Fulfillment
Audio Recording
Sermon Outline
Speaker: Rev. Scott Strickman
Sermon Series: Advent
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-18 (ESV)
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
2:13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Sermon Outline
The Christmas story is the beginning of Jesus fulfilling all things and points us to where we begin to find fulfillment.
1. A Complex Story
v15 “this was to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son’.”
2. A Painful Story
vv17-18 “then was fulfilled… weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children…”
3. A Remarkable Story
vv22-23 “this took place to fulfill… the virgin shall conceive… call his name Immanuel… ‘God with us’.”
vv21, 25 “called his name Jesus”
Prayer of Confession
Our wise and compassionate God, the Christmas story is astounding. We understand so little. We assume the worst of you, our world and ourselves. We have failed to trust you. We have blamed you for the consequences of our own failings. We have not turned to you when the world and the people in it have failed us. We suffer emptiness, cynicism, anxiety, regret and confusion. Forgive us. Thank you that Jesus came into this complex world and faced the pain of it. Thank you that he did what we fail to do. Thank you that he brings the fulness of you into our lives. This Christmas, help us to know with greater depth the power of your presence. Amen.
Questions for Reflection
What are some ways the birth of Jesus is a beginning? What starts to change with his arrival?
How are you impacted by the complexities of life? How often are you able to discern what God is doing in your life (or in the world)? How often do you have a sense God is with you?
Why is it helpful to see stories of suffering in the Bible? What conclusions can you draw from the violent events that surrounded the birth of Jesus?
What does the unique conception (“conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary”) of Jesus tell us about him?
How are our lives different if God is with us? How can you increase your awareness of God being with you? What can you do differently because God is with you?
Is there something you need to devote time to praying about where you ask for and look for how God has been, or is with, you? Is there something difficult in this season that would benefit from setting aside time to seek the Lord about?