JESUS James Shepherd

It's fantastic to be here this morning.

Let me add my welcome to Steve's.

It is so glad that you are here.

This is a big day for us as a church.

We've got the extravaganza afterwards.

It's very exciting to hear that we have over 200 people

going to be on this site throughout 4.30 to 7.30,

hopefully to hear the gospel spoken to their life,

maybe for the first time.

Isn't that wonderful and fantastic?

We're going to pray now before we hear God's word,

so please join me in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for the news

that this afternoon that you're going to have

all these people here on site to hear your word,

maybe for the first time.

And Lord, that's so exciting that your word is so powerful

and it can change lives forever.

And so Lord, as we sit here this morning,

let us be excited that we get to hear from your word,

a word that might be quite familiar to us,

but nonetheless, that is just as exciting,

just as powerful because it's you who speaks to us.

It's a word that whilst what might have been written

thousands of years ago, it is still speaking to us today.

It is living and active.

And we pray, Lord, as we hear you this morning,

would you change our hearts and our minds

to love and to serve you,

to be excited about Christmas

and what it truly is all about.

We pray these things in your son's precious name.

Amen.

Amen.

It's less than a week till Christmas.

Are you all excited?

Yes.

Ah, yes.

The kids are excited.

Christmas is generally an exciting time.

I don't know about you,

but I've always felt pretty excited around Christmas

and I've always felt an anticipation

about the day that comes.

Everyone is in a very good mood.

People are throwing Christmas parties all over the place.

Everyone's winding down for the year.

People are just more relaxed and happy.

Carols are playing in shopping centres,

if you like carols.

People are cheerful and joyful.

It is the season, right?

There's so much expectation at Christmas time.

Everyone looks forward to this one day.

But why?

What exactly is it about this day

that everyone looks forward to?

Is it because work shuts down for a whole week or so

and everyone gets a holiday?

Is it because we have an excuse to eat

as much as we possibly can

without any kind of regret or self or shame?

Is it because of all the carol events we can go to?

The main, last night.

Is it because of actually not Christmas Day,

but the Boxing Day test the next day?

And we're all looking forward to watching that.

Is it because of all the presents

we're hoping to receive on the day?

I imagine your kids,

and if our kids are still here,

that is probably what's most exciting about Christmas Day.

I'm still hoping one Christmas

that Stance will bring me my new surfboard

that I've been asking for for quite some time now.

I've sent into the dimensions to him in the North Pole,

but I'm still waiting on a reply.

There's so much to look forward to at Christmas time.

But does the hype and the expectation last?

No.

As soon as Christmas rolls through,

we're no longer excited about it,

no longer thinking about it or talking about it

or singing carols anymore.

I know for myself that after the hype dies down,

I feel a bit drained and a bit empty,

totally drained by the expectation I put on the day itself.

So much energy and time,

preparation goes into this one day,

and it comes and goes like that.

The thing is, we know that.

We're actually quite aware of that.

We are not unaware of the hype

and how it fizzles out very quickly once it's all over.

So how do we in the Western world deal with this issue

when the hype is all over?

We make another event to look forward to.

Boxing Day sales.

A day where those of us who are a little let down

by our Christmas presents

can have a second chance at redeeming the excitement

we lost or didn't get on Christmas Day

with a good gift for ourselves.

But again, Boxing Day hype doesn't last very long.

It only lasts one day.

And so how do we try and keep the hype going

and the excitement coming?

Another event.

New Year's Eve.

A night out on the town where we celebrate

and try to forget,

either try to forget the year that happened

or we celebrate the year that happened

and we look forward to the year that is to come.

But again, New Year's Eve comes and goes

and the excitement dies down

as many people wake up the next day

maybe not remembering the excitement of the night

but certainly its consequences.

And so once the excitement passes away

and the new year rolls in,

how do we continue to make life exciting?

How do we continue the hype to keep going?

Another event.

Australia Day eventually comes along.

Do you see where I'm going here?

Our world is aware enough to realise

that hype doesn't last.

They know that the excitement generated

at Christmas time by presents and food and holidays

and family hangouts dies down eventually.

And so we deal with that by constantly having events

after events after events to look forward to,

to fill out our lives with stuff to do,

to keep us happy and distracted,

to keep the hype going,

to keep our lives exciting.

We keep looking forward to the next thing,

the next adventure,

the next purchase,

the next holiday.

But is that enough?

As we get older,

there is less and less we can do

until eventually one day

we pass from this world

and we can no longer do anything.

As a 25-year-old,

the world tells me

that the solution to this problem

is to not waste your life now,

to live life full,

full of venture and excitement,

to give it my best shot

and hopefully it will be fulfilling enough.

As I reflect back on my 20s and 30s,

I'll be able to say

in my late 70s and 80s,

I lived a good life

and I'm satisfied and content.

But therein lies the issue

and the irony.

It's not going to be fulfilling enough

because as the world is aware,

hype and excitement

about anything doesn't last.

I can live the most exciting,

fulfilling life in my 20s and 30s,

but the moment that it begins to slow down,

I'll be longing for more.

The past excitement won't be there

to comfort me

and keep me content and fulfilled.

No, what will happen

is that I will end up

in a vicious, depressing cycle

of trying to seek fulfillment in my 20s

and when I'm let down by that outcome,

I'll be left unfulfilled, unsatisfied.

Our world, particularly in the West,

is trapped in this unending cycle

of trying to seek fulfillment,

of pursuing the exciting life,

yet our expectation

is never satisfied.

Our anticipation

or what we hope for

is never fully realized.

It's not that we don't do enough

or don't have enough

or the opportunity to enjoy life.

It's just that the hype

and excitement of material things,

of experiences,

don't last.

We are always left

longing, longing for more.

So what's the answer then?

Do we resign ourselves

to nihilism?

Do we try and disconnect from the world

not to get too attached to anything,

otherwise we're disappointed in the end?

No.

Whilst the direction

our modern world

wants us to head in

is destructive,

a destructive cycle,

it does get one small thing right.

Christmas is exciting.

Very exciting.

However,

the excitement the world focuses on

is shallow and cheap

compared to the real reason

why Christmas is exciting.

Christmas is not exciting

because of food

and presents

and holidays

and family,

although they're great things.

Christmas is exciting

because the creator

of the universe,

the all-powerful God,

holy and magnificent,

gives us something

that is more valuable

than all else.

He gives us something

that will last,

something that is eternal.

Not something

that loses excitement,

not something that will rust

or fade away,

but something that will continue

to fill our hearts

with joy

and keep us excited

to love and follow him.

The world

was on the right track,

but this morning

as we continue

in Matthew's gospel

looking at the story

of Christmas,

we're going to see

why Christmas

is actually truly exciting.

As Sam spoke

about last week,

Matthew starts

with a genealogy

in order to testify

to who Jesus is,

that he is a real person

who comes from a line

of people

going back to Abraham.

There are many people

in the family tree

that you might not expect

to be in there

if you wanted to impress

or show your significance

in the world.

But Matthew does include

these people

because he wants to show

that our God

works differently

to the way

we might expect,

that God uses

broken people,

people with rough edges,

people with skeletons

in their closets

in order to achieve

his perfect

and glorious plan.

This big generational

picture view

that proves

Jesus' historicity

is there because

he did not appear

out of nowhere.

That's what Matthew

wants to intend to do

and now Matthew

will go on

looking,

going from that big picture

to a narrow scope.

Still trying to do

the same thing though.

He says in verse 18,

this is how the birth

of Jesus,

the Messiah,

came about.

So whilst the scope

has been narrowed down

from this big generational view

to now looking at

the account of Jesus,

Matthew wants to show

that the Christmas story

is historical.

That everything

that we read here

is true.

It happened.

It happened for a reason

and every detail

is important.

Sam mentioned last week

a woman who commented

on an online article

saying that the Christmas story

didn't really happen.

It's just a story

to show how much

God loves us.

But that does not do

justice to Matthew's

strong opening here.

This is how the birth

of Jesus,

the Messiah,

came about.

Came about.

Matthew intends

to talk about

the historicity,

the story,

the historical account

of Jesus' birth.

He did not just

waste time

going through

every single

or most names

in his generational line

to then talk about

an allegory

of God's love.

An abstract,

undefined,

substance-less

allegory

of God's love.

No, he

has that lineage there

because he wants

to show us

that the birth

of Jesus is real.

And when we look

at the historical account

of Jesus' birth,

we see there

God's love,

truly.

So let's look

at the first bit

of it.

Verse 18.

This is how

the birth of Jesus

Christ came about.

His mother Mary

was pledged

to be married

to Joseph.

But before they

came together,

she was found

to be a child

through the Holy

Spirit because

Joseph, her husband,

was a righteous man

and did not want

to expose her

to a public disgrace.

He had a mind

to divorce her

quietly.

But after that,

he had considered

this,

an angel of the Lord

appeared to him

in a dream

and said,

Joseph, son of David,

do not be afraid

to take Mary home

as your wife

because what is

conceived in her

is from the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth

to a son

and you are to give

him the name Jesus

because he will save

his people

from their sins.

This story

can't simply be

about God's love

in a general,

abstract,

undefined sense.

No, this story

whilst is characterized

by the love of God

is one about redemption.

Is it about salvation?

The length required

for God

to save his people.

Indeed,

it's the historical nature

of this account

that gives substance

and definition

to God's love for us.

The account

of Jesus' birth

teaches us

something about humanity.

Matthew records

the angel saying

Jesus was sent here

to save us

from our sins.

We learn that we are

a lost

and broken people.

We need to be saved

from our sins

but the only way

for our sin

to be dealt with

was by sacrificial death.

Someone had to die

in our place

in order to stop

the eternally

devastating effects

of sin.

the expectation

would be that

this baby

wouldn't just remain

as a baby.

He would grow up

to become a man

who would eventually

take our place

and face the punishment

of sin

by dying for us.

So much more

is going on here

than a simple

allegory

of God's love.

In fact,

the allegory

means nothing

and has nothing

to stand on

without its historical

accounts.

God's love for us

is the reason

he must send

his son to die

in order that

our sins

will be paid for.

He cannot love us

without dealing

with the issue

of sin first.

But this death

would be like no other.

In order for Jesus

to be a sufficient

sacrifice

for the whole world,

he had to be

more than just a man.

He had to be

God.

The historical account

puts it like this,

that he was born

of the Holy Spirit.

Otherwise saying

that he,

unlike any other man

who was born,

this man

was born

as a divine person.

Jesus

is the God-man.

Fully God

and fully man.

And it's this

mystery

and the glory

of the incarnation,

God taking on flesh,

that really shows us

how desperate

we are

and how much

God loves us.

That he would take

on the likeness

of sinful flesh,

make himself nothing,

humble himself,

and be obedient

to death.

What we begin

to see

by looking

at the historical

account of Jesus

is more than just

an allegory

of God's love.

Indeed,

turning

the historical

account

into an allegory

of God's love

only serves

to weaken

and cheapen

the love of God,

which is clearly

seen in the account

itself.

Let me clarify,

though,

the Christmas story

is a story

of God's love,

but it's not

a story told

to make sense

of a love,

of God's love,

that is otherwise

abstract,

abstract,

or in general,

or can't be defined.

No,

God's love

is not abstract.

It is not undefined.

It expresses

itself

in history

through the birth

of our Lord Jesus

and in his death.

God's love

is not explained

and defined

by the use

of allegories

or made-up stories.

No,

God's love

is what is driving

the narrative here.

The narrative

of Jesus' birth

doesn't give us

an idea

of God's love.

it itself occurs

because God

loves us.

That's why

it has to be

historical.

He sent

his son

to be born

of a virgin

and to die

on a cross

in order that

we might have

life.

This happened

in history

because God

loves us

and his love

moves him

to intervene

and act

in history.

At Christmas time

we are reminded

of this

saviour

who came

and died

and rose

again

in order

we might live.

At Christmas time

we are reminded

of the gift

of salvation

that Jesus

has saved us

from our sins

that this

happened

in history

because God

loved us

so much.

the question

is however

what are we

saved for?

What's the

point of God

saving us

from our sins?

What do we do

now?

Is it just

to simply

avoid judgment?

Or is there

something else

going on here?

There is

something more

going on here.

You see

salvation

is not the

end goal

of the Christmas

story.

And dare I say it

salvation is not

even the greatest

gift

that we have

at Christmas time.

The greatest

gift at Christmas

comes through

salvation.

And that gift

is that we

get God.

We

get

God.

Look at

verse 22.

All this

took place

to fulfill

what the Lord

had said

through the

prophet.

The virgin

will conceive

and give birth

to a son

and they will

call him

Emmanuel

which means

God

with us.

the great

and wonderful

gift at

Christmas time

is that

the God

of heaven

the creator

of all things

comes down

from heaven

to earth

with his

mission

and intention

to dwell

and to be

with his

people.

That God

would be

with us

and that we

would get

to enjoy

his presence

and to be

with him.

Is that not

incredible?

There is no

other religion

in the entire

world

in history

where God

comes down

and spends

time with

his people

except ours.

The holy

and most

powerful

and so

and so

other

to us

would come

and dwell

amongst

sinners.

The God

whose love

for us

is unconditional.

The God

who pours out

his love

and mercy

on us

each day.

The God

who sustains

us in this

life

and keeps

us focused

on him.

He has

come down

in the

form of

a baby.

And that's

what we get

for Christmas

himself.

And this

has always

been the

plan

that God

would dwell

with his

people

since the

very beginning

where Adam

and Eve

enjoyed God's

presence

in the

garden

where he

walked

with them.

As such

that presence

was soon

corrupted

by sin

and sin

created a

gulf

between

us

and God.

But then

the whole

Bible

after that

is a

story

that

anticipates

this

Christmas

story

here

in

Matthew

1.

To the

day

Emmanuel

would come

into the

world

to save

us from

our sins

in order

that we

might get

to enjoy

the presence

of God.

That we

would get

God

the most

valuable

and precious

gift

that we

can have.

He will

never fade

away.

He will

never leave

us.

He will

never fail

us.

He is

God

and we

get him.

This

means that

we get

to enjoy

the confidence

that throughout

our life

God is

always with

us.

In the

good times

and in

the bad

he is

always

with us

sustaining

us in

his love

and mercy

and showing

us the

way

forward

by his

word.

He dwells

with us

right now

by his

spirit

who has

been sealed

within us

who believe

and so

therefore we

know he

can never

forsake us.

Again,

this is a

historical

reality as

Matthew quotes

from Isaiah

the prophet.

What was

foretold

has now

come to

pass.

God

has entered

into history

coming

down from

his royal

throne

to the

dirt

to the

lowly

to us

who are

unworthy

of him

and that

he took

himself

lower

by dying

on a

cross

for us.

God

with us

Emmanuel

is the

end goal

of our

Christian

life

that we

would glorify

him

and enjoy

him

forever.

To

summarize,

God is

the gospel.

Jesus'

death and

resurrection

is the

means of

which we

can connect

to God

and be

in relationship

with him.

Certainly

we are

amazed and

we praise

God for

his works

and acts

in this

world which

include his

death and

his resurrection.

But we

don't worship

the death and

resurrection

itself.

We worship

God

and who

he is

and he

has given

himself

to us.

Matthew

started his

book with

this great

gift,

telling us

about Emmanuel,

that he

has come

and he

is with

us.

And he

also ends

his book

reminding us

of the

reality of

this first

Christmas

that began

to institute

this presence

when Jesus

said to his

disciples,

Matthew 28,

surely I

am with

you always

to the

very end

of the

age.

God's

presence

with his

people is

here to

stay.

And this

began the

first Christmas

and in this

Christmas that

is what we

continue to

celebrate,

to remember,

to be

thankful for,

that God

did not

choose to

leave us

on our

own,

but he

came to

be with

us first

as a

man.

then by

his

spirit,

and then

once again,

face to

face.

The question

I want to

leave you

all with

is how

do you

see

Christmas?

What is

it to

you?

Is it

about

presents,

hanging out

with family,

holidays?

If that's

the case,

is that

really enough?

is it

possible

that you've

been brought

into this

cycle of

excitement

where you

have to

constantly

be going

to the

next thing,

to the

next event,

to be

finding joy

and exciting

things,

trying to

sustain your

joy and

excitement by

looking forward

to each

event?

Such will

only leave

you disappointed,

unsatisfied,

in the

end.

And such

a view

of

Christmas

is

profoundly

shallow

compared to

what it

really is

all about.

Indeed,

what we

celebrate

at

Christmas

time,

what we

celebrate

at

Christmas

time

is the

end

of this

depressing

cycle

the world

would have

us existing.

At

Christmas

time,

we don't

constantly

look forward

to the

next thing

to give

us any

kind of

hope.

We look

back.

to the

hope that

came into

the world,

Emmanuel,

in the

Son of

Jesus.

And as

we look

back then,

we look

forward to

the future

when we'll

get to dwell

with God

in perfect

harmony

forever

and ever.

At

Christmas

time,

we are

reminded of

Emmanuel.

And that

great joy

it is to

know that

we have a

Saviour who

has dealt

with our

sin so that

we can enjoy

God with us

right now.

At

Christmas

time,

we are

reminded that

the greatest

gift we've

ever received

is God

himself.

And so in

a world full

of chaos

and disruption,

we get to

enjoy peace

with him

in the midst

of that

chaos.

In a world

full of pain

and suffering,

we get to

enjoy the

comfort and

security that

God is

sovereign and

he is not

far away,

he hasn't

abandoned us,

but he is

with us

in the midst

of that.

In a world

full of

hopelessness and

fear,

we get to

enjoy hope,

excitement and

anticipation about

our future that

cannot be affected

or changed by

anything in this

world.

Our hope is

based upon the

fact that Emmanuel

is with us.

In a world that

is constantly

running in this

cycle of hype and

pursuit of

excitement and

happiness,

we get to enjoy

great contentment,

excitement,

excitement and

a joy that

will never run

dry because

God is with

us.

We get to

enjoy all these

things because

of Emmanuel,

God with us.

That is the

greatest gift of

Christmas and

that is what

Christmas is all

about.

Amen.