Advent | The Humble King of Nazareth

Well, good morning. It's good to see you guys.

If you have your Bible, you can open the Matthew chapter 2.

Matthew 2 · chapter mention

We'll be in verses 19 through 23 today.

Just a reminder, Matthew is writing a book about the king

and his Kingdom, All right? So he's he's telling the story

of Christ the King. He's telling the story of the

Kingdom he's come to establish. And we'll see a whole lot about

that. But here in these last few weeks

and more today we are in what we just called an Advent miniseries

within this. He's still in the birth of the

king here, the coming, the arrival of the king.

And so as we come to verses 19 through 23, we're reaching the

final scene of Matthew's opening birth narrative.

Matthew's been carefully showing us from the very beginning that

Jesus is the promised king. He's David's son, He's Abraham's

offspring, he is Emmanuel, God with us.

All right, so this is the arrival of the king.

But this King's arrival has not been met with a celebration by

everyone, right? Not everyone's giddy, not not

everyone's over the moon excited about the arrival of this king.

We've already seen that. Herod the Great, which is Rome's

client king. He responded to the birth of

Jesus not with worship, but with fear and violence, Right.

Herod's jealousy led to the slaughter of the innocents.

It fulfilled Jeremiah's words of sorrow and laments.

However, God preserved his son by sending the family into exile

in Egypt. Now this echoes.

It's really interesting because that the travel of Christ echoes

Israel's own history, right? It reminds us that the child is

retracing the story of God's people.

Now, historically speaking, in this moment that we're going to

read today, Herod has died and Herod's no longer with us.

His Kingdom has been divided among his sons, and Judea has

fallen under the rule of Archelos, King Archelos, A ruler

so cruel and unstable that even Rome would later remove him from

power. It's bad when Rome removes you

from power, right? Politically, the land is still

dangerous. Spiritually, the nation is still

waiting and the promises are not yet complete.

And it's here. It's here, after the danger,

after the exile, after the sorrow of the slaughter of all

those male children, that Matthew tells us where Jesus

will grow up, right? This passage may feel brief, and

it is. It might even feel a bit

understated, but I want you to understand it is weighty and it

has a lot of meaning to it. Matthew's not merely closing a

chapter of the Christmas story. He's not merely explaining a

geographical footnote. He's showing us what kind of

King Jesus is, and He's showing us how God means to bring peace

to His people. It won't be through a spectacle,

it it won't be through force. It will it?

It will be, however, through humility, obscurity, and quiet

obedience. So with that in mind, let's read

Matthew 219 through 23. If you're able, would you please

stand to your feet in the honor of the reading of God's Word

this morning. Verse 19 But when Herod died,

behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in

Egypt, saying, Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to

the land of Israel. Those who sought the child's

life are dead. And he rose and took the child

and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelos was reigning over Judea in place

of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there.

And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of

Galilee. And he went and lived in a city

called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might

be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God, let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word.

We thank you for the opportunity we have together with the Saints

of God this morning to open up the scriptures.

Your breathed word, which is meant for our instruction, it's

meant for our in correction. It's meant to teach us and train

us in godliness that we might be equipped for every good work.

And so, Father, we do not look to this text as though it is

dead. We look at it with eyes that see

that it is alive, that it's active, it's sharper than any

double edged sword. And we ask, Lord, that you would

use it to penetrate our own hearts and souls this morning.

That you would speak to us, that you would train us for godliness

in every way, Lord, that you would help us to Revere your

name. That you would help us to Revere

Christ, That you would help us to be obedient, as we see here

in the text of Joseph, Father. And we thank you for the peace

that you have brought through Christ.

We ask these things in his name. Amen.

Amen. You may be seated.

So as we sit here just a few days away from Christmas Day.

All right, You do know it's just a few days away, right?

Yes. Your children are reminding you

daily. If it's like my home.

The word peace is everywhere around us.

We hear it in songs. We see it on cards and in

decorations. We even speaking to one another

in many ways, saying things like peace on earth, right?

And And yet, if we're honest, right?

Peace often feels elusive, right?

It feels like you are the beauty queen on the stage, wishing for

World Peace if you could have anything you want.

Our world is restless. Our schedules are slam packed.

Even at a time where things are supposed to slow down, our

hearts are often anxious. We long for quiet.

We long for safety. We we long for things to finally

feel settled, right? But we live in a world that

usually define P, usually defines peace in terms of power

and control, right? Peace comes, we think, when the

right people are in charge, or peace comes when threats are

removed, or peace comes when strength is displayed and

enemies are silenced. That's certainly how Herod

understood peace, right? That's how Rome enforced peace,

and it's how most kingdoms in history have tried to secure

peace. But the peace God promises at

Christmas comes in a very different way, right?

It does not arrive riding a War Horse, although he will.

It does not rule from a palace, although he'll rule heaven and

earth. It does not announce itself with

force, although trumpets will sound one day.

But in the beginning, that's not how it comes.

Instead, God's peace arrives rather quietly.

It arrives unexpectedly. It arrives humbly.

Matthew ends his birth narrative not in Bethlehem, the city of

David, as we might assume if you are familiar with the Old

Testament. All right.

He doesn't end his story in Jerusalem, which is the city of

the temple. He doesn't even end his story in

Egypt, the place of exile and deliverance.

He ends this story in Nazareth, a town so small and so

unimpressive that it would later become a term of reproach.

It's an insult, and Matthew wants us to see that this is no

accident. This is how God brings peace.

Now here's the truth that Matthew is teaching us as we

approach Christmas. If you're taking notes, it's

there and top of your worship God.

Because God brings peace through a humble king, we must rest in

his rule and receive his salvation on his terms.

Because God brings peace through a humble king, we must rest in

His rule and receive His salvation on His terms.

Matthew's going to show us this piece through three movements in

the text. The first will be in verses 19

and 20, where we see that God preserves his king according to

his perfect timing. Next, we'll see that God

established his king through humble obedience in verses 21

through 22. And then finally, in verse 23,

we'll see that God defines His King by lowliness, not by

earthly glory. So as we open up this final

Advent text, Matthew is preparing our hearts not just to

remember that Jesus was born, but to understand who He is and

how he brings peace and why His humility is our hope.

His humility is our hope. So point #1 God preserves his

King according to his perfect timing.

Verses 19 through 20. I'll read them again as you

write that down. But when Herod died, behold, an

Angel of the Lord appeared in the dream to Joseph in Egypt,

saying, rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land

of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.

But when Herod died, Matthew says, behold, an Angel of the

Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.

Now Matthew begins this section with a phrase that is easy to

Passover, but it's loaded with meaning.

But when Herod died, Herod the Great has died.

He's the man who raged against heaven.

He's the man who slaughtered innocent children.

He's the man who attempted to destroy the Christ before he

could speak a word. And now he's gone.

He exit the story rather quietly.

There's no funeral describes. There's no legacy that's to be

honored. There's no that lasting victory

of his to be recorded. History just simply moves on.

But God's plan does not. Matthew wants us to see the

contrast. Herod's schemes.

But God waits, right? Herod grasp for control, but God

governs time itself. The King of Heaven does not

hurry, he does not panic, he does not react.

The King of Heaven simply rules. He rules all things.

Matthew Henry captures this beautifully when he writes.

God easily brings to nothing the greatest designs of his enemies.

When they have done their worst, God can do his best.

Amen. Herod's fury, fury felt

overwhelming in the moment. It brought real suffering, it

brought real sorrows, but it never placed the promise at

risk, right? Christ was never in danger, not

not because the world was safe, but because the Father was

faithful, right? Notice also how God acts once

again. An Angel appears to Joseph in a

dream, just as before, right? God is consistent.

He guides the same servants in the same way, with the same

clarity, so that there is no confusion, there's no

contradiction, there's no scrambling on Joseph's parts.

And look closely at the language of the Angel.

Those who sought the child's life are dead.

It's plural, all right. Those who sought the child's

life are dead. This reminds us that the threat

was never only harried. And it'll never only be harried.

The opposition to Christ is bigger than one ruler.

It's bigger than one regime. It's bigger than one moment in

history. And yet God removes the threat

decisively and effortlessly. John Calvin notes this.

He says the Lord sometimes permits his enemies to rage for

a season, not because he is powerless, but because he is

patient and because his appointed time has not yet come.

Amen. Those words from Calvin really

are deeply pastoral. God's delays are not denials,

right? His timing is not indifference.

His apparent silence is never absence.

Just read the book of Esther if you're curious about what God's

silence looks like even as he's working.

Here's what Matthew is teaching us beneath the narrative Peace

is not found in the speed of God's rescue.

Rather it's found in the certainty of God's rule.

I'd say that slower because I think we need to hear that peace

is not found in the speed of rescue.

Rather it's found in the certainty of God's rule.

That's where you find peace, brothers and sisters, in the

certainty of God's rule. RC Sprole often reminded his

hearers that there are no maverick molecules in the

universe, that God is completely sovereign over all things.

There's no maverick molecules, right?

Herod's throne was not maverick. His cruelty, his cruelty was not

random. He even his death came at the

exact moment that God had ordains.

The same God who numbered Herod's days was preserving his

Son and advancing redemption without haste and without risk.

Morden Lloyd Jones once said this.

He said the ultimate proof of God's sovereignty is that he can

afford to wait. How true is that?

I never feel less sovereign than when I feel like I have to

change the circumstance in a moment, and I have no power to

do so. And yet one of the proofs of

God's sovereignty is that he can afford to wait.

Amen. It's precisely what we see here

in this text. Brothers and sisters, this text

presses us to ask a question. And that question is this.

Where do you locate your peace? Where do you locate your peace?

If peace depends on immediate answers, if peace depends on

political stability, if peace depends on the removal of

threats, then peace will always be fragile.

It'll always be fragile. However, if peace rests in the

sovereign care of God, It becomes steady even when your

circumstances are not steady. John Piper puts it this way.

He says that God is always doing 10,000 things in your life and

you might be aware of three of them.

Amen. You may not see what God is

doing in your waiting. You may not see what God is

doing in your suffering. You may not see what God is

doing in your fear or your uncertainty.

But the same God who preserved Christ through exile, the same

God who preserved Christ through danger, the same God who

preserved Christ through delay, is governing your life with

equal wisdom and care. You can be sure of that.

So I want you to hear this clearly, especially as you

approach Christmas Day. Your peace does not depend on

how quickly God acts. Your peace does not depend on

who rules the nations. Your peace depends on the God

who rules history. Your peace depends on the God

who keeps every promise that He has made.

That's where we find peace. The child preserved in Egypt is

the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9, and the God who guarded him then

is the same God who holds His people today.

As God preserves His king through perfect timing, Matthew

now shows us that he is also establishes his king through

humble obedience, not only in Christ's path, but in the

faithful response of those who follow God's Word.

Point #2 God establishes his king through humble obedience.

God establishes his king through humble obedience.

Verse 21 and 22 again. And he, Joseph, rose and took

the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.

But he went. But when he heard that Arkilos

was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was

afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he

withdrew to the district of Galilee.

Right. So he rose, He takes the child

and his mother, He went to the land of Israel.

Now Matthew records this obedience with striking

simplicity. It's instructive for us.

There's no drama in the sentence.

There's no emotion described. There's no internal struggle

narrated. Joseph simply rises and goes.

This is now the third time that Joseph has responded this way in

Matthew's opening chapters. Each time God speaks, Joseph

obeys immediately, completely without qualification.

And yet disobedience is not an easy obedience.

The land of which Joseph returns is still unstable.

Herod may be dead, but his son now reigns in Judea, and he's a

ruler known even in his own day for brutality and incompetence.

Historically, he would later be removed by Rome for his cruelty.

So Joseph's fear is not irrational, it is discerning,

right? And once again, God speaks, and

once again, Joseph obeys. No complaint, no argument, no

insistence on clarity before going.

This is obedience that's shaped by trust, not certainty.

How many times should our obedience be shaped by trust

rather than certainty? Matthew shows us a repeated

pattern in God's work. First, we see God reveals his

will. Next we see God's servants

obeys. And 3rd, we see that God

advances his redemptive plan through this process.

You see, Joseph is not passive. He's active in his obedience,

but he he's never the hero of the story.

Right he he does not devise a plan, he follows a plan, right?

He does not demand safety. He trusts God's word.

John Calvin wisely observed. He said God does not always show

us the whole path, but he never fails to show us the next step.

Amen. That truth is embodied here.

Joseph does not know the destination when he begins the

journey. He only knows the direction God

has given. And this is again deeply

instructive for us. You see, peace and obedience are

not opposites. Brothers and sisters, peace and

obedience are not at odds with one another.

They're complementary of each other.

We often assume that peace comes when decisions are easy.

We'll assume peace must come if risk are removed.

We'll assume that peace comes when outcomes are guaranteed,

but Scripture teaches the opposite to his time and again.

Biblical peace is not the absence of uncertainty.

It is confidence in God amid uncertainty, Matthew Henry

writes. Those that would have the

comfort of God's guidance must be willing to follow it.

In other words, if you want to know the peace of God, obey him.

It's really that simple. Obey Him.

Joseph's obedience does not eliminate danger, but it places

him under divine care. And through this obedience, God

is establishing his king, again, not by force, but by

faithfulness. Martyn Lloyd Jones once said

faith is not a leap in the dark, it is obedience to the light you

have. Amen.

So many times people describe faith as some leap into the

darkness, that walking by faith must mean we're walking by

darkness. No, not at all.

Walking by faith is walking according to the light that God

has given us, right? Joseph walks in the light God

gives him, step by step, and in so doing he participates,

quietly and humbly, mind you, in the unfolding of salvation

history. There's something profoundly

fitting here. The king whose reign will bring

peace to the nations is establisher, a path marked by

submission. Before Christ preaches, he is

protected. Before he commands, he submits.

Before he reigns in glory, he is shaped by obedience.

John MacArthur notes this. He says from his earliest days,

Jesus was associated not with power, but with submission to

the Father's will and to God's appointed means.

So this is not accidental. Again, Matthew's not recording.

This is just some afterthought just to kind of wrap up the

story of the birth of Christ. No, this is not accidental.

What we're seeing here in the early life of Christ is the kind

of king that Jesus is. We're seeing the kind of key

peace that he's going to bring. This passage presses us, presses

us rather firmly. What we see here is that

Christian. What we see here is that peace

does not grow in hearts that demand control.

Peace grows in hearts that trust God's Word more than their

circumstances. When we when we demand control,

we lose peace. Why?

Because you aren't in control. You.

You can't exercise sovereign control over all things, but

peace can be yours. You can possess peace when you

learn how to trust God's Word more than the circumstances

you're in currently. RC Sparrow often reminded the

church that trusting God does not mean understanding His plan.

It means resting in His character.

When you sit down for counsel or you going through a difficult

situation and you say something to the effect of I really want

to trust God in this, but I just, I don't understand what's

going on. I don't understand, you know,

the outcome of this. I don't know what it leads to.

I don't know how to get through it right.

Whatever it is that's hindering you from trusting God, I want

you to understand that trusting God means you're trusting his

character in the midst of the situation, even if you don't

understand the plan that he's working out.

Trusting God means, I believe wholeheartedly.

Romans 828 God works all things together for the good of those

who love Him and are called according to His purpose, even

if I can't understand it in the moment.

All right, why? Because I trust His character.

I trust that He has eternal good for me on His mind in the things

that He's working out. May not look temporarily good,

but eternally it's the best, right?

Some of the most peace filled obedience you will ever practice

will feel quite unspectacular. Choosing faithfulness when the

future feels unclear feels pretty unspectacular.

Obeying Scripture when the outcome is unknown feels pretty

unspectacular. Walking forward with God's Word,

even when the path feels narrow, feels pretty unspectacular.

As Christmas Day approaches, these things matter deeply.

The peace announced at Christ's birth was secured not by angels

alone, but by ordinary obedience, by faithful man

rising in the night, trusting God, and leading a humble family

wherever the Lord directed. Brothers, sisters, God still

works this way, right? He advances His purposes, He

establishes His Kingdom, He grows peace in His people, all

of it through humble obedience to His Word.

Still, how God operates He has not changed His practice.

We must be obedient to His Word, and that obedience leads us to

an unexpected destination, one final place that defines not

only where Jesus would live, but how He would be known.

Nazareth, a place of humility, and it would shape the identity

of the King Himself. Point #3 God defines His King by

lowliness, not earthly glory. Verse 23 says And he went and

lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the

prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a

Nazarene. Matthew ends the birth narrative

with a single sentence and a single word that would have

landed with force on his original readers.

Nazareth, Not Bethlehem, the city of David, not Jerusalem,

the city of the Temple, not a place of promise or prestige or

power. Nazareth, a town with no

reputation, no political importance, no spiritual

standing, a place that was looked down upon.

It was overlooked. It was even mocked later in the

Gospel. Someone will ask, can anything

good come out of Nazareth? The question captures the

cultural weight of this verse. Nazareth was not neutral, it was

despised, it was rejected. And Matthew wants us to

understand this is exactly where God wanted His King to be known

from. Matthew tells us this fulfills

what was spoken by the prophets, plural.

Not one prophet, not one verse, but a consistent prophetic

pattern. This is not a citation, it's a

summary fulfillment. Across the Old Testament, the

coming Messiah is described again and again as one who would

be despised and rejected. Isaiah 53, Lowly and humble.

Zechariah 9A. Shoot from a stump, a route out

of dry ground. Isaiah 11.

And you could go on and on. Nazareth.

Nazareth fits the shape of the prophecies, even if it is not

named explicitly. To be called a Nazarene was to

be identified with obscurity and weakness and reproach.

John Calvin explains this kind of prophetic fulfillment by

saying Matthew does not point us to the syllables of a single

prophecy, but to the substance of many, that Christ would be

despised in the eyes of the world.

In other words, Matthew is teaching us how to read the Old

Testament rightly. The Messiah was never promised a

glorious beginning. He was promised a humble path.

Here's the crucial theological truth that we find here.

God did not bring peace by elevating Christ early.

He brought peace by humiliating him deeply.

From the beginning. Jesus is identified not with

prominence but with poverty, not with admiration but with

reproach. Spurgeon captures this

powerfully when he says the Lord of glory is content to wear a

name of reproach, that he might clothe his people with garments

of righteousness. You see, Nazareth is not some

footnote, brothers and sisters, it is a declaration.

This is the King who will later touch lepers, eat with sinners,

wash his disciples feet, be mocked, beaten and crucified.

The humility of Nazareth points forward to the humility of the

cross. John MacArthur writes this.

He says Jesus's association with Nazareth was an early indicator

that he would not conform to the world's expectations of

greatness. And that, brothers and sisters,

is exactly why Jesus is the only one who can bring true peace.

You see, you and I, we often want peace to come through

upward movement, promotion, recognition, success, security,

power. But God brings peace through

downward movements. Condescension, humility,

sacrifice. It's no wonder the Scriptures

tell us that those who humble themselves before the Lord will

be lifted up by him. We must learn how to go down in

humility, brothers and sisters, how to humble ourselves before

the King, how to humble ourselves in obedience to the

King. And Christ is our example of

this. Martin Lou Jones said the way to

peace is not self assertion, rather it is self abandonment to

God. That is the way of Christ and

it's the way that Christ forms his people.

The King who brings peace does not stand above suffering.

He enters into it. He does not demand honor.

He bears shame. He does not cling to rights.

He lays them down. John Piper puts it memorably.

Many of you would know the statement.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him,

even when He is all that we have.

Amen. Nazareth tells us that God is

not embarrassed by weakness. God works through weakness.

Paul reminds the people in first in Corinthians this and and are

in Corinth this when he writes in First Corinthians that he's

chosen the weak of this world to confound the strong.

So again, this text is pressing us in a very practical way.

Brothers and sisters, if peace came through humility, we should

not be surprised then when God shapes us through humility.

It's humbling when faithfulness feels unnoticed.

It's humbling when obedience to God places you on the margins of

society. It's humbling when the Christian

life looks smaller than you expected.

But these things are not a sign that God has abandoned you.

It's a sign that God is conforming you to his son

Christ. Again, Archie Sproull, he once

said this. He said God does not promise us

comfort, but he does promise us purpose.

Nazareth reminds us that God's purposes are often hidden before

they are revealed, and humility is often the soil in which peace

grows deepest. And I submit to you that as

Christmas Day draws near, this is good news, right?

The peace we celebrate does not rest on atmosphere.

The peace we celebrate does not rest on tradition.

It rests on a humble king who entered obscurity so that

sinners could enter into his glory.

The King of Nazareth is the Prince of Peace.

And because he went low, brothers and sisters, we can

finally rest. We can finally know peace.

You see, Matthew ends the birth narrative not with angels

singing glory to God in the highest.

He ends with a family settling into obscurity.

And that's his point. The peace of Christmas does not

rest on sentiments or tradition or nostalgia.

It rests on a humble king who came low to lift centers high.

This king will later say in the Gospel of Matthew in Chapter 11,

verses 28 and 29. Come to me, all who labor and

are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, for I'm gentle and

lowly in heart. So as Christmas Day approaches,

I want you to hear this clearly. Peace does not come in ignoring

sin. Peace does not come to our

hearts and minds, our souls, when we ignore the depths of

depravity that exist in US. Peace comes when we humbly

confess and submit those things to Christ, when we hide

ourselves in Him rather than hide ourselves from Him.

Peace does not come by achieving control.

Jesus asked this great question in Matthew chapter 6.

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Who of you, by worrying, can add even a single moment to your

life? You might have worded it this

way. Who of you, by seeking to gain

control over every situation, can add even a single moment to

your life? Peace doesn't come by achieving

control. Peace comes in submitting

ourselves to the one who has control, to the one who orders

all things, to the one who governs all things.

Peace comes by trusting the humble King who bore our guilt.

He carried our shame and now reigns in righteousness.

So if you're weary today, I want you to know that Christ brings

you peace. Submit yourself to Him.

If you're fearful today. Circumstances, health reports,

relationships, whatever it may be, you're fearful today.

I want you to know that Christ brings you peace.

If you're sinful, Christ brings you peace.

It comes through repentance and faith, but Christ brings you

peace. Because God brings peace through

a humble king, we must rest in His rule and receive His

salvation on His terms. Church, as we move toward

Christmas Day, let us rejoice not merely that Christ was born,

although what a joyful thing it is.

Let us rejoice that the humble King of Nazareth still gives

peace to his people. Amen.

Amen. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word today.

We thank You for this brief text in Matthew 2 and the way that it

reveals the path to peace. Just as we see Joseph humble

himself, we see Christ humble Himself before the Father.

God, would you help us to humble ourselves before You?

Would you humble us? Would you help us to follow Your

commands, to obey Your Word, to live a life that honors and

glorifies You? Father, would you forgive us for

all the ways we have tried to grasp at peace, either through

gaining control or power or worrying, trying to manipulate

circumstances, wishing for an end to certain circumstances?

God, whatever it may be, would you forgive us?

We simply must obey You. We must submit to Your will for

our lives. We must trust You above all

things. God, would you help us to trust

You? Father, I pray for anyone in

here who doesn't know Christ as Lord.

Would you grant them repentance and faith?

Would you save them from their sins today to draw them to

yourself? Father, let nothing hinder them

from coming that they might find peace in Christ, that through

repentance they would lay down their own unrighteousness, and

through faith in Christ they would take hold of His

righteousness. Would you grant them new life?

Father, I'm going to give you a moment now there in your seat,

just with your head bowed to seek the Lord.

Reflect on the Word, preach this morning.

Spend some time in prayer seeking God.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the grace and the mercy and

the love that we've received in Christ.

We thank You for the example that He sets for us.

It's an example we can't live up to.

But it's our desire, Lord, that you would conform us to His

image as we humble ourselves before You, as we seek to obey

Him because of our great love that we have, a great love that

we've received first. God, would you help us obey the

Lord in every way, the thoughts of our minds, the words of our

mouth, the actions of our hands. May we obey Christ, may we

glorify Christ and all the earth.

May we let it be known that we believe Christ is King.

He's worthy. He's worthy of our submission.

God, I pray that as we reflect over the next few days on

Christmas and Christmas Day and all that it holds, let the

thoughts of a humble king be on our minds.

And God, we thank you that you sent Christ, that he was humbled

to the point of death on a cross, and he bore our shame for

our wickedness, not his own. He bore our shame, our reproach

on himself so that we might be made brand new, so that he could

save your people from their sins.

Christ is the greatest gift we could receive on Christmas.

He's the greatest gift we can remember on Christmas.

And so we thank you for this first Advent and we look forward

to the return of the King. And until that day, would you

help us to live day by day for the glory of the Lord.

It's in the name of Christ I pray.

Amen.