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Series A – Third Sunday in Advent – Sunday, December 18, 2016 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:26	The holy Gospel
0:29	According to Saint Matthew chapter 1
0:31	verses 18 through 25. now the birth of
0:35	Jesus Christ took place in this way when
0:38	his mother Mary had been betrothed to
0:39	Joseph before they came together she was
0:42	found to be with child from the Holy
0:44	Spirit
0:45	and her husband Joseph being a just man
0:47	and unwilling to put her to shame
0:49	resolved to divorce her quietly but as
0:52	he considered these things behold an
0:54	angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
0:55	dream saying Joseph son of David do not
0:58	fear to take Mary as your wife for that
1:00	which is conceived in hers from the Holy
1:02	Spirit she will bear a son and you shall
1:06	call his name Jesus for he will save his
1:09	people from their sins all this took
1:12	place to fulfill what the Lord had
1:13	spoken by the prophet behold the Virgin
1:16	shall conceive and bear a son and they
1:18	shall call his name Emmanuel which means
1:21	god with us when Joseph woke from sleep
1:25	he did as the angel of the Lord
1:26	commanded him he took his wife but knew
1:29	her not until she had given birth to a
1:31	son and he called his name Jesus in the
1:34	name of Jesus
1:36	all right when I was younger
1:39	long before my hair started turning gray
1:41	and I had to deal with cellulite and had
1:43	I needed Optical assistance
1:46	this season of the year was well
1:48	absolutely magical every year I
1:50	rewatched the exact same claymation
1:53	Christmas specials and even though I
1:55	knew how each story would build and then
1:57	resolved and despite the fact that by
2:00	the time I was a teenager I was quoting
2:02	lines from these specials verbatim I
2:06	absolutely loved hearing and seeing the
2:09	same stories year after year I suppose
2:12	that is part of the wonderful joy and
2:14	simplicity of childhood now I would
2:16	remind you brothers and sisters that our
2:19	Lord has taught us in the Gospel of Luke
2:21	that whoever does not receive them the
2:24	kingdom of God like a child shall not
2:26	enter it
2:28	so this season as we we hear these
2:31	familiar and well-worn stories let us
2:34	put aside our adult cynicism our
2:36	busyness take off our uniform loosen our
2:40	tie remove the makeup maybe even mess up
2:43	your hair a little bit put on your
2:44	favorite PJs grab a mug of hot chocolate
2:47	and then Nestle into our favorite spot
2:49	on the couch and begin to hear again the
2:52	amazing history of the birth of Jesus
2:55	Christ
2:57	that’s the idea
2:59	now as we look at our gospel text this
3:03	morning there’s something I would like
3:05	to point out in the immediate context
3:08	that precedes it if you look at the
3:10	gospel of Matthew chapter 1 verse 1.
3:13	here’s what it says this is the
3:15	beginning sentence of the entire New
3:18	Testament the book of the genealogy of
3:21	Jesus Christ the son of David the son of
3:25	Abraham
3:27	the words we’re going to key in on today
3:30	are the son of David
3:32	son of David we’re going to hear this
3:34	word even from the angel of the Lord
3:36	today and that should recall to your
3:40	mind well if you know your Bible
3:42	the great high water mark the Golden Era
3:46	of the people of Israel as they were in
3:50	their promised land that was King David
3:53	you think of stories of his mighty men
3:56	there’s even a bad guy who doesn’t
3:59	really believe God and so well calling
4:02	him the son of David recalls to mine the
4:06	great exploits of this King David also
4:09	recalls to mine the promises that God
4:11	made to this King and so as we hear this
4:15	story today think of it this way we’re
4:19	going to hear the great story of the
4:22	birth of a king but not just any King
4:25	and like every good story The regards in
4:29	regards to the birth of a king there’s
4:31	always a bad guy and see we find
4:33	ourselves in a fascinating story
4:36	we are born literally in the era of the
4:40	great war between God
4:43	and the devil
4:44	and each and every one of us were born
4:46	in darkness born under the Dominion of
4:49	the Devil by Nature we were sinful and
4:52	unclean we confessed this today and so
4:55	for us the story of the birth of a king
4:58	not just any King well the one descended
5:01	from David is the kind of story that
5:04	gives us hope causes our hearts to stir
5:08	just a little bit a little bit of awe
5:10	some wonder and so with that in mind we
5:13	return to Our Gospel text and here’s
5:15	what it says the birth of Jesus Christ
5:19	took place in this way
5:23	and I would draw your attention
5:26	to the phrase Jesus Christ
5:29	now Jesus is a transliteration a Greek
5:32	transliteration of a Hebrew name Jesus
5:35	would have been named in his Boyhood
5:37	friends would have called him Yeshua
5:40	Yeshua literally meaning Yahweh saves or
5:45	even better Yahweh rescues what a great
5:49	name and it tells us everything about
5:51	him now the the Greek word Christos
5:54	where we get the the word Christ from is
5:57	a little well it can be a little
5:59	deceptive for us as English speakers we
6:02	miss the significance of it because the
6:04	Greek word Christos literally means
6:06	anointed one
6:07	but anointed one in Greek Christos is an
6:11	exact synonym of a word we’ve all heard
6:13	before the Hebrew word mashiach
6:17	Messiah
6:18	so you can say the birth
6:21	of the one sent by Yahweh to save us the
6:25	Messiah took place in this way it’s
6:29	theologically charged when his mother
6:31	Mary had been betrothed to Joseph
6:34	before they came together she was found
6:37	to be with child
6:40	from the Holy Spirit
6:43	it’s quite a claim
6:45	we all know that virgins don’t give
6:47	birth
6:48	now I want you to think about the setup
6:50	for a second here before we get to
6:52	Joseph the setup is rather fascinating
6:54	because here we have a woman betrothed
6:58	to a man and while she receives a
7:01	message from an angel
7:03	this Harkens back to the Garden of Eden
7:05	in the Garden of Eden we find a woman a
7:08	virgin betrothed to a man and they
7:11	receive well a message from an angel
7:15	but a fallen one
7:16	and so here’s the idea in the Garden of
7:19	Eden Eve is betrothed to Adam they’re
7:22	not yet married
7:23	and they get word from the devil who
7:26	deceives them to disobey God and these
7:29	words lead to death and now God in true
7:32	fashion takes the whole scenario and
7:34	then flips it so now we have a virgin a
7:38	woman betrothed to a man
7:40	and an angel appears and rather than
7:42	bringing words of death bring good news
7:45	and words of life and so this all
7:48	hearkens back then to the promise that
7:49	God gave while he cursed the serpent in
7:52	Genesis 3 where he says the Lord said to
7:54	the serpent because you have done this
7:56	cursed are you above all livestock and
7:58	above all beast of the field and on your
8:00	belly you shall go and dust you shall
8:02	eat all the days of your life and I will
8:04	put enmity between you and the woman and
8:07	between your seed and her
8:11	seed
8:13	doesn’t say his seed it says her
8:17	and keep this in mind then this is quite
8:20	fitting and the reason for it is simple
8:22	we’re looking for the seed of a woman
8:24	who would come to crush the head of the
8:26	serpent rather than the seed of a man
8:29	and this makes perfect sense considering
8:31	the fact that scripture is very clear
8:34	that it was because of Adam’s sin not
8:37	eaves that we all fell in Romans chapter
8:40	5 starting at verse 13 it says sin was
8:43	indeed in the world before the law was
8:44	given that sin is not counted where
8:46	there is no law
8:47	yet death reigned from Adam to Moses
8:51	even over those whose sinning was not
8:54	like the transgression of Adam who was a
8:56	type of the one to come
8:58	in First Corinthians chapter 15 verses
9:01	21 and 22 reads
9:04	free gift does not like the trespass for
9:07	if the many died through the one man’s
9:10	sin much more have the grace of God and
9:13	the free gift by the grace of the one
9:15	man Jesus Christ abounded for many for
9:18	as by a Man Came Death by a man has come
9:22	also the resurrection from the dead for
9:25	as in Adam all die so also in Christ
9:29	shall all be made alive and so now the
9:33	great reversal begins with a woman who’s
9:36	a virgin betrothed to a man who is of
9:38	the line of David
9:41	and she her seed Christ will crush the
9:45	head of the serpent in order to undo
9:48	what it is that our first father
9:52	did
9:53	plunging us all into this curse
9:56	so her husband Joseph the text says
10:00	being a just man unwilling to put her to
10:01	shame resolved to divorce her quietly in
10:04	other words
10:06	Mary’s found to be pregnant
10:08	her explanation no I have not slept with
10:12	a man I do not have a lover
10:15	Gabriel appeared to me and told me that
10:18	I would give birth to the Messiah
10:21	and I’m carrying him in my womb right
10:23	now and the Holy Spirit is the one
10:25	responsible for making me pregnant
10:27	Joseph isn’t buying it
10:32	it’s a little bit of an awkward
10:33	situation anyway and who would
10:37	when girls talk like this we think that
10:40	maybe they need some medical assistance
10:42	in the brain
10:43	and maybe that’s what he’s thinking but
10:46	rather than put her to shame
10:48	Joseph who church history tells us was
10:50	an older man he instead shows her mercy
10:54	now keep this in mind we never hear of
10:58	Joseph after Jesus is 12 years old and
11:01	so the idea is this is that church
11:02	history tells us he’s probably
11:04	significantly older by a couple of
11:06	decades older than Mary and so we don’t
11:09	hear of him when Jesus begins his
11:11	Earthly Ministry at the wedding Feast of
11:13	Cana in Galilee he’s not there when
11:15	Jesus’s family is worried that somehow
11:17	Jesus’s mind had cracked and they had
11:19	come to collect him in fact Joseph was
11:21	not there at the cross and the reason
11:23	for this is because he died during
11:25	Jesus’s childhood
11:27	so if church history is accurate on this
11:30	point then the scenario is this we have
11:33	an older man
11:34	betrothed to a young woman
11:37	and he does not desire Justice
11:40	in other words he does not wish for her
11:42	to be stoned to death for her sexual
11:44	immorality instead he is likely seeking
11:47	to divorce her quietly in order to well
11:50	give her her Freedom so that she can
11:52	marry the father of her child
11:54	which means that this man is extremely
11:57	kind
11:58	there’s no raging jealousy there’s no
12:01	vindictiveness there’s no I can’t
12:03	believe you did this to me instead he’s
12:06	a just man and a kind man
12:09	but as he considers these things the
12:11	text says behold an angel of the Lord
12:14	appeared to him in a dream
12:16	now I seem to recall in the Old
12:18	Testament that there was another fellow
12:21	by the name of Joseph who had this thing
12:23	where he would dream dreams and the end
12:26	result of these dreams was the salvation
12:28	of all of Israel
12:29	hmm makes you wonder could that possibly
12:33	be a coincidence
12:34	no of course not
12:36	so then the angel says this
12:39	Joseph watch the words
12:41	son of David
12:44	Joseph son of David and these are
12:48	electric words
12:50	but in order to see just how electric
12:52	they are we have to first come to grips
12:56	with what has become of the House of
12:59	David
13:00	now
13:02	now Joseph lives in Nazareth
13:05	we know from archeology this is a hill
13:08	town a small village
13:11	poverty-stricken probably 50 60 people
13:15	total
13:17	and he’s not in a palace there are no
13:19	Mighty Men tending to him there is no
13:22	Crown there are no soft flowing robes
13:26	just the hard hands
13:29	the hardened hands of a carpenter
13:32	in a small town
13:34	what has become of the House of David to
13:38	kind of give you an example of what this
13:40	would be like this would be like us
13:43	finding somebody who was the legitimate
13:45	heir of King Arthur true royalty
13:48	legendary royalty but rather than
13:52	finding him in the palace we find him
13:55	working at a soup kitchen
14:00	maybe in Skid Row in Los Angeles
14:03	doesn’t seem right does it seems out of
14:06	place
14:07	but see this is exactly what scripture
14:10	prophesied would happen to the House of
14:13	David Psalm 89 which is a messianic’s
14:17	Psalm through and through starting at
14:19	verse 34 tells us what God was going to
14:23	do to the House of David and here’s what
14:25	it says verse 34 of Psalm 89 I will not
14:28	violate my Covenant nor will I alter the
14:31	word that went forth from my lips once
14:34	and for all I have sworn by my Holiness
14:36	I will not lie to David his offspring
14:40	shall endure forever his throne as long
14:43	as the son before me like the Moon it
14:46	shall be established forever a faithful
14:49	witness in the skies
14:51	and see all the way back here the
14:53	psalmist
14:54	is preaching the revelation of the Lord
14:57	that God will establish the Throne of
15:00	David forever
15:03	but
15:04	verse 38 but now you have cast off
15:08	and you have rejected
15:10	you are full of Wrath against your
15:12	anointed you have renounced the Covenant
15:15	with your servant you have defiled his
15:17	crown in the dust you have breached all
15:21	his walls you have laid his strongholds
15:24	in Ruins all who pass by plunder him he
15:28	has become the scorn of his neighbors
15:30	you have exalted the right hand of his
15:32	foes you have made all of his enemies
15:34	Rejoice you have also turned back the
15:37	edge of the sword and you have not made
15:39	him stand in battle and you have made
15:41	his Splendor to cease and cast his
15:44	throne to the ground and you have cut
15:47	short the days of his Youth and you have
15:49	covered him with shame
15:52	foreign
15:53	how long O Lord
15:56	will you hide yourself
15:58	forever
15:59	how long will your wrath burn like fire
16:03	remember how short my time is for what
16:07	vanity you have created all the children
16:08	of man what man can live and never see
16:12	death who can deliver his soul from the
16:14	power of shayol
16:16	Lord where is your steadfast love of old
16:19	which by your faithfulness you swore to
16:22	David remember O Lord how your servants
16:24	are mocked and how I bear in my heart
16:26	the insults of all of the many nations
16:29	with which your enemies mock O Lord
16:32	with which they mock the footsteps of
16:35	your anointed
16:37	blessed be the Lord forever
16:39	and so as the prophecy goes God takes
16:43	the great House of David
16:46	and all of its Splendor in all of its
16:49	legendary might
16:52	and brings it to nothing
16:55	absolutely just takes it and cuts the
16:58	whole thing down the only thing left if
17:02	it were a mighty tree the only thing
17:03	left is a stump
17:05	and this is exactly what Isaiah the
17:07	prophet says in Isaiah 11 there shall
17:10	come forth a shoot from the stump of
17:13	Jesse
17:14	and that’s what we’re reading about in
17:17	this text
17:18	a branch from his roots shall bear fruit
17:21	and the spirit of the Lord shall rest
17:23	upon him and the spirit of wisdom and
17:26	understanding the spirit of counsel and
17:28	might the spirit of knowledge and the
17:30	fear of the Lord
17:32	I want to know about this guy his
17:35	Delight shall be in the fear of the Lord
17:37	he shall not judge by what he sees or
17:39	decides disputes by what he hears but
17:43	with righteousness he shall judge the
17:45	poor and decide with equity for the meek
17:47	of the earth and he shall strike the
17:49	Earth with the rod of his mouth and with
17:51	the breath of his lips he shall kill the
17:53	wicked righteousness shall be the belt
17:56	of his waste and faithfulness the belt
17:58	of his loins
17:59	the wolf shall dwell with the lamb and
18:02	the leopard shall lie down with the
18:04	young goat and the calf and The Lion and
18:06	the fatted calf together and a little
18:08	child
18:09	shall lead them
18:12	in our country we don’t have Kings
18:15	kind of like the anti-king country if
18:18	you know what I mean if you know our
18:19	history so the closest thing you can
18:21	kind of liken this too is that feeling
18:24	of awe and suspense and wonder and
18:27	what’s coming next every time we
18:31	inaugurate a new president
18:34	this time around I don’t think I’ll be
18:36	feeling any awe or wonder just saying
18:39	but that’s kind of what we’re talking
18:41	about here this amazing story that God
18:44	takes this great House of David the man
18:47	after God’s Own Heart
18:49	through a dreamer named Joseph hmm
18:53	coming back to that
18:55	the one who dreamed that the Sun the
18:57	moon and the stars would all bow down to
19:00	him
19:02	wasn’t pointing to Joseph was it no
19:05	and we hear that God takes this great
19:07	House of David
19:09	and just destroys it everybody who comes
19:13	against it is Victorious so much so that
19:16	everybody who comes against this house
19:18	even mocks it and yet the angel of the
19:22	Lord when he speaks to Joseph in the
19:24	dream remembers that he’s Royal
19:28	and he addresses them thus
19:33	son of David
19:36	son of David
19:38	do not fear to take Mary as your wife
19:43	for that which is conceived in her is
19:45	from the Holy Spirit
19:49	she told you the truth
19:52	she told you the truth
19:54	believe do not doubt
19:57	she has done nothing wrong your mercy is
20:00	wonderful but it’s not needed in this
20:02	case because something sinful has not
20:05	happened instead something wonderful is
20:09	about to happen from the stump of Jesse
20:12	a sprout is about to appear and grow
20:15	into a mighty tree and all the nations
20:18	will gather under its shade
20:21	his shade
20:23	and all of the earth will walk by the
20:26	light of his face
20:28	and they will see his Splendor and awe
20:34	son of David
20:36	do not fear
20:38	to take Mary as your wife
20:40	she will bear a son
20:43	and you
20:45	you shall call his name
20:48	Yeshua
20:49	for he will save his people from their
20:53	sins
20:56	if you’ve ever read The Chronicles of
20:58	Narnia a Lion The Witch in the wardrobe
21:02	wonderful book great story
21:06	an evil character
21:09	who happens to be named jadith an evil
21:12	witch has taken over Narnia
21:15	and made it always winter but never
21:17	Christmas
21:19	and there’s rumors
21:21	that as land
21:24	has landed that he’s on the move and
21:27	people talk about it in Narnia with
21:29	hushed Whispers but with expectant Hope
21:32	aslan’s on the move
21:34	this is even better than that
21:37	because this is not a kid’s story this
21:40	is our history this is the truth
21:42	Jesus is on the move
21:45	he’s on the Move he’s landed he’s going
21:48	to take the devil and he’s going to
21:50	squash him with the breath of his mouth
21:51	he’s going to tear in the tables he’s
21:53	going to get rid of death forever
21:56	poverty will be no more no longer will
22:00	we ever have to say I cannot see God I
22:02	don’t know if he exists where are you
22:05	instead
22:07	he will be there to wipe away every tear
22:09	from our eyes
22:10	the war is about to be over the king
22:15	is about to land
22:17	and make landfall
22:21	you will call his name Yeshua
22:25	for he will save his people from their
22:27	sins
22:29	brothers and sisters you are his people
22:36	you born under the Dominion of Darkness
22:38	have been made clean in the blood of the
22:41	Lamb that was there for you when you
22:44	were washed in the waters of baptism
22:46	you heard the Absolution not coming from
22:50	me today the coming from the Throne of
22:53	David itself
22:56	sins are forgiven
22:59	you are his people he has rescued you
23:02	from your sins and all of this Matthew
23:06	says took place to fulfill what was
23:08	spoken by the Lord through the prophet
23:11	Isaiah behold the Virgin shall conceive
23:14	and she shall bear a son and they will
23:17	call his name Emmanuel
23:20	which means
23:22	God With Us
23:25	he’s no longer out there he’s here
23:29	he’s no longer some abstract concept no
23:33	he’s there
23:35	sitting in the manger
23:38	God Among Us God tabernacling With Us
23:43	and he goes from the wood of the manger
23:46	to the wood of the cross
23:49	and his crown is not a crown of gold
23:52	it’s the crown of thorns pressed into
23:54	his head
23:56	sign of Shame and sin as he took our
23:59	sins upon himself to save us
24:02	God is on the move to rescue
24:05	so when Joseph woke from sleep
24:08	he did as the angel of the Lord
24:10	commanded him
24:11	he took his wife
24:13	but he knew or not until she had given
24:15	birth
24:16	to a son I think it’s fascinating to
24:19	note
24:20	that in scripture we never hear a single
24:24	word from Joseph
24:27	not a peep
24:31	but he stands for us as an example of a
24:35	man of faith and we know he has great
24:38	faith
24:40	because of his actions
24:42	from the very beginning he’s merciful
24:44	and kind and faithful and obedient
24:49	he like David before him his father
24:54	as a man after God’s Own Heart
24:58	and we see it not in his words
25:00	but in everything that he does and we
25:03	thank God
25:05	that he is now on the move that a true
25:08	son of David
25:09	a sprout from the stump of Jesse has
25:12	arisen
25:14	and has come to save us
25:17	from our sins and the Dominion of
25:19	Darkness
25:21	oh what a great great thought What Child
25:25	Is This
25:26	who laid to rest on Mary’s lapis
25:29	sleeping
25:31	whom Shepard’s guard
25:33	this is Christ the King
25:37	King has landed for you
25:40	in the name of Jesus
25:42	amen
25:43	[Music]

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