the gallilee of the nations.
And so that is where Jesus arrives to being his minstry,
He reveals himself first to the the darkest corners both to fulfill what was promised here
- but also to show the type of ministry and salvation he brings.
How extraordinary that God would chose to reveal the light of the saviour to the region most densly populated by Gentiles not Jews.!
To those in the dark about God himself.
Why not in the temple,
Why not in Jerusalem?
Why not in glory and in significance?
Well the clue is in his message..
Jesus’ first sermon was a lot shorter than mine today.
it’s in v17
1 - Repent
The light that has dawned is not a returning people from exile,
but Jesus himself with a call to repentance.
The thinking is not that repentance in itself is light,
Jesus is the light,
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