First Lesson: Isaiah 7: 10-16 Responsive Reading: Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19 Second Lesson: Romans 1: 1-7 Gospel Lesson: Matthew 1: 18-25 Grace and Peace from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).--Matthew 1:22-23 Let me begin by asking the congregation a few questions? --What do author Mark Twain and President George Washingston have in common? Answer: “Both men lost their fathers before their twelfth birthdays[1]. -Next question. –What do the perhaps the greatest artist who ever lived Michael Angelo and President Abraham Lincoln have in common? Answer: Both men lost a mother before turning ten years old[2]. -Final question- What do President Bill Clinton, Sir Isaac Newton and singer of “What a Wonderful World.” Louis Armstrong have in common? Answer: All three men never knew their fathers. If one were to study the highest achievers in world history from Julius Caeser to Napoleon to Thomas Jefferson to Johann Sebastian Bach, one would be struck by how many of these figures grew up in less than an ideal home environment due to a losing a parent at a young age[3]. So why do some many of history’s most significant figures come from fractured homes? We’ll get back to this question in just a little bit. -Today’s Old Testament Lesson comes from us from the 7th Chapter of the Book of Isaiah[4]. In the last three weeks we’ve looked at the theme of “Peace on Earth” from within Isaiah. Peace as waiting, Peace in relationships, Peace as hope, and this morning Peace from the child that is soon to come. Today’s lesson concern a King named Ahaz. To understand Ahaz, here’s a quick breakdown of the challenges faced during Ahaz’s reign. Ahaz’s kingdom of Judah was under constant threat from three different enemies: Israel’s neighboring Samaria and to the further north Syria, and to the east the Assyrian empire, which was the world’s mightiest at the time[5]. Ahaz’s reign was going to be defined either by siding with Assyria against his northern neighbors or waging war alongside his northern neighbors against the mighty Assyrians[6]. Ahaz would struggle with these most difficult of leadership choices. Isaiah, within our lesson, seeks to offer Ahaz guidance in seeking to chart out a course for his nation moving forward. Isaiah’s advice was to trust in their nation’s God. The God of Israel’s greatest King David. A God whose reign would far outlast the Kings of Israel’s mightiest of enemies. Ahaz being a King figured that political and military problems could only be solved in similar ways[7]. Ahaz thinks the simplest solution is to align with the Assyrians by worshiping their gods instead of his own. God then responds by seeking to speak to Ahaz directly. God even offers Ahaz a direct sign of his continual protection over Ahaz’s nation. Ahaz though believed that God’s mere promises wouldn’t be enough to deliver him from all his enemies. So in response to Ahaz’s disbelief, Isaiah makes a prediction for Israel’s future. What Isaiah predicts would end up not affecting merely Ahaz’s nation of Israel, but every person gathered here today[8]. Isaiah 7:14 declares: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” The promise that Isaiah gives to Ahaz is no matter how dark the days ahead for Israel might be. God will never abandon his chosen people. Someday, a child will be born within Israel, who will be given the name of Immanuel. The future birth of this child is a promise to those who believe “God (is) with us.” Even in the hardest days for our world, our nation, and our selves. For our challenges will not be like those of King Ahaz. Our challenges might be struggles within our own families, they might be challenges of whether God will indeed provide food, work, or shelter, or they might be the struggles of old age or declining health[9] . Just like Ahaz, we are likely to struggle with the question of where might salvation come? What’s ends up happening to King Ahaz, we’ll get back him in a just little bit. With this in mind, let me tell a story told by Pastor Leon Stier[10]. Pastor Stier goes to visit a home bound elderly couple named Gilbert and Harriet that were members of his congregation. As soon as Pastor Stier walks in, his eye is caught by a brand spanking, new huge T.V. sitting in the corner of the room. Pastor Stier comments: “What a nice TV[11].” Harriet pipes up “Yes,” Harriet says, “Our son had it sent to us for Christmas[12].” Harriet begins to beam as she points out all the things that their son had bought for them from flowers on the table to a nice, new recliner that Gilbert was now sitting in. Harriet begins giving Pastor Stier the rundown on how successful their son is and he now lives several states away in California[13]. Pastor Stier points out to Harriet and Gilbert: “Your son buys you nice gifts[14].” Gilbert had enough at this point; he pipes up: “Yes, he does. but for my part, he could forget the gifts and use the money to buy a plane ticket and visit us sometime. No gift would mean more to his mother and me than that. He calls once in a while, but he hasn’t been here for over three years.” You see, just like Ahaz and Isaiah, Gilbert and Harriet could see the same event, hear the same promises from above, and have very different responses. Harriet saw earthly comforts; Gilbert longed for something else[15]. Ahaz saw a nation under siege and saw every reason to abandon his faith. Isaiah saw the uncertainty as a reason to embrace his faith. Earlier, I asked a question this morning: “Why do some many of history’s most significant figures come from fractured homes?” Social scientists have a theory. Many of history’s highest achievers realize at a young age that the world is not inherently safe[16]. Day to day existence is fraught with uncertainty. The fittest guy around can have a heart attack shoveling snow. The best driver can get in an accident that isn’t their fault. The healthiest kid can get a freak illness. So those written about in the history books have drawn strength from the uncertainty of their surroundings. Trust in the God of Israel, Ahaz believed he needed something more certain than this. So, what ends up happening to King Ahaz? Ahaz ends up bowing down before the altar of the Assyrian King[17]. He ends up sacrificing his son to the Canaanite God Moloch[18]. Ahaz’s reign ended up being a disaster for the spiritual life of the entire nation. There seemed to be absolutely no hope for Israel at the time of Ahaz’s death. Isaiah was called to give a sign of God’s future peace when no one could see it. How can we make sense of Isaiah’s message for us Today? In England many years ago, lived a gentleman named John Mason Neale[19]. John Mason Neale wanted to serve as Anligican Priest, but couldn’t on account of lung disease[20]. So John Mason Neale found a different type of ministry. John Mason Neale’s ministry was spent working with those who were really hurting in life. Neale founded a nursing order of Anglican nuns. He helped with the finding of organizations dedicated to the care of orphans[21]. John Mason Neale, for the last twenty years of his life, lived in an almshouse taking in all of England’s poor and downtrodden. Did all this charity make John Mason Neale a popular guy in England? No, once upon a time he was attacked attending a funeral for one of the sisters of the nursing order. Neale would frequently be threatened by stoning, and people claimed they were going to burn his house down. What was Neale’s great sin? In 19th Century England, he was an Anglican thought to be too friendly to Roman Catholicism[22]. John Mason Neale is best remembered for something else Today. He loved translating ancient Greek and Latin hymns in connection with Christian celebrations. His most popular translated hymn originated nearly 1000 years before his birth as a chant practiced during the week of Christmas[23]. It was based on the Magnificat, Mary’s Hymn of Praise within Luke’s Gospel of the upcoming Birth of the Savior of the world[24]. The chant originally had seven verses, its last verse becoming the most famous[25]: “O come, O come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here. Until the Son of God appear.” John Mason Neale believed something quite significant about the nature of the Christian’s life. As Christian people- we continually struggle with the tension between life’s now and God’s not yet. The tune of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” that we sing is based on a French funeral hymn from 400 years before John Mason Neale’s birth[26]. Singing a funeral hymn as a song of hope teaches us something. We celebrate Christ’s Resurrection, while more eagerly anticipating the Resurrection of all God’s chosen people that is to come[27]. For many, the Christmas holiday will be a time of sorrow, a time to ponder lost relationships, financial struggles, or an uncertain future. Yet we celebrate that no matter the reality of our December 25th, God is still with us. He has come before as a child born to a virgin in the town of Bethlehem. He will come back to wipe tears from the eyes of all those who grieve this Holiday season[28], reminding us How as Christians, we are often sorrowful for our present but rejoicing for God’s future. “O come, O come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel. That mourns in lonely exile here. Until the Son of God appears.” Amen [1] Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Bantam Books. New York. 2009. Print. Pages 112-113 [2] Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Bantam Books. [3] Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Bantam Books. [4] Isaiah 7:10-16. [5] McLarty, Dr. Phillip. W. “A Virgin Shall Conceive.” Sermon Writer. 2010. Print. Dec.3.2019. [6] Bratt, Doug. “Isaiah 7:10-16.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. Calvin Seminary. Grand Rapids, MI. 12.Dec.2016. Web. Dec.3.2019. [7] Bratt, Doug. “Isaiah 7:10-16.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [8] Bratt, Doug. “Isaiah 7:10-16.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [9] Bratt, Doug. “Isaiah 7:10-16.” Center for Excellence in Preaching. [10] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. 24. Dec.2014. Web. Dec.3.2019. [11] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. [12] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. [13] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. [14] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. [15] Stier, Pastor Leon. “Emmanuel.” Email Mediatations. [16] Coyle, Daniel. The Talent Code. Bantam Books. Page 114. [17] “Ahaz.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 2.Dec.2019. Web. Dec.3.2019. [18] 2 Kings 16:3. [19] “John Mason Neale.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. 30.Sept.2019. Web. Dec.3.2019. [20] Tait, Jennifer Woodruff. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Christian History Insistute. Issue#103. 2012. Web. Dec.3.2019. [21] Im, Daniel. “The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Daniel Im. 19. Dec.2017. Web. Dec.3.2019. [22] “John Mason Neale.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. [23] Im, Daniel. “The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Daniel Im [24] Luke 1:46-55 [25] Im, Daniel. “The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Daniel Im [26] Im, Daniel. “The (Hidden) Theology and History of O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Daniel Im [27] Piper, John. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Desiring God. 13.Dec.2015. Web. Dec.3.2019. [28] Tait, Jennifer Woodruff. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Christian History Insistute. Comments are closed.
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