A Season To Embrace Series

A Season to Embrace

Matthew 1:1-17

December 3, 2000

Morning Service

Introduction

I. We are starting the Advent season

A. The season of Christ’s birth

B. A new message series: Discover Christ in Christmas

1. The series will focus on the message of Christmas

2. This morning’s message will be A Season to Embrace

II. The poem Can this Be Christmas?

Can This Be Christmas

What’s all this hectic rush and worry?

Where go these crowds who run and curry?

Why all the lights -- the Christmas trees?

The jolly "fat man," tell me please!

Why, don’t you know? This is the day

For parties and for fun and play;

Why this is Christmas!

So this is Christmas, do you say?

But where is Christ this Christmas day?

Has He been lost among the throng?

His voice drowned out by empty song?

No. He’s not here -- you’ll find Him where

Some humble soul now kneels in prayer,

Who knows the Christ of Christmas.

But see the many aimless thousands

Who gather on this Christmas Day,

Whose hearts have never yet been opened,

Or said to Him, "Come in to stay."

In countless homes the candles burning,

In countless hearts expectant yearning

For gifts and presents, food and fun,

And laughter till the day is done.

But not a tear of grief or sorrow

For Him so poor He had to borrow

A crib, a colt, a boat, a bed

Where He could lay His weary head.

I’m tired of all this empty celebration,

Of feasting, drinking, recreation;

I’ll go instead to Calvary.

And there I’ll kneel with those who know

The meaning of that manger low,

And find the Christ -- this Christmas.

I leap by faith across the years

To that great day when He appears

The second time, to rule and reign,

To end all sorrow, death, and pain.

In endless bliss we then shall dwell

With Him who saved our souls from hell,

And worship Christ -- not Christmas!

M. R. DeHaan, M.D. Founder, Radio Bible Class

III. How do we embrace the season of Advent?

A. We often are caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season

B. We need to recapture our focus on Christ

1. It is time that the church puts Christ back into Christmas

2. We need to take a time out from the Christmas rush and get our focus on Christ

Read Text – Matthew 1:1-17

Body

I. God deployed His Son

A. God had prepared us for a savior

1. Matthew is points to Jesus’ person

a.) Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua; which means God saves or God is my savior.

b.) Matthew is pointing out the fact that Jesus is the means that god was using to bring salvation into the world.

2. Matthew points to Jesus’ position

a.) Matthew includes the title Christ with Jesus’ name

1.) This is not an accident or just a happenstance but rather it is an intentional decision and profession of faith

2.) The word Christ (Christos) is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Mashia or Meshiac. This is where we get the English word Messiah.

3.) The Hebrew word is a royal term given to kings in Israel

b.) The deeper meaning Christ

1.) The word Mashia literally refered to the process of being anointed. These individuals were then given the title anointed one

2.) The Jewish culture had three offices that were anointed.

 Prophets: These were individuals who were chosen by God as His personal spokesmen. They were in charge of speaking to the people with the word god gave to them.

 Priests: These were God’s chosen religious and ritual leaders. They were in charge of worship and sacrifice.

 Kings: These were God’s appointed leaders of the nation of Israel.

3.) Jesus, as the Messiah, held all three offices prophet, priest and king. Thus, He was the Anointed One of God

B. God has prepared us for His Son

1. Matthew includes Jesus’ genealogy to communicate His place as Messiah

a.) Matthew is giving us the origin of Jesus

b.) This is the line of Jesus’ family from generation to generation

2. Reasons for Matthew’s genealogy

a.) Matthew is tracing the family line of Jesus through the royal families

1.) Matthew begins this genealogy with Abraham

2.) Why did Matthew trace back so far?

b.) Matthew is making a legal claim for Jesus

1.) Matthew makes the claim that Jesus was born from the family of Abraham. This makes Him Jewish

2.) Matthew makes the claim that Jesus was from the line of David. This allows Jesus to be the Messiah

II. God distributed His Grace

A. God shows His grace in the lives of two men

1. David – The greatest king in Israel’s history