The Shocking Good News: God Redeems The Ungodly Series

For more sermons visit our:

Website: https://cityharvestag.com/

Podcast : https://city-harvest-sermons.simplecast.com/episodes/the-shocking-good-news-god-redeems-the-ungodly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CityHarvestA...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cityharvestag/

YouTube: https://youtu.be/GHj5sC78AZ8?si=TMO_iiA6fCp4iiYa

INTRODUCTION

The Bible – God’s life-giving word – that leads us to life in Jesus. What a great privilege you and I have to have a book or a device – earlier scrolls.

How did you feel reading this passage? Boring?

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, And Ransom Captive Israel … 12th century Latin song – Veni, Veni, Emmanuel, Captivum Solve Israel

Advent is a season where we anticipate the coming of the Messiah – the long wait of God’ people in exile

Also captures the longing of all people, everywhere – as, for example, in the Upanishads: Asato ma sadgamaya; Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya; Mrtyorma Amrtam gamaya (Lead me from ignorance to truth; from darkness to light; from death to immortality.)

The Lord Jesus fulfils these aspirations: “I am the way and the truth and the life. I am the light of the world. I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 8:12; 11:25; 14:6)

Biblos geneseos Iesou Christou huiou Dauid, hoiou Abraam. Genesis – origin, birth (also in 1:18)

Reminds one of Genesis – and the last book of the Hebrew Bible – 1 Chronicles – chaps 1-9 – genealogies

This gospel – aimed esp. at Jewish audience

Jesus – legally is from the line of David – throne

What is so striking? Many questions.

1:1 and 1:17 – three people – Jesus – the Messiah, David and Abraham

Abraham – father of Israel – Gen 12:1, 3 – chosen to begin the story of redemption of the whole world – I will bless you, make you a great nation (Israel) … 12:3 – all people on earth will be blessed through you

David – 2 Sam 7:16 – everlasting line – Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.

Thus the Messiah, the great king from the royal line of David has come! Jesus is firmly located within God’s Story of Redemption – but as the unexpected climax of this millennia long story.

From where is this material? Genealogy – from Ruth 4 (10 names, Perez –> David); 1 Chron 3:10-19 (16 names, Solomon –> Zerubabbel)

Some names different: Uzziah / Azariah etc

3 Sections – 1:17 – Fourteen generations?

There are gaps – 1:8c – Three gens between Jehoram and Uzziah

Fourteen? The Bible means what it means

Symbolically –Da Vi D (4+6+4 = 14) – artistically

Other matters to note:

Isaac and Jacob were not firstborn

Jesus from Judah, not Joseph

Judah, not the firstborn (of Leah), Tamar (Gen 38) – unedited

Abraham – Gen 15 – Gen 16 (Hagar) – Gen 20 – Gerar – Abimelech takes Sarah

Jacob – “heel-grasper”

Women – 4 women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Mrs Uriah (Bathsheba, loyal to her husband)

Tamar? Why not Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah?

Rahab – Josh 2 – of Jericho, prostitute

Ruth – Moabitess – Gen 19 – from Lot

Mrs Uriah – David kills a loyal soldier

All Gentiles – Women – Not an afterthought – Matt 2 – Wise men – Matt 28 – the gospel for all nations

Joseph gives Jesus his legal name – Luke 3 – Mary’s bloodline

David – Rascal – Jesus, called the son of David

Women bear the brunt of this broken world …

Solomon – wise? 1 Kings 11 – self-obsessed, trying to outdo others – Rehoboam – worse

Hezekiah – good; but his son, Manasseh – wicked

Jeconiah – son of Jehoiakim – who burnt the scrolls of Jeremiah – cursed Jer 36:30 – God redeems curses

No hiding of facts – Jesus’ family line – full of ungodly people and rascals

This God, and this royal king, this Messiah, works with and through messy people / ungodly rascals

All our families are messed up

God’s love – background – our dark sin! (Diamond – black)

Jesus – shocked people by his love – identified with sinner – glutton and winebibber

Matt 9:12-13: Sacrifice < > Mercy

God loves to redeem the ungodly

Peter – Luke 5 – “I am a sinner”

While we were still sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – an innocent man who escapes an incarcerated world and shows the way out for another man —

In The Idiot (1869) – Fyodor Dostoevsky – Prince Myshkin – “Beauty will save the world”

[For those who may wonder about the use “secular” illustrations, see Acts 17:28 and Titus 2:13]

A God who goes after the ungodly who have wasted their lives, the lost sheep who are lost – until till he finds them!

Jesus revealed to us a God of mercy and grace who enters into our broken-world and redeems us – a huge shock to the Bible-people of the time.