The Fourth Sunday of Advent

Table of Contents

• • • Opening Prayer:
    • Old Testament Readings:
    • Old Testament Prayer & Response:
    • Response by the People:
    • Sermon Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
    • Alter Call

Opening Prayer:

O God of Elizabeth and Mary,
you visited your servants with news of the world’s redemption
in the coming of the Savior.
Make our hearts leap with joy,
and fill our mouths with songs of praise,
that we may announce glad tidings of peace,
and welcome the Christ in our midst. Amen.

Old Testament Readings:

Isaiah 7:10-16
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19

Old Testament Prayer & Response:

Brothers and sisters,
as we joyfully await the glorious coming of the Christ,
let us pray for the needs of the church, our community,
and the world.

Response by the People:

God of joy and exultation,
you strengthen what is weak;
you enrich the poor
and give hope to those who live in fear.
Look upon our needs this day.
Make us grateful for the good news of salvation
and keep us faithful in your service
until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives for ever and ever.
Amen.

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph, Highlighting the Quailities of a Good Man

Matthew 1 contains two sections, one listing Jesus’ genealogy from Abraham to Mary, the other detailing the birth of Jesus as a baby. The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is at the center of the first section. In the second section, Jesus is described as God.

Isaiah’s prophecy about a virgin birth

In Matthew 1, Isaiah’s prophecy is literally fulfilled in that the baby Jesus was born as a virgin. The word translated as “virgin” in Isaiah is a young woman who has not had sexual relations with anyone. This prophecy had special meaning for the faithful of Isaiah’s time, who were hopeful that the Messiah would come as a virgin.

In Isaiah 7:14, the term “almah” is used, but it also refers to a young woman. In ancient Hebrew society, young unmarried women were often assumed to be virgins. Despite this fact, the word ‘alma’ occurs only seven times in the Hebrew Scriptures.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Isaiah’s prophecy about the virgin birth is interpreted in a slightly different way. He uses the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible to make the reference. The Septuagint predicts a virgin conceiving a child, but Jews rejected the Septuagint’s interpretation as inaccurate.

David’s covenant with God

The Davidic Covenant is a prophetic account of the events that will happen to David and his descendants. In this story, David makes a covenant with God. This covenant is a binding relationship between God and David and it requires his faithfulness to fulfill its terms. God promises to set up a righteous descendant of David on the throne of Israel. When Jesus becomes the Messiah, He will fulfill the Davidic Covenant.

The Davidic covenant is important because it shows how the Messiah will restore the relationship between God and humanity. David’s covenant is also important in understanding the purpose of God. As we will see, David’s line is the line of the Messiah will come from his line.

This covenant was made through the prophecy of the prophet Nathan, and it promised that the line of David would rule Israel for all time. Matthew’s account will show how this covenant was fulfilled in the person of Jesus.

Matthew’s account of the virgin birth

Matthew’s account of the virgin birth highlights the work of God. He wants to establish a supernatural tone with the birth of Jesus, so he explains the birth as God’s work and fulfillment of prophecy. God planned and carried out the birth, and he made sure the major participants understood what they were doing. The key to staying close to the tone of the story is identifying the main character and subject matter.

Matthew’s account of the virgin birth starts by telling us that God has come to earth to redeem people. The virgin birth of Jesus was foretold centuries before and was necessary for the redemption of the world. The Magi traveled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and spent two years in the land, but they lived in a house.

Matthew’s version of Jesus’s birth is based on the prophecy in the Book of Isaiah. The story also tells us that Joseph accepted Mary despite the fact that she was pregnant. However, he did not want to embarrass Mary by revealing to her that she was pregnant.

Jesus’ claim to be God

Matthew’s book begins by mentioning Jesus’ genealogy. This was important to the Jews of the time, so Matthew wanted to make sure that his readers understood that Jesus was the son of Abraham and David. This would be important to the people of Israel, because this would prove that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.

While the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not mention Jesus’ claim to be God, scholars believe that he did. Moreover, the Gospel of John provides theological understanding of this claim. However, the question of whether Jesus actually claimed to be God should be answered in the context of His religion.

One way that Jesus claimed to be God was by allowing others to claim that He was God. He also claimed that he was God by giving others the right to assign titles to him. For example, Peter recognized that Jesus is the Son of God through God’s revelation and the power of the Holy Spirit.

How Paul Justified the Message of Christ to All

As an apostle, Paul had a unique role in evangelizing the world. His mission was to win people’s faith so they could obey the gospel. The gospel, which focuses on Jesus, was designed to bring about the obedience of faith in all people. Paul was the living example of this. So, the gospel was a message to reach out to all people, no matter what their background was.

Paul’s tone in the letter is one of affirmation. He tells the Romans that he is thankful for them, and encourages them to speak of Jesus. This affirmation of the Romans’ faith is crucial, as it translates into behaviors that are worthy of saints. Paul’s words are accompanied by a fervent desire to share the gospel.

Paul relates the gospel to the reader in verse six. He tells his readers that the gospel is God’s good news, which is Jesus Christ, who is the true savior of the world. By doing so, he reveals the identity of Christ, the true sovereign. And he asks the Roman churches to embrace this identity, as well.

The book of Romans is filled with life-changing truth, but it must be approached with determination and effort. Paul is an apostle who writes on behalf of Christ. The purpose of his ministry is to spread the gospel of Christ. His purpose as an apostle overshadows his name. So, Paul reveals to the Roman Christians his purpose as an apostle.

In Romans 1:1-7, God’s message is about the Son of God, and the Messiah is the son of God. The gospel is about Jesus Christ, who became a son of God and king. This is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies. We can see that Paul’s message appeals to Jewish readers, while also reminding Gentile readers of their Jewish roots.

It is difficult to fully understand God’s goodness and his judgment. God is good, but He also condemns the wicked. It is impossible to understand God’s goodness without understanding his justice. So, we can be thankful that He loves us so much and wants us to follow him. If you want to live in harmony with God, read Romans 1:1-7.

God’s justice is vindicated through the cross. Jesus’ death atones for the sins of mankind. He provides justification for those who believe in Him.

 Prayer of Thanksgiving

O God of Isaiah and John the Baptist,
through all such faithful ones
you proclaim the unfolding of future joy
and renewed life.
Strengthen our hearts to believe your advent promise
that one day we will walk in the holy way of Christ,
where sorrow and sighing will be no more
and the journey of God’s people will be joy. Amen.

Alter Call

If my words today touched you. If you desire to invite God now or once again, into your heart ! I ask you to come forward, without fear or shame, during the singing of our final hymn. Together we will ask the father to restore your spirit. For Jesus Himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)