An Unexpected Christmas – Promise Keeper
I’m one of those people that carries a notebook to church. Some people use the back of their bulletin, some people use their hand, and some people don’t use anything at all (their brain is much more powerful than mine and for that I am jealous). But I carry a notebook. And I read it later in the week. And re-read it weeks later.
These are some of my notes. Some of this stuff may seem like it doesn’t make sense. It may seem unorganized. It may seem like a stream of consciousness. That’s alright, though. They’re notes. I took ‘em for me and I am sharing ‘em with you.
Here’s some awesome holy holiday goodness from Andy Stanley’s An Unexpected Christmas – Promise Keeper
Verses:
While outlining the genealogy of Jesus, Matthew highlights David. The one man who – at point had abysmal ethics and morality - is arguably most closely associated with Jesus.
At various points during David’s life, ~80 priests were killed because of a lie that he told. He betrayed one of his most loyal friends, ran around on his wife, and destroyed his family to the point where his sons went to war with him. But he is one man that is mostly closely associated with Jesus.
Matthew doesn’t highlight the things that are worthy of praise, either. He doesn’t talk about David the Warrior or David the Psalmist. Matthew highlights all the junk, the dysfunction, and the biggest failures in his life.
But why? Because people like David are the point of the story of Christmas.
David’s story takes place 1000 years before Jesus’ birth during which God makes an unconditional promise to him to make his name known. He never goes back on this promise, either. Regardless of how many things David does wrong, he keeps His promise (though He does punish him). 3000 years later, there are people that know David’s name that don’t even necessarily know God.
In light of all the things that David has done, Joseph – directly in the line of David – and his wife Mary end up in Bethlehem – the City of David – the night of Jesus’ birth all because God keeps His promises.
Even the most heinous sin cannot force God to go back on His word. Matthew was getting ready to tell the story of a new promise. One that was not made to a single individual but to all people. One that was going to be sealed in blood.
Just as God kept His promise to David, He will keep His promise – the one made “to all people” – to us.
The only way for any of us to have peace with God is for that obstacle to be removed. God sent His son to remove sin so we can come to Him based on what He’s done, not based on our own negotiations of what we’ve done.
“We can have peace with God in spite of ourselves.“
Good work Tom. I’ve been enjoying these blog entries.
Thanks, Jay.
I’ve been putting the notes online for my own personal benefit and for anyone that happens to stumble across it. I like hearing from anyone that digs ‘em.
“Even the most heinous sin cannot force God to go back on His word”
Excellent.