This series is based on the series of the same name from Northpoint Church
Introduction - Christmas really kicked into gear this week -
- One significant Christmas party at our house
- Kids school Christmas program this week
Got me thinking - about what's gonna happen @ Christmas
Every Christmas - lots of family time -extended family time
- eat - sit and talk . . . .
- Often my father in law (if you can get him talking) will talk about the past - about Russia where their family comes from . . . and about how their ancestors worked through troubles and triumphs and persecution and war . . . and then around 1900 moved to Canada - where hard times and cruel conditions on the Canadian prairies met them . . . . . .pretty rich heritage - I love hearing those stories . . . . .
My side - Don't talk about our ancestors much . . . some of our family's past pretty dark . . . and my falks made a new start and began walking a new path spiritually - for me and my brothers . . . most of our talk will be about the future this Christmas . . . that's the stories we'll tell about our family tree (future as opposed to the past) When we think about Christmas time - Just because of the country we've been raised - or we grew up in church . . . or maybe at least we watched Charlie Brown's Christmas . . . or . . .
Maybe a lot of us went to Christmas plays when we were kids - I grew up in a small town and because of our last name - every year teachers/Sunday school teachers would say - you boys be the angels . . . Angells being the angels - isn't that sweet . . . whatever . . . I just wanted to be a shepherd once . . .
Anyway - at Christmas - our minds go pretty quickly to the story of the night Jesus was born.
- and we can picture Mary and Joseph having to stay in a stable - (no room in the Inn)
- we can picture baby Jesus wrapped up in a manger -
- we can picture wisemen or camels following a star and angels by the 1000's giving the good news to shepherd's out watching their flocks at night . . and then those same shepherds - running into town to find the baby.
We just naturally want to go here at Christmas . . . and that's good - because it is the Christmas story . . .incredible event that changed history . . .
Interesting to me that if you open the Bible (1st book of New Testament - Matthew) Matthew who was with Jesus - while he walked on the earth - Matthew doesn't start with the birth of Jesus . . . In fact . . . both Matthew and John - (of the Matthew, Mark, Luke, John - 4 gospel's group) begin their story of the account of Jesus life . . . before His birth . . .
- And not just a little bit before his birth - but years and generations before the birth of Jesus - before that first Christmas
Why would that be? Its' like both of them thought - this story we're gonna tell is so big . . . This story is not like any other story - This is not just another Old Testament story, Jesus is not just another religious figure or a prophet . . . This story is unique . . . - and so they thought . . . we've got to give the big picture . . . we've got to go way back before we sing silent night . . . Now - today we'll focus in on Matthew's start to the Christmas story . . . and to help figure it out . . . you've got to know who Matthew was . . .
Matthew - had a past . . . and I think part of the reason Matthew started the story like he did was for that reason - his past . . .
See . . . before Matthew started following Jesus - Matthew was a tax collector - and tax collectors worked for the Romans - and the Romans were hated by the Jews because they ruled with an iron fist . . .
- and so tax collectors were considered traitors to the Jews and in fact they weren't even allowed to enter the Jewish Temple . . . It was also a well known fact that most tax collectors took more from the people then they actually owed . . . so they could line their own pockets . . . and were considered legal thieves . . .
Matthew had been a tax collector - and a sinner whose life had been changed by Jesus . . .
So Matthew (when he wrote) knew his audience was predominantly Jewish . . . and He knew that if he was gonna say Jesus was the Messiah - that Jesus was the one people all over the world had been waiting for . . . the Holy one . . . the savior
Matthew knew - that every Jew would ask the same question - well . . . is Jesus related to David - King David . . . from the Old Testament
- because every Jew knew that the Messiah - the Saviour would come from the family line of David.
- so Matthew does something a little unusual . . . starts with a genealogy . . . he starts the story with a family tree . . .
And, who knows why he did what he did next . . . maybe it was to be a little sarcastic - or maybe a little tongue in cheek - certainly he did it to make a point . . . and the point was . . . that he included a few things (people) in the genealogy that made it clear that Jesus had a unique message and a unique claim for a unique group of people
Interesting - that if you do a study of ancient literature . . . the only stories every recorded are from Kings/Emperors. . .
*Why? - simple - they were the only one's who could afford to pay a historian - nobody else could . . .
- but often in telling the stories of these Kings/Emperors . . . those historians would include genealogies in them . . . now here's the strange thing - often in these genealogies there would be huge generational gaps . . . they would leave out people
- Great Grandfather . . . and then skip 2 generations then right to the grandson - like the other 2 - the father and grandfather weren't even there . . .
Why would they do that . . .
Well - historians believe . . . as they've discovered new information . . . they concluded that anyone embarrassing to the family name was simply left out . . . funny . . . Any of you have someone in the family like that? - no she's not my Aunt - totally different spelling of Johnson . . .
- So these Kings/Emperors would make sure their public record had no criminals or traitors or any people who had a shady past -these names were simply not included.
But Matthew - This is great - Matthew goes out of his way to let everyone know - (His audience then and now) . . . he goes out of his way to let everyone know that Jesus comes from a long line of people (some of them) who are an embarrassment to the Old Testament . . . an embarrassment to the Jewish race . . .
There are some stories in this genealogy that are R-rated . . . X-rated . . . in fact there's at least one story that I wouldn't tell . . . - because I know that you would email me and say - Dean - that is just not appropriate . . . story is too edgy - even for us . . . and she the one in the x-rated story is related to Jesus. . . So Matthew has this long genealogy . . . and he lists father's and son's and father's and son's and then he puts in 3 women - and they are the wrong 3 women . . . but he goes out of his way to put them in there . . . . and folks - none of us would want them included in our family tree . . . or associated with us . . .
But Matthew goes out of his way to put them in . . . and to let his audience know that in Jesus Family line - are some grade A sinners . . . - that have done everything you can imagine . . .
Why did Matthew put them in? . . . because Matthew believed as I do - that God also put them in the genealogy - that God went out of his way to link into Jesus past - sinners of mass proportion's
So . . . instead of skipping over them like other historians . . . - Matthew bolds them - highlights them . . .
Why? Because in telling the story of the coming Messiah - the Savior - Jesus . . . He wanted his audience to know that Jesus had a unique call of God - that Jesus had unique purpose placed in his life by God . . . and yes, Jesus is in the good Jewish line of David . . .but lets make sure all the family dirt is on the table . . . because that is in fact why He came in the first place . . .
Matthew 1: Very historical way . . .
A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Now Tamar why is she there (mother) - Matthew didn't need to put her in . . . But all the Jews know that story . . . of how Tamar did this terrible thing . . . (sick!) Why include here . . . it's like Matthew is rubbing their face in it . . . Tamar . . .Tamar . . . Tamar. . . He goes out of his way to point out that Tamar the sinner - Tamar with the black mark on the family tree . . . wasn't gonna get left out - she was related to Jesus - to the Messiah . . .
Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Now here he goes again - why are we talking about mothers again - see Rahab was a woman who had a nickname . . . I don't know if you recall from your Sunday School days . . . when you were a kid (if you went to Sunday School) - Her name was Rahab - the prostitute . . . This isn't Rahab the housewife - or Rahab the woman of purity . . . . . . no this is Rahab - Why do we have to talk about her . . . This is Rahab who wasn't even of Jewish descent - she was a Canaanite woman - she shouldn't even be mentioned in the lineage of anyone significant in Jewish culture . . . and yet Matthew says . . . you do remember Rahab . . . and it's like everyone would be saying - let's move on . . . and Matthew says - no - lets pause and think about Rahab . . . - now why did he do that . . . no one else wanted to remember her . . . and yet Matthew feels it was absolutely vital to include her - in the first few lines of the Christmas story . . . and goes out of his way to make sure everybody knows the kind of people . . . God chose to have as part Jesus - family . . . -Amazing . . . and then he goes on and does it again - listen -
Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.
King David - see he got to the important part - he proves that Jesus is connected to King David . . . and this is very important bit of information if you are Jewish . . . . . but then Matthew couldn't let that nice bit of information lie there, . . . . . no . . . He could have just said . . . David who was Solomon's father . . . But no . . . . it says . . . . David was the father of Solomon - whose mother had been Uriah's wife . . . do you remember that story? . . . (murder/ adultery/lies . . .) Soap opera at it's worst . . . (David and Bathsheba) . . .
Matthew couldn't just go on . . . no he had to mention Uriah . . . and as soon as he did, everybody that read this - (his Jewish audience) knew what he was talking about . . . It's like Matthew wanted to stop and put a big red flag beside that crazy story and say - look who else shows up in Jesus family . . . look who is in the family line of the special one . . . the one sent from God . . . and get this . . . King David had a lot of kids and had a lot of wives - (Kings were allowed to do that back then) - but out of all David's wives and kids . . . God chose Bathsheba; . . . . . . to have a baby named Solomon who is in the direct line of Jesus. . .
Why do that? Why not just talk about all the nice - folks Jesus was related to . . . why do you have to make this point Matthew? . . .
Here's why. I think Matthew lived in a world filled with people that are not that different than you and me . . . (and the people around us) see . . . Matthew knew that the people around him were trying to find God and connect with him (like us) . . . and we're trying to do that (find God) by making a list of all the good things we've done . . . . . . we make a list of all of our good stuff . . . and we say - "hey God what do you think of this (list) - check out the 29 good things I do in my life . . . and we hope somehow (when we most need it) that that list will get us into heaven . . . someday . . . and we say . . . It will won't it God? . . . . . . I'm okay - because of this . . . aren't I God?" . . . "God - I'm not perfect - but I'm certainly better than a lot of folks . . . I work hard, I pay taxes and I go to church" . . . .(I'm falling asleep during the sermon- but I'm in church) . . . "I'm a good parent and I keep at least 8 or 9 of the 10 commandments most of the time . . . . . . God I'm a good person . . . isn't that good enough?"
Catch this - Matthew - wanted to point out before he got into the story of Jesus and his life (before we started talking about Christmas) - he needed everybody to know that this story was not gonna be about that list - this was not more of the same . . . and Jesus life was not about him standing up and saying . . . you better watch out - better not pout . . . better be good and get your list ready . . . no - Matthew went out of his way to say . . . that this has nothing to do with creating this "I've been good" list to show to God someday . . . so you can get in good with Him . . .
No . . .Matthew says - look at who is in Jesus family - they don't have a list to stand on - they don't have a list to wave in front of God . . . Matthew made sure that everybody understood that it was God who, included all these people whose list . . . . . . should have meant a black list . . . . from the family . . . prostitutes - liars - murderers- thieves . . . and for some reason that was not an obstacle for God - that was not a stopper for God . . no, in fact God went out of his way to included them . . . in the Christmas story . . and I think Matthew was saying . . . those people being included is the point of the story . . . and that is why Jesus came . . .
See - you gotta remember who Matthew was - before he met Jesus - (tax collector - a man with a pretty black list - a man who knew he couldn't wave his good deed list in front of God . . . and get anywhere . . . he knew that he had nothing to stand on - (This is cool) - so when Matthew started hanging out with Jesus and listening to what he was saying . . . he realized that Jesus was offering a new way - a new plan . . . a new approach to God . . . and that was overwhelming for Matthew . . . and I think he got pretty excited when he realized that in Jesus family tree - there was a bunch of folks - Just like him . . . - who didn't have a list - who had nothing to stand on before God - people - who if they wanted to get to God - it was gonna take something other than hard work and good deeds . . . and a list . . . Got it? . . . OK . . .
Let me read a few versus from John's start to the Christmas story . . . - Now John is different than Matthew - calmer - gentler - more of a teaching kind of writer - - a little more theological - a little more mystical. - John takes the first 10- 12 versus of his story to describe who Jesus is . . . and point out (in a different way) the same thing Matthew was saying . . .
John says - Jesus is the light . . . and "that light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it"
- see John was saying - you've gotta understand this before we move on to the Christmas story . . . that the world has always been in darkness . . . and Jesus is the only light . . . (see the sharp contrast) . . . folks everyone of us has sin as a regular everyday part of our lives . . . and yes there is some good stuff in us . . . yes we do lots and lots and lots of good things . . . but that list if we are honest has dark spots in it to . . . and we don't want to wave those in front of God . . . and so we have a dilemma . . . what about the dark list . . .
See folks we live in a world with shades of grey . . . and we live in a world where I compare you to me - and you to me - . . . we live in a world where we are better than some and not as good as others . . . (and we think somehow that God factors that into our relationship with Him) . . . we live in a world where we think my list of good deeds, counts in my relationship with God . . . and Matthew and now John are both saying - before they even set the stage for Jesus or Christmas . . . they are both saying that shades of grey don't work - and God doesn't factor in a list . . . and a lot of the things we are basing our spiritual lives on are just not true - not real . . . - that when God looks at the world it is all equally dark . . . and in need of His light . . . You know folks, (our eyes have adjusted to the darkness so much that we think we can see shades of grey . . . and shades of darkness) . . . but from where God is looking - it's just dark . . . until Jesus - the light comes into the picture . . .
- Now you're listening and saying that's pretty extreme . . . darkness . . . and all of us needing the light (Jesus light) - pretty extreme . . . and Matthew and John are going - "yeah - I know - that's what were saying. It's different than anything we've ever understood before . . . but when you get this main point (they're saying) - it will change your life forever" . . . see there is nothing we can do - no list we can make - no amount of good deeds and hard work that can somehow balance out the bad stuff - with the good . . .
- Folks nothing we can do, (on our own) can erase the black stuff - and no amount of good deeds and hard work can somehow make us approachable to the light of God . . . we've got to see and understand the contrast, and when we understand the contrast - we begin to see the significance of who Jesus was . . . and his story . . . and how important it is . . .
John goes on to say this about Jesus, "Yet . . . to all who receive him - to those who believe in his name - He gives the right to become children of God . . ."
And if Matthew, the tax collector was reading what John was writing - his eyes would begin to tear up . . . because he would think - that was me - I was one of those people who had nothing to stand on . . . no good list . . . - but then Jesus asked me to follow Him (Remember Kelly telling that story last week-)
And then Matthew says, when I received him into my life . . . when I received the gift of Jesus . . . it wasn't about anything I did - it wasn't about earning anything . . . or working harder . . . it was about receiving Love and Grace and Forgiveness and Light - into my life . . . I believed . . . and in that moment- on that day Matthew said - just like everybody on that list of Jesus ancestors . . . I became a child of God . . .
People catch this . . . there's always two sides of a family tree - one that is history - one that goes back . . . and the other side that goes forward . . . into the Future . . . and Jesus says this to you and to me about the future side of Jesus family tree . . . "To all who receive Him - to all who believe in His name . . . He gives the right to become children of God . . . " - (right into the family tree)
Folks - today there is good news for you and for me . . . and I think you've caught the message . . . (but - make sure you process it into your life) . . .
If you've been making a list - checking it twice . . . a list of good deeds and hard work and you're getting it ready for whenever you have your chance to meet God . . . hear this . . . that list won't work - that isn't how we get to heaven - we can't stand on our own to approach God . . . we need the Light of Jesus . . .
He is the one who gives us the right to become children of God - not our list . . . and we enter the family tree of God - only through Jesus . . . only through Jesus
And for those of you who know your list won't add up . . . (little darker list) for you life is a little bit clearer . . . you're a little more like Tamar or Rahab or David or Matthew - you know what you've done and your know you're list will never stack up . . .
Listen to how John finishes up . . . the start of the Christmas story . . . "We have seen his Glory . . . the Glory of the one who came from the Father (Jesus) who was full of Grace and Truth." - Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ . . . - not condemnation - not, "Hey your list isn't good enough - work harder - you're not stacking up" - "wow - did your ever screw up - what a terrible thing you've done - (you did)"
No instead - Grace and Truth and Forgiveness -"To all who receive Him - He gives the right to become children of God . . . " And folks that is what we truly need to understand before we jump into this Christmas season . . .
See . . .
The story of Christmas - is something totally different than anything in the world - it's not about a list of doing (good or bad) -it's about receiving life -receiving light - receiving the gift of Jesus Christ
And folks - tonight (today) the message is simple
1. Put down your list and say thanks to God for sending Jesus to us
2. Receive the gift of Jesus - a gift is not a gift until it is received
3. Accept his Grace and Love and Forgiveness into your life as a reality
If you have never received Jesus into your life - Don't wait . . . for another Christmas - I'll pray with you in a moment and you can join with me . . . (Just pray in your hearts) -Everybody else - use these moments as moments of thanks for all that Jesus means in your life - forgive - teacher - leader - healer - companion - guide - friend - grace giver - say thanks for his light . . . in your life
Now folks Here's what you need to know - when Jesus called people and they received his light into their lives . . . That light began to change them and make then (over time) to be more like Jesus . . . Just in case your may have heard me say - you don't have to do good things . . . You don't have to - but the longer Jesus' light is within you - the more good you'll shine - The more Love and Grace and Joy and Peace lives in you - the more those same things shine through you to others . . . .
So take the love and light of Jesus and allow it to shine through you this week. |
