Matthew 2:1‑12 Praise and Worship of Christ

January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 Joanne Hagemeyer

Magi: They were students of ancient and sacred lore. Two hundred years before Christ the entire Old Testament had been translated into Greek, making it available to scholars world-wide. They would also have had the original writings of the prophet Daniel, who had lived in Chaldea for most of his life.

They would have had some access to at least the books in Hebrew of the Old Testament written up to the time of the great diaspora described at the end of 2nd Kings, since the Jews would have brought their scriptures with them when they went into exile.

They were not Jews, as the citizens of Jerusalem were, and the scribes and chief priests were, and Herod was (more or less). But they believed God and acted on their belief. They had faith. Think of all the planning, the cost, the time, and the risk that went into this trip. Their plan was to follow this star, for however long it would take, wherever it would take them. They were absolutely committed to seeking God, based on what God had revealed to them, and God brought them to the Messiah.

“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”

Part of our design, the design God worked into all people, is the propensity to worship. We all worship something. But, our design is to worship God – that’s the fulfillment of our longing.

Their worship was physical. The Bible talks often of falling on your knees, raising up your hands, falling prostrate on the ground before God. Our bodies become expressions of what’s going on in our hearts. Even Jesus prayed on His knees before His Father in heaven.

Their worship was emotional. In spite of their worldly dignity and high standing, they humbled themselves before this tiny king. They delighted in Him and adored Him – we just read how they were filled to overflowing with joy.

Their worship was spiritual, based on truth, They came expectantly into the home Joseph had now found for his family. But it wasn’t until they saw God’s literal fulfillment of His promise, a young girl, a virgin, holding the little baby boy, begotten of God, right there in Bethlehem, the birthplace of kings, that they fell down on their knees.

Their worship was generous, They didn’t come empty-handed. In meditating on this chapter it struck me what you and I are saying to the Lord when we come empty-handed to Him in worship. Essentially we’re saying -God has been a stingy Father. We’re saying, “Well Lord, looks like You didn’t provide very well for me, since I have nothing left to give you.” And we’re also saying, even in hard times when the money’s pretty scarce, “Lord, this time the sacrifice is simply too big. You aren’t worth it this time.”

The Lord says,

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this…if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Malachi 3:10)

Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure‑‑pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38)

The Magis’ gifts were also prophetic, and an expression of their faith.

The gold spoke of Jesus’ purity and His royalty.

The frankincense spoke of Jesus’ priestly duty, receiving the prayers of believers, and offering up intercession for all those who come to Him.

And the myrrh spoke of Jesus’ sacrificial death to save His people from their sins.

The right response to God is to worship and obey His Son

You hear people say they’re seeking, but what are they really seeking? God says, through the prophet Jeremiah,

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” (Jeremiah 29:13, The Message)

If a person is really seeking God, they will always find Jesus.

Having, in faith, followed God’s guidance and having accepted and worshiped the Messiah, the wise men gained a deeper sensitivity for God’s voice. God took the Magi into His protection and guided them more directly,

“And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”

Without questioning, even though it meant having to map out a new, and unknown, route, finding new and unknown oases and connections for their large company on the long trek home, they–unquestioningly and immediately–obeyed and continued to follow God’s guidance.

Worship that does not continue with obedience is not true worship.

All passages taken from the New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

(Thoughts taken from “Adventuring through Matthew, Mark and Luke” by Ray Stedman)

Matthew 1:1-17, Royal Heritage

December 11, 2018December 11, 2018 Joanne Hagemeyer

For you and me today, the sight of a genealogy like this one is enough to make our eyes glaze over. It’s a long list of unfamiliar names that are hard to pronounce, and don’t hold much meaning for us. The modern western reader would be inclined to skip this part, so we can get to the good part, the actual story.

But Matthew was writing to mainly Jews. When it came to biographies, for the ancient Jew, most often the genealogy made or broke the whole story. Since royalty depends on heredity, Jesus’ pedigree would have instantly piqued the ancient Jew’s interest because it definitively established Jesus’ right to the throne of David.

Careful records had to be kept of every Jew’s family relationships in order to authenticate they were from the tribe and clan they claimed. At stake was each person’s claim to God’s inheritance in Israel, an actual plot of land.

But also at stake were the royal lineage of David in anticipation of Messiah, the priestly lineage of Aaron, in order to choose high priests, and the Levitical lineage in order to serve in the temple. All these public records were kept in the temple and were carefully protected along with the scriptures when the Jews went into exile.

You can read about how important the genealogical records were when the Jewish people returned from exile to Jerusalem, in the book of Ezra. Three families claimed to be descended from Levi, but because no records could be found to prove it, they were barred from returning with the rest of the Levites (Ezra 2:62).

The phrase “Son of David” referred to the Messiah, and could only be traced through the kings of Judah. The ancient Jewish reader would have understood Matthew wanted them to know Jesus’ lineage proved He was legitimately from the kingly line of David, and a direct descendant of Abraham. The presence of an unbroken record before and after the exile left no question Jesus was Who He claimed to be.

Matthew divided Jesus’ record into three sections. He left out names in Jesus’ genealogy on purpose. In the Hebrew language there were no vowels and no numbers. The vowels were intuited and Hebrew letters did double duty as numbers whenever needed. The Hebrew letters for “David” were “DWD,” which, when representing numbers, added up to 14. So, Matthew put fourteen names in each section, and made three sections, one for each letter in David’s name. Jesus’s genealogy also mirrored the three great periods in Israel’s history up to that point.

In our scientific age we would have wanted an exhaustive list as proof. But to the ancient Jewish mind, this was actually very convenient. Matthew was writing in a way to help people memorize his gospel because in his day not everyone possessed their own copy of the scriptures; memorizing was the only way people could have ready access to God’s word.

“Father of” meant direct genetic descendant of, and if they wanted whatever names were left out they could easily look them up given the material they already had in Matthew’s record. What’s more, if they knew their history well, since it’s all in the Old Testament, they could have mentally filled in what was missing.

Contrary to common custom, five women, including Mary, are mentioned in this genealogy. In Matthew’s day women were not valued too highly. In fact, they were so low in society, Pharisees would thank God every morning in prayer that they were not women. Were you amazed at the women Matthew chose to include? I might have chosen Sarah, the wife of Abraham, maybe, or Rebekah, or maybe godly Leah, all godly matriarchs, standing by the patriarchs.

But, if Matthew had ransacked the whole Old Testament, he’d have been hard pressed to find four more unlikely candidates for the Messiah’s genealogy than the following women.

Verse 3, Tamar – Was a schemer who posed as a prostitute to lure her father-in-law into bed with her and bore his twin sons out of wedlock.

Verse 5, Rahab – Was running a robust trade as a high dollar hooker in her own wayside inn, when she lied and betrayed her own country’s interests to help out two enemy Hebrew spies.

Also in verse 5, Ruth – Was a Moabitess whose husband had been a Jew even though God had said through Moses that no Moabite would ever be given a chance to enter the Lord’s sanctuary because of how they had treated the Jews.

Verse 6, Wife of Uriah – She is more well-known by the name of Bathsheba. Given to public nakedness on her roof, she committed adultery with her nation’s leader and her firstborn child died under God’s judgement

Finally, down in verse 16, Mary – only Mary had a squeaky clean record. If you look in Luke’s gospel, you’ll see she was also descended from King David, just through a different son. Joseph’s is the legal royal line, that gave Jesus His qualification to claim the throne of Judah. Mary gave Jesus the bloodline to King David, Abraham, and all the way back to Adam, the first man.

I hope you were able to pick out how each of these women expressed their faith, wanting to participate in God’s promises. Some acted unwisely, but even through their error, God blessed each of these women.

Tamar – despite how awful her first two husbands were, she was willing to do whatever it took to be linked with God and His people. In the end, Judah publicly confessed she was the righteous one, and he was dead wrong.

Rahab – had such a reverence for God, and awe of His power, she believed completely in His victory. She wanted to be saved along with His people.

Ruth – has a beautiful story of sacrificial love and redemption, well worth the reading

Bathsheba – the Bible isn’t clear about her faith, but of all the sons of David it seems only one reverenced God and desired God’s wisdom – her son Solomon.

Mary – in spite of the enormous hurdles and heartaches God’s will in her life would bring, she saw herself as God’s handmaiden, and willingly submitted to His command.

Though Matthew named some godly men, the patriarchs and good kings, many of the men in this list were not what we would call good men. They sinned, they were selfish, even cruel, wicked, rebellious against God, idolaters. But through them Messiah was born. I wonder if Matthew, ex-tax collector and publican that he was, identified with these women and men at some level.

Through this record God is displaying His grace to sinners. Even in this genealogy Matthew was already giving us a clue there is something unique and earth-shaking about Jesus. Expect the unexpected. Carried along in the Spirit, the apostle Matthew was showing how God in Christ was taking down the barriers of sin and its curse.

As you look at this list of names you realize God chooses unlikely people for His purposes. I think about how God spoke through a North Carolina farm boy from a small community who never in the world would have thought he would become the most famous evangelist of the 20th century, bringing the gospel to millions and millions of people all over the world.

I think about how God worked through a little known nun from eastern Europe, whose heart was so deeply moved by God’s love for the discarded and downtrodden in Calcutta, India. She brought God’s grace and compassion to them in such a way that it continues to humble all the rest of us in this world.

I think of a north African playboy named Augustine, who made this prayer to God 1,700 years ago, “O Lord, give me the grace to do as You command, and command me to do as You will.” He has since become known as one of the most important teachers and leaders in the church of all time.

Ordinary people who offered their lives to Jesus to serve Him in whatever way He commanded.

God chooses unlikely people for His purposes when they are willing to put their faith in Him.

What about you? Do you see yourself as an unlikely choice for God to speak through, and work through? Maybe you think you don’t have much natural ability, or you’re in difficult circumstances, the kind that hem you in to the point you couldn’t possibly serve God in any meaningful way.

Maybe, like some of the women in Jesus’ genealogy, you have a history of poor decisions, and wrongdoing, or there’s something in your background you feel might disqualify you from being worthy of God’s employ. But God chooses unlikely people for His purposes.

How willing are you to trust God to make your life valuable in His kingdom, just as He did for these people? Where is God pushing you to use your little bit for Him? What would it take, in your heart, for you to be able to pray Augustine’s prayer,

“O Lord, give me the grace to do as You command, and command me to do as You will.”?

(Thoughts taken from “Adventuring through Matthew, Mark and Luke” by Ray Stedman)

[Hortus_Deliciarum,_Der_Stammbaum_Christi | Wikimwsia Commons, Public Domain]

Baseball Players of Advent: Joseph the Sacrifice Out

December 22, 2013December 22, 2013 Justin Hibbard

What young boy hasn’t stepped onto a baseball field, stood beside home plate, and pretended to swing for the fences? We picture ourselves in the pressure of batting in the 9th inning, with two outs, the bases loaded, and then knocking the ball out of the park to win the game in clutch fashion. We dream of living that moment depicted in the movie the Natural starring Robert Redford. However, more often than those dramatic moments, baseball games are won through the small details – the sacrifice flies, the executed bunts, the hits and runs. Instead of telling their player to swing for the fences, crafty managers will sometimes ask players to hit the ball in a way that will get the batter out while advancing the runner. It’s a strategy known as small ball.

This year for Advent, we are focusing on the “baseball players” in the story of Jesus’ birth. We’ve looked at Zechariah the Captain, John the Baptist the leadoff hitter, Simeon the Franchise Veteran, and this week, we’re taking a look at Jesus’ adopted father Joseph – the batter who was asked to sacrifice.

Imagine being engaged to a girl and finding out she’s pregnant. Imagine for just a moment all the thoughts that would run through your head? How could she do this to me? Who is the father? What if my church community thinks I did this? What will they think of me? How do I explain this to people? You can imagine Joseph’s desperate dilemma.

We’re not told much about Joseph, but we’re told that he was a righteous man, and instead of publicly humiliating Mary (which he was entitled to do), he decided that he would break-up with her quietly. However, just as he had made up his mind to divorce Mary, an angel of the Lord visited him in a dream and informs him that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and this child would save his people from their sins.

In obedience and trust in God, Joseph married Mary. It was a decision that required a lot of sacrifice. Every husband dreams of a wedding night with his bride, yet, Joseph waited to consummate his marriage until after Jesus’ birth. Every father looks at their child, mesmerized with the idea that they co-produced this human being. Joseph would look on Mary’s first born knowing the baby was not biologically his. One of man’s oldest traditions is to name their son, but Jesus’ name was chosen for him. On a couple of occasions, Joseph would have to move his family and pick up his life in order to protect his adopted son.

Joseph is like the superstar power hitter that was asked to bunt. You can imagine the important game. There’s runners on base, the team is behind, only an inning or two remain. This is the moment to be clutch. However, instead of telling the all-star power hitter to swing for the fences, the coach says, “I want you to bunt the ball. I want you to advance the runners and in the process give yourself up.” It might infuriate a big hitter. Not only will they miss their opportunity to shine in the spotlight or make ESPN’s Top Ten, the decision won’t better their personal batting statistics. You can imagine how much the home crowd would boo the manager if they saw their best hitter square up to bunt the ball in a clutch moment. A decision like that would send many all-stars into the eye of the camera or the Twittersphere to vent their displeasure about their coach’s decision. But the best team players understand that the game is much bigger than just one person. They understand that more often than not in baseball it’s the sacrifice out that wins the game.

Joseph teaches us what humility and service to God looks like. He had so much at stake – his career, his reputation, his own satisfaction, and instead of thinking about himself, he sacrificed everything for the Kingdom of God. While Jesus, as the Son of God, didn’t need an earthly example to follow, He certainly received it in His biological father Joseph. Joseph committed his life to serving his adopted son and Messiah. He may not have realized it at first, but that became his life mission and his legacy.

Baseball Players of Advent: Simeon the Franchise Veteran

December 15, 2013 Justin Hibbard

Who doesn’t love winning the championship? Who doesn’t tie their cleats in April dreaming of holding the trophy in October? At the end of the season, when only one team celebrates, there’s a peculiarity that emerges. The new players are excited, jumping up and down, showering each other with champagne. They’ve completed quite the feat. But the veterans, especially the ones that have waited their whole careers for that moment, they lift the trophy like a giant weight off their shoulder. The way they cry over it, the way they kiss it, the way they cherish it – their long suffering produces an unmatched appreciation. They haven’t just played the season for that moment. They’ve played their entire careers for that moment.

This year for Advent, we are focusing on the “baseball players” in the story of Jesus’ birth. We’ve looked at Zechariah the Captain, and John the Baptist he Leadoff Batter. This week we’re focussing on Simeon – the Franchise Veteran.

In Luke 2, we’re told that Simeon was a righteous and devout man who had the Holy Spirit on him. This old man was living for one promise – the Lord told him that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. Eight days after Jesus’ birth, the Lord led him to the Temple. As he waited there, Joseph and Mary entered, carrying their newborn to the priest to be circumcised and dedicated. Simeon didn’t hesitate. Like a seasoned player waiting to get his hands on a trophy, Simeon grabbed Jesus and began singing praises.

We can imagine the fear and awkwardness that Joseph and Mary must have felt. Knowing that they were charged with caring for the Messiah, they must have lived with a heightened sense of awareness. This trip to the Temple was most likely their first public appearance, and right away a crazy old man snatched Jesus right from their arms.

As they soon found out, this man was more than a stranger. He was a prophet. They didn’t fully understand the weight of the baby in their arms, but Simeon knew. He was finally holding the Messiah.

Joseph and Mary were thrown very quickly into the story of Advent. The angelic visitations, the virgin birth, the challenges that came with parenting the Messiah, the things people said about their baby – it probably seemed like a giant whirlwind to them. How many times they must have asked each other, “What just happened?”

But Simeon, he was a man waiting for this very moment. Like the veteran who is handed the trophy and the microphone, years of longing and hoping poured forth from his heart like pure gold. Lou Gherig’s words, “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” were enshrined into baseball’s legacy. Simeon’s words would be enshrined into the Gospel forever.

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Simeon teaches us the beauty of waiting on the Lord. Often times we pass off the Lord’s promises because we haven’t invested our heart into it. Jesus aptly said, “Where your heart is, there your treasure is also.” As Simeon demonstrates, when our hearts are fixated on God and His promises, we will wait, hope, and trust in Him. And when the Lord decides to faithfully fulfill those promises, they will seem all the sweeter to us. “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” is the hymn of veterans who appreciate the glory that comes through long suffering, waiting, and hoping.

Baseball Players of Advent – Zechariah the Captain

December 2, 2013December 5, 2013 Justin Hibbard

As any sports team will tell you, there is a clubhouse leader. Behind the scenes, these are the players that might not lead in home runs, but they lead the team by encouraging younger players, giving pep talks, and taking leadership roles on and off the field. Sometimes management gives these seasoned players the title of Captain. And sometimes, the captain doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with the coach. Sometimes the clash between the coach’s way and the captain’s way becomes a very public spectacle.

This year for Advent, we are focusing on the “baseball players” in the story of Jesus’ birth, and for the first week of Advent, we’re looking at Zechariah – the Captain.

Every year the priests of the Temple would draw lots to see who would perform the duties prescribed for the festival of Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – Israel’s holiest and most solemn festival. While one would consider it an honor to be chosen for such a task, it was a dangerous assignment. The priest had to carefully perform the intricate details prescribed in the Torah without deviation, including entering the Most Holy Place in the Temple to make atonement for himself and all of Israel. The High Priest was the mediator between Israel and God. He was like the one chosen for the all-star game, or the captain chosen to mediate between the coaches and the umpires, or the spokesperson selected to speak to the media on behalf of the team.

One year, Zechariah, who was Mary’s brother-in-law (and Jesus’ uncle), was chosen to perform such duties. As he stood in the Holy of Holies, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. Seeing this, he assumed he had done something wrong and that the angel was there to kill him. However, that was not the case. Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to tell him that he would have a son, even though his wife was barren and they were very old. Yet despite how many stories we read about God blessing someone considered infertile with a child, Zachariah had his doubts and was struck dumb because he didn’t believe God.

Imagine that. Here Zechariah was in the most holy place, doing the most spiritual task, encountering a heavenly being, and he still had trouble believing God. Here was a man who understood the stories of Sarai, Rachel, Hannah, and the many women who had children even though it was considered impossible. He most likely taught these stories, but when it came to believing that God could do it through Him, He lacked faith. He needed a coach to help him see the future game plan.

Sometimes even the team leaders have trouble seeing the big picture. They can get bogged down with the batting slumps, the losing streaks, and the negative media pressure. Sometimes they don’t understand what the front office is doing to build the team. And like Zechariah, they can find themselves in a place of doubt. That’s what happened to Zechariah, and he needed some time to adjust his attitude.

The great Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser experienced this with his coach Tommy Lasorda. One time he gave up so many runs, that Tommy Lasorda came out of the dugout in a tirade and yelled at his young pitcher for being too timid. The verbal lashing was so loud that his teammates nicknamed it “the sermon on the mound.” On another occasion, the coach told Hershiser, “Son, I wish I could give you a transplant, not an arm transplant. You need a heart transplant.”

Before Zechariah could take part in the advent of the Messiah, he needed a heart transplant. For nine months, Zechariah couldn’t say a word. He couldn’t tell people what happened that day in the Holy of Holies when he encountered an angel. Before he could lead others, before he could tell the stories of how God could do the impossible, before he could be a voice of encouragement, he needed to have his heart changed and experience God’s miraculous hand.

Sometimes coaches bench the captains. They take them out of the public eye to help them focus again on what’s important. This was the case with Zechariah. And when God was done with him, he was ready to not only lead God’s people but also to lead his family and father and coach his son John the Baptist.