Sermon: Advent 2 – Allison Pinches

Well, good morning, everyone. As Grant might say, if I'm a new

face, my name is Allison and I love that I might be a new face

to many of you. Because I had the privilege.

Of serving as one of the. Pastors here for.

Seven years and in the year and a half since I stepped down, so

many new. Faces are.

Here among us, and I just love that, but one of my favorite

things that I got to do when I was on.

Staff was to be. Part of our preaching team.

You maybe heard Pastor Grant and Justin talk about this.

So three of us pastors. Would meet weekly.

We'd study the passage. Together in preparation for

whoever would be speaking that week.

And when I left staff, I knew that one of the things that I

would miss most was those times together and so.

I was really delighted. When Grant and Justin kindly let

me start tagging along with them, I've definitely had some

confused faces. When I tell people that.

They're like you do. What?

You volunteer to do something that you were once.

Paid to do. And I say Yep, and I'm the lucky

1. And there's a few reasons for

this, but the main one that I want to talk about today.

Is because of the story that we get.

To talk about in those times together.

I love stories. I have this image of me.

As a little girl that. Really stands out that I think

just kind of captures me as a child.

Do you have something like that? Maybe it's a photo or a memory

or maybe something that somebody.

Told you about yourself. Well, mine comes from a home

video. Now I know when we think home

videos today we think like this, but I'm talking suitcase cracked

open giant camcorder on the shoulder home video.

Now that I've lost everyone under 25, we'll continue.

So one of these old giant VHS tape home videos of me I think

I'm about. Four or five.

And I'm standing in the kitchen after dinner.

I've got a colander on top of my head and yellow rubber gloves up

to my elbows and very serious expression on my face, and I'm

deep into telling a story about Paddington Bear now, when the

camera inevitably veered away from my long story toward my

obnoxiously. Adorable.

Little brother, I would say. Daddy, listen to this story.

And the focus would come back and I'd continue.

I love stories. And though I know that.

We are all hardwired. And drawn to stories my

counselor one time told me. You are really.

Wired for stories and some good ways and some less helpful ways.

But I love telling stories. It's my favorite part of my

current. Job as a podcast producer, but

it's also. Why I hang out?

With these guys. Every Monday morning because in

the Bible we. Truly have the best stories.

Honestly, there's nothing. Like these stories, the depth,

the. Layers the meaning, the humor,

the power, the wonders, and the. Incredible God that they reveal

they are the best stories. And not only are.

They the best. Stories to begin with, but they

actually come alive. They're living stories.

Because of the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit highlights.

Things or says things that bring us new realizations or speaks

into these particular moments in our lives.

Through these stories. So we're talking about stories

again today. The best story, but.

Also about our stories. What happens when?

Our story gets sidetracked. When the happily ever after

doesn't come. When our stories do not feel.

Like the best stories? When we.

Wrestle with our stories. And struggle with the situations

that we find ourselves in. We're going to.

Revisit the story. From last week, so if you

weren't here I'd encourage. You to check out.

Last week's message, but we're also gonna take this story.

A little bit farther. Today, so I'd really encourage

you to. Pull out your Bible if you have.

It or a phone if that's what you.

Do or there's bibles at the back there?

Because I'd really love for you to be able to see this.

Story in its context. Today.

This Advent we are looking at stories from the Gospel of

Matthew. Matthew is one of the.

Biographies that tells the story of the life of Jesus.

And here's how Matthew, the author, introduces.

Our story for today. In Matthew chapter one, verse

18, that's where our story starts for today.

He says this is how the birth. Of Jesus the Messiah came about,

but we're actually gonna. Back up a little bit before.

Matthew actually has two versions of this birth

announcement. Two versions of how this.

Birth came about, so we're gonna.

Flip back a page. Or we're gonna scroll.

Up a little bit. And see how Matthew.

Starts off his book. So if you've done that, if

you've. Scrolled or flipped back?

You may be relieved to know that I won't be reading the long list

of names that you're seeing there, but I want us to pay

attention to a few things here, Matthew.

Starts his book, his gospel, his whole story.

About the person of Jesus by saying this is an account the

Genesis, the origin story of Jesus the Messiah, the son of

David, the son of Abraham, and then he spends.

The rest of this whole chapter. Helping us to understand how

Jesus came to be those things, the Messiah, the Son of David

and the son of Abraham. So the genealogy that you see

written there starts with Abraham, and it traces a line

through the ancestors, through names some of us may have.

Heard of through Isaac. And Jacob and King David through

this whole long list of names. But do you know?

What word is? Repeated on that page 39 times.

Father. So here it.

Is some of you know, I love to highlight and mark things up

when I'm studying. Don't worry about all the names,

but look at. All of that.

Father, father. Father.

Father. Father.

It's actually 39 times. That we have this father.

But it's actually a more. Active.

Word than our English translation father.

It's more like fathered 39 times fathered Abraham fathered.

Isaac, Isaac, Father Jacob. Jacob, Father Judah.

And on and on. That's what we call a.

Pattern 39 times. And patterns are important

because we're supposed to notice two things.

First of all, we notice the pattern itself, but we also

notice any interruption to the pattern, when the pattern stops

being a pattern, when the pattern is broken.

And look what happens here. So we'll zoom in on the end.

Eliezer fathered Matthan, Matthan father Jacob and Jacob,

father Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born.

This train comes to a screeching halt.

Something different is happening.

Something is slicing into. History A.

Fresh story that is both new and part of the old story at the

same time. Joseph is introduced to us not

as the father of a son, but as the husband of Mary.

And when it comes to introducing this son, the text is careful

not to say Joseph. Fathered like.

The 39 times before rather, it says of whom Jesus was born.

Fathered, fathered, fathered. 39 times, and then Joseph, husband

of Mary, of whom Jesus was born. But this story, that long list

of 39 names, this tracing the generations the son of Abraham,

son of David. All the way to.

Joseph, husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born.

That story almost didn't happen. That's where we're gonna.

Pick up our story for today. Let's pray before we read

together. God, I thank you that you gave

Matthew vision to see. Who you are?

To remember the things that you said and did and the.

Story. Of how you, the Messiah came

about. I pray that just.

As Matthew wants to convince us. Of this truth that you would do

that. Work in our hearts that you

would open our eyes to see and our.

Ears to hear the. Truth.

About who you are. This morning and I.

Pray that that truth. Might continue to change us.

For your good and for your glory and your name we pray Jesus,

Amen. So Luke chapter 1 and we're

Luke 1 · chapter mention

picking up at verse 18. This is how the birth of.

Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother, Mary was pledged to

be married to. Joseph.

But before they came together, she was found to be pregnant

through the holy. Spirit.

I made a mistake, I told the sound booth, Luke 118.

That's on me. Good thing you all have your

Bibles and your phones out in front of you and we're going to

ignore the screen. Sorry, Clement.

My bad. How many months have we been in

Luke? A lot of months.

I forgot and wrote. Luke instead of Matthew.

So Bibles in front of you. Thank you, friends.

Sorry, sound booths. Matthew 118 to 25.

I'm going to start again. This is how the birth of.

Jesus the Messiah came about. His mother, Mary was pledged to

be married to. Joseph but.

Before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through

the holy. Spirit.

Because Joseph, her husband, was.

Faithful to the law. And yet did not want to.

Expose her to public disgrace. He had in mind.

To divorce her quietly. But after 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.

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 Immanuel, which

means. God with us.

When Joseph. Woke up he did.

What the Angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took Mary

home as. His wife.

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to

his son and he gave him the name.

Jesus. Thank you, Clement.

You are fast back. There.

Did I mention we're talking about interruptions in our story

or things maybe not going quite as planned?

That was not intentional. So Messiah Matthew starts off

saying this. Is how the birth of?

Jesus the Messiah came about after telling us that larger.

Story that we looked. At at the beginning of chapter 1

of How This Came about through the Generations, we are now

zooming in way in on a particular couple in a specific

town at an exact time, and Matthew's job is to convince.

Us that this particular. Baby, this baby from Nazareth.

Is actually the savior of the world.

Messiah is the title that's given to Jesus.

Messiah is a Hebrew. Word meaning anointed 1 and

Christ. Is just the Greek.

Version of that both Messiah and Christ mean anointed 1 now.

This was a loaded. Term and one that would have

been very familiar. To the Jewish.

People at that time there was much anticipation for this

Anointed 1 to come and rescue them.

This term would have meant something, would have sent off

flashing alarms for the people listening.

New Testament scholar RT France puts it like.

This. The colourless translation Jesus

Christ in many English versions does not.

Do justice to the. Excitement in Matthew's

introduction of Jesus under the powerfully evocative title

Messiah, the long-awaited delivered of God's people in

whom their history has now come to its climax, and Matthew.

'S job, like we said, is. To convince his.

Readers, that baby Jesus. From Nazareth.

Really is. This anointed 1 this one in whom

their history has now come to its climax.

But there are some hurdles that Matthew has to overcome in

convincing his. Readers of this.

They knew some things already. They had some expectations about

this Messiah from the prophets. The Messiah is to be from the

line of David. That means the Messiah has to be

related to King David in some way.

Some. Great, great, great, great.

Great, great, great grandson 2nd.

The Messiah is supposed to come from Bethlehem.

Mary and Joseph live in a backwards town in Galilee.

There's no royal connection, and Galilee is certainly no place

for a Messiah to come from. But Matthews readers are not the

only ones that need to be convinced.

Joseph also needs to be convinced.

Now we learned. That, Joseph, is a faithful

rule. Following Jewish man who's

engaged to a wonderful young woman named Mary.

They have their whole. Life ahead of them.

They've entered into engagement, which is actually a much more

serious arrangement than than what we think of with

engagement. They would have entered into a

binding legal contract in front of witnesses.

Engagement was a legal arrangement, not just a

relational commitment. So they've entered into this

engagement and are in the midst of waiting.

Usually about a year. Making preparations for their

life ahead and after this year's time, they would have then had a

public ceremony, a coming together where Mary.

Would leave her father's. Home and go and live with

Joseph. And it's in the midst of this

anticipation and preparation. For their life together, the

Joseph's world. Comes to a screeching halt.

Everything changes in a moment and the.

Rug is pulled out. From beneath him.

His whole. World comes crashing down.

Marry His bride is pregnant and he knows he is not the.

Father this. Seemingly ultimate betrayal

ruins the plans and the hopes. He has for their life together.

What is Joseph to do? Even though they're not living

together and have not completed the marriage, they have already

entered into this legal arrangement.

As RT France explains, this binding contract can only be

terminated. By death.

Which would leave the woman as a.

Widow or by divorce? As if for a full marriage,

however, sexual infidelity during the engagement.

Was actually a basis for divorce.

And more than that. The law actually required.

The termination of the engagement in the.

Case of adultery. And the way that this was done,

this termination of the engagement.

Was through a public. Trial, as France explains.

As a law. Abiding man, Joseph.

Would be expected to repudiate his.

Errant fiancee publicly in a. Trial for adultery.

She would be made an example of. Joseph is between a rock and a

hard. Place.

But what about Mary as a woman at that time who could not own?

Property, but was the property. Of a man.

Either her father. Or a husband her.

Options were dire. After being humiliated and

ostracized in a public. Trial her best hope.

Would be for her family to have pity and take her in and allow

her to continue. To be part of their household.

Her prospects for another. Marriage or traditional future?

Were slim to none. What is Joseph to do?

In order to follow the law, he thinks he must divorce Mary, but

he doesn't want to inflict the shame of a public trial on her.

There was a possible. Allowance for divorce in front

of just two witnesses. And perhaps this is what he was

considering, but again, after a public and legal engagement,

even if he did not subject her to the shame of a big trial, a

quiet and. Discreet divorce was hardly.

Possible, but looking at what seemed to be the facts in front

of him, he can't think of another way.

Mary is pregnant, He knows how babies are made and he knows

he's not the father. What is he to do?

This is not. The story.

He had in mind. His story has veered way off

the. Road and into a.

Ditch. Do you ever feel like that?

Have you had any interruptions in your story?

Things not going as planned, assumptions you've.

Made about how things. Will go that you didn't even

realize were assumptions until they were no longer your

reality. I've had a number of

interruptions in my story, and one particular interruption that

as many of you know. I've really wrestled with.

So I wanna. Take you back.

For a second. To high school.

Do you remember superlatives? Those are those things that are

like most likely to be a millionaire.

Or best dressed. Or most.

Likely to succeed. Or those kind of things.

That's a superlative. So when I was in high school, I

was voted most likely to have more than 10 kids.

I loved. Stories of big families.

When I was 16, I thought that sounded really.

Cool, Fast forward. A bunch of years.

Some unnamed number of years since high school, and like I

said, some of. You have walked this story

really closely with us, but we. Have one daughter, Zoe now.

Zoe is incredible. She's, she really is.

She's funny. She's creative, she's

thoughtful. She's kind, she's compassionate.

She's athletic. I could.

Go on and on. Every.

Day, I am grateful. For her.

She's amazing, but most of us who took any level of math know

that one. Is not more than 10.

That. Story didn't play out for me,

and even if I'd long gotten over the 10 kids, Story 1 was never

the. Story I would.

Have written What's the interruption in your?

Story What grief are you? Experiencing because.

Part of your life. Isn't going the way that you

wanted. Maybe you didn't get into that

school program, or maybe you didn't get.

The job or lost the job? Maybe the relationship you?

Desperately hoped. For didn't pan out.

Maybe a diagnosis changed everything in your story.

Maybe the? Rug has been pulled out from

beneath what once felt stable and dependable, and you don't

know which end is up. There are infinite ways our

stories are interrupted. In Joseph and Mary's story,

their stories are interrupted in such a drastic and shocking way.

That they both. Actually get their own angelic

announcement to help them understand that.

The bigger story. That God is writing and

unfolding literally inside them. Mary's story is highlighted more

in the Gospel. Of Luke.

But here in Matthew. It's Joseph that.

Is in the. Spotlight for a.

Brief moment. God wants Mary and Joseph to

know that what seems on the surface like interruptions like.

Impossibilities like betrayals like.

Humiliation and even death. Is actually part of the bigger

story. That he is writing even the

parts that seem messy, even the parts that don't make sense.

A Messiah from Nazareth. We haven't got there yet, but

many may remember the. Baby will actually.

Be born in Bethlehem. Just as was prophesied.

Of the line of David. Well, that's where.

Joseph and his family line come in conception without

intercourse. A baby from the Holy.

Spirit. Now that part might seem like

the most miraculous of all, and. Indeed it is, but perhaps we

should be less. Surprised than we are.

The Holy. Spirit has actually been an

agent in creation and giving life through.

All of history as told by the old.

Testament Scriptures at the time of creation.

The Spirit of God hovered over the waters.

And then in places, in Psalms and Ezekiel and others, they

bear witness to the life generating power.

Of the Spirit. As part of his plan to convince.

Us, the reader. That Jesus is the Messiah, the

anointed One, Jesus reminds. Us that this.

Shocking news of virgin pregnant.

Was actually. Foretold.

It should not. Be a surprise.

He links this situation with what was promised in Isaiah 714.

Therefore the Lord Himself. Will.

Give you a sign the Virgin will conceive and give birth.

To a. Story and will call him Emmanuel

and so Joseph. Has a choice.

He has two stories. In front of him.

Two sets of facts, 2 perspectives to choose.

Between he can dismiss the dream, the angels announcement,

the prophecy, and hang on to what he is known to.

Be true for his. Decades of living that babies

come in a certain way and that a Messiah surely won't come from

Nazareth. Or.

He can suspend all he knows of how things work and instead

cling to the God he has been. Faithful, true and trust God is

being faithful to him. He can believe that what seems

impossible just might be true, and there's only all in OR.

All out here. There's no room for middle

ground. The angelic messenger asked.

Two things of Joseph Don't be afraid to take Mary.

As your wife. And name the child.

Jesus. So what's Joseph gonna do?

Well, as we know from reading it, he.

Chooses. All in.

He lets go of his old story of his hopes.

And plans and trades it for a new story.

A story full of. Questions and unknowns.

Out with the predictable. And control in with uncertainty

and dependence a small. Story for a big one.

And Joseph follows through. He takes Mary as his wife, and

the word is more than takes. He welcomes her as his wife,

welcomes her into his home, as his wife aligns himself with her

and whatever social disgrace that may entail.

He makes a family with her and together they welcome a child, a

son. RT France tells us that in that

culture it was the responsibility of the father to

name the child. It was actually a legal.

Act that ensures the official status of the son and heir, and

so by naming him. Jesus.

Joseph Legally. And.

Wholeheartedly adopts the child and says he is.

His son and. So the child Jesus.

Through the line of Joseph is now also a son of David.

Just as the prophets for tools. The father names the child, but

notice who is involved in the naming.

Of this child. Yes, Joseph.

Legally names him Jesus and so adopts him as son.

But it was. God the Father.

Through his angelic messenger and.

Through the Holy Spirit as told by the.

Prophet Isaiah that names this child, he's named by Joseph, but

he's only named by Joseph as he was.

Instructed to do so by God. God is active.

In naming this child and therefore claiming him as his

son, Joseph naming Jesus. As instructed by God.

Points. To this child's earthly.

And heavenly parentage. And just as Joseph names this

child Jesus and so adopts him as Son the Prophet.

Isaiah tells us God. Does the same for us.

Isaiah 43 one. I have called.

You by name, you are mine. I've called you by name.

Not only are you known to me, but when I call you by name, I'm

claiming you as mine. I'm adopting you and making you

my daughter and son. I have called you by name.

You are mine. For.

Joseph's choosing this story. Is a costly path.

He steps outside social norms, beyond the ordinary, the safe,

the comfortable, and into the extraordinary, but in his

obedience and costly faithfulness.

Look what he gets to be part of. Think what he might have missed

out on. He gets to be part of the story

of all stories. The story that makes sense.

Of our stories, the best story. Now a careful.

Reader may have noticed that there are.

Actually two names given for the child.

The Prophet says he will be called.

Emmanuel, but the Angel tells Joseph to name him Jesus.

Let's take a closer look at. These two names.

Jesus is the Greek. Form of the name Joshua and

Joshua means Jehovah is salvation.

Or God saves or God to the rescue?

Some may remember the famous. Hebrew leader Joshua, who led

the Israelites. Out of the wilderness and into

the promised land, fulfilling his name, that God did indeed

save and. Rescue his people.

And in honor. Of this beloved leader.

Many Jewish boys were named. Jesus.

It was a common name, but let's not confuse common for

insignificance. The Angel actually highlights.

The significance of the name and saying.

You. Are to call him.

Jesus, for he will save. His people from their sins and

yes, rescue from the things that we've done wrong, from the ways

that we've missed the mark. But it's not just rescue from

our sins, but also from the consequences of sin itself,

rescue from the ramifications of sin, from all the ways that the

world is not as God intended. This rescue as the Jesus

Storybook Bible describes. Is making all the sad things

come untrue. And how is this?

Possible. How could that ever be?

How will this be accomplished? Well, that's in the second name

that's given Emmanuel. God with us, God.

Will rescue the entire world from the sin and the

consequences of sin, the very things that separate us from God

and the life that He intended by sending God Himself.

God into the world God. Into our lives, God Into the

Mass, God into the way things were not as they were meant to

be. God into the disorder.

God right here in the pain, the heartache, the brokenness.

The despair. God himself sent to rescue and

make all the sad things come untrue.

Hard things happen, Emmanuel. God is with us.

Hard things happen. Jesus, God is at work.

Rescuing and redeeming the hard things when we chose to know.

Best to be. Independent to not need God when

we made a mess. Of our lives, a gap was created.

Between us and God came into. That gap.

He stepped into the distance and to.

Draw us back to. Himself once again back to him

and the life we were intended to live.

Because that is life. With him and so Jesus of

Nazareth, Son. Of David.

Is. Indeed, Jesus, God rescues.

And he rescues because he is Emmanuel, God coming.

To be with us. And that does indeed make him

the Messiah, the anointed one, the one we've been waiting for.

The savior of the world. But whatever ways.

They have been waiting for rescue.

He is more. Whatever ways we.

Need rescue? Whatever mess we are in, he is

more. He enters in and does far more

than we can ask or imagine. He is at work.

Redeeming all things. Making this sad things come

untrue, Making things right again when I finally.

Realized that the very. Things I struggled with were the

very things that ultimately. God was at work.

Redeeming, making right, Everything changed for me.

All. The sad things we experience,

infertility and cancer and car accidents and broken

relationships and disease and addictions and idols and death,

were not what was intended and are in fact.

What will be abolished? With the fullness of his Kingdom

coming and this. Is why we say let your.

Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.

Let Earth. Look like heaven.

Let it be the. Same here.

As it is there. And so I find great comfort in

rooting my story within God's bigger.

Story. To know that even though I may

not see the outcomes I've been hoping for on this side of

heaven, even though we likely will not have more children,

infertility won't. Be part of God's.

Story in the end. It doesn't get the last word.

And yes, my ultimate hope is in the not yet in the future coming

of the fullness of His Kingdom, but it also changes the now.

I get to see how God takes this story.

I find myself in and make it. A good story.

Make it a story. Of hope, A story of life.

Of mothering, of new life. And have joy.

The good news is good news for what will ultimately one day be

true. But it's also good news for now.

What's your story? How has your?

Story gone off. The rails how has.

The plan been interrupted. What is the mess you find

yourself in? It doesn't matter if it's the

consequences. Of choices.

You've made or things beyond your control.

Jesus, Emmanuel. Jesus, God rescues.

Emmanuel. He rescues.

By entering in by closing the gap.

God rescues. By being.

God with us. And he takes the story we find

ourselves in, and he shows. Us how it's part of his big

story. His big story of redeeming the.

Whole world. And if we let him, he makes our

story into. A really good story.

Let's pray. God, we thank you and we stand

in wonder that you are indeed making all the sad things come

untrue, the things that are not as you intended.

Not what? You would have had.

That you are ultimately writing that bigger story in the end,

but we thank. You, Jesus, that you.

Also enter in now that you can change and redeem our story now.

I pray that you would give us the courage to let.

Go where we need to. To trust you with our stories.

And I pray that you would meet us in that, and that you would.

Fill us with your spirit, with your.

Joy and your peace as we know what it means to experience life

in you. For we ask this in your name,

Jesus, Amen. Friends, we are going to

continue worshipping now by celebrating communion.

And communion is a meal that Christians for generations have

been gathering to celebrate, sometimes in large groups and

gatherings and church services during worship, and sometimes in

their homes in smaller groups with friends and family, but

always to remember.