WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.920 This morning we begin our Advent series, and welcome to Advent, this wonderful time of the year where we are looking forward to Christmas and are thinking about food and presents and for some of us holiday plans and seeing family that maybe we haven't seen for a long time. 00:00:17.859 --> 00:00:22.120 And in many ways, Christmas can get taken over by all these things, right? 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:31.660 I want to encourage us, and especially those of us that are Christians, not to miss the depth and the complexity and the richness and the profundity of Christmas. 00:00:32.200 --> 00:00:40.480 Not to get carried away by the shopping and the carols and all the other things on the side, and to miss the wonder of Jesus in this season. 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:45.740 I have a friend who this last year wrote and published his first novel. 00:00:46.260 --> 00:00:49.299 But before he did that, he took a writing course at university. 00:00:49.299 --> 00:01:01.519 And on this writing course, they told him, when you write a novel, if your first three sentences don't grip your reader, you're never going to get it published, and you're certain your book will never be read, right? 00:01:02.859 --> 00:01:05.719 Somebody should have told Matthew that bit of advice. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:17.799 Matthew starts off the most widely read book, the most translated book in the entire world, the book that's been published and produced and sold more copies than anything else in the world, 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:23.979 with this long list of 42 names, half of which we can't even pronounce. 00:01:24.819 --> 00:01:28.019 And you might think, what a way to begin a book of the Bible. 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:29.879 What a way to begin the New Testament. 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:35.140 And yet, hidden in these 17 verses are a couple of gems, of diamonds, 00:01:35.819 --> 00:01:40.780 that will help us understand so much of what the entire Bible, the gospel, is all about. 00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:45.859 Why the gospel, why Christmas really is a season of good news, of great joy. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:47.400 And so, let's dive in. 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:55.459 Now, Tim Keller, in his book called Hidden Christmas, he makes a very simple but important observation about the way that Matthew starts his gospel. 00:01:56.019 --> 00:02:01.379 And he says that Matthew doesn't start his account of Jesus the way most people start a story. 00:02:01.859 --> 00:02:05.780 When most people start a story, you say something like this, once upon a time, right? 00:02:05.900 --> 00:02:08.159 Or in a castle far, far away. 00:02:08.500 --> 00:02:11.259 Or there was once a man that had 12 fingers and 12 toes. 00:02:11.359 --> 00:02:12.500 Or whatever it is, okay? 00:02:13.060 --> 00:02:15.079 And when you hear that, what do you think? 00:02:15.620 --> 00:02:17.300 You think, this is going to be an interesting story. 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:18.860 Maybe a great adventure. 00:02:19.320 --> 00:02:20.540 But it's probably not true. 00:02:21.600 --> 00:02:23.700 But Matthew doesn't start off in any of those ways. 00:02:24.219 --> 00:02:25.980 Matthew starts off, how does he start off with? 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:27.480 He starts off with the facts. 00:02:28.120 --> 00:02:30.700 He says, now this is the genealogy of Jesus. 00:02:30.699 --> 00:02:38.519 Now, if English isn't your first language, genealogy is a big word that just means lineage, the bloodline of your descendants, your ancestors. 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.200 And so Matthew starts off with the facts. 00:02:41.400 --> 00:02:42.860 He says, this is how it began. 00:02:43.100 --> 00:02:44.140 This is the story. 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:46.200 This is the fact of how Jesus came about. 00:02:46.600 --> 00:02:52.400 And the reason he's doing that is because Matthew's not just trying to give us a good story with a moral to observe. 00:02:53.040 --> 00:02:59.660 Matthew's not saying, let me tell you a story and there's a good principle or for some good advice for how to make a success of your life. 00:03:00.219 --> 00:03:01.340 He's coming with an announcement. 00:03:01.920 --> 00:03:03.120 He's coming with some news. 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:06.240 He's saying, here's something I want you to sit up and take note of. 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:07.400 Not just good advice. 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:08.860 Here's some good news. 00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:10.500 And what is his good news? 00:03:10.500 --> 00:03:13.000 What is his announcement that he wants us to take note of? 00:03:13.420 --> 00:03:16.400 Well, there's at least three things in this passage that we see this morning. 00:03:16.740 --> 00:03:17.819 The first one is this. 00:03:18.539 --> 00:03:24.480 Matthew's going to tell us that Christmas is all about the good news of God's incredible faithfulness. 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:27.000 The good news of God's incredible faithfulness. 00:03:27.420 --> 00:03:29.879 Look at how verse 1 starts off. 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:31.000 He goes like this. 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:36.659 This is the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:39.500 Now, remember, who's Matthew's audience here? 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:43.360 He's writing to, obviously, first century readers. 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:44.819 But he's writing specifically. 00:03:45.699 --> 00:03:47.039 Hey, sorry to interrupt sentence. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:48.920 Sam and Jackie, welcome. 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:50.259 It's great to have you guys. 00:03:50.539 --> 00:03:53.139 I don't know if it's your first Sunday, but they've just had a baby, Emily. 00:03:53.500 --> 00:03:54.639 It's great to have you guys. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:55.920 Oh, there she is. 00:03:56.539 --> 00:03:58.280 Nika has stolen Emily already. 00:03:58.280 --> 00:04:00.840 And wonderful to have you guys back here. 00:04:01.080 --> 00:04:02.379 Sorry about that mid-sentence. 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:03.219 I just saw you guys. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:04.099 Welcome to have you back. 00:04:05.099 --> 00:04:09.780 Okay, so as we were saying, Matthew is writing to first century Jewish men and women. 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:11.900 He's not writing to Gentiles. 00:04:12.199 --> 00:04:17.639 He's specifically writing to those that are familiar with the Old Testament scriptures, those who had known the story. 00:04:17.639 --> 00:04:25.240 And so he's going to say a whole lot of things that aren't in detail, but to the original audience, it's like a footnote or a hyperlink. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:29.099 They would have known the back story behind the sentence that he throws out. 00:04:29.919 --> 00:04:32.740 And he starts off with this list. 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:44.360 And in this list, or let me say, in ancient times, a family's lineage, a family's genealogy, their long family tree, was a very important part of one's identity. 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:46.980 Okay, these days we're a bit more individualistic. 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:50.019 And so I think, you know, my grandparents, that's their life. 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:51.480 I'm going to be my own person. 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:58.920 But in ancient times, your family history and your family name and your family lineage spoke a lot about who you were. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:00.340 It spoke to your identity. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:03.620 It was a statement about who you were. 00:05:03.700 --> 00:05:08.000 And in many ways, a genealogy like this was somebody's resume. 00:05:08.520 --> 00:05:12.300 You come and you apply for the job and say, so who's your father? 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:13.520 What's your family name? 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:15.060 It gave you credentials. 00:05:15.220 --> 00:05:18.100 It spoke about whether you were a trustworthy person or not. 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:22.700 Now, you don't need to raise your hand here, but a hypothetical question. 00:05:23.200 --> 00:05:30.600 How many of us here, in applying for a job, have, you know, slightly tweaked or exaggerated our resumes in the past? 00:05:30.840 --> 00:05:32.100 Okay, you don't need to put up your hand. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:33.460 Thank you, Harry. 00:05:35.460 --> 00:05:41.080 Maybe you haven't been completely dishonest, but maybe some of the lesser parts that you don't want, you know, 00:05:41.080 --> 00:05:46.660 just put in size three font at the bottom as a footnote, and your better accomplishments are kind of bold. 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:51.160 Or you kind of put your resume in such a way that it sheds a positive light in you. 00:05:51.520 --> 00:05:53.760 Now, in the ancient culture, people did that as well. 00:05:54.260 --> 00:05:56.600 But the way that they did it, they did it with the genealogies. 00:05:56.680 --> 00:05:58.900 They would leave out certain names that were embarrassment. 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:00.560 They would highlight other names. 00:06:01.020 --> 00:06:05.440 In fact, King Herod, who was the king of Israel at that time, the Romans had kind of made him king, 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:11.959 he was so embarrassed by the fact that his genealogy included Jews and non-Jews. 00:06:11.959 --> 00:06:16.779 He was half Jew, half Edomite, that he had the official records destroyed in the temple 00:06:16.779 --> 00:06:21.220 in case anyone else kind of claimed a pure pedigree and therefore the right to the throne. 00:06:21.779 --> 00:06:26.659 And so his pedigree, his genealogy was a statement about who he was. 00:06:26.699 --> 00:06:28.199 It was his resume, his credentials. 00:06:28.199 --> 00:06:32.219 And so Matthew starts off his gospel with Jesus like this. 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:34.240 And he's giving Jesus credentials. 00:06:34.979 --> 00:06:37.579 You see, Jesus was, at this time, he was well-known. 00:06:37.699 --> 00:06:38.639 He had done some miracles. 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:40.339 He had got a crowd, a gathering. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:43.000 People would have known about this Jesus of Nazareth. 00:06:43.379 --> 00:06:44.099 But who was he? 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:46.839 Was he just this right-wing political leader? 00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:49.399 Was he a radical that could get a crowd going? 00:06:49.779 --> 00:06:50.919 What were his credentials? 00:06:50.920 --> 00:06:57.520 And so Matthew writes this to say, this Jesus of Nazareth wasn't just this flash-in-the-pan 00:06:57.520 --> 00:06:59.939 kind of guy out there that could gather a crowd. 00:07:00.280 --> 00:07:02.140 He wasn't just this strange political figure. 00:07:02.660 --> 00:07:08.060 Actually, Jesus' heritage is every bit as Jewish as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:07:08.700 --> 00:07:10.900 Jesus' credentials is that he's the real deal. 00:07:11.500 --> 00:07:15.379 Jesus has walked, in a sense, every step of the way with the nation of Israel through 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:17.520 his lineage and through his ancestors. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:22.719 And so before Matthew even gets to the manger or the stable or anything about Christmas, 00:07:23.379 --> 00:07:29.519 Matthew's establishing that Jesus is a profound statement of God's faithfulness. 00:07:30.139 --> 00:07:30.259 Okay? 00:07:30.680 --> 00:07:32.899 So he's establishing Jesus' credentials. 00:07:33.099 --> 00:07:34.419 But there's something else going on here. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:40.599 Because in the Old Testament book of Genesis, in the original languages, the book of Genesis 00:07:40.599 --> 00:07:41.560 isn't called Genesis. 00:07:41.799 --> 00:07:43.759 It's actually called the book of genealogies. 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:46.099 Because there's so many lists of names in there. 00:07:46.100 --> 00:07:50.920 And so when Matthew writes and he says, this is the genealogy of Jesus, to the average 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:55.060 Jewish person in the first century, that would have rung a bell and said, hey, that reminds 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:56.040 me of the book of Genesis. 00:07:56.840 --> 00:07:58.340 And what happened in the book of Genesis? 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:00.260 Why is Matthew taking them back there? 00:08:00.680 --> 00:08:01.600 Well, a couple of things. 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:04.120 Right in the beginning, we hear about God's creation. 00:08:04.780 --> 00:08:07.400 God made the world perfect and beautiful. 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:10.800 And he makes the pinnacle of creation mankind and womankind. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.680 And he makes us in his image to reflect his glory and to reflect his beauty. 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:19.639 And then he says to mankind and womankind, I'm entrusting creation to your care for stewardship. 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:21.259 I want you to look after it. 00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:26.759 And so in the Garden of Eden, we encounter this place of incredible peace and justice and 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:27.360 righteousness. 00:08:27.900 --> 00:08:31.160 Mankind looking after one another and God's creation. 00:08:31.580 --> 00:08:33.360 The Bible word for this was shalom. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:38.039 A place of wholeness and well-being where there was no injustice, no hatred, nothing wrong 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:38.399 with the world. 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:41.460 The place of incredible peace and righteousness. 00:08:41.879 --> 00:08:44.919 But it's not long after that that we encounter the fall. 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:47.560 Mankind, we decide to go our own way. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:49.800 We decide to be our own God. 00:08:49.899 --> 00:08:52.060 And we decide to say, actually, God, we don't need to follow you. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:53.120 We'll be our own God. 00:08:53.220 --> 00:08:55.220 And we pursue our own glory. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:57.840 And things start going from bad to worse. 00:08:57.920 --> 00:09:01.779 In Genesis chapter 4, we have Cain rise up and he kills his brother Abel. 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:03.059 There's then incest. 00:09:03.179 --> 00:09:05.259 There's fathers sleeping with their daughters-in-law. 00:09:05.459 --> 00:09:07.779 Things just go bad and worse and worse. 00:09:07.899 --> 00:09:10.500 In chapter 6, we get Noah and the flood. 00:09:10.959 --> 00:09:15.419 And eventually, things are getting so bad that in chapter 11, the people, in fact, the urban 00:09:15.419 --> 00:09:21.779 city dwellers, the educated, sophisticated, much like us Hong Kongers, we band together 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:26.299 and we say, let's build a tower to the skies and make a name for ourselves. 00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.339 Let's build a tower that will demonstrate we are like God. 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:30.799 We've got this thing together. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.479 And so, they build this big tower called the Tower of Babel. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:36.199 And that doesn't end so well. 00:09:36.319 --> 00:09:40.120 God disperses everyone and there's hatred and there's angst and there's fighting and 00:09:40.120 --> 00:09:43.259 there's misunderstanding and things just aren't going well. 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:45.159 And all this is because of the fall. 00:09:46.299 --> 00:09:49.179 And then after that, Genesis chapter 12, God finds a man. 00:09:49.819 --> 00:09:52.579 And he's not a particularly wealthy man or rich man. 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:53.500 He's just an ordinary man. 00:09:53.539 --> 00:09:54.259 His name's Abraham. 00:09:54.959 --> 00:09:57.899 And God calls him and he says, Abraham, I've got to make a promise. 00:09:57.899 --> 00:09:59.480 In fact, what the Bible calls a covenant. 00:10:00.340 --> 00:10:05.919 And his promise is this, that God says, Abraham, though you're imperfect, though you're sinful 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:12.240 and you make mistakes, by my grace and my kindness alone, I'm going to bless the whole world, all the 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:14.299 nations through you and through your lineage. 00:10:14.759 --> 00:10:19.480 Through you and your descendants, all the nations of the world will be blessed by me. 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:24.039 Now, this is an extravagant promise because when God says, I'll bless you, when we think 00:10:24.039 --> 00:10:28.659 of blessing, we sometimes think prosperity and a good job and money and kids in the right 00:10:28.659 --> 00:10:29.759 school and a good house. 00:10:30.180 --> 00:10:34.120 But when God's saying, I'll bless you, he wasn't just talking about land and resources. 00:10:34.800 --> 00:10:38.820 God, in effect, was saying, the thing that went wrong in the Garden of Eden, the fall, 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:40.539 I'm going to reverse that. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:45.360 Through you and your descendants, I'm going to start to make right everything that was wrong 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:45.759 with the world. 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:48.939 You see, because of the fall, the world was fractured. 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:53.279 It wasn't completely broken, but it was fractured, like a piece of glass that's been shattered. 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:57.939 It wasn't all on the floor, but you couldn't see clear the world was not the way that God 00:10:57.939 --> 00:10:59.039 had intended it to be. 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:04.779 And so God makes this incredible promise to Abraham that through Abraham and his descendants, 00:11:04.939 --> 00:11:06.039 God is going to bless the world. 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:07.439 He's going to reverse the fall. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:12.519 And so in the New Testament, the apostle Paul says that God preached the gospel to Abraham, 00:11:12.700 --> 00:11:15.139 saying through you and your descendants, I'll bless the world. 00:11:15.139 --> 00:11:19.799 Through one of your lineage, I will turn around everything that's gone wrong with the world, 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:21.899 and I'll start to make it right again. 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:28.519 And so Matthew starts off his gospel with this, Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham. 00:11:29.379 --> 00:11:30.080 Son of Abraham. 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:34.860 And then Abraham dies, and he passed on the promise to his son Isaac, and Isaac passed on 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:37.879 to Jacob, and Jacob has 12 children, and the promise gets passed on. 00:11:38.199 --> 00:11:42.139 And throughout the Old Testament, the promise is that through you people, there's going to 00:11:42.139 --> 00:11:44.559 become one who will put right everything that's wrong with the world. 00:11:45.059 --> 00:11:48.480 And eventually his promise gets passed on, and there's high moments, and there's low moments, 00:11:48.519 --> 00:11:49.960 and there's good times and bad times. 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:52.279 And eventually the climax is this king. 00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:55.080 He's the first true king of Israel, and his name is David. 00:11:55.659 --> 00:11:57.319 And David is an amazing king. 00:11:57.740 --> 00:11:58.980 David, he wasn't perfect. 00:11:59.100 --> 00:12:00.000 He made some mistakes. 00:12:00.299 --> 00:12:02.500 Like Abraham, he wasn't particularly special. 00:12:02.819 --> 00:12:03.879 He was just a shepherd boy. 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:07.720 But God chooses him, and he becomes the greatest king that Israel have. 00:12:08.460 --> 00:12:11.220 And it's during David's rule that Israel flourishes. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:12.240 There's peace. 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:13.159 There's prosperity. 00:12:13.379 --> 00:12:14.080 There's security. 00:12:14.299 --> 00:12:15.299 Things are going right. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:17.860 Israel is not at war that much anymore. 00:12:18.279 --> 00:12:21.679 And it's during David's rule and reign that Israel flourishes. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:24.740 It's during David's rule that Israel is a light to the Gentiles. 00:12:25.059 --> 00:12:30.899 It's during David's rule that Israel most experienced the shalom and the peace that they lost in 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:31.720 the Garden of Eden. 00:12:31.720 --> 00:12:36.080 And during David's rule, David shows incredible kindness and grace to his enemies, 00:12:36.180 --> 00:12:37.220 to people that have wronged him. 00:12:37.300 --> 00:12:38.759 He invites them back. 00:12:39.500 --> 00:12:42.460 And so to David, God makes the same promise as he did to Abraham. 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:44.600 He says, one of your descendants will come after you. 00:12:44.899 --> 00:12:48.920 I'll raise him up to be a king like you, and he will come from your bloodline, 00:12:48.960 --> 00:12:51.860 and I'll establish his kingdom forever. 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:58.019 And so in answer to the question, Matthew is answering this question, 00:12:58.100 --> 00:12:59.160 who is this Jesus guy? 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:00.500 Is he just a radical? 00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:03.100 And Matthew answers the question and says, 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:08.360 this Jesus Christ is the son of Abraham, the son of David. 00:13:09.100 --> 00:13:10.779 Friends, you see what Matthew's telling us here? 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.200 You see what he's saying? 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:17.940 He's saying, this Jesus is the one that has been promised ever since the time of the beginning of the world. 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.299 This Jesus, the Christ, is the promised descendant of David. 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:25.199 He said, this Christ through whom the whole world will find their blessing. 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:29.319 This is the Christ through whom the fractured world is being put right again. 00:13:30.219 --> 00:13:35.699 Friends, sometimes it seems like God's promises are slow and take forever to come to us. 00:13:36.219 --> 00:13:38.219 Sometimes, imagine the people of Israel, right? 00:13:38.220 --> 00:13:43.840 God gives them his promises, and then David is king, and things are going right, and things start to deteriorate. 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.500 And year after year after year, they're crying out, God, where are you? 00:13:47.940 --> 00:13:49.420 We thought you'd promised us goodness. 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:51.660 We thought we were your special people. 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:53.879 And God says, I'm sending the one. 00:13:53.879 --> 00:13:58.200 And then they wait longer, and then they die, and the next generation, God, where are you? 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:02.379 And generation after generation has been waiting for the promise. 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:10.740 And then after the exile, they come back, and for 400 years, God is silent. 00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:14.919 Not a prophet, not a word, nothing. 00:14:16.439 --> 00:14:18.620 And the nation of Israel is wondering, where are you, God? 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:20.639 Have you forgotten us? 00:14:20.639 --> 00:14:24.139 But maybe all those promises, we can't really depend on you. 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:30.740 Friends, Matthew's telling us that at Christmastime, the story of Christmas, is that though it may take a long time, 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:35.480 though it may seem slow, though it may seem like God has forgotten us, 00:14:35.939 --> 00:14:38.500 God delivers on his promise. 00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:44.480 All those promises that God made thousands of years ago to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:48.220 the people of Israel, and to David, and to kingdom after kingdom after kingdom, 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:51.899 all those promises God delivered on his word. 00:14:52.300 --> 00:14:53.899 Tim Keller says it like this. 00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:56.420 You cannot judge God by your calendar. 00:14:57.300 --> 00:15:00.940 He may appear slow, but he never forgets his promises. 00:15:01.680 --> 00:15:04.800 He may seem to be working very slowly, even forgetting his promises. 00:15:05.259 --> 00:15:07.879 But when his promises come true, and they will come true, 00:15:08.279 --> 00:15:11.899 they always burst the banks of what you imagined. 00:15:11.899 --> 00:15:19.039 In the book of Isaiah, there's this one instance where the king of Israel's name is Ahaz, 00:15:19.699 --> 00:15:21.399 and Jerusalem is surrounded. 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:25.399 The enemies are all around, and he's in deep trouble. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:27.039 There's a siege going on. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:28.019 They've got no hope. 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.039 The enemy is there. 00:15:29.139 --> 00:15:30.299 If you go right, the enemy is there. 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:31.840 If you go left, the enemy is there. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.059 And so Ahaz cries out and says, God, where are you? 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:36.220 Have you forgotten us? 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:37.879 And God sends him a word. 00:15:37.960 --> 00:15:39.019 He sends Isaiah the prophet. 00:15:39.019 --> 00:15:43.220 And Isaiah comes to him and says, Ahaz, God hasn't forgotten his word to you. 00:15:43.939 --> 00:15:46.360 And so he says, God will give you a sign. 00:15:46.939 --> 00:15:47.919 And this is the sign. 00:15:48.539 --> 00:15:51.600 The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son. 00:15:52.179 --> 00:15:56.220 And his name will be Emmanuel, which means God is with us. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.899 Friends, Christmas is the time when God delivers on his promise. 00:16:00.059 --> 00:16:03.480 Christmas is a profound statement of the faithfulness of God. 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:05.740 Friends, I don't know what challenge you're going through. 00:16:05.740 --> 00:16:25.159 I don't know what difficulties you face, but the baby from Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham, the son of David, promises that though it may appear slow, though there may be twists and turns, and though it may not work out exactly as you wish, when God promises not to leave you or forsake you, he delivers on his word. 00:16:25.899 --> 00:16:29.379 This is Jesus Christ, the son of Abraham, the son of David. 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:32.220 Good news of God's great faithfulness. 00:16:32.580 --> 00:16:32.740 Okay? 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:33.639 First thing. 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:34.440 Second thing is this. 00:16:34.440 --> 00:16:36.860 The good news of God's incredible grace. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.520 Now, second time for confession. 00:16:40.780 --> 00:16:40.840 Okay? 00:16:41.180 --> 00:16:52.700 How many of us, when we read the book of Matthew, and you start verse 1, the book of Jesus, son of David, son of Abraham, and then we get to the names and we skip them all and go to verse 18. 00:16:53.140 --> 00:16:53.720 Anyone else? 00:16:53.820 --> 00:16:55.020 Okay, a few more hands, right? 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:57.420 I get that temptation. 00:16:57.540 --> 00:16:58.320 I've done that as well. 00:16:58.860 --> 00:17:02.800 But in this list of names, we actually discover something incredible. 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:10.399 In fact, in this list of long names, we discover the very heart of the gospel, the whole message of what the New Testament is all about. 00:17:10.899 --> 00:17:17.839 See, in ancient genealogies, the record of ancestors would always include the fathers, never the mothers. 00:17:18.259 --> 00:17:18.419 Okay? 00:17:19.139 --> 00:17:24.419 So it always could, you know, this man fathered this guy, then he fathered this guy, and then he fathered this guy. 00:17:24.420 --> 00:17:28.220 And so ancient genealogies never included any mothers in the list. 00:17:28.660 --> 00:17:31.900 But Matthew includes four mothers in addition to Mary. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:32.460 Okay? 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:37.800 But as we dig a little deeper, we discover there's something interesting about these mothers. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:42.300 All four of these ladies are not just, it's not just unusual that they're included. 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:43.000 That as well. 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:45.080 Matthew, in fact, goes out of his way to include them. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:47.640 But there's something unusual about each one of them. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.200 Each one of these ladies is a non-Jew. 00:17:50.900 --> 00:17:51.100 Okay? 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:52.880 Outside of the covenant people of God. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.200 Or one of them may have been Jewish, but married a non-Jew. 00:17:55.660 --> 00:18:06.700 But something even more than that, all four of these ladies have some scandalous story involved in their lives or their marriage or sexual relationships that make them ashamed to their family. 00:18:06.700 --> 00:18:09.360 Some reason why you wouldn't want them in your family tree. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:13.840 Some reason why you'd want to, you know, put them in font three in the bottom of your resume. 00:18:14.100 --> 00:18:14.300 Right? 00:18:14.819 --> 00:18:17.359 And yet Matthew goes out of his way to include them. 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:18.440 Let's look at them. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.399 Let's look at verse three. 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:23.720 Now, just by the way, the ladies aren't the only scandalous one in the list. 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:23.980 Okay? 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.180 The men are pretty dodgy themselves as well. 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:28.019 But that was to be expected. 00:18:28.139 --> 00:18:29.819 But the ladies, it wasn't expected. 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:30.899 And so let's pick up on it. 00:18:30.919 --> 00:18:31.639 Look at verse three. 00:18:32.159 --> 00:18:32.940 Matthew says this. 00:18:32.940 --> 00:18:36.559 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:39.799 Now, Matthew's writing to this Jewish audience. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.960 And the average Jewish man or woman, these words would be absolutely shocking. 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:46.200 Because the story behind this is this. 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:48.039 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:18:48.319 --> 00:18:49.519 Jacob has 12 sons. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:50.839 The fourth one is Judah. 00:18:51.039 --> 00:18:54.480 And Judah's the one chosen by God through which the Messiah is going to come. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:57.899 And now Judah has three boys. 00:18:58.339 --> 00:18:59.539 The first one is called Ur. 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:01.500 Ur marries this lady called Tamar. 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:04.379 And then Ur dies. 00:19:04.380 --> 00:19:08.640 And so Tamar, who is a non-Jew, she's a Canaanite, she dies. 00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:12.660 Her husband dies and leaves her widow but also childless. 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:15.860 And so she's got no one to look after her in her old age. 00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:17.680 She's got no one to continue the family line. 00:19:18.080 --> 00:19:20.560 And so she thinks, I need a son. 00:19:20.680 --> 00:19:21.400 I need a child. 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:23.740 But there's no one around to marry her. 00:19:24.540 --> 00:19:30.500 And one day, her father-in-law, Judah, passes the village where she lives and goes on to the next village. 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:32.200 And she hears that Judah passes by. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:36.259 Now Judah, as her father-in-law, should have taken responsibility for her. 00:19:36.299 --> 00:19:38.460 He should have brought into the family and taken care of her. 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:39.079 But he doesn't. 00:19:39.180 --> 00:19:42.119 So Judah doesn't behave that very justly either. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:48.740 But Tamar, this Canaanite, dresses up as a prostitute and waits on the side of the road for Judah to come by. 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:50.519 And Judah comes back. 00:19:50.900 --> 00:19:52.940 And she's got a veil so he doesn't know who she is. 00:19:53.259 --> 00:19:55.240 And she seduces him to sleep with her. 00:19:56.019 --> 00:19:59.380 And Tamar then falls pregnant with these two twins. 00:19:59.380 --> 00:20:08.160 And so here is Tamar, who falls pregnant by seducing her father-in-law, pretending to be a prostitute. 00:20:08.420 --> 00:20:12.080 And through this family line comes the Messiah. 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:16.260 Now Matthew could have just written and said, you know, Judah was the father of Perez. 00:20:16.360 --> 00:20:17.720 And Perez was the father of Hezron. 00:20:17.860 --> 00:20:19.820 And just kind of like skipped over the whole incident. 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:20.540 But he doesn't. 00:20:21.000 --> 00:20:21.580 Look what he says. 00:20:21.580 --> 00:20:27.380 He says, Judah fathered Perez by Tamar, his daughter-in-law. 00:20:27.580 --> 00:20:29.140 And he's telling us something here. 00:20:29.140 --> 00:20:32.900 He's bringing attention to the fact that Tamar is involved in Jesus' lineage. 00:20:33.360 --> 00:20:34.340 And then look at verse 5. 00:20:34.420 --> 00:20:37.880 It says, Matthew tells us Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab. 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:40.060 Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth. 00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:42.660 And Obed was the grandfather of David. 00:20:43.100 --> 00:20:45.560 Here we have two more women, Rahab and Ruth. 00:20:46.100 --> 00:20:47.940 Now Rahab was also a Canaanite. 00:20:47.980 --> 00:20:48.900 She lived from Jericho. 00:20:49.300 --> 00:20:50.520 She was also a prostitute. 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:52.720 Remember, she was called Rahab the harlot. 00:20:52.780 --> 00:20:53.500 That was her name. 00:20:53.940 --> 00:20:55.700 And Ruth, we know, was a Moabite. 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:56.900 She wasn't a Jewish lady. 00:20:57.259 --> 00:20:59.400 And the Moabites were the enemies of God's people. 00:20:59.880 --> 00:21:02.900 They worshipped Chimesh, the child sacrificing God. 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:09.759 And so here you have two more non-Jewish people that are brought into God's family tree, the lineage of Jesus. 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:11.359 But then there's one more. 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:12.519 Look at verse 6b. 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:17.299 It says, and David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah. 00:21:17.519 --> 00:21:19.319 Now here Matthew doesn't even name her. 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:21.259 Who's the wife of Uriah? 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:22.000 Can you remember? 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:24.220 Bathsheba, right? 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:26.779 Okay, so if you need a church, the story is this. 00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:29.720 King David, the greatest king that Israel ever had. 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:31.759 He was great, but he wasn't perfect. 00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:34.940 One day he's kind of established his kingdom. 00:21:35.339 --> 00:21:36.480 He's the king of Israel. 00:21:36.639 --> 00:21:37.480 Things are going well. 00:21:37.579 --> 00:21:38.579 There's peace in Israel. 00:21:39.019 --> 00:21:40.440 There's a little bit of war on the borders. 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:43.940 And so he sends his army to the border to go and deal with that skirmish. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:45.740 But he's at home. 00:21:45.960 --> 00:21:48.059 And he's walking on the rooftop of his palace. 00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:53.980 And he sees down below, on the roof of one of the houses down there, there's this young lady taking a bath. 00:21:54.440 --> 00:21:55.980 And she looks really beautiful. 00:21:56.320 --> 00:21:57.860 And so he thinks, I want her. 00:21:58.840 --> 00:22:02.700 And so he sends a messenger and says, hey, who lives in that house down there, just by the way? 00:22:03.160 --> 00:22:06.160 And they say, oh, that's Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:08.380 Now David knows Uriah. 00:22:08.380 --> 00:22:10.180 He's in the front lines of the army. 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:13.360 And so he calls Bathsheba, summons her to his palace. 00:22:13.600 --> 00:22:15.580 And being king, he gets what he wants, right? 00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:21.840 A few weeks later, months later, Bathsheba sends a message to the palace saying, pass this on to David. 00:22:21.940 --> 00:22:24.700 And the message says, I'm pregnant with your child. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.140 And so David quickly comes up with a plan. 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:30.299 He says, hey, bring Uriah back from the front lines. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:32.580 And he says, Uriah, you've been fighting very hard. 00:22:32.840 --> 00:22:34.680 Why don't you go to a date night with your wife? 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:37.140 Take her out for a nice meal and spend the evening with her. 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:40.700 And he's hoping that then he will sleep with his wife. 00:22:40.780 --> 00:22:44.160 And then when she's pregnant, everyone will say, oh, it's Uriah's son, right? 00:22:44.600 --> 00:22:50.480 But Uriah says, hey, I can't go and spend the night with my wife when all my men are camping out in the field. 00:22:51.200 --> 00:22:53.100 I'm more honorable than that. 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:57.219 And so he sleeps outside of his house and he doesn't go to his wife Bathsheba. 00:22:58.119 --> 00:23:00.240 And so David says, oh, this plan hasn't worked very well. 00:23:00.539 --> 00:23:06.719 And so David sends a message back with Uriah to the general saying, make sure that Uriah gets killed in battle. 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:08.919 And so Uriah goes into battle. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.019 All his friends retreat, leave him on the front, and he dies in battle. 00:23:12.679 --> 00:23:14.319 And David then marries Bathsheba. 00:23:14.659 --> 00:23:18.059 The child that Bathsheba is carrying dies soon after childbirth. 00:23:18.059 --> 00:23:21.179 But they have another son, and that son is Solomon. 00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:26.879 And it's through Solomon that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, comes. 00:23:28.159 --> 00:23:33.139 It's through Solomon that this tangled, twisted, gnarled family tree of Jesus continues. 00:23:34.059 --> 00:23:39.059 And so on one hand, we have here David, this greatest king of Israel ever, during his reign flushed. 00:23:39.099 --> 00:23:44.079 But also through David, this conflicted man that also murders this guy and sleeps with his wife. 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:51.699 And what Matthew is telling us here is that even the very best men are only in the family tree by God's grace. 00:23:52.519 --> 00:23:55.240 And so Matthew here is including all this in Jesus' resume. 00:23:55.439 --> 00:23:57.099 And it would have been so easy to skip over. 00:23:57.619 --> 00:24:06.759 But on one hand, he's building a case for Jesus' own mother, Mary, this unwed teenage mom, saying, listen, don't count her out too quickly because Jesus' heritage includes all these other people. 00:24:07.179 --> 00:24:08.980 But on the other hand, Matthew is telling us something. 00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:11.079 And what's Matthew trying to tell us? 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:14.000 Why does he include all this in Jesus' resume? 00:24:14.639 --> 00:24:15.599 What's going on here? 00:24:16.059 --> 00:24:21.079 Well, he's telling us that at the heart of the Christmas story is a Savior who came for sinners. 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:28.879 He's telling us that the heart of the Christmas story is God who came into a broken world, a broken world that didn't have it all together. 00:24:29.339 --> 00:24:35.199 That Jesus came to be with people who had messed up and made mistakes and made poor choices. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:47.519 That throughout Matthew's gospel, he's going to tell us again and again and again that Jesus, though he's king, though he's the long-awaited Messiah, though he's the ancient of days, he's the promised one from thousands of years ago. 00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:55.559 That Jesus is the one who's come to welcome to himself broken sinners like you and a broken sinner like me. 00:24:55.559 --> 00:24:59.940 That those, Jesus would later on say, those who are well have no need of a physician. 00:25:00.359 --> 00:25:03.759 Those who have got it all together, hey, you probably think you don't need me. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:05.579 I've come for those that are hurting. 00:25:05.700 --> 00:25:06.879 I've come for those that are broken. 00:25:07.039 --> 00:25:08.839 I've come for sinners. 00:25:09.679 --> 00:25:13.759 Friends, right at the beginning of Matthew's gospel, Matthew's giving us the gospel. 00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:15.700 That Jesus came for you and I. 00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:18.960 My virtual friend, Tim Keller, says it like this. 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:26.920 Matthew's telling us that no one, not even the greatest human kings like David, do not need the grace of Jesus. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:33.299 And that there's no one, not even the worst human being, who can fail to receive the grace of Jesus if there's repentance and faith. 00:25:33.799 --> 00:25:43.259 In Jesus Christ, king and prostitute, male and female, Jew and Gentile, one race and another, moral and immoral, all sit down as equals. 00:25:43.740 --> 00:25:47.660 Equally sinful and lost, equally accepted and loved. 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:52.480 And friends, that's why Christmas is the announcement of the good news of great joy. 00:25:53.140 --> 00:26:03.759 The angels came to tell us it's the good news that all of us, all of us, every one of us, no matter what your pedigree or your history or your heritage or your ancestors, 00:26:04.340 --> 00:26:14.220 whether you come from royalty or you were born under a bridge, doesn't matter who you are, that all of us, Christ has come to rescue us and to redeem us. 00:26:14.220 --> 00:26:18.579 Christ has come to take a fractured, broken world and to bring healing and restoration. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:24.019 Christ has come to the darkest parts of our world and our hearts and come to shine his light. 00:26:24.660 --> 00:26:32.980 Friends, the story of Christmas tells us that though all of us in various ways and forms have sought our own glory, sought to be our own gods, 00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:38.599 though all of us love and serve and trust the variety of gods, Jesus came for us. 00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:40.740 Jesus came to rescue us. 00:26:41.259 --> 00:26:43.099 Jesus came to bring us into his family. 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:47.319 There's an amazing verse in the Gospels where it says, 00:26:47.319 --> 00:26:54.319 To all those who receive him, Jesus gave the right to become sons and daughters of God. 00:26:54.980 --> 00:26:58.240 And then in Hebrews it says, Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers. 00:26:59.179 --> 00:27:03.720 Jesus is not ashamed to include broken men and women like you and I in his own family tree. 00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:09.839 And throughout the Gospels we see Jesus associating and welcoming with the broken and the hurting of the world. 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:13.740 And he says, come, I include you in my family. 00:27:13.740 --> 00:27:17.620 Jesus came for those of us whose sin is obvious and blatant. 00:27:18.099 --> 00:27:20.920 And he came for those of us whose sin is private and well hidden. 00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:26.380 Jesus came for those of us whose brokenness is on display for all to see. 00:27:27.059 --> 00:27:29.240 And he came for those of us who hide it so well. 00:27:29.940 --> 00:27:33.019 He came to bring us into his family. 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:36.920 And by including all these non-Jewish people into his list, 00:27:37.059 --> 00:27:42.039 Matthew is telling us that Jesus is fulfilling exactly what he said to Abraham all those years ago. 00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:44.119 That it wasn't just the nation of Israel. 00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:51.079 To the ends of the earth, in the farthest corners of Hong Kong and South America and the Amazon of Forest, 00:27:51.379 --> 00:27:57.079 in the urban cities of Shanghai and Beijing and Delhi and London and New York, 00:27:57.659 --> 00:28:03.920 in the backwaters of Accra, Harare, Cape Town, Madagascar. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:08.119 Jesus has come to bring healing and wholeness to all the world. 00:28:08.119 --> 00:28:11.759 And so Matthew ends off his gospel like this with Jesus' great commission. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:17.000 Go therefore into all the nations of the world, telling them about the wonder of my love. 00:28:17.679 --> 00:28:23.799 Friends, the story of Christmas is the good news of God's incredible grace for sinners like you and I. 00:28:24.439 --> 00:28:25.699 Third thing and last is this. 00:28:26.099 --> 00:28:27.539 It's the good news of great rest. 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:31.779 So Christmas, the good news of God's great faithfulness, the good news of God's great grace, 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:33.819 the good news of God's great rest. 00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:35.480 This is a little technical. 00:28:35.679 --> 00:28:37.000 You need to think about this one. 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:39.139 You need to put your thinking hats on. 00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:39.500 You ready? 00:28:40.740 --> 00:28:41.779 Okay, thank you, Claire. 00:28:42.899 --> 00:28:43.819 Verse 17. 00:28:43.919 --> 00:28:44.939 Let's go to verse 17. 00:28:45.299 --> 00:28:46.399 Last verse says this. 00:28:46.819 --> 00:28:50.639 So all the generations from Abraham to David were 14 generations. 00:28:51.200 --> 00:28:54.539 And from David to the deportation to Babylon were 14 generations. 00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:57.939 And from Babylon to the Christ were 14 generations. 00:28:57.940 --> 00:28:58.420 Okay? 00:29:00.100 --> 00:29:02.519 Matthew's making a big deal of this 14 thing. 00:29:02.779 --> 00:29:02.920 Okay? 00:29:03.480 --> 00:29:09.000 And if you just have an English or a Chinese Bible, we might miss the significance of it. 00:29:09.360 --> 00:29:11.860 There's something about 14 that Matthew's onto. 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:12.180 Okay? 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:14.160 And we know this for two reasons. 00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:17.880 One, because Matthew hasn't actually included every generation. 00:29:18.100 --> 00:29:19.700 He's actually skipped a couple of generations. 00:29:19.960 --> 00:29:23.820 When you read the Old Testament, you see there's a few more layers in between some of the names. 00:29:23.819 --> 00:29:27.799 And that's fine because where he says, you know, so-and-so was the father of so-and-so, 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:29.980 that word father can also mean ancestor. 00:29:30.159 --> 00:29:31.279 So Matthew's not lying. 00:29:31.799 --> 00:29:37.359 But he's specifically arranged his writings so that there's 14 names, 14 names, 14 names. 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:37.679 Okay? 00:29:38.039 --> 00:29:38.960 Why is he doing that? 00:29:39.439 --> 00:29:40.339 But there's something else. 00:29:40.419 --> 00:29:43.579 Because in Hebrew, each letter has a numerical value. 00:29:43.720 --> 00:29:43.839 Okay? 00:29:43.939 --> 00:29:46.879 So, for instance, let's just pretend the English alphabet. 00:29:47.399 --> 00:29:48.200 A would be 1. 00:29:48.379 --> 00:29:49.200 B would be 2. 00:29:49.439 --> 00:29:50.220 C, 3. 00:29:50.359 --> 00:29:51.119 D, 4. 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:51.919 Et cetera, et cetera. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:55.420 In the Hebrew alphabet, every letter has a numerical value. 00:29:55.900 --> 00:29:58.400 And therefore, every word has a numerical value. 00:29:58.600 --> 00:29:58.740 Okay? 00:29:58.800 --> 00:29:59.180 You following? 00:30:00.560 --> 00:30:01.840 It's called a gemetria. 00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:02.340 Okay? 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:04.640 This word has a numerical value. 00:30:05.100 --> 00:30:08.180 The word David, which appears many times in our list. 00:30:08.279 --> 00:30:09.140 It keeps on coming up. 00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:11.740 The word David has the numerical value of 14. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.500 4, 6, 4. 00:30:13.779 --> 00:30:14.019 Okay? 00:30:14.840 --> 00:30:16.960 Why is Matthew onto this thing about 14? 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:18.700 What's so significant about 14? 00:30:18.700 --> 00:30:22.900 Well, the number 14 doesn't mean too much in the ancient Israel. 00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:24.940 But the number 7 does. 00:30:25.319 --> 00:30:25.480 Right? 00:30:26.420 --> 00:30:31.200 Remember in creation, God makes the world in 7 days. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:32.900 And on the 7th day, he rested. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:36.799 Throughout the Old Testament, the number 7 always speaks of completion. 00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:37.740 Of finality. 00:30:38.180 --> 00:30:39.660 Of achievement. 00:30:39.940 --> 00:30:40.819 Of rest. 00:30:41.400 --> 00:30:43.759 The end of 7, things come to its fulfillment. 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:44.799 A place of rest. 00:30:45.299 --> 00:30:47.019 So, God creates the world in 7 days. 00:30:47.019 --> 00:30:48.500 And on the 7th day, he rested. 00:30:49.019 --> 00:30:51.039 In the Old Testament, there's a law that said, 00:30:51.180 --> 00:30:53.539 Farmers, you can plow the land for 6 years. 00:30:53.619 --> 00:30:55.660 And then on the 7th year, you let the land rest. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:57.759 Farmers and the land must rest from their labors. 00:30:58.259 --> 00:30:59.480 And then there's this law that said, 00:30:59.740 --> 00:31:01.619 After 7 periods of 7 years, 00:31:01.980 --> 00:31:03.619 After the 49 years, 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:05.420 On the 50th year, the year of Jubilee, 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:06.879 All debts are canceled. 00:31:07.519 --> 00:31:08.379 Properties returned. 00:31:08.639 --> 00:31:09.460 No one works. 00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:10.740 It's the year of Jubilee. 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:12.539 And so, throughout the Old Testament, 00:31:12.680 --> 00:31:15.099 There's this constant number 7 that reoccurs. 00:31:15.700 --> 00:31:18.200 And 7 is constantly talking about achievement, 00:31:18.460 --> 00:31:20.559 Finality, the end of a series, 00:31:21.099 --> 00:31:23.019 A period of rest. 00:31:24.259 --> 00:31:26.440 Now, what's going on here? 00:31:27.480 --> 00:31:29.839 Matthew gives these 3 lists of 14. 00:31:30.579 --> 00:31:31.839 Another way of reading it is, 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:34.680 Matthew gives 6 lists of 7 names. 00:31:34.940 --> 00:31:35.180 Right? 00:31:35.180 --> 00:31:37.120 And then finally, 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:38.840 He comes to the 7th, 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:40.460 Beginning of the 7th list. 00:31:40.980 --> 00:31:42.160 And there's just one name. 00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:43.779 And who is that name? 00:31:44.620 --> 00:31:45.539 It's the name of Jesus. 00:31:46.519 --> 00:31:48.080 What's Matthew saying to us? 00:31:48.799 --> 00:31:50.500 He's saying that all the promises 00:31:50.500 --> 00:31:52.480 That started way back there, 00:31:52.900 --> 00:31:54.680 The covenant promises which God made 00:31:54.680 --> 00:31:55.539 In the desert places 00:31:55.539 --> 00:31:57.480 To this moon-worshipping pagan called Abraham, 00:31:57.680 --> 00:31:59.700 All the promises that God passed on 00:31:59.700 --> 00:32:00.360 To his descendants, 00:32:00.480 --> 00:32:02.600 And one day the entire world would be blessed. 00:32:03.019 --> 00:32:04.400 All the promises of God 00:32:04.400 --> 00:32:06.420 Which he kept on repeating and reiterating 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:08.600 Time and time and time again. 00:32:08.900 --> 00:32:11.220 The promises that God said over and over again 00:32:11.220 --> 00:32:12.820 That one day will come a Messiah. 00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:15.060 One day there'll be somebody who will deliver you. 00:32:15.340 --> 00:32:16.600 One day there'll come a king 00:32:16.600 --> 00:32:17.900 Who will sit on the throne 00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:19.820 And he will rule and reign forever. 00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:23.000 For generation after generation after generation, 00:32:23.200 --> 00:32:24.160 God's been promising 00:32:24.160 --> 00:32:25.420 And eventually, 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:27.200 He delivers His promise. 00:32:28.340 --> 00:32:30.240 And that person is Jesus. 00:32:30.940 --> 00:32:32.060 And so what Matthew is saying 00:32:32.059 --> 00:32:34.419 Is that finally after all these promises, 00:32:34.619 --> 00:32:36.419 The completion of the promises 00:32:36.419 --> 00:32:38.200 Are found in Jesus. 00:32:38.940 --> 00:32:40.419 This Jesus of Nazareth, 00:32:40.519 --> 00:32:41.039 This is Him. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:42.859 This Jesus lying in a manger 00:32:42.859 --> 00:32:45.299 Will come our true and our final rest. 00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:47.119 That finally in Jesus 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:49.919 We will find shalom once again. 00:32:50.740 --> 00:32:51.639 You see what Matthew is saying? 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:54.079 That in Jesus we find our rest. 00:32:54.700 --> 00:32:55.000 Now friends, 00:32:55.079 --> 00:32:56.259 What does this mean for you and I? 00:32:57.019 --> 00:32:57.960 It means that you and I 00:32:57.960 --> 00:32:59.140 Don't need to strive 00:32:59.140 --> 00:33:00.220 And work 00:33:00.220 --> 00:33:01.339 And struggle 00:33:01.339 --> 00:33:02.359 And fight 00:33:02.359 --> 00:33:03.500 To find our rest. 00:33:03.859 --> 00:33:04.920 We don't need to secure 00:33:04.920 --> 00:33:05.960 That hedge fund 00:33:05.960 --> 00:33:08.839 That final retirement package 00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:10.160 In order to find our rest. 00:33:10.299 --> 00:33:11.920 We don't need to find that spouse 00:33:11.920 --> 00:33:13.079 In order to find our rest. 00:33:13.339 --> 00:33:14.279 That the world promises 00:33:14.279 --> 00:33:15.720 That if only you have a child 00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:16.519 You'll be completed. 00:33:16.640 --> 00:33:17.640 If only you get married 00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:18.420 You'll be completed. 00:33:18.740 --> 00:33:20.420 If only you can land that job 00:33:20.420 --> 00:33:21.720 Or you can get that title 00:33:21.720 --> 00:33:23.839 You'll finally be somebody. 00:33:24.740 --> 00:33:25.639 And Matthew is telling us 00:33:25.639 --> 00:33:26.339 That those things 00:33:26.339 --> 00:33:27.220 That you're looking for 00:33:27.220 --> 00:33:28.039 Those things that 00:33:28.039 --> 00:33:29.679 That we think this will complete me. 00:33:29.779 --> 00:33:30.699 Those things that we think 00:33:30.699 --> 00:33:32.259 I'll finally be somebody. 00:33:33.099 --> 00:33:33.959 Those things are found 00:33:33.959 --> 00:33:34.819 Not in a title. 00:33:35.659 --> 00:33:36.679 They're not found in a family. 00:33:37.500 --> 00:33:38.240 They're not found 00:33:38.240 --> 00:33:40.379 In a bank account. 00:33:41.079 --> 00:33:41.759 They're found 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:42.679 In the person 00:33:42.679 --> 00:33:43.859 Of Jesus. 00:33:44.859 --> 00:33:45.379 And furthermore 00:33:45.379 --> 00:33:45.919 He's telling us 00:33:45.919 --> 00:33:46.959 That all our fears 00:33:46.959 --> 00:33:47.919 And our uncertainty 00:33:47.919 --> 00:33:49.559 Christmas promises 00:33:49.559 --> 00:33:51.059 That in the midst of all those things 00:33:51.059 --> 00:33:52.159 We can find our rest. 00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:54.320 Because the history of all the world 00:33:54.320 --> 00:33:56.120 Including your life and mine 00:33:56.120 --> 00:33:58.140 Is in the hands of Jesus. 00:33:58.820 --> 00:34:00.440 We may not always understand it. 00:34:00.740 --> 00:34:02.240 We may not always get what we want. 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:03.779 It won't always be easy. 00:34:04.220 --> 00:34:05.440 But Christmas promises 00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:06.779 That finally our hearts 00:34:06.779 --> 00:34:08.099 Can find their rest. 00:34:08.740 --> 00:34:09.519 Because Jesus 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:11.500 Is the promised one 00:34:11.500 --> 00:34:12.960 In whom all things 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:13.980 Find their completion. 00:34:14.659 --> 00:34:15.180 In him 00:34:15.180 --> 00:34:16.680 They find their rest. 00:34:17.220 --> 00:34:18.639 Friends, this is the story of Christmas. 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:20.780 This is what Christmas is all about. 00:34:20.780 --> 00:34:22.220 Matthew is telling us 00:34:22.220 --> 00:34:23.360 Before he gets to a manger 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:24.080 Or a stable 00:34:24.080 --> 00:34:25.080 Or three wise men 00:34:25.080 --> 00:34:26.100 He's telling us 00:34:26.100 --> 00:34:27.360 That the good news of Jesus 00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:28.180 Is the good news 00:34:28.180 --> 00:34:29.820 Of God's incredible faithfulness. 00:34:30.240 --> 00:34:31.080 Though it may be slow 00:34:31.080 --> 00:34:32.420 Though it may feel like 00:34:32.420 --> 00:34:33.460 God might have forgotten us 00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:35.460 That God will deliver on his word. 00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:36.460 And when he does 00:34:36.460 --> 00:34:37.600 It will burst the banks 00:34:37.600 --> 00:34:38.380 Of our expectation. 00:34:39.120 --> 00:34:39.880 Matthew is telling us 00:34:39.880 --> 00:34:41.019 That the good news of Christmas 00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:41.700 Is the good news 00:34:41.700 --> 00:34:43.200 Of incredible grace. 00:34:43.720 --> 00:34:44.620 That the most broken 00:34:44.620 --> 00:34:45.820 And unwelcome 00:34:45.820 --> 00:34:47.960 And particularly shameful people 00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:49.560 God welcomes into his family 00:34:49.559 --> 00:34:50.239 And says come 00:34:50.239 --> 00:34:52.000 I've come for people like you. 00:34:52.699 --> 00:34:53.659 And Matthew is telling us 00:34:53.659 --> 00:34:54.579 That the story of Christmas 00:34:54.579 --> 00:34:55.420 Is the good news 00:34:55.420 --> 00:34:56.980 Of God's promised rest. 00:34:57.420 --> 00:34:58.199 That in Jesus 00:34:58.199 --> 00:34:59.320 Our hearts can find 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:00.159 What they were made for. 00:35:00.619 --> 00:35:01.980 Remember the words of Augustine 00:35:01.980 --> 00:35:03.659 Our hearts were made for you 00:35:03.659 --> 00:35:04.860 And will always be restless 00:35:04.860 --> 00:35:06.559 Until we find our rest in you. 00:35:07.079 --> 00:35:08.239 Matthew has come to tell us 00:35:08.239 --> 00:35:09.820 That that rest is found 00:35:09.820 --> 00:35:10.599 In no other 00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:12.779 Than the baby from Bethlehem 00:35:12.779 --> 00:35:14.840 Found in a manger. 00:35:15.500 --> 00:35:16.539 Let's pray together. 00:35:16.539 --> 00:35:16.679 Amen. 00:35:16.679 --> 00:35:21.639 Oh Lord Jesus Christ 00:35:21.639 --> 00:35:22.940 We love you 00:35:22.940 --> 00:35:23.960 And we need you. 00:35:24.299 --> 00:35:25.399 We worship you 00:35:25.399 --> 00:35:26.239 And adore you. 00:35:27.259 --> 00:35:28.859 God in this strange passage 00:35:28.859 --> 00:35:30.119 Of many names 00:35:30.119 --> 00:35:31.919 Lord you are telling us 00:35:31.919 --> 00:35:33.839 That about your incredible 00:35:33.839 --> 00:35:34.699 Gospel of grace. 00:35:35.480 --> 00:35:36.099 You're telling us 00:35:36.099 --> 00:35:37.099 That you came for 00:35:37.099 --> 00:35:39.099 The sinful of the world 00:35:39.099 --> 00:35:40.079 You came for us. 00:35:40.299 --> 00:35:41.299 You came to put right 00:35:41.299 --> 00:35:42.179 All that is broken. 00:35:42.919 --> 00:35:44.519 God I pray that this Advent season 00:35:44.519 --> 00:35:45.859 We will hear your message. 00:35:45.860 --> 00:35:47.059 I pray God 00:35:47.059 --> 00:35:48.220 That this Advent season 00:35:48.220 --> 00:35:50.220 We will come to discover 00:35:50.220 --> 00:35:50.880 The wonder 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:51.660 And the richness 00:35:51.660 --> 00:35:53.000 And the complexity 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:53.840 And the depth 00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:54.579 Of the gospel. 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:56.519 That God in you Jesus 00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:58.380 We will find our ultimate rest. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:00.160 God this Advent season 00:36:00.160 --> 00:36:00.860 May we not 00:36:00.860 --> 00:36:02.640 Be so busy 00:36:02.640 --> 00:36:04.000 Running after cooking 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:04.660 And food 00:36:04.660 --> 00:36:05.820 And parties 00:36:05.820 --> 00:36:06.860 And presents 00:36:06.860 --> 00:36:07.340 And gifts 00:36:07.340 --> 00:36:07.900 And family. 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:09.740 May we quieten our hearts 00:36:09.740 --> 00:36:10.460 And still our hearts 00:36:10.460 --> 00:36:11.720 And find our rest in you. 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:13.820 As we go into 2019 00:36:13.820 --> 00:36:15.100 God may we go 00:36:15.100 --> 00:36:17.000 With our hearts at peace 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:18.860 Knowing that you Jesus 00:36:18.860 --> 00:36:21.019 Are all we need. 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:22.980 We pray these things 00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:23.720 In your wonderful 00:36:23.720 --> 00:36:24.860 And powerful name. 00:36:25.680 --> 00:36:25.960 Amen.