The Christ Has Come

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0:00 So, last week we were talking about how we need a Christ. And he is kind of a bummer of a thing to think about, but it's worth spending time on just a little bit just to remind you that like all of us have done things we wish we hadn't done,

0:32 said things we wish we could take back. Not done things maybe we ought to have done. Like there's like a backlog of challenges that no matter how many good choices we stack up in front of us we can't unwind the clock and go back and do things right. And even if we could like somehow get ourselves into a position where we process all the hurt

1:07 and the mess in our back even if we've been counseled up really well and well-deals from all the wounds and made amends as much as possible. Even if we feel like we could untie all the knots that have been tied in our past leading up to today even if we could somehow get to a spot where we felt we might be able to set all of those things right. We still live in a life that is on a straight line with a cliff at the end of it. And for me the story that has like animated our

1:44 people from one generation to the next give purpose and direction hope and a future to lives has been that this life is not all that there is that wrongs can be fixed and eternity can be reawakened that the grave doesn't have to be the end for us. The reality is that if we're going to live beyond the grave and not be defined by the some of our worst choices and our basics instincts we're going to need someone to enter into the story and fix it all.

2:19 Reawaken an eternity that we would like to be a part of. A life not characterized by shame and fear and guilt but one characterized by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness goodness, faith and skill and self-control like a life that we would like that we would need a Christ right. Oh goodness this is what Christmas is about that we need a Christ and so then I want to keep

2:50 going in the story here a little bit so we talked a little bit about John the Baptist last week and I want to get a little bit further down into the story of Christmas in Luke if you have a copy there's some bibles on that card over there if you like a paper copy like me but if you just typing it into your phone or something I'm in Luke chapter one like maybe we'll look at 26 verse 26

3:27 and it's interesting I mentioned this last week but it still is interesting to be that there's four accounts of the gospel of or the life of Jesus and two of them cover a Christmas story well Matthew and Luke which is funny that the story of the incarnation doesn't get a full treatment in both of them and they they have some different aspects mostly probably because they have you know neither Matthew nor Luke was around at the birth of Jesus so they hear the stories about the birth of Jesus

4:01 from different people Matthew was a tax collector and a real Jewish person and heard probably the story from maybe Joseph or people around in the synagogue at the time so he gets the lineage of Joseph and then the story about the angel visiting Joseph and Luke most scholars agree that his main source especially for early was Mary herself that he went and found Mary and I love trying to imagine that like Luke he had traveled with Paul he was a physician and a smart guy I love trying to imagine

4:38 Luke going okay there's been a couple of different stories about the life of Jesus he says at the beginning he wants to write the definitive account so he writes not only the gospel of Luke but also the axiom apostles and I love when he realizes that he wants to start the story at the beginning so he acts around and finds Mary in old age you know Luke is the one that has these little phrases Mary pondered these things in her heart can you imagine where Mary is living like do you think she settles back in Nazareth do you think Joseph lived as long as she did or did she be what

5:14 she widowed at the end it's interesting because when Jesus is at the cross he gives one of the disciples as the son maybe just to make sure that she has a son to carry on taking care of her when Joseph dies I just love trying to imagine what's the house that that Luke goes to knock on and says hey I want to write the story can you remember this story how long did he stay there and just listen from Mary like I think that would be fun I imagine when we get there Mary will be busy there

5:47 will be a lot of people wanting to talk to her but I would love to hear the story of these stories from her mouth you know and I love that Luke got him recorded so in Luke chapter 1 verse 26 it says in the six months the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the virgin's name is

6:21 Mary and he came to her and said greetings oh favored one the Lord is with you but she was greatly troubled at the same and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be it's hard it's like funny that she was troubled give her the same thing bad he called her oh favor oh favored one mostly what we've decided is when you actually see an angel they are terrifying like people's immediate reaction always every time they're in angels like they're afraid and

6:54 the angels have to say hey calm down everything is cool right and so she's like afraid Gabriel's scary but she was greatly troubled at the same and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be verse 30 and the angel said to her oh don't be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God I mean at that point if the terrifying angel says I have found favor with God like I'm asking him to write it down I'm hanging up my everything I'm not doing anything else anymore like if I get the

7:28 terrifying angel saying you have found favor with God God has favor on you I'm like I don't know about you but when I get a compliment if it's written down anywhere I store that thing man I like to lock it up somewhere so I can come back and read the compliment again you know what I mean Mary got a compliment from Gabriel who was dispatched by the god of the universe to tell her hey you have found favor with God Mary makes a lot of amazing choices of faith but I love that it starts with

8:00 this affirmation she didn't know Gabriel was coming she didn't know what she ought to have been doing or she just as soon as Gabriel comes he's terrifying and he gives her this like compliment you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your room and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus he did this with Zachariah too names are important especially in the scriptures and normally you would name your firstborn after the dad and so Zachariah everyone when they named

8:35 when he named his firstborn son John they're all like are you high like they don't they don't understand why he's making that choice they're like does it make any sense like you should name him Zachariah your name is Zachariah but they are specific about the names because they mean things about God saving his people and so it's important that Gabriel tells her name and Jesus don't name Joseph and he'll be great and be called the son of the most high and the Lord God will give him

9:05 the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no end um it's conspicuous if we have Gabriel in this story angel that makes sense Mary we get it he like he's he found favor with Mary but what's interesting to me is that he has this throne of the father David of his father David and so I just want to look a little bit because we said that we need a Christ and and I'm saying that that the Christ is coming and the Christ is

9:43 tied to this notion of the throne of David and so I want to like look at why Gabriel like why God dispatches Gabriel to go down and tell Mary and that he includes this phrase it seems like if God's giving directions I've said this before but I it's hard for me to imagine how much smaller our thinking is than the God who imagines the universe and speaks it into existence so somehow we have to translate his plans into words and that he uses some recurring words and themes and so this this

10:19 idea of the throne of David he's spoken before he's given this this idea of the son or the throne of David to prophets over whole periods of time so that when he goes when he sends Gabriel he uses the same thing that Gabriel translates into some Aramaic that means to marry throne of David that then when we learn how to translate well then when Luke hears the story from Mary he writes it in

10:50 Greek and then when we learn how to translate Greek we get the words of God that mean to us the throne of David and they mean the same thing as the prophets have said of old that there is a consistent thread of a promise that there is this one coming who sits on this throne in this way and I just want to look at that because I think it gives us a fuller picture of how completely or how complete the notion of the incarnation is the celebration of Christmas so let's look first at second Samuel

11:25 716 this is where you're better off if you're on your phone probably second Samuel 716 Samuel's one like an archetypical prophet he's like a big big deal he's the first kingmaker in Israel he goes to find kings for us all the time so if you're looking for it it's like before kings and chronicles certainly before the prophets but after the Torah like after Judah and Rahnomian

11:57 second Samuel 7 by this point our first king has made a mess and Samuel is hopeless that Israel will ever be God's people again and God because I've got one go get him and anoint him as the next king ahead of time and so he has and then David has gone on to do lots of things and now David has conquered he's fully the king and and he feels bad that he's built a nice palace for

12:27 himself and God is living in a tent he says so he wants to build a temple for God God tells him don't worry about it don't do that um I don't need a house you know what your your kids after me will build it a lot of people think that David wanted to build a temple for God because he wanted he had this mansion for himself but he but he was getting old and he wanted another project and also he wanted him his name and his saying he needs to be remembered longer

13:02 he wanted his good name to be remembered longer so if he had built the temple then it would be look when Israel had king David they had this mansion and also their God was known around the world and so God through the prophet and uh Samuel says don't build it your kids will build it which takes an act of confidence and faith for David to just gather the materials and then leave it to the next generation to build hopefully they'll be able to hold on to the kingdom and uh in

13:34 seven verse 16 um let me make sure that's the right verse yeah 16 oh look at verse 14 God says I will be to him to David a father and he shall be to me a son when he commits iniquity or sin I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the sons of men verse 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from

14:09 Saul whom I put away before him I'm not going to do the David what I did is Saul I'll discipline him but I won't dismiss him verse 16 and your house David and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me your throne shall be established forever in accordance with all these words and in accordance with all this vision Nathan the prophet spoke to David so God makes this promise to David that says I'll establish your throne and it will never go away and then uh look forward

14:45 to the prophet Jeremiah verse 23 because this promise like then that God makes two David that says hey man we're left like you want your name and fame to be known you want to build a temple just trust me that I'll carry it forward now this promise to David becomes this like uh home or this like um this deep promise that endures among the people becomes a phrase for God to say

15:16 I will have your back like your delivering king will come your provision protection and future is secure I'm promising that the one who brought you through the Red Sea that the one who toppled the walls of Jericho that the one who gave you Israel that the one who gave you David in the first place will give you a throne of David that never ends right that you will live in prosperity health for an eternity forever God is promising and that the throne of David carries all this meaning that

15:51 Israel will again be Israel the beloved of God protected and provided for living with an open ended future and so God picks it up he gives it to the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 23 I'm looking at verse five and six Jeremiah is speaking to an Israel that is being destroyed by enemy countries they're losing everything God gave them with David and but in Jeremiah chapter 23 verse 5 it says behold the days are coming declares the Lord when I will raise up for David

16:23 a righteous branch and he shall reign as king and deal wisely and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land in the days of Judah in his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely and this is the name by which he shall be called the Lord is our righteousness Jeremiah as Israel is being destroyed as a trouble and hardship and famine is overwhelming their life God whispers into the heart and mind of Jeremiah whatever syllables mean the throne of David and

17:00 says Jeremiah remember the promise to David that I will put one on the throne who vanquishes enemies establishes borders communicates provision ensures justice peace and tranquility I will set a right ruler over the day is coming right and not only Jeremiah then Isaiah as well look at Isaiah back a little bit Isaiah chapter 16 I just want you to see that when Gabriel says this thing to marry

17:37 all these cylinders are firing which will end up meaning something for us look at Isaiah chapter 16 verse 5 oh yeah in and Isaiah chapter 16 God is speaking through Isaiah telling Israel be a good neighbor like the world is going crazy he's saying the Babylonians the Assyrians the Persians people are conquering one after another in just rulers are getting more and more power it seems like

18:11 things don't go right you might want to retract your borders and not be kind but in this point God is speaking through Isaiah giving Israel the hope to continue to be decent just peaceful people in the world he's telling how to interact with Moab so in chapter 16 verse 3 says give counsel grant justice make your shade like night at the height of the noon shelter the outcast do not reveal the fugitive let the outcast of Moab so during among you be a shelter to them from the destroyer when

18:43 the oppressor is no more and the destruction has ceased and he who tramples underfoot has vanished from the land then a throne will be established instead fast love and on it will sit in faithfulness the 10th of David one who judges and seeks justice and is swift to do righteousness and God is saying you know in the midst of a world that is unjust and unright that perpetuates greed and war be this bastion of hope peace and justice and the ground that he makes the claim for the

19:17 people of God to be these kinds of people in the world is saying there's a your own king coming remember I have secured your future I have set your boundaries I have determined who you will be I have promised your provision everything will be set right for you so in the midst of a broken world don't be broken in the midst of a selfish world be generous in the midst of an unjust world be just in the midst of an unmerciful world be merciful why because your king the son of David

19:54 is coming I have told you you will live under a just judge with a secure future in the world I have prepared for you the day is coming the god who brought you out of Egypt through the Red Sea who gave you the 10 commandments who toppled the walls of Jericho who gave you Israel will give you the son of David right and then of course Isaiah says it most beautifully maybe in the text that we use for our call to worship it's Isaiah chapter nine where he's now telling them beautifully and

20:36 poetically what it will look like when the son of David comes says the people who walked in darkness have seen a great life and those who dwelt in the land of darkness on them a light has dined so you have multiplied the nation you have increased its joy and they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest as they are glad when they divide the spoil for the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder the rod of his oppressor you have broken as on the day of Midian

21:07 for every boot of the Translant warrior battle someone and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire for unto us a child is born to us the son is given and the government will be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called wonderful counselor mighty god everlasting father principal of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end and on the throne of David and over his team to establish it and to hold it with justice and righteousness

21:42 from this time forth and forevermore the zeal of the lord of host will do this so when when Gabriel this patch from the creator god the father himself carries the message down to young Mary in her room all by herself terrifyingly golden white he he gleams and tells her the favor of god is upon you because the son of David is coming long promised and foretold hope of generations

22:17 enduring thread that they grasp to through all of the perils and trials of life is coming Mary praise god Mary goes all right she's like let's do it like the capacity of like I don't I'll say the capacity of young mother to be willing to go through the unknown right and the strength to

22:54 bring children into the world like Mary's demonstrated courage and strength to not only endure the presence of Gabriel to receive the compliment of god the father to be told this impossible thing will happen and that the weight of the future of humanity in fact the weight of the promise the prophecy of the son of David rests on her stewarding a young life through pregnancy and through labor and out into birth all rests on her and she says okay let's do it

23:32 then she tells Joseph it's going to be fine then she goes to Elizabeth right and they go through it together god bless them that friendship must have been beautiful Jesus is the son of David promise last part I want to point you to is in Acts chapter two so Luke continues the story after the crucifixion actually acts chapter you

24:03 make sure I get it right for you that's when Peter is acts chapter two verse 29 it's when Peter is preaching after Pentecost and he's standing up in the place like in the one church in the whole place right where everyone's gathered around for the feast of Pentecost and verse 29 he says brothers I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried and his tomb is with us to

24:39 this day meaning David had the covenant of God that one of his sons would reign on the throne forever but David's dead and stayed dead being therefore a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath of authority for solid resurrection he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to Hades nor did his flesh be corruption this Jesus God raised up and of that we are all witnesses being therefore exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father

25:12 the promise of the Holy Spirit he poured out this he received this here for David did not ascend into the heavens but he himself says this the Lord said to my lord let me enemies to your footstool that all is real therefore know that God has made him both lord and christess Jesus he crucified so that Jesus fulfills this like ancient promise of God that says there is coming and in fact at christmas king the king who ruled rightly who establishes a reign of justice and peace

25:52 that has known him and Peter stands up there at Pentecost to tell him and you all now have the capacity to participate in this reign starting now and living forever we because of christmas and the promise of the return because of the eternal significance of the birth of christ and the reign that he inaugurates we can be people of peace now we can be people who amongst

26:26 ourselves cultivate a culture of justice and mercy of generosity and hope this is what it means that that Jesus is the son of David it means that God makes good on his promises and that you and I live now in a future that will endure forever with provision and protection

26:57 and peace and justice Christmas means that because Christ came he'll come again that our Christ is that long awaited son of David sitting on the throne and gives you the capacity to live in under his reign let me pray that we might believe that hey lord thank you for the promise of christmas

27:35 oh you're you're like the scope of your planning and forethought gives us hope lord that your provision is secure and that our future has been planned or we give us today deep faith to believe and receive your reign in a way that frees us up to be people of peace and justice

28:09 in the world that needs it and Jesus family cry