Sermon Tone Analysis

Before we start, I thought it’d be fun to take part in a brief Christmas Quiz - Before I share the questions or the answers, I want to say that I did not do well on this when I first took it several years ago.

So do not be afraid of wrong answers.

Joseph was originally from...

A. Bethlehem

B. Nazareth

C. Hebron

D. Jerusalem

E. None of the above.

What does the Bible say that the innkeeper said to Mary & Joseph?

A. “There is no room in the inn”

B. “I have a stable you can use.”

C. “Come back later and I should have some vacancies.”

D. Both A and B

E. None of the above.

We are never told what conversation might have taken place between the innkeeper and Joseph or Mary.

Who saw the star in the east?

A. Shepherds

B. Mary and Joseph

C. Three Kings

D. Both A and C

E. None of the above.

Okay, this is a “trick” question.

The “magi” saw the star, however the Bible doesn’t say how many there were and they were not kings but astronomers.

Many people assume there were three gifts.

However, in ancient times these men usually travelled in caravans of ten to twelve along with a full entourage of protection.

Okay, While we’re on the Magi or Wisemen,

Where did the wise men find Jesus?

A. In a manger

B. In a stable

C. In Nazareth

D. In Saudi Arabia

E. In a house

F. None of the above

We often compact the Christmas story.

The Shepherds found Jesus (see ), he was a babe in a manger.

The greek word used in is for a “newborn baby”.

However, by the time the Magi appeared, Jesus had been moved from the manger to a house.

and the Greek word used by Matthew is for a “toddler” or “young child.”

He was likely 12-24 months old, since Herod in his anger has all the male children two years and under killed in Bethlehem and all that region after the Magi left.

Matthew 2:16

Beauty from the Ashes

For the past 3 weeks we’ve been diving into unusual Christmas texts, today’s is not really that unusual…at least not for us…but it really is unusual if you think about what you might share if you were to proclaim your heritage.

In magazines, on the radio, and on television, I’ve been hearing ads for various DNA tests that we can take to find our ancestry.

We can find out where we came from, what our cultural heritage is, and (depending on the service you use) to whom in history and even in present day we may count as our relatives.

Back in the late 70’s Alex Haley’s book Roots became an ABC miniseries that was all but required watching for young students in school.

The book and mini-series follows the oral tradition of his family from a young man named Kunta Kinte from Africa to America.

The book instilled in many americans the desire to know their family history and what kind of people they came from.

In our upwardly mobile culture where extended families seldom remain in the same neighborhood this remains a desire.

In we see Jesus’ family history.

Let’s read it:

The Gospel’s opening words are really very significant to a Jewish audience, because their ancestry is so deeply intertwined with the covenants God made with Israel.

If you were here last week we discussed the covenant made with David.

Jesus name itself is the Greek translation of his Hebrew name.

Yeshua or Yehoshua (from which we get Joshua) in Hebrew literally means “Yahweh Saves”.

Christ (Christos in Greek, from the Hebrew mashiakh, “annointed”) refers back to David as the anointed king of Israel.

Messiah - meant much to the people of the OT and to Matthew’s readers.

The term came to sum up several different expectations that are created throughout the Old Testament in regards to the promise of an anointed one, who would “righteously rule God’s people” (Crossway Bibles.

(2008).

The ESV Study Bible (p.

1820).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.”)

righteously rule God’s people

Son of David evokes similar images because of the lineage back to the royal line, and the idea that he would reestablish the Davidic Covenant.

Crossway Bibles.

(2008).

The ESV Study Bible (p.

1820).

Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.”

Son of Abraham - connects him back to the Abrahamic covenant.

Also note the women that are shown in Jesus’ lineage:

Tamar:

Rahab and Ruth

Matthew 1:3

Matthew 1:5

Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah?)

and finally, Mary

In jewish tradition, a very patriarchal culture, it was not typical to trace your lineage through the matriarchs.

It was also not typical to share the “bad” people in your lineage.

Yet Matthew includes both.

Jesus lineage as depicted here is comprised of men, women, adulterers, prostitutes, heroes, and Gentiles.

It even includes people who “did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Jechoniah.

In our tradition we too want people to know all the good people we are related to.

Royalty, heroes, people of fame, not infamy.

What is the point of recalling such a sordid past as Matthew shares with us in Jesus’ genealogy?

Probably to remind his readers, including you and I, of God’s power to work beauty from ashes, to bring redemption from a family — and to a family — that desperately needs it.

All of our stories can be rewritten in Jesus, for he would be — he is — the Savior of all.

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