Grace OPC Sewickley PA

Sermon Series: Christmas

  • Faith That Waits and Sees

    Faith That Waits and Sees

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 1, 1995.

    About this sermon

    True biblical faith rests on the supernatural birth of Christ, and Simeon shows that faith in Luke 2:25. 1 John 3:2-3 sets out the hope that goes with it. Consumer religion offers something else, while in Christ our salvation is already here.

    More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    I read this morning from Luke chapter 2, and we begin at verse 21. Luke’s Gospel, second chapter, and the twenty-first verse. I will be reading from the New American Standard. Give your attention to the reading of God’s infallible Word. And when eight days were completed before his circumcision, his name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

    And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord. and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves and two young pigeons.

    And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to carry out for him the custom of the law, then he took him into his arms and blessed God and said, Now, Lord, thou dost let thy bondservant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles.” and the glory of thy people Israel.’ And his father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about him, and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed, and a sword will pierce even your own soul. To the end the thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

    There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phenuel of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with a husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment, she came up and began giving thanks to God. and continued to speak of him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth. And the child continued to grow and became strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.”

    Our Father, we have been instructed by your word again and again. And Father, we are drawn back to that word as a people that has been born again by the word. And Lord, even here in the assembly, we have found that your word is rich and provides us a prosperity that is beyond anything the world can give us. So, Lord, may we treasure these riches, the very riches of your word, and may we learn how to use these riches well, in such a way as to please you. Even now, as we have heard your word, and are to receive instruction with respect to us. Give us that heart, O Lord, that is open to what you have to say. And Father, yes, may we be helped by it, and by it, Lord, may we prove to be a help even to others.

    This we pray through Christ our Savior. Amen. The scriptures are full of pithy statements about faith. I think one of the most powerful statements about faith is the one we find in Hebrews 11.6, which tells us without faith it is impossible to please God. I am also drawn to another statement that we find about faith in the New Testament, Romans 14, verse 23, where Paul tells us that whatever is not of faith is sin. Faith is of such great importance to us, it is central for our lives as those who make claim, lay claim, to a relationship with the true and living God. As Luke tells his story about the birth of Jesus, faith, biblical faith, is wonderfully defined and tested there in what is recorded for us.

    To begin with, we are face-to-face with the profoundly supernatural circumstances of the event of Jesus’ birth. Can true faith recede from, retreat from, the supernatural character of the biblical revelation? Can true faith disbelieve the supernatural interventions that God himself has brought to the face of this creation? But there is not merely the consideration with respect to the circumstances surrounding the event of Christ’s birth.

    My friends, there is also and you know this full well, the person of Jesus himself. He is presented to us here by Luke as fully human, but he is also presented to us as utterly unique and, yes, divine. Luke’s account, then, is an overwhelming barrage. It comes at us scene after scene, intending to place before us Yes, the supernatural character of what is taking place, but also the supernatural personage, the divine and human personage, the God-man, Jesus the Messiah. This child, circumcised under the name Jesus, as we have read this morning, is the Lord’s Christ.

    He is the Son of David. He is destined to sit upon his Father’s throne, to rule over the house of Jacob forever. Of his kingdom there shall be no end. Chapter 1 in verses 32 and 33 tell us that. This one is begotten by the miraculous interposition of the Holy Spirit and by the overshadowing of the Most High. He is called the Son of the Most High. that 32nd verse once more in the first chapter. He is even called the Son of God, chapter 1, verse 35.

    His appearance in the world is declared to be nothing less than the long-awaited coming of God himself. Thus the significance of those references to John the Baptist in that first chapter, where we are given an anticipation of his coming ministry. He is the one who shall prepare the way of the Lord. The Lord is coming, God himself. Allow that to sink in. The Lord’s Christ, then, is the Lord himself. the Lord of glory. And this one does not steal God’s glory when he is called the Lord, but in him God himself has descended into his world.

    He condescends to become as we are, and as the God-man, Jesus Christ is he, both by whom the promises were given, and now the promises are fulfilled. for the salvation of God’s own, His elect. This salvation as supernatural as the person of the Savior who has appeared.

    So our faith is set forth here for us even as we consider the story of the birth of our Savior in Luke’s Gospel. Our faith here is defined, and yes, it will be tried, it will be tested, as to whether we believe those things that are stated, that are communicated.

    Our faith is given particular focus in the brief story of Simeon. Simeon was a prophet, or at least one upon whom the prophetic spirit rested for a time As he was visited by the Spirit, he directly communed with the Spirit, the Spirit spoke to him, and he himself spoke by that Spirit. Yet, for all of his extraordinariness, here in Sinulim is a man of a common piety, a piety that is to be found in all of God’s children, a piety that is to be found in us. If Simeon marks faith, then he marks faith with us and for us. We look to him and we will see more perfectly what the nature of faith is. But Luke tells us that Simeon was a righteous and a devout man, verse 25 of that second chapter. A righteous and a devout man.

    This, too, is a mark of common devotion and piety before God. It is a mark that should be upon us all, something that can be read out with respect to each one of us. But notice now that this common piety, Simeon’s and ours, this piety for God’s people, is itself extraordinary, even though we are not prophets, even though we do not have the prophetic spirit upon us. Yet, in this common piety that is ours with Simeon, there is an extraordinariness to us with him. Luke goes on to attach Simeon’s righteousness and his devotion, you will notice, to a writer, a clarifying phrase that communicates the foundation and the fountain of his godliness.

    Namely, here was a man looking in faith for the consolation of Israel and for the Lord’s Christ. Simeon’s piety was neither moralistic nor mystical. It did not find its foundation or strength, either an appeal within Simeon himself to his own moral ability, or an appeal within him to some ambiguous religious feeling. Instead, Simeon’s piety was driven by and formed by, shaped by his hope. Dr. Draftman has a series of lectures entitled Saved by Hope. Simeon’s piety was driven by, informed by, shaped by his hope.

    This means then that moral ability, together with religious feeling, is subordinated in Simeon to his hope. and through its attendant faith in the content of God’s revelation of himself and in God’s promise of salvation through the Messiah. It is very important for us to understand this point. in order to get a grip on the nature of biblical faith. You see, whatever good Sinion had, or whatever good he was for or to God, was directly related to his expectation. It was directly related to his expectation and his longing after salvation through the Lord’s Christ. There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel.

    Now, we all adjudge that the relationship between righteousness and devotion on the one hand and our hope and faith on the other is a theme regularly heard in Scripture. But let me direct your attention to a very powerful text in this regard, and I have in mind something that John wrote in his first epistle, the third chapter, verses 2 and 3. Now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that if he should appear, we shall be like him, because we shall see him just as he is.

    And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself. just as he is pure. The foundation and fountain for Simeon’s piety and purity was his hope, which was wonderfully fixed upon the Christ. That hope filled faith. is mocked and trivialized by those who wish to turn biblical faith into some sort of system of religious hygiene or religious technology, by those who accumulate to themselves their own personal accounts of religious swoons or beautiful personal religious experiences. Scythians’ hope-filled faith was bound to the coming of God, and that in the space-time world that Simeon knew and lived in. His hope-filled faith was bound even to the fruit of God’s appearance, namely the deliverance of God’s people for their eventual translation into a state of eternal, perpetual blessedness.

    Here, you see, the faith is gaining its content. If you do not have such content to your faith, you do not have biblical faith. There is a believing that satisfies the world that is common to humanity. The world even likes to believe in believing. It likes to have faith in faith, because that makes life all the more bearable. It enables people to cope.

    But that sort of faith has nothing to do with biblical faith. Biblical faith has at its center the coming of God, and the fruit of God’s appearance in the deliverance of his elect for their eventual translation into a state of eternal, perpetual blessedness.

    You see, there is nothing of consumer religion in Sinai. Do you understand what I mean when I speak of consumer religion? Consumer religion has the consumer at its center. It wants and desires those things that are to make me happy. and there is to be nothing of consumer religion in any of the saints of the Lord. We are living in an age of consumer religion.

    Simeon’s is biblical faith of the most profound sort It is full of content, filled with expectation of the coming of God. And our faith, if it is genuine, similarly stands in ready pose, expectant of the coming of the Lord. And as with Simeon, our hope-filled faith determines our piety. If you do not have the hope-filled faith of Simeon, you cannot live a life pleasing to God. It is impossible. But wonderfully now, Luke’s portrait of Simeon grants us deeper insight into the character of biblical faith. Simeon, in his faith, sets before us not only the relationship between hope, or hope-filled faith and piety, but also he sets before us the proper response to and blessedness in the realization of that hope. Biblical faith is the sort of faith that has the sense to recognize the Lord’s workings and to greet them.

    So, Simeon’s faith, you see, will set before us a proper response to and blessedness in the realization of the hope in you. Simeon, as you know, had been promised that he would not die until he had seen the Christ. What Simeon had been promised he would see has now come before his gaze, and he beholds.

    With the coming of the Christ, the long wait was over, and now a new kind of praise erupts from this man. That praise reflects upon the salvation in its full extensiveness. A salvation, yes, for Israel, but it includes also the radiant light that is now shining upon the Gentile nations, as God’s unitary salvation is inclusive of both Jews and Gentiles. Chapter 2, verse 31.

    Simeon also takes the child up into his arms. In this there is an acknowledgment by him, an acceptance, a taking to himself of what God has done. Is this the receiving and the resting? Is this the receiving of the receiving and resting upon Christ as he is offered to us in the gospel? Is it here pictorially presented to us? For Simeon, then, there is an acknowledgment, an acceptance, a taking to himself of what God has done.

    But also we see in this something of the embrace of which salvation consists, to which our faith leads. The man embraces the child. If God is in the child, the man embraces God. Is that the end to which our salvation presses us? that we would embrace God. Truly, salvation by faith consists in the closest contact, fellowship, and intimacy with God through Jesus Christ. But further now, Simeon personally, by way of the unveiling of God’s salvation, expresses the deepest satisfaction.

    Don’t you get tired with your complaints? Don’t you wear yourself out? Don’t the complaints of others wear you out? Listen to this man. Expressive of this faith, you find in him the deepest satisfaction, and his satisfaction is found in what God has done. And now he declares his own readiness to depart from this life satisfied. Now, Lord, thou dost let thy bondservant depart in peace, for I have seen thy salvation.” As the story ends, we find this. Scyndian faith is not foolishly whimsical or serendipity. Unfortunately, so much of faith that we run in today, that is claiming intimacy with God, moves precisely along these lines.

    And when we analyze it against the word, it proves not to be faith at all, but utter foolishness. For attendant to this faith is nothing of suffering and pain, nothing of difficulty and anguish, nothing of death even, But Simeon now, out of his faith, announces to Mary that this child means the fall and rise of many in Israel, and he himself will be opposed. There will be opposition to him, and his suffering is guaranteed. Terrible sufferings will even come upon Mary and all those who are devoted to the Christ as she is. The faith we see in Simeon continues to communicate its relevance to us, does it not?

    The pattern of it is full, and coming to clear a presentation for us through the New Testament, and by way of that New Testament-directed experience which is granted us in the Holy Spirit. Yes, it relates to our position in God’s plan, and it speaks to us. Our righteousness is bound to our hope-filled faith, even as it was in Simeon. We look forward to Christ’s return, his second coming, and this informs our piety, our godliness, just as the hope of his first appearance informed Simeon. But equally, and this even more definitively, we live in the already of God’s accomplishment. Salvation of Jew and Gentile has come in our Savior. A new song of praise bursts forth, yes, from Simeon, but it is continued in us and sung by us with even greater force, since we are partakers of the realities of that salvation, realized in Christ by his death, by his resurrection, by his ascension, by his gift of the Spirit to us.

    It is the Savior in the fullness of his completed work that we have taken to ourselves, that we have accepted, that we have openly acknowledged and embraced. Even though we might have been repulsed by him, offended by his cross, and the revelation that cross makes of our own hideousness, we take to ourselves this particular Savior on this particular faith salvation, even with his cross and sufferings, and we do not recoil from the hideousness that our Savior takes to himself, but he might be thoroughly identified with each of us.

    And already, before the kingdom comes in all its glory, we express our deepest satisfaction, do we not? Or do we? Already, even before the kingdom comes in all its glory, we express our deepest satisfaction. with what God has done for us, and our most secure comfort, even in the face of death.

    Indeed, even if Jesus were to return today, or you were to die before sunset, If you would not be disappointed, would you? Or would he have to carry you away kicking and screaming? You had so many plans for the coming year. And finally, such is our faith that even the prospects of sufferings do not surprise or destroy us.

    By faith having taken up, having embraced the Christ, we know that in him we take up a cross, but we also know that we are taken up in a resurrection. Therefore, we die and we rise, we hear. such is the nature of our faith. Even as it was foreshadowed for us in Simeon, this righteous devout man looking for the consolation of Israel. Truly, the salvation that has come to us of which We are wonderful partakers if a supernatural salvation, as supernatural as the Savior himself, its supernatural nature defining for us and testing us with regard to that faith and its character. This, our faith, as it was in Simeon, is filled with hope for the great work of God. Such hope-filled faith, the foundation and fountain of our righteous devotion, our obedience presently, and this faith lives fully in the reality of what God has already accomplished.

    We bless God for his salvation in Jesus Christ, and we express our satisfaction with what he has done. We do not recoil from the offensive instrument by which he has accomplished it, even the cross, nor from the promise that with that cross comes a cross for us and sufferings for the sake of our Lord. And that we might be purified even more perfectly and brought to our heavenly home.

    Dear God, ours would be a true faith, yes, a faith that receives and rests upon Christ alone as he is offered to us in the Gospel. A true and vital faith that believes everything that you have revealed concerning yourself in your Word. A faith that is directed toward the future, and even in that becomes a foundation and a fountain for our obedience. But a faith, O God, that is already enjoying the blessings of those things that are yet future. And Lord, as we do, we know that we shall not be overthrown by any opposition any more than our Saviour was himself. Death itself does not gain the victory, rather our faith gains the victory.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • The Law Serves the Gospel

    The Law Serves the Gospel

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 26, 1993.

    About this sermon

    Luke 1:26-56 falls into four divisions, from Gabriel’s announcement to Mary’s song. Mary and Elizabeth meet, and the old covenant greets the new. The law serves the gospel.

    More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    Our reading is from Luke 1. We are beginning at verse 26. Listen to the word of God. And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

    And the angel came in unto her and said, Heal thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favour with God.

    And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called Baron.

    For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste into a city of Judah, and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.

    It came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she spake out with a loud voice and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of my salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

    For he hath regarded the lowest state of his handmaidens. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

    He hath shewed strength with his arm. He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.

    He hath opened his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy, as he spake to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.” And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house. Let’s pray together now. How dramatically, Lord, your word came to Mary, and how willing she was found as that word was delivered. Lord, we pray that we who receive the word presently would also be found willing submissive to your will, and this to the glory of your name. Help us in this regard as we worship you and as you set your word before us. For Jesus’ sake, amen.

    Surely the beauty of Luke’s Christmas story cannot be restricted to the account of Christ’s birth in the second chapter of Luke. We have read this morning from the first chapter in Luke, a chapter that sets before us extraordinary beauty in its own right, and also sets before us great truths, great truths of doctrinal value to us.

    I have specifically in mind the section verses 39 through 56, and the story of these two gentle women. Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, and specifically Mary’s visit to Elizabeth. This story divides into four parts. First we have Mary’s journey and her greeting, verses 39 and 40. Then we have Elizabeth’s Welcome, verses 41-45, followed by Mary’s song, called the Magnificat, verses 46-55. Finally, we have Mary’s stay with Elizabeth and her departure, verse 56. The purpose of this story and these episodes that we have listed here is in keeping with Luke’s intention, as he is directed by the Holy Spirit and inspired by that Spirit, namely, to preach the gospel. Even here, he will preach the gospel, and we do well to look for the gospel in what we have heard, what is set before us. First of all, then, the first episode, Mary’s journey and her greeting to Elizabeth, verses 39 and 40. There are two things here that catch our eye.

    If we think on them If we reflect on this passage with depth, you see Mary is of the tribe of Judah. She is espoused to a man who is also of the tribe of Judah. Do you know where the homeland of the tribe of Judah was? Well, it certainly wasn’t in Galilee. Mary is living in Nazareth, a town in the territory of Galilee, far to the north of her patrimony, her homeland, the inheritance of the tribe of Judah. This means, then, that Mary is living outside of that territory in which she should have been living, married to the man that she was or engaged to him, belonging to the tribe of Judah.

    It’s almost as if, even within the territory of Israel, for Galilee was within the territory of Israel, she was an alien. She was an alien. And in this, you see, she reflects the condition of the people of God. The people of God are described in many places as aliens and strangers. Compounding the power of this point is the fact, as we have already noticed, that she is living as an alien even within the boundaries of the promised land, suggesting to us that that land, that physical land, that geographical land of Israel, was not the true homeland for the people of God. the aliens of the tribe of Judah, living apart from the homeland of the tribe of Judah, reflecting the condition of the people of God. They also, aliens and strangers, and this true of God’s people, even though they may live in the land of promise. For in the end, that land of promise, that geographical land of promise, will not be the inheritance, will not be the homeland at all for which they are bound.

    But now Mary, secondly, enters the territory of her patrimony. She enters the land of Judah, she enters the territory of Judah. She comes from the outside of that territory, enters into that territory, comes to those who are truly her kin’s people. In this, then, we note that she is reflecting the movement of the one she presently carries in her womb. He, too, comes from outside. He, too, journeys as it were. He, too, will come to his own, to his own family. Note the rapport that exists now as Mary makes entrance into this territory, from which she lives, as it were, as an alien, an outsider. The rapport is friendly and gracious. She comes to Elizabeth, her cousin.

    Elizabeth is the wife of Zechariah, who is a priest, an official in the temple of God, and one who is a superintendent of the law of the Lord and the ancient order established within Israel under that law. In Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth, is heard also the greeting of the child within her, who himself now greets through Elizabeth the representative of that older administration and its legal order. In fact, greets in Elizabeth even Moses and the prophets. greeting them as those persons and these things in the administration of the old order to which he is friendly and kindly disposed. When Mary greets Elizabeth, the gospel greets the law. Jesus greets Moses, and it is a friendly greeting. Next we have Elizabeth’s welcome, verses 41-45. Elizabeth’s welcome is a happy acknowledgment.

    Hers is a happy response, even as she gives expression to the subordination of the old to the new, and that through the response of the child who is in her womb. As Mary, in some fashion, proves to be an extension of the child she carries, Elizabeth also proves to be an extension of the child she carries.

    That child carried by Elizabeth is John the Baptist, as you know. But understand, John the Baptist He is the greatest that the old order has presented to the world. There is none born of women greater than John the Baptist, so says Jesus. John the Baptist is the son of a priest. He is the son of one who superintends the old order of the law. He is as well a prophet. He is in fact the embodiment of the law and the prophets, reaching out towards the fulfillment that both the law and the prophets have envisioned.

    And now this child in the womb at the greeting of Mary responds and acknowledges the arrival of the fulfillment of the law and the prophets in the child. that Mary carries. Yes, indeed, the new greets the old. Mary greets Elizabeth, but the old, properly disposed, welcomes the new as that for which it has longed. But at the same time, Elizabeth’s welcome is an acknowledgment of the older order’s weakness and failure. This comes out in a reference made by Elizabeth, you find it in verse 45, to her husband. Elizabeth here becomes the spokesperson who speaks most candidly and directly about the older order’s weakness and failure. That forty-fifth verse is a veiled comment about her husband Zachariah.

    Do you remember his case? This administrator of the law? This superintendent of the old administration of Israel, the Temple at his order, he’s the one, you remember, who failed to believe the message of Gabriel, the angel. Verse 20 of that first chapter, you’ll notice that Gabriel says to him, You didn’t believe, The way in which Luke has structured his gospel makes it plain that he intends to contrast Mary with Zechariah.

    He didn’t believe she did. She believed and submitted. The old order, then, is plagued by impotence, whether it’s Zachariah’s impotence or his wife’s, Elizabeth’s. They can’t produce a child. This is reflective of the weakness of the old order. But the impotence and weakness of that old order does not mean that the old in giving expression to its truest desire, fails to welcome the new. Indeed, the perfections of the new are already being spelled out, and that by Elizabeth as she speaks of Mary.

    When the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy, and blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Now comes Mary’s song, verses 46-55. There are many things in these verses that we could observe in terms of their structure and their background, not the least of which is that some have pointed out that as many as fifteen Old Testament texts are cited or alluded to in the course of these verses in Mary’s song. But let me make two observations for you with respect to it.

    This marvelous song gives confident expression to the conviction that the great turning point in salvation history has been reached. The salvation and deliverance longed for has come. Mary begins with a personal confession, and confesses that what has happened to her is signals the great turnaround in the fulfillment of the promise that was made to Abraham and to the Father. But I want you to notice also that this marvelous song helps us to exegete this great turning point.

    One must see that the turning point also gives us a reorientation with respect to the inheritance for which the people of God have longed, and the blessings that they wished to be blessed with. We move through the song, the latter verses, and we hear there about the proud brought down and the humble exalted. We hear about the poor filled and the rich turned away. We hear about a great reversal, yet we look out upon the earth and we’re liable to say, in light of what we read here, that the turning point hasn’t been reached at all.

    Yet Mary, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is saying that the turning point has been The things here being spoken of are a reality pushing itself upon the consciousness of the people of God. It will be the child, then, that Mary cares, that will finally and fully exegete this great turning point and these words which Mary speaks. for it will be by root of his ministry, by his death, by his resurrection, into a heavenly kingdom, into a heavenly inheritance that makes plain what Mary is speaking of.” Here is a deep meaning of that point with which we began with respect to Mary’s alien begins to settle in upon us. Yes, stranger and alien, even though she lives in the land of promise, yet the true inheritance is above, and that will be presented before us and to us in and through the child she carries.

    Christ’s death and resurrection will make plain the true nature of the kingdom and our destiny. that we see the proud cast down and the humble exalted. It is in heaven, you see, that the poor and the hungry are fed and the rich are turned away empty-handed. This heaven into which Christ, by root of his death on the cross, Finally, we have Mary’s stay and departure, verse 56.

    Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home. This stay by Mary was a ministry to Elizabeth. And who is Elizabeth? The embodiment of the old order. Is this? Mary stays to minister to Elizabeth, who embodies the old order.

    And she stays and ministers to her for three months. Could it be that three months are like three years? that we hear of in the case of Jesus Christ, the ministry that he shall perform in time. And having fulfilled the ministry, Mary returns to her home. We thought her home might well have been Judah. She might have wanted to get back to Judah. Her home is elsewhere, it is outside of Judah. Her home is a confirmation of the alien nature of her identity. And so it is for Jesus Christ.

    He will minister to the old order for three years, and after that he will return to his home, being received into glory. the true inheritance, even that from which he has come. The beauty and doctrinal power of this portion of scripture, preaching even here for us the gospel which we hold dear.

    We must understand ourselves, if we are to stand alongside of Mary, and under the tutelage of Christ, that we are aliens and strangers here, bound for another land. While we are here we must realize, as surely as Mary greeted Elizabeth, that gospel and the law and the prophets are not hostile to each other, but complementary, mutually supportive. At the same time, we must acknowledge the superiority of the full revelation that comes in Jesus Christ. We must not hold improperly to the old, and thus perpetuate its weakness and its impotence. We must accept the exposition of this story in terms of the gospel of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, by which then the true inheritance is put in front of us. to stand in the company of these two gentle women, we must give preeminence then to Jesus Christ, the child carried by Mary, and be like her, declaring our willingness to submit to Him in all things, and be the servants of the will of God.

    Let us pray. Our God in heaven, may we not be satisfied until we have heard the gospel in every text, until we have seen the Lord Jesus Christ exalted in your word, as is its intention. Help us with our thinking and our reflecting our meditation upon that word. Help us also, our God, to profit from the valuable lessons that are set before us, so that we would not miss the gospel and the obedience that we are to offer in light of it. O God, your light shines forth, may it shine brightly in us, and in turn, Lord, may we be lights in a dark place. To the glory of Christ

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • Rachel Weeping

    Rachel Weeping

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 26, 1993.

    About this sermon

    Liberals and conservatives alike have walked away from the infallibility of Scripture, and Matthew 2 tests that commitment. Herod slaughters the children of Bethlehem, and Rachel weeps and refuses comfort. God ends all dissatisfaction in Christ.

    More sermons from Matthew · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    Tonight we are reading from Matthew’s Gospel, the second chapter, and we are beginning at verse one. Give your attention to the word of God. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?

    For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him. And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah, for out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Then Herod secretly called the Magi and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and make careful search for the child, and when you have found him, report to me that I too may come and worship him.

    And having heard the king, they went their way, and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the child was. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, and they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him, and opening their treasures, they presented to him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. and having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.

    Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is going to seek for the child to destroy him. And he arose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son. Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Magi, he became very enraged and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Magi.” Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and she refused to be comforted because they were no more.

    But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Rise and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead. and he arose and took the child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned by God in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. He shall be called a Nazarene.”

    In light of your great gift, O God, we are drawn to you and even drawn with gifts in our hands. But Lord, we are praying that our gifts would always be those that are an extension of ourselves as you gave yourself to us, we would give ourselves to you. We thank you, our God, for the service of this church in the past year and how you have blessed this congregation in the gifts of those who have assembled here. We pray, our Father, that as we have presented these offerings to you, we might also be assured within ourselves that we have committed our lives to you and that we are concerned to live for you and for your glory. May we be an obedient people, this evidenced in the way we present ourselves to you. Your word being our guide. Indeed, your word being the environment in which we live. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

    Tonight I want to talk to you about two things as we look at this portion of God’s word, namely the conclusion of Matthew chapter 2. I have in view specifically what we find from the thirteenth verse on to the end of the chapter. I want to talk to you a bit, first of all, about the offense that this portion of scripture has represented in the minds of some. And secondly, I also want to speak to you about this portion of scripture’s deeper meaning.

    With regard to the offense, just how far have we drifted in our consideration of the fullness of God’s Now, we have come to expect that there would be that drift amongst those who no longer have a regard for the Word of God in its entirety, who have already concluded that the Bible is not the Word of God, that it is not the inspired, infallible Word of God. yet at the same time seek to maintain their position within the Church of Jesus Christ. Holding on to the Church, they have forsaken the Word, specifically they have forsaken the Scriptures, and an Orthodox doctrine with regard to the Scriptures. But I am bold to suggest to you that the drift is not simply because of the ravages of what has been called modernism or liberalism. The drift is because of what we observe having taken place within the ranks of the conservative church, even within the ranks of evangelicalism.

    There was a very conservative church, an evangelical congregation, nestled in the hills of western Pennsylvania. This congregation was modestly endowed, faithfully attended by a goodly portion of the membership, a model congregation. Its leaders could claim respectability. They boasted an integrity before the community in which they lived. It was in this congregation a resonance to the gospel.

    Tell them the old, old story. Tell them that story again. They seemed never to tire of hearing it. The love of God, His grace, God sending His Son, the Son’s death upon the cross for sinners, and His resurrection from the dead. This congregation also, it seems, abhorred compromise when it came to the essentials of the faith. They were earnestly and ardently evangelistic. They were devoted to missions. But there was that occasion during the Christmas season when their pastor mounted the pulpit to declare to them what he judged to be the fullness of the Christian and Christmas message.

    But rather than preaching to them about shepherds and magi, this pastor on this particular day spoke to them about the horror of evil, about the horror of evil, as exemplified in Herod, that ancient butcher, so much a butcher that he did not hesitate to butcher children. The pastor also spoke to them that day about the marvelous deliverance which God had worked out according to his plan for this unique child Jesus, the one identified as the Son of God. Now, you might think in the midst of this world overrun by Herods, you might think in this world in which people are day in, day out confronted with the terrors of life, the horrors even of existence. But this congregation would have responded with heartfelt gratitude to the message they heard that day, a message which spoke to them not just of the horror, but also of the hope of the gospel and the certainties clearly presented in it.

    Even though evil raises its cruel and vicious head, Even though it set itself against the Lord and against his anointed, still, God’s purpose of salvation is not overthrown. God triumphs, as is seen in his workings with regard to Joseph, Mary, and the child. But instead of glorying in God, For the wonders of his grace and the marvels of his power, these people expressed themselves in no uncertain terms.

    They went to the elders of the congregation. They complained. The elders, in turn, sat the minister down for a good tongue lashing. The reason? These people were offended by the reading of and the preaching upon the account of Herod’s actions. They said, we don’t want the beauty of the season desecrated by stories about the slaughter of children. We do not find such messages appropriate to the season. Now it seems that these people, conservative, evangelical, Bible-believing, it seems that these people had failed to take notice of the fact that God was not through telling his story until he had reached the conclusion of Matthew 2. One might think, If we are appalled by an account of the slaughter of children, would we not also be appalled by the slaughter of an innocent man upon a cross thirty years later?

    I tell you this horrifying story. because of what it reveals concerning even the good, the conservative, the evangelical attitude towards the Word of God. There is that commitment, in theory, to the doctrine of Scripture’s infallibility. But nevertheless, conservatives, well-intentioned evangelicals, no less than liberals, have proved quite persnickety about what they will accept from God’s Word. There are always other matters, always other considerations of seemingly great importance that overshadow what God is saying, and thus qualify that message.

    In the case of this particular pastor and this particular congregation, it was the congregation’s refined sensitivities, and even sentimentality, which in their mind were to be exalted at that particular time of the year. And even God—think of the audacity of it—even God should have the sense not to smear up with unsightly blood this beautiful season. Well, the offense that registers here, I dare say, when all is stripped away, is the offense that God will bring to light in these very same people with regard to the cross in the Day of Judgment. from the offense to the meaning. And here, as we think about the meaning of this passage, I want you to focus on verses 16 through 18.

    The center of this text happens to be a woman, not Mary, but Rachel. Matthew has quoted a portion in the Old Testament, Jeremiah chapter thirty-one, that makes specific mention of Rachel, and he brings this prophecy of Jeremiah to bear upon what has transpired in Bethlehem at the hands of Herod. But consider Rachel. I dare say that Rachel is one of the most interesting figures in the Old Testament.

    You recall she was the daughter of Laban. You read about her in the middle chapters of the book of Genesis. She was the daughter of Laban, for whom Jacob labored fourteen years. She was the well-beloved wife While Leah, you recall, the one whom Jacob had married previously, was spurned. God took pity on Leah, and granted Leah many children. Rachel was herself quite envious. She was driven by an inner covetousness, and therefore she sought to obtain children for herself through her maid, and presented her maid to Jacob so as to secure children for herself since she was barren.

    When she gains her children, however, She gives them names that memorialize her struggle and her victory over her sister. She proves to be, in the end, a woman who lives for the advantage, but also a woman who lives in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. When she had no children, she wanted When she got them, she wasn’t satisfied. She had been barren, you recall, and in her condition, she lashed out at her husband.

    Give me children, she said. His response was, My God, but I can give you children. But you recall that as God proved gracious for his own reasons, to Rachel. She conceived and gave birth to a child. But even this marvelous blessing of a child to her, that for which she had longed, wasn’t enough. The name that she confers upon the child is Joseph, which means addition. But she says in regard to her son’s name, may God grant me another son. May God add to me yet one more. It isn’t merely a matter of her dealings with her husbands and her expectations with regard to children, her wish that she might have them.

    There is the relationship that she bears to her family. which she is leaving, marrying, as she does, Jacob and moving south. At the point of their departure, she steals the household gods. This she does again because she seeks the advantage in ancient cultures. The one who possesses the household gods can lay claim to the inheritance. Jacob would bury those gods by an oak at Bethel when he entered into the land of promise, in order to declare that his tribe would seek no inheritance mediated by such gods who were among his wife’s people.

    Such an act by her husband was a severe discipline to Rachel, because now there was no way for her to return to her brother’s house and at the same time claim the advantage in it, gain what she hoped to seek, or secure for herself what she hoped to gain.

    Everything in her, then, compounds her dissatisfaction. Having a son, she asks for another. Now that second son appears. She gives him the name Ben-Ami, calls him the son of my sorrow. The extreme anguish of Rachel is that of one who had hoped to gain the great advantage to secure for herself and even her children a place in the world by actually making the world her own. In the end, you know that the birth of her second child killed her. Her quest destroys her. She dies giving birth to that child in Bethlehem of all places. Her last moments on earth are spent in tears. Rachel weeping. She cannot be comforted. Beneath the incredible realization that all of her efforts to gain the advantage over others and in the world have been worthless. she ends in death, the inheritance she hoped for forfeited.

    She is as good, in the conclusion of the matter, as a woman without children. When Jeremiah says that Rachel’s children are no more, he means that the one who sought in this world her inheritance is left without an inheritance. For Jeremiah, then, Rachel becomes a figure for all Israel. And just as Rachel has been so dissatisfied in her attachment to an earthly inheritance, so also has Israel been. Rachel loses her hope in bitterness, and possibly even her faith in the process.

    Israel, also passing through the great trial of spirit, through the experience of the exile, will do likewise. God’s intention was to train the Israelites to look to him as their one true inheritance, the one who gives the advantage by his grace to those who are totally undeserving, the one who is in himself the great reward for his people, such a reward that he in himself means the end of all dissatisfaction. The people’s restlessness is resolved in God and nowhere else. In Bethlehem during the infancy of Jesus, Those people that observed the tragedy of that time and the horror of the evil perpetrated by Herod were being instructed once more. The children, the male children, represented their claim upon the future, their hold upon the land. You generated male children in order to gain the advantage in the land and to retain your hold upon the inheritance there. It is a severe lesson, a hard lesson, that comes down hard upon the children of Israel and upon these who live in Bethlehem.

    But it is in order that they might understand and see that the inheritance is elsewhere. It is in God himself, the one whom he preserves. The child rescued by him will set about in a ministry to set things straight, so that all who would understand God’s purpose would understand it through him. And that all who would understand God’s purpose would find full and complete contentment in their Savior and His provision.

    Have you looked at the Middle East lately? Has Israel yet got the message? Have we seen the multiplication, the increase of covetousness and envy that proves not merely to be that which destroys Israel spiritually, but that which destroys the Church? Have you looked at the lay of the land in Europe?

    The Church is decimated. Envy and covetousness become the standard. Possession of things here become the hope. And to the degree that the Church itself embraces such a position, she renders herself incapable of delivering any message of meaning to the world. The offense of the text, in which you can even perceive the offense of the cross, the meaning of the text, in which you are face to face with the covetousness and the envy of a woman who in a sense embraces the problem of Israel, and in the end, the problem of all. Who end up short of God’s glory and His Kingdom.

    Deal with us, our Father, in our hearts We can, in fact, present ourselves to the world as those who are respectable, those who are even refined and sensitive. And yet, Lord, internally, our hearts are ravaged by dissatisfaction and grievous lack of contentment. And if the truth were told, O Lord, we would find that the source of this discontentment is our attachment to things, and even to this world, in which we live to gain the advantage, or to have, to possess, and to use. We pray that we would see clearly, in your revelation, your truth and the truth about ourselves. And insofar, Lord, as by your Spirit you cause us to see, even the horror of the evil in our hearts drive us to our knees, that we might repent and find your grace. At this coming year, would be different, and we would live in newness of life as children of the King, those blessed by Jesus Christ himself.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • Joseph Gives Way to Judah

    Joseph Gives Way to Judah

    This recording is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison archive, part of the “Christmas” series, delivered December 24, 1991.

    About this sermon

    Christ’s birth reaches back to the patriarchs, where Jacob’s Joseph gives way to Judah. The virgin birth shows that Judah could never produce the promised king by his own power. Matthew’s Joseph accepts that in humility.

    More sermons from Matthew · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    So, that is Gospel, the first chapter. And we begin our reading in verse 16. After Jacob was born Joseph, the husband of Mary, by whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Therefore, all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the time of Christ, fourteen generations. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows.

    When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly. And when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which hath been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she shall bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who will save his people from their sins. Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying before, the virgin shall be with child, shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which translated means, God did us. And Joseph arose from his sleep. It is the angel of the Lord who handed him and took her as his wife, kept her as a virgin until she gave birth to a son, and called his name Jesus.

    I think that you are aware that as the New Testament opens up, it is reflecting upon those things that have gone before. Marvelous times that we see in this revelation as scriptures of the New Testament open up, those ties with the Old Testament scriptures. You might note the first verse in the New Testament, which, in fact, calls attention to these times. The book, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. It is that last name that interests me this evening, the name of Abraham, and particularly the patriarchal period. But we have a tie between the opening chapters of this New Testament era and that patriarchal period, the time of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. One of those ties is obvious to us in the manner in which God reveals himself You will recall that the Lord revealed himself in the patriarchal period through angel visitations, through dreams, through visions. And you will note as well here, as the New Testament opens up, there is an abundance of angel visitations, and abundance of dreams and visions, just as there were in that patriarchal period.

    So, how appropriate this is. As the people of God in the Old Testament begin to take shape in that older economy, you have this plethora of divine activity. And that activity is manifest through messengers from heaven, through visions and dreams of God’s peace upon His servants. As it was then, as God’s people were being formed, initially, so also now, as they are being reformed, reconstituted. Once more, a plethora of divine activity number of angels, number of messengers from heaven, and God’s even visions and dreams are His black servants.

    There’s another connection between the patriarchal period and the period of nativity, for in both of these periods we meet Fathers and sons bear precisely the same names. In the older revelation, previous revelation, we have a Jacob and, yes, a Joseph. We know about that family. to know about that relationship. Well, here, as we read in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, particularly in Acts 16, there is a Jacob, once more, who begets a son named Joseph. In the older economy, the previous revelation Jacob was that fellow who wanted the birthright so desperately that he would stop at nothing to get it.

    In fact, it seems that he inspired in every way to grab hold of the birthright that he wanted. In his efforts to gain it, and before he was finally confirmed in it, he experienced rejection and exile. He was the object of God’s grace in the midst of all this, and he was visited by angels, you will recall, as he made one night a rock, his pillow, and dreamt dreams of angels ascending and descending upon a ladder that reached from the earth into the very heavens and to the throne of God. In all this, that Old Testament Jacob matured. He grew in grace. In time, he fathered twelve sons by his two wives and their maids. One of his sons, as you know, was Joseph, a beloved son Child of his relationship with his favorite wife, Rachel. This child who was born of Jacob was an extraordinary child, a unique child.

    In fact, he was a dreamer. You may recall that he was called a dreamer by his brother. Could be that you recall some of the content of the dreams he had. For instance, he dreamt of sheaves, the sheaves of his brother, brothers, bowing down before his sheave, his brothers, as you can well imagine, to the best of his dream. But he also dreamed of the sun, the moon, the loving stars. And all these heavenly bodies bow down before Him. Not only His brothers, but His father recognized the intent of this dream and was offended. When we read the account in Genesis, we are indeed struck by the precociousness of this child chosen.

    He comes across as an obnoxious rat demon, one that was guaranteed to get out of the skin of his brothers. So we have his brothers reacting violently in their rage, plotting against him, even conspiring to murder. The brothers are unattractive. Joseph himself is unattractive. Many features of Father Jacob are unattractive. But despite the unattractiveness of all these parties, God is graciously willing to work His saving purpose in them and through them. His work in them is sobering in itself. Think of Joseph and what he undergoes. He is humbled by the assault perpetrated against him by his brothers.

    He is strengthened by way of the abuse and the injustice, even the imprisonment, that he suffers. But as if that were not enough, even when he is finally exalted to the position of ruler over Egypt and a savior of his father’s household, his father’s household languishing because of the famine, Joseph faces an even further tumult. For while he is exalted as ruler and even ruler over his brothers and his father, he is not that ruler that had been promised and was envisioned. And while he was a savior for his family, delivering them from the devastations of famine, he is not the savior that is promised. This becomes clear in the closing days of Jacob’s life. When he faces death, he convenes his family, his sons gather around him for final blessing.

    But the ultimate blessing does not rest on Joseph, where his wife had inspected him. It doesn’t rest on any of his family. It doesn’t rest upon even the master’s sons. In fact, it doesn’t rest upon Jacob’s favorites, be it Joseph or Benjamin, the lines that proceed from them. Instead, the blessing rests upon one of Leah’s sons. The fourth son, the last son of her first cycle of marriage, the blessing rests on Judah.

    To Judah, Jacob says, your brothers shall praise you. Your hair shall be on the neck of your enemies. And almost as if he were parodying the dreams of Joseph, he says, your father’s sons shall bow down to you. the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet.” So on the road to maturity, there is this humbling at the end which Joseph has to undergo. In the end, Joseph gives way to Jude. Now, as the New Testament opens, and we find once more an explosion of revelation in angel-residents and visions and dreams, We have this other father-son presented to us, this other Jacob and Joseph set before us, poised within the very line of which Jacob spoke, to which Joseph had to give way.

    You must remember, this is a tribe of kings. to whom a throne was promised. This plan of Judah has been humbled by some 600 years of tragedy. For it is about that long since any descendant of Judah, any child of David’s line, has sat upon Israel’s throne. If Pope burns for Judah’s line, surely such Pope envisions the restoration of the righter place that belongs to Judah, inherently, the right of place than is what is expected from these who are within the life of Judah. Here is what is claimed properly. Here is what might be boasted in rightly. namely the supremacy that belongs to us since we are of the tribe of Judah.

    Yet even this is now tempered by the manner of the child’s appearance. The hope for restoration of rightful place the hope with regard to the claims now fulfilled and enacted, the propriety of the ghost that rises out of Judah’s mind, yet now when the child comes, when the king appears, the manner in which that child appears will temper the attitude and the disposition of Judah’s mind.

    No male, no male of Judah’s line will generate a child. The child is miraculously generated within the Virgin Mary, Joseph’s betrothed. There will not even be a host for Judah in the generation of the child. If the Old Testament Joseph must give way to Judah, there is a sense in which the New Testament Joseph must give way too. Whatever post Judah may lay claim to in Joseph is now manicured, chained, limited, bounded by the urgently conceived child. The Old Testament Joseph was humbled by his father’s prophecy. The New Testament Joseph is humbled by the fulfillment of that prophecy by his father in fact. But is Joseph, this son of Judah, coming?

    Or is it clear to us that he never was a holy man? Here he is. From that he is telling of the story, Joseph, this son of Judah, is completely without pretense. completely devoid of the main ambition. He is free of the improprieties of improper lusts that we generate in him. Ambitions and hopes and desires that are completely outside come to him.

    From Matthew’s telling, Joseph is coming. The Old Testament Jacob may have been a flim flamma. He may have been a huster and a trister from the word go. The Old Testament Joseph may have been an obnoxious brat, but none of this is found in the New Testament Joseph. He appears instead as a willing servant, free of vanity, free of selfish ambition.

    Matthew calls him a righteous man. and how that righteousness of this man is proved. It is proved by the fact that this man rumored, not only does not, but rumored in truth on Jesus. This man receives before the figure of Jesus. Jesus is there, Joseph is not, except what he is in relationship to his Father.

    Have you ever puzzled over the disappearance of Joseph from the New Testament narrative? Why have things said about him later? Many have conjectured that Joseph died and wasn’t around. This accounts for his disappearance from the stories that follow. Joseph is unobtrusive. He is delivered unobtrusive. He is eclipsed by Christ, who now lays claim to all that Judas ordered and promised. Before John the Baptist says it, Joseph lives in me.

    He must increase, for I must increase. But you will note in Matthew chapter 1 that Matthew is not calling Joseph a righteous man because of what he will prove to be. Matthew is making comment upon what Joseph is already, and how that is demonstrated by his actions. But you will note that the sort of righteousness that is attached to Joseph in this opening chapter in the New Testament actually belongs to the era, the administration of Christian discipleship. Yes, it’s true.

    This is apparent in how he will give way to Christ, the way in which he is going to be eclipsed by Christ. But it is equally evident here in the way he treats Mary. It is not mere humanitarian sentiment that moves Joseph to put Mary away privately. It is not mere humanitarian sentiment that moves Joseph to put Mary away privately, in an effort to spare her her shame.

    Rather, it is an intrusion of the grace that is found in the child, It is an intrusion of the grace that is found in Christ Himself. It is an intrusion of the grace that belongs to the New Testament administration as it already full-blown bestowing its benefit upon this man and working in him. The righteousness here that is coming to expression in Joseph belongs to the new administration found only in Jesus Christ and within his kingdom. For how was it, as far as the righteousness is concerned, that comes to us out of the older administration? The older administration said, no, you don’t put him away privately, you execute him. But Joseph is known by the spirit of the Christ. And how marvelous that spirit expresses itself repeatedly, even in the Old Testament administration.

    Abraham interceded for the sins of the plain. Judah interceding on behalf of Benjamin. Moses interceding on behalf of the children of Israel who should have been supporting his father. David offering up himself, whom he pledged in confidence, to destroy Jerusalem.

    And now, Joseph, offering himself as it were, so as to be in a position of bearing reproach to where the reproach can be borne by the self. He is a superlative of righteousness, and he’s coming to discretion. a grand element of righteousness. It exceeds even the righteousness of the living. The righteousness is found ultimately nowhere else on the cross. So Joseph, The New Testament Joseph, remarkable Christian discipleship, no less admirable and as willing obedience than that. A man in whom the grace of the gospel and the grace of Christ work.

    One who instructs us in the art of being satisfied with our place in God’s encounter. One who instructs us in checking our ambition and in the inappropriate of lusts that rise so easily against us. One who cultivates within us a sense of importance as we, too, are related to Christ. One who teaches us how this pervading righteousness is found by that magnificent glory in the Christ. Joseph would lead us to be ambassadors for the Christ, who is not only born of Mary, but was crucified for our sins and raised for our justification. Praise God.

    O warrior, how magnificent your revelation, how whole and complete. All of the ends by time, all of those things that made their imagining to be loose and stray are gathered and put in place. How the administration of Christ, how the coming of Christ’s child, marvelous ministry and materialism, service to the sake of those in need, His death for sinners, His resurrection for the elect. How all of these things then reign together.

    Your purpose may be plain to us, Your intention. from before the foundation of the world. O Lord, what great benefit is ours now, not only to see and appreciate these things, but also to live in the wealth of your kingdom. Blessed be your name. We praise you for this salvation of Jesus Christ. Amen.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • The Four Songs of Christmas

    The Four Songs of Christmas

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, January 14, 1990.

    About this sermon

    Christ’s coming is God’s last and new work. Luke 1-2 gives four songs, from Mary, Zacharias, the angels, and Simeon. Salvation, covenant, finality, and humility run through all four.

    More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    the songs that have been sung in connection with the birth of Christ. We have read all four of those songs this morning once more. With the coming of Christ, with the coming of the Son of God, there has been an explosion of revelation of God revealing himself again.

    Short of the end of the world, this is, in fact, God’s last great work. Short of the conclusion of everything, the consummation of all things, this is God’s last great work, the sending of his Son. In fact, we can say the end of the world, the consummation of all things, is but the conclusion of what God has begun to do here in this marvelous work.

    Therefore, this is not just another great work. This is the greatest of God’s mighty deeds. This is the great work to which all his previous works pointed. It is as if those previous works, those former great deeds done by God were but a laying of a foundation set beneath the surface of the ground so that now a beautiful house, the house of this His crowning work might rest upon. that foundation in full brightness of the day. But this is not just God’s last great work, nor his greatest work. For as these songs make claim, this is specifically a new work.

    It’s as if the long night is over, as if only the words of God were but stars, as if the former words of God were but the moon. And now the dawn has come. And as the dawn causes the lights of the night to fade, and chases the darkness before it, so this work of God brings light as if the dawn had never been seen before. There were shepherds in the night, but their night is chased by the effulgence, the radiance of that glory that shined upon them. God’s new work. The old ways former manners of revealing himself. His previous works, they have run their course. The wait has ended. The old passes the new comes. The old itself had announced such a day.

    Psalm 98 speaks specifically of this day in terms of a new song being sung. And in that psalm, the psalmist calls upon all to join in the song. O sing a new song to the Lord, for he hath done wondrous things. His right arm and his holy His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the victory. He has made known His salvation to the animals of the earth. He has revealed His salvation. Most specifically, psalmists in that psalm have imbued the new day of God’s work in which only the new psalm will be appropriate.

    And in order to get us all singing on the same key, the Lord himself gives us a few bars in Luke 1 and 2. We have looked at the songs here in turn, Mary’s Magnificat, Zacharias, Benedictus, the Angels, Gloria, Simeon’s Note, Demetrius. Four songs. And each of these songs, in its own way, summing up the events that surround the events that go before the events that will come after. These songs appropriately sung in terms of this mighty and wonderful new work which God is doing. Luke 1 and Mary’s song, beginning at verse 46.

    A song that is sung after Mary has been greeted by Elizabeth, her cousin. Significant thing about this song is the fact that not only two women here are meeting and greeting one another, but the children that they carry are, as it were, meeting and greeting one another.

    We are told that the child in Elizabeth’s womb leaps at Mary’s greeting. That child in Elizabeth’s womb is John. He is the embodiment of the Old Order and the greatest of all of those who are of the Old Order. And he now greets the child in Mary’s womb, that child signaling the commencement of a new order, the child in Mary’s womb being the embodiment of the new, the new order that comes within.

    As Mary sings her song then in response to The grieving of Elizabeth, it’s as if she takes up all of the psalms of the old order and sews them together into a marvelous tapestry of hymnody. A testimony to the fact that the old, in all of its sentiment, the old in all that it sang about, the old in all that it sang, period, was pointing to that one who is in fact now in the womb of man. We cannot then stop short of this day in which there is an explosion of revelation in which the new has come, we cannot content ourselves with merely singing the songs of the old order, for the new order has come. And all of the songs and sentiments of the old order now are captured, as it were, and placed in the service of the new. Mary’s song is a masterpiece, a praise, appropriate for the dawning of the new day. So the new order is greeted by the Lord. And the new order sums up the old and gives expression to all that that old order intended. And it sings.

    Then there’s Zacharias, verse 67 and following. His benediction. specifically here in you is what Zacharias brings before our eyes. Zacharias was a priest. He was faithful in the house of Levi. He served in the temple and in the performance of the temple rites. His interest was in the holiness of the people and the forgiveness of sin through the administration of the sacrifices in that temple.

    And as you read down through his psalm, what you are given here is a summing up of the institutions in the old order that were appointed for the promotion of holiness and piety and the providing for the forgiveness of sins in the life of the people. The Zacharias’s hymn tells us that the Levitical order and all of those ministrations in the temple have reached their appointed end in what now is transpiring for him, for his wife, for Mary, for Joseph, and for humanity.

    The Angels, chapter 2, verses 13 and 14. Here are heavenly heralds of the new order who in their coming and in their song revealed the nature of the kingdom in view over against the kingdom whose emissaries they are is a kingdom over which sits Caesar Augustus and over against the decree The messengers of which they are is the decree that Caesar Augustus has sent out. And over against shepherds that they greet now in hills in Judea are shepherds that are contacted by emissaries sent out from the throne in Rome. It is one kingdom against another, and the angels are heralding the new. the manifestation, the unveiling of the kingdom that is from above, with the testimony that in the end, in the conclusion of all things, glory will be given alone to God.

    What glory is there in the world and for those who are of the world? In the end, all glory will be given to God. And in the end, peace is not a matter of governments getting together and mapping out their strategies and coming to their conclusions with regard to treaties that they may construct. Peace is a matter of divine grace.

    It is given to those whom God chooses. Those who are, in fact, of his good will, the subject of his good will, the choices of his good will, his sovereign good pleasure. Such a kingdom is announced, declared, its days have begun, and the beginning of its is worthy of a song, out of heaven. And finally, Simeon, verses 29 and following, Luke 2, Simeon, seemingly the inconspicuous one, faithful, devout, godly, one who is dutiful, faithful in his attendance to the things of God, to the means of grace, but above all, one who is dutiful with respect to an expectation that God will in fact save his people. The center of this man’s life is the Lord’s salvation. But in this, though he is inconspicuous, Simeon speaks on behalf of all faithful Israel, as faithful Israel awaits the coming of the great day, the arrival of the Lord’s salvation. For faithful Israel recognizes that it has its end in the coming of the new day, which God now as inaugurating.

    There are then these four songs, these beautiful summons up, these wonderful welcomings of the new, by those who seemingly straddle the time, between the old and the new. And what wonderful notes are heard in the songs themselves. What wonderful features stand out, blending together now into a marvelous harmony, as if productive of a grand chorus. Magnificent. Above all else, the eye of each one of these singers is focused upon the salvation that is coming, the salvation that was promised, the salvation that has now arrived.

    We make a mistake with regard to piety. We make a mistake with regard to our faith. We think our faith is useful for 101 things, but salvation is 102. These people may have been excited about the prospect of salvation, but it’s something that bores us terribly. if it doesn’t put us to sleep. We’re not interested. Because there are 101 other things that are more important to us.

    We may cry ourselves that we are in the company of Mary or the company of Zacharias or maybe even especially spoken to by the angels or friends of sin. We are not the friends of any of these people if salvation isn’t as important to us as it was to them. Is salvation the center of your life? Is what these people anticipated and hoped for the center of your life? Did I marry the vision of Zachariah? the glory of the angels the deep deep satisfaction of sin all because of their preoccupation with their devotion to salvation well you have to know about not being saved before you can know about being saved.

    Throughout the song there is a concentration upon covenant. These people read their Bibles. At the end of Mary’s song, she makes reference to Abraham and the covenant promise that has been made to Abraham. She sees what’s happening here as the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham 2,000 years previous. Is the history of Abraham of significance to you? Do you understand yourself not as blessed because of the promise made to Abraham 4,000 years ago? that you are in fact a child of Abraham, it’s in fact you believe as he believed and he embraced the promise that he embraced Zacharias makes mention of the same thing, the promise given to Abraham and as the song progresses it intensifies and widens in its application because you see it wasn’t merely a blessing expected with respect to the Jews, it was a blessing with respect to the nation It was a universal vision, and such was the conviction. This covenant is not merely for us, it is for all mankind. This blessing is meant to be universal, so that our vision shall never be chopped short. Our vision extends to the ends of the earth. It includes all races, all nations, all tongues.

    I focused on salvation, a concentration on covenant and knowledge of scripture and the promises that have been made by God in ages past, but now also an unprecedented realization of joy. Each one of these songs is filled with joy. Each one of these psalms glories in God’s righteousness and the provisions made by Him for righteousness, and each one of these psalms is testimony to God’s provision of peace. Later on, the Apostle Paul would speak himself, him like As he talks about that which is of the essence of the kingdom, the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That already being evident in the songs that are being sung here, people that are overflowing with joy because of what God has done. It may have been, you don’t know the circumstances of these people, it may have been that they had all kinds of personal problems. But still, the joy overflows, the glory in the righteousness that is now revealing itself, and an assimilation of that peace that passes all understanding and is part and parcel of the kingdom that God alone can bring. Focus on salvation, covenant, knowledge of the word, the promises, unprecedented realization of joy, righteousness and peace, but also a testimony to the cross and the resurrection.

    Mary speaks about humiliation, of humbleness, of those who are high in mind and exalted, and the exaltation of those who are low. She speaks about that on the background of what is coming, certainly, in the death and resurrection of Christ, that one who made himself low and then was exalted to the position of prior preeminence by God. The same way, this one is set for the falling and the rising again of many in Israel. It’s death, resurrection, for Amnesty.

    It speaks to Mary directly about a sword that she pierced her own soul with, when in fact this one in your very will die. The death, resurrection, this then being the focus of Zachariah’s own hope with respect to the realization of holiness and righteousness, with respect to the realization of the forgiveness of sin, No other way than through the sacrifice of Christ and through His resurrection. And as we’ve already interpreted, each one of these songs gives rise to a sense that there’s nothing yet outstanding. Each singer is satisfied in their song. They’re not looking for something more. They don’t want something else. They’re not walking away from God and saying, well, you tried, Lord, you made a good stab at it, but it doesn’t quite make it. You left me with a big hole inside. Obviously, what you can do will never fill that hole, so… I guess I have to either look elsewhere or just learn how to live with my dissatisfaction.

    The wonderful sense of peace and satisfaction with what God has done. And finally, Do you notice that every one of these individuals is less than a headline? I mean, we think that the world is actually being run by Bush and Gorbachev. Let me tell you. There is more going on here this morning with regard to God and His Kingdom than is going on with our service in Moscow, in the Congress of Moscow, or some of you.

    The important people to God are not the important people to the world. But even less, the important people to God are not the important people to themselves. the hundred, the inconspicuous, the unnoticed, the poor, those who trust in God and wait for Him. These are the ones who are precious to Him.

    These are the ones who say as Mary, Zacharias, angels, and sinners. Our Lord, These songs have been sung, and they are sung for us. Lord, we would sing them to you. But their words, Lord, would come forth from our hearts as surely as they came forth from those who sang them.

    May the very spirit that compelled them compel us. with great love for you with a great devotion to that which you have accomplished now in sending your son commencing the new day and bringing us into the unprecedented day of joy and righteousness and peace all of this so as to keep your cover all of us, through Jesus Christ, who died for our sins, that we would bear them no longer, who rose again, that we might be justified in more sin.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • Simeon’s Song

    Simeon’s Song

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 31, 1989.

    About this sermon

    Simeon waits in the temple for the consolation of Israel, and his background shows why he matters. Some read his hope as purely personal and others as purely universal, and his song in 2:29-32 holds both together. ‘Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.’

    More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    from the beginning readings at verse 21 and we will read through verse 40. But with eight days to accomplish for the circumcision of the child whose name is called Jesus. With the two names of the angels and four different trees in the world. And when the days of the purest faith and accordance of the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to which was presented to the Lord. As it is written in the law of the Lord, every nail that openeth the wound shall be felled wholly to the Lord. Under offering sacrifice, according to which baptism is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of fiddle-wells were two young kitchens.

    And behold, There was a man in Jerusalem, his name was Phineas. And the same man was just underground, waiting for the consolation of Israel. And he went again to the promised land. And it was revealed unto him by the one ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord Christ.

    And he came by the spirit of the And when the parents brought in the child, Jesus, the gift of their master, the custodian of the law, then proceed to him, the offspring of his own, and let God stand. Will you now let us bow thy head in comparison to Jesus, according to thy will? For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which God hath prepared before the face of all people. Be one, be one in the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And don’t pretend there’s never love in advance change which was spoken of.

    And say, and bless them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set to the throne of Isaac again, mother of Israel, before a time which shall be spoken again. Mary, of course, shall hear through thine own foremost that the facts of many lives may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prostitute, the daughter of Samuel, of the tribe of Asher.

    She was of great age and had lived with her husband seven years of their virginity, and was a widow of about four to four and four years, which the prophet Joshua the prophet would serve God with fasting and praying night and day. And she coming in, wrapped in sweet green silk, likewise unto the Lord, and stated him to all men that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Galilee. And the child grew, and wrapped strong and sweet, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

    Father, we do hope that with us, we may be able to have us to put your word away and shelve it and not think about it for periods of time. We ask, Lord, that in the coming year, we might keep the word and so on. The word and the prayers are to us and the prayers are unto us in the church. And also as we Our evil opportunity is placed before us and as that responsibility is ours to rehearse your word this day. May we do that. The Lord will help to defend you, taking up his picture day by day and reading it. We pray our God that this word which is given to us for life may come to us As wife and baby, may we feel His presence and tremble, may we receive the comfort and be delighted. And Lord, may we be conformed to the image of Christ which is the end surface of that Word which is given to us. Bless us with this hour, God. And may our resolutions with regard to the Lord be blessed. the aspect of Jesus Christ.

    It is not a novel name. It is not a new name to us. It is certainly a name long standard of a great tradition in Israel itself. a name for one of the tribes, in fact. One of the sons of Jacob. The second son of Leah. You can read about that second son, his birth, in Genesis chapter 29. The name a play on the Hebrew word, which means to heal. And Leah gives her second child, the name Simeon, because she confesses, the Lord has heard that I am unloved. The Lord has And the name Simeon is to play upon the idea of hearing, the Lord himself hearing.

    So it is Leah’s individual condition. not the choice of Jacob. She is, in fact, the unloved wife. And in her unloved condition, she is spurned, and she suffers severely. Yet God has an eye for her. While she is unloved by her husband, she is loved of God. and cared for by him. And what is denied then, the wife that is love, is granted to her. Rachel is barren, Leah is perfect. The Lord indeed has her then, Leah. He has taken into account her condition and has responded to her by giving her children, alleviating her affliction.

    Now it could be that there were circumstances in Simeon’s family that were comparable, maybe that the affliction was barren this time, to which the Lord responded, and the child is memorialized with a name, a name that also speaks for the fact that the Lord has responded, the Lord has heard.

    But whether or not there were circumstances attached to the birth of Simeon from Luke 2, it is clear that his name now has special significance in his adult life. His name speaks to us of more than just an individual condition. It may well be that we see the individual plight of Leah taking center stage in the stories in the book of Genesis. It may well be there was an individual circumstance that gave rise to the naming of Simeon in this New Testament setting.

    But that individual consideration gives way to something greater now, in light of what God is doing specifically in relationship to this man. God does indeed hear us in our individual plight. There is affliction known by each of us, a private affliction carried by each of us. There are reasons why we particularly cry out to God and ask him to hear us, to consider us, to consider our circumstance. But Simeon finds his place in the account of Luke not because he’s just one more person with an individual problem. And don’t misunderstand My intention is not to minimize the individual problem or the personal affliction that we bear.

    Any of this. But here we are dealing with those things that are of the most supreme importance. The greater and weightier things. Things that carry us beyond ourselves to greater considerations yet. Considerations in which the fate of entire peoples are in the balance.

    Sinion’s name then has significance in this context not because of some individual incident in the life of his parents or in his personal life, but because of the condition of the people of God as a whole. His name will in fact memorialize the activity and the action of God. God hears. Not just for the benefit of one of us, not in terms of the parameters that are dealt out to us in our individual circumstances, but with respect to the circumstances of all of God’s own. With respect to the condition of God’s people as a whole. In Simeon, then, we are going to see that responsiveness to God, that is testimony to the fact that God does hear. And he brings resolution to the long-standing dilemma for his people as a whole. But I’m not interested. But I’m not interested in that. All I’m interested in are my own personal problems. That’s all I care about. and religion has value only so far as it deals with my own personal difficulties.

    If simian is to be useful to me then, He must be translated for me, interpreted for me, in those terms. And if he’s not, then he’s useless. And utterly unimportant. And truly, I can’t be bothered. practical for me. Making relevant to my own personal problems. Making relevant to the problems I experience on the job or the problems I’m having in my marriage or the difficulties I’m having at home or the crushing financial questions that I’m dealing Make him relevant to my health. Do something to make him meaningful to me, particularly. Because if you don’t, he’s of no value. Really, he’s of no value to me. Sinion stands out then on the pages of the New Testament. He is here for us.

    For the greater, the weightier consideration, the fate of an entire people, not just one individual, the problems of mankind, humanity as a whole, the severity of that problem, Man separated from God, more at a distance from God and His glory. Man in need of reconciliation, man in desperation crying out to the heavens to be heard.

    Will God respond? Is salvation merely a matter of me learning how to cope? Is salvation merely a matter of mental health? Is salvation merely a matter of getting my checkbook balanced? Or getting through the day? We’re just learning how to survive. We’re surviving one more illness. You see, simian is a concentration killer. for the entirety of a nation, of a people, whose purpose it has been to wait for and to prepare for the coming of God, the coming of God.

    Now we are told that this man is righteous and devout. I delight in the righteousness and devotion spoken of him, attributed to him. He is found in the temple, not because the Spirit just happened to move him at that particular time. Nor are Mary and Joseph in the temple because the Spirit happened to hold them at that particular time. These people, simian and virgin, are righteous and devout, not giving excuse as to why they may not go and appear in the temple. They submit themselves to the institution. They comply with the law. They are dutiful. That, in fact, is true. It is obvious.

    But that is the least. That is the least qualification in the description of devotion and righteousness. There are many who claim to be more devout and have more righteousness, who don’t even perform that service, or those services to the Lord. wonderful, righteous, and dutiful foe. Yes, Joseph, Mary, Simeon, also Anna, mentioned later in this text. We’ve read about her also. But here is the least of the considerations with respect to that righteousness and devotion. While least, it cannot be dismissed But we are here dealing with something much more.

    For you see, it isn’t merely then a submissiveness to the law or a devotion to morality that sets Simeon apart in his righteousness and his devotion. He is regular in his temple service. He is dutiful in his performance because of his love for God. But even more than that, as you read the text, we are told that his righteousness and his devotion are attached to the fact that he is looking for the consolation of his people. If your hope is taken away from you, all you have left is bare morality. And bare morality will not save you even if you keep the love of God. It won’t work. What drove this man was his hope. And that informed his righteousness and his devotion. That’s why he was in the temple. And that’s why he kept the law. And that’s why he served God as he did.

    What is the prospect of your own piety, your own devotion? That others will then not have occasion to speak ill of me, that I will keep my nose clean spiritually speaking, that I will perform those things that are expected of me, that I will be dutiful, that I will be moral, that I will be above reproach in some sense. Those who have this hope purify themselves. He was looking for the consolation of Israel. He was a man of hope, and that informed his godliness, his piety, his devotion, his subservience to the law, and his temple worship.

    We are told also that the Spirit the spirit that is holy. The Holy Spirit was upon him. In this he is set apart from Israel generally. He is a prophet with whom resides the spirit of revelation that has been given A revelation specifically now has been communicated to him. He will not see death until he has seen the Lord Christ. The composite picture of this man then, we see in him an embodiment of Israel that has waited Yet there is within it and upon it the testimony that the Lord shall hear and now has heard.

    Israel has arrived at her end point. And in so much as this man is a prophet, he speaks as it were for all the prophets, the prophetic ministry in its entirety summed up in him. For now the coming of that promised deliverance has been achieved, its arrival, is at hand. What of this Israel then, drawing back in its own self-importance, insisting upon itself and its prerogatives? Not at all.

    This Israel takes up the Christ and embraces the Christ. Simeon takes the child in his arms, and in this action sets a seal upon Israel and her purpose, namely that she would be that nation through which the Savior would come. Israel, in herself, expecting the prophetic ministry in its service, these things then converging in this man, as this man embraces the child, he embraces the Christ, and when he embraces the Christ, it is as if true Israel were herself embracing that child. So Simeon blesses God and saints. His song recorded for us in verses 29 through 32. And note the particular aspects of the song. A song of true Israel. A song of the proper prophetic ministry. Now reaching its culmination point. It is a song of satisfaction.

    The child doesn’t offend. What were you looking for? What did you expect? But in this one Simeon, otherwise obscure himself, with this one Simeon, otherwise obscure himself, there is the embracing of this small, this insignificant, this apparently weak and helpless child, and the child doesn’t offend true Israel. The child doesn’t offend the spirit of true prophecy.

    Rather true wisdom, true prophecy recognizes in the child the fulfillment of God’s purpose. It is a song, therefore, of satisfaction. And what of us who may well be so dissatisfied? Here is one who is satisfied with a child and with the unveiling of God’s purpose and His intention.

    Because salvation and the coming of God are at the center of his life. Nothing else will satisfy him. And nothing else should satisfy you. Nothing else will in fact satisfy you. But having that salvation, are you not satisfied? Are you not content? Having that, do you not have all things? If he has given you his salvation, if he has given you his Christ, has not God given you everything that you need? And will you not be satisfied with that? Why do you look for something else?

    Let me tell you this, God has nothing more to give you than Christ. He can’t give you anything greater. There’s a song of faith. Now Lord, let thy servant depart in peace. I don’t even fear death now. Such is my faith and confidence with my new dress. is a threat. It is a song of piety, not of some sort of senseless mysticism. It is contempt to concentrate upon religious swoons of some form or the other.

    For Simeon has seen the salvation of the Lord and that salvation has an historical outworking God’s activity in space and time and what religious devotion there is, is to be directed towards Him and towards that historical outworking of His purpose not religion for religion’s sake not some sort of spirituality for the sake of spirituality but a religious soul that is concentrated upon, focused upon that child and upon the redemption that he brings for only that is adequate and finally in addition to being a song of satisfaction, a song of faith, a song of true piety is the song of Catholic vision, that is universal vision.

    Here is true Israel recognizing the intention of God. The salvation which God has now reviewed, placed, set before the eyes of this man, before Israel itself, is the salvation that He has prepared in the presence of all people, a light of revelation to the ten times who are magical Jews, say. And the glory of my people is here. The end of provincialism.

    The end of nationalism. even seemingly the end of ethnicity all of them brought down to the dust by the vision of true and proper catholicity for the people of God There’s just one final word here with respect to Simeon. Of course you hear what he says to Mary directly in the verses that follow. Verses 34 and 35. Bring into view the cross, the suffering to which this child is destined as well as the suffering to which Mary herself is destined.

    But you see, it is a full-ranged testimony, witness, that Simeon bears. Israel is in fact witness to the nations. Witness of what? Sinai? The Exodus? Moses? Even one of the prophets? No! Israel is witness of Christ! witness of the law, witness of some sort of temporal administration? No!

    Israel is witness of Christ and of the administration of the Church, into which now Jew and Gentile have grown, in which they commonly serve the one true God, through Jesus Christ the Savior. And part and parcel of that testimony is not just some hope with respect to oneness as it concerns peoples and nations and tribes and tongues. It is a witness with respect to the cross of Christ and the price by which that glorious end is achieved. That’s Israel’s testimony to the world.

    Simeon was not a Zionist, and he had no expectations with regard to Tel Aviv today. The center of that man was an expectation that culminated in Christ, His cross, His resurrection, and the church into which Gentile and Jew would be brought. in which they would be one under the banner of salvation forever. Our God, we are asking you that as Simeon memorializes the truth that you have heard your people and given them salvation we would delight with joy no less exuberant and free and full than the joy that he expressed and may the commitments that he had and commitments that we share in that our hearts too are set upon the salvation of our God the beauty and the perfection of your purpose in the world and with these things that you have brought may we be satisfied and in them may we delight

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • The Oath God Swore

    The Oath God Swore

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 10, 1989.

    About this sermon

    Elizabeth’s barrenness ends in conception, and the ‘oath’ God swore to Abraham stands behind it. Zacharias, the priest, shows the law blessing the new order that comes in Christ. Luke 1:80 closes on the child growing strong in spirit, and God’s people rejoice in his work.

    More sermons from Luke · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    Benedictus, found in verses 68-79 of the first chapter of Luke. The song of the angel of the Lord, verse 14, chapter 2. And then Simeon’s song, the moot, committed. Now Lord, the translation of the Latin. Verses 29-32 of that second chapter of Luke. This morning we take up the second of these four Christmas songs. The song of Zechariah, a prophecy, the so-called benediction, the blessing.

    Now the entire. Empire. Gospel in which this song of Zachariah appears in the section that we read this morning versus fifty seven through eighty. Which divides for us into four parts. First of all. Verses fifty seven and fifty eight Elizabeth deliverance to the birth of the sun. And the subsequent celebration. Secondly the naming of the child.

    The healing of Zachariah. And the astonishment of the people versus fifty nine three sixty four. Thirdly. verses 65 through 79, which includes, then, the Benedictine or Zacharias song. This section speaks to us of the fear and the question in the hearts of the people, both of which are addressed by Zacharias’ words.

    And finally, verse eighty, and alone in conclusion to the section, the child life maturing. Prior to. First of all. This is fifty seven and fifty eight. Elizabeth deliverance to the birth of her son and the subsequent celebration. Elizabeth. An old woman. Not only old, but barren. Without a child.

    She and her husband, Zechariah, unable to generate a child. And this condition, it seems, somewhat accentuated because of her piety and the piety of her husband. You read in the 6th verse of the 1st chapter about their devotion to the Lord. Both of them are righteous in the sight of God, walking blameless in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. Yet, they are deprived. They are without. Her condition, Elizabeth’s condition, speaks. of a barrenness, of even a futility, a fruitlessness. It speaks also of shame, of reproach. For the woman in Israel that could not bear was a special object of pity. There was a certain embarrassment that accompanied that condition. What was the woman without children? What was the woman especially without a son? Her condition then.

    Speaking of a certain futility, shame, reproach, and a lack of power an inability, even an impossibility. Remembering her obedience to the law, her piety, not even this then remedies the situation, not even her righteousness turns things around. Not even a compliance to, an obedience to the law rescues her from her condition. She hasn’t power to deliver herself. Compounding the situation now, she is well beyond the age of barony. So that yes, the impossibility is compounded and her condition is utterly hopeless. Irremediable. Humanly speaking, impossible of reversal. Speaking of her in these terms, we see how Elizabeth is more than just a solitary soul. More than just one more barren Israelite woman. For in Elizabeth now there is revealed the situation of God’s Satan in his Elizabeth is a daughter of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi.

    She is under the authority of all that arises out of, and is peculiar to, that tribe. She is under the law. And in her, we see the condition of God’s own. He is faithful within Israel, for they, like her, are under the law. They are under the Levitical order. But Elizabeth is not only a daughter of Aaron of the tribe of Levi, speaking to us of the law, she lives in Judah. She lives within the boundaries of the tribe of Judah, to which has been given the promise of glory. God’s faithful men seen in the woman, under the law, yet living within the boundaries of that territory to which glory has been promised.

    And the people, no less than she, be they ever so righteous ever so meticulous in their submission to the law. Neither they nor she can affect a deliverance, can bring salvation. in and of themselves, left to themselves, they cannot reverse their circumstances, they cannot remedy their situation, they cannot remove their shame. Their fruitlessness and futility are confirmed and seemingly stamped upon their condition as a state of permanence. Their situation, despite everything positive that might be said about them, is utterly hopeless. But as in the case of the woman, so also in the case of the people.

    God God works. And the act and the work of God is the only remedy. It alone affects deliverance. Her name means oath of God. And that name comes to have special significance in light of the fact that God keeps His oath sworn to His people. And that which He promised He now begins to fulfill. The barren woman conceives.

    The shame of this daughter of Aaron, this resident in Judah, lifts. The hopelessness is answered by the direct, miraculous intervention of God Himself, who is about to deliver His people, who wait for Him. The situation is utterly hopeless, except for God, who is now at work to keep His oath. The child is not just then another Jewish child who comes in answer to ordinary usual prayers uttered perpetually in families where barrenness is a fact.

    This child is rather a sign of God’s new day when he shall deliver his people as surely as he has delivered Elizabeth and the rejoicing that you hear the rejoicing of neighbors in the territory of Judah and relatives as well from the tribe of Levi this rejoicing reflects the grander more glorious thanksgiving that of true and faithful Israel as she begins to celebrate God’s miraculous marvelous deliverance Elizabeth’s deliverance through the birth of a son and the subsequent celebration. The faithful children of Abraham, despite their adherence to the law, cannot bring forth the promise of deliverance.

    God himself must work. Part two. The naming of the child, the healing of Zechariah, and the astonishment of the people. In order to understand this section, one must understand Zachariah, the priest, the son of Levi, the Lord. If Elizabeth is the faithful remnant of God’s people waiting for deliverance, Zachariah embodies the Lord.

    But now the child is to be named. And this child is veined in keeping with the revelation that has been given through Gabriel, the angel. Verse 13 of chapter 1, Gabriel had instructed Zechariah, you are to call the child John. So when Elizabeth and Zachariah insist upon this name for their child, it is in obedience to this recent revelation that has come.

    They are obeying God in light of the new work that He is performing. To name the child Zachariah would be disobedience to that revelation, but also it would be symbolically the maintenance of that condition under the old order, the perpetuation of it, when in fact the new order has gone. The name Zachariah means remembered by the Lord, but now the Lord has remembered. And as a result, He has, by His abundant and inexplicable grace, given this child, whose name is to be John, whose name means gift. After the law, grace. Even in the law and through the law, the Lord remembers and brings about the fullness of His purpose. A gift. Grace. Abundance.

    Zachariah has been especially attached to that older order, and he has exhibited that older order’s weakness. As a priest and a servant of the legal order of Israel and its ritual form, His eye has been trained by the external, so he stands before Gabriel, the angel. He hears the message given him by the angel, and seeing this marvel and this wonder and hearing the promise, he is unsatisfied and demands further external confirmation. That is the attitude. of Israel under the dominion of the law. And such an attitude brings judgment, especially in lieu of God’s new and great work of salvation. The very weakness of the older order is exposed through this reliance upon things visible and confirmations that can be given. Above and beyond that which has been extended by God himself.

    In time they won’t even be satisfied with the unveiling of the Son of God before them. They will demand further signs, further confirmation. Give us a sign! Give us a confirmation! They will cry out. there is a failure of faith then attended to the older order and it must give place to the new for the new order perfects God’s grace seen specifically in John the child who bears the main gift but now In light of this marvelous work which God is doing in establishing His new order, there is the calling forth of a superlative thing.

    And Elizabeth and Zachariah, in faith, tell all the child’s name is John. The child’s name is John. We believe. We believe. And it is only when this superlative quality of faith is exhibited by Zacharias, But once more, his lips are open, his tongue is moved, and he speaks to the glory of God. It is only from that vantage point of faith and the work of that superlative faith then that the law again is given utterance, and that utterance is always in light of this new and wonderful work of God which He is performing for His people. the amazement of the people themselves their astonishment is before the evident tokens that something supernatural has taken place something miraculous has transpired before them and that which is truly miraculous and supernatural in the case of Elizabeth and Zachariah is outdone in the case of Mary and Joseph something greater still shepherds then will marvel, be astounded Mary and they will keep things in their hearts wondering as to the meaning of the things that have taken place. God’s new work. A new work in which the law itself recognizes the new order which God has inaugurated.

    Part 3, verses 65-79. The people fear in their wonder, they have questions that they store up in their hearts. What manner of child is this they are asking? And though these questions are stored in the heart, there is honorable response given to them by the Lord through Zacharias, who now prophesies. The people are face to face with the supernatural intervention of God. Truly they are disturbed and troubled by these things. They do not know what to make of them.

    But now, out of that one who embodies the law, the testimony arises. This one in whom the law is resident speaks by prophecy and is given the voice, the voice of heaven, the voice of the Spirit as he is filled by the Spirit to explain the significance of these events that are taking place, the significance of this child that has been born. And in this, It is not just the law recognizing the new order that has come, it is the law blessing the new order that has come.

    The beauty of this song that is sung by Zacharias matches the beauty of the song that was sung by Mary. The day of God’s redemption has come. We are no longer waiting for it, it is arrived. And if in fact at the center of Mary’s song there was testimony to the great reversal, where the poor would be exalted and the proud and rich would be cast down, stamped if you were by the regal character of the day that is dawning in this song from Zachariah there comes the priestly interest namely the piety, the devotion, the holiness, the godliness of those who will in fact be a part of God’s blessed new day note verses 74 and 75.

    God is at work to grant to us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear in holiness, righteousness before Him all our days. And notice verse 77 with respect to the child now, John himself. His ministry will be to give to his people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins because of the tender mercy of our God the obedience then that was foreshadowed by our compliance with the law, our obedience to it The devotion and the piety that was neared in that devotion to the law is brought to its proper focus now and fulfillment through the ministry of the new order which has been inaugurated by God in the birth of this child and subsequently in the one that even he will serve. The ministry of the new order that begins with John is for the moral renovation of God’s people, so that they might stand as priests themselves, as did Zechariah, before the Lord.

    And that all the days of their lives. the child grows strong in spirit but he takes up residence in the desert in the wilderness and this fact in itself confirms his preparatory role for we have been told by the prophets that God himself will make his final entrance out of the wilderness In the wilderness, John is preparing the stage upon which Israel herself will return to her origins, for did she not as well come out of the wilderness? And in the wilderness, John exposes Israel’s moral weakness and failure of faith. For it was in that wildness originally that Israel fell as it were, proving her weakness and the failure of her faith.

    But most specifically now, The wilderness, the desert regions that are in view are not those in the Transjordan. They are not even the regions of the Negev. They are the wilderness regions, the desert regions within the territory of Judea properly. The wilderness is within the land. The wilderness is within the land of promise. The land of promise is itself a wilderness.

    Those who might have boasted of their heritage, their place, of their position, that boast is exposed. So Israel herself is exposed in her weakness and for her failure faith. The people, though established in the land of promise, are in a wilderness and in need of God’s redemptive work, which he will consummate through Christ, the one whose way John forbids. If the law is at work in the son as it was in the father, if John himself has the law within him as he works, the prophets as well, then the law and the prophets are at work as servants for the new order that has come.

    And now has gone. Why do you live as those who still wait? Why do you live as those who are still waiting for the coming day of redemption? Oh, to be sure, there will be the consummation of all things. God will, in fact, wrap everything up in conclusion. But there is an irrepressible joy and gladness that is attendant to the birth of this child and what it sanctifies. And if with this child, how much more with the child who followed Jesus’ Will you not be glad? Will you not bless the Lord? Will you not enter into the song of Zachariah and praise God for the redemption, the deliverance that has come? Here is the remedy to futility. Here is the answer to our hopelessness. Here is the resolution to our weakness, our inability, and the impossibilities of our circumstances.

    God at birth! And it is as certain as the child born of a visitor. as certain as the ministry of Zechariah and the subsequent ministry of John. Let us rejoice in the salvation that is coming. How everything our God works together how it all converges in the events that marked the dawning of a new day and how great the celebration and the joy even by those who lived before everything was made clear Oh Lord, may we celebrate, may we be glad in this the day of your working. May we delight in the salvation which has come. And may we know that all that has preceded the law and the prophets were unto this appointed end. and in this your purpose is made manifest your design plainly set before the face of the nations that many might turn having received forgiveness of sins and live because of your great and wonderful grace

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • The Word Tabernacled Among Us

    The Word Tabernacled Among Us

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 25, 1988.

    About this sermon

    Throughout Scripture barren women bear significant children, and Matthew and Luke both tell of the unique child, the branch from Jesse’s stump who will reign over the house of Jacob forever. John tells of him in 1:14: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Word through whom God made all things took flesh for the salvation of the world, and he tabernacled among his people, a greater glory than the tabernacle of Moses. God’s compassion, full of grace and truth, took up residence in human flesh.

    More sermons from John · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    This morning we are reading from John’s Gospel, the very first chapter. We will be reading the first 18 verses of this chapter of John. Hear the word of John. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the life of men.

    And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Nor was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighted every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not, but as many as received him.

    Then gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. And of his fullness have all we received. And grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and proof came by Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

    Go with me now. We turn unto you, our God, as we would approach your word, and we ask that we may have a confidence in the power of that word. Surely it would not be a man that would convince us, but our God. So may you convince us and convict us and transform us by your word that we might be servants who are willing and able, through your Spirit, to serve. Bless us now, our God. Unto this end we pray it through Christ. the perfect servant, the one who gave himself for us. Amen.

    It seemed a birth like any other. A woman coming to full term for nine months accomplished, she giving birth to a child. And in this, she seemed like all other women who had given birth before, and the child she gave birth to, like any other that had been brought forth. A birth like other birds, but yet this bird so utterly unique. On the one hand, seemingly the same, on the other hand, completely, absolutely different. Nothing like it before. though there had been miracle children before.

    We think of the case of Abraham and Sarah, past the years of conceiving and bearing, and yet because of the miraculous intervention of God, Sarah gives birth to a child, Isaac by name. well-established was the barrenness of Rachel. Yet, because of the mercies of God and His intervention, she gives birth also to Joseph, and then once more to Benjamin. What shall we say of Hannah? She too, barren, yet she in time then giving birth to the great prophet, that servant sent by God for Israel’s good, Samuel.

    There had been miracle children before, they seemingly unique, but none like this child born of Mary. We hear of the coming of the child, we read the gospel accounts. In Matthew, Joseph is told, that which is conceived in the womb of Mary is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

    Of no other child could that be said. The angel goes on. You will call his name Jesus, that wonderful Old Testament name which means Savior. For he it is who shall save his people from their sins. Had there ever been any child so described formerly. And then, extrapolating from an Old Testament prophecy, Matthew adds his own commentary. This one who is coming is the fulfillment of that ancient prophecy.

    Behold, a virgin shall conceive, bring forth a child, and his name shall be called Immanuel. That is, God with us. Chapter 2 in Matthew. visitors from the East, seeking whom? One called the King of the Jews. That one, when they meet him, they fall down before and worship.

    What child, having been born, given an account in Scripture, is now worshipped? of him is applied another ancient prophecy. For this child fleeing the wrath of Herod goes down into Egypt and then comes up again. Applied to him is that prophecy out of Hosea, out of Egypt did I call forth my son. The child with his parents settled in Nazareth.

    And from that is derived the name the Nazarene. The end of the second chapter of Matthew. That name Nazarene taken from the Hebrew word for branch. For there hath been a promise given to Israel from the stump of that tree. The tree having been cut down, there shall come forth a shoot a branch, a stem, out of Jesse. This one, the Nazarene, is the branch, later described by Jeremiah as, that branch, the Lord, our righteousness.

    The unique, utterly unique, absolutely unique child then, that has come into the world, and so described by Matthew, that we look at Luke too, for he gives us an account of the coming of this child. This time we are told, as the angel addresses Mary, not Joseph, Mary, he shall be called great, his name the son of the most high God.

    Also, he will rule over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom shall have no end. The eternal kingdom. He shall be called the very son of God, says the angel. And then, in the second chapter of Luke’s gospel, the angels come and address themselves to shepherds. They say, this one shall be called Savior, Christ the Lord. In him, the salvation of God is revealed before the face of men. and all of those who have been looking for the redemption of Jerusalem, they shall find that redemption nowhere else but in this utterly unique child.

    So we are familiar, are we not, with the stories of the birth of Christ, his coming into the from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, those Gospels that specifically give us an account of his birth. But there is no account in Scripture that puts before us the significance and the uniqueness of this child any more strikingly than the gospel.

    Now, it may not be as we had expected or would have wished. For we are moved by the simplicity and the power and the attractiveness of those accounts given us by Matthew and by Luke. We love to hear of Mary. We delight in hearing about Joseph. We think about their trip to Bethlehem and the inn where there was no room, and then the stable where they found a place to stay. We delight in hearing about shepherds and about Magi. Those things are familiar to us, and we turn instantly to those passages at this time of year.

    But here in John’s Gospel, as I have suggested to you, you have as striking a presentation of the uniqueness of this One who has come into the world, as in any of the Gospels. Verse fourteen of chapter one. The Word was made flesh. The word was made flesh. We might move through Matthew and Luke, contending ourselves that the one who has come into the world is certainly an exalted being, but he is one who is a little lower than God. But John tells us straight out, as is John’s habit, he tells us straight out, the word was made flesh. God became man. Now what John is doing here for us is he’s laying out for us truly the significance of the birth of this one. He is putting it for us, plainly, so that we understand what is taking place.

    The great eternal God, that One who is above, exalted, that One who is holy and righteous, separate from sin, that One, because of His love, has condescended to the plane of the earth, to the circumstance of man, and He has taken to Himself the flesh of humanity. So great is his love. For this one, so great and exalted, so righteous and holy, this one, filled also with love, knows that unless he does this, unless he does this, there is no hope for that flesh. There is no hope for that.

    There is something else here that John wishes us to understand. The great God has come down, yes, but he wants us to also realize the event character of what has taken place here. For you see, Christmas is not just a bright idea. It’s not just some sort of novel thought. Someone sitting around thinking about a marvelous story, a fable invented so as to entertain children or to give people a bit of optimism in depressing circumstances. It’s not as if This whole thing has been invented, hatched out of the mind of man. No, you see, what John is telling us is that we are dealing with something here that happened. An event.

    A historical event. that word then which God is, God himself being the word. that aspect of his reality in which he is continually communicating within himself. That is what the word is all about. God communicating within himself, his thought, his thought expressed in speech, the word, that word, that which comes from within God, takes to itself flesh, comes into the world. And because of that, Nothing will ever be the same again. So the Word was made flesh.

    That Word through whom, by whom, for whom God created all things, that Word through whom he had communicated himself to his people through the generations, that word has now been enfleshed for the salvation of the world. But there’s more here that John wants us to understand. For he goes on to tell us that this word dwelt among us. the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” Actually, the words that John uses here, the words that he uses, are those that would suggest to us the fact that this God, if we were to translate this portion literally, this Word tabernacled among us. If in fact then from the beginning of the chapter we had placed before us God’s creative work, we have here placed before us that work that God accomplished for his people when he delivered them out of Egypt. You remember what transpired then.

    God congregated his people in the wilderness at Sinai. He gave them the commandments that he also established for himself and abode in their a tabernacle for himself. It was a tent. And why did God choose to dwell in a tent in the midst of his people in the wilderness? Because they dwelled in tents. God, even then, making himself like unto his people, the pattern of the incarnation being spelled out there, prefigured, if you will. for the children of Israel in the wilderness. He constituting for himself a people and dwelling in their midst, in a way in which they would understand.

    He becoming like them. They intense, he intense. But it won’t be just tense. That concern our God. For in the end, it will be the flesh that concerns him. And as his people are in the flesh, so he will make himself as one of them in the flesh. But the strangest of things is said next.

    For is this one who now is in the flesh, through whom we behold the very glory, the very glory that belongs uniquely and specifically to God. Do you remember the account of the tabernacle pitching in the wilderness, that when it was completed, the presence of the Lord came and there was the glory of the Lord that filled the tabernacle so that the priest Aaron could not enter. That glory is now radiating through this one who is in the flesh The veil of the flesh becomes the medium through which his glory is made visible. It’s made visible in the signs that he performs, in the things that he does, and also triumphantly through the resurrection and the glorification that shall come as a result of the finished and accomplished work that he has set about to perform. this glory, John goes on to say, is of the only begotten of the Father.

    That is, it is that which belongs specifically to him and to him alone. As an only son within the family is heir to all of the inheritance, coming to him all those things that belong to the Father So, with regard to this one, the Son of God, the one in whom that glory of God is manifest, all things will ultimately be His.

    They belong to Him, for He has made them. They were created for Him and through Him. over against this one to whom all glory belongs. There stands then that older administration, that administration of the old covenant. This one who is the only begotten contrasts Moses, that one in whom the Jews had put all of their confidence and hope. He was the unique one as far as they were concerned. He was the leader for the people of God. Through him had come the law, and the people were to live by the law, and the law, the Torah, was their hope. If there was glory to be found, it had to be found through the law and through the administration of that old covenant.

    But now John says, as he presents to us the coming of the Word in the flesh, he tells us, not so. for all that transpired before was unto this end. There is a new tabernacle, there is a greater glory, and there is one that exceeds in might and significance even Moses, one whom we are told, as he concludes his thoughts here in the fourteenth verse, full of grace and truth. had been that manifestation of God’s grace and truth to his people of old. You might recall how they had sinned, and Moses had come down from the mountain, and when he saw them playing about the golden calf, in his anger he threw down the tablets of stone. They were then the means by which God brought judgment upon the children of Israel. Moses ascends the mountain once more, And there, before the Lord, he is told that God, after all, is a God full of compassion, mercy.

    His truth endures forever. And there would yet be a second making of the tablets of stone, a giving again of the covenant. Well, that renewal of the covenant is not an end in itself. It’s unto the second covenant par excellence, that which will be administered through Jesus Christ, in whom the perfection of grace and truth is seen, is observed, is realized, is appropriate.

    You know the grace that is found fully, completely, in this one who is utterly, completely, absolutely unique. The compassion of God. who extends now into the world that marvelous message of the forgiveness of sins. How is it that John the Baptist describes him when he sees him coming to the waters of the Jordan? Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world, the fullness of grace, but also the fullness of truth. Over against the truth are shattered promises, broken vows and oaths made to God. But God in truth keeps his word and points us to the eternality of that kingdom which he has come to bestow upon those who believe.

    The fullness of all of that is now being conferred through this unique, utterly absolutely unique child. In the beginning was the word. creation started. But when the Word was made flesh, creation began again. New creation commenced. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word had its work amongst the children of Israel at the times in which they were brought out of Egypt guided through the wilderness, but there is now the ultimate, the quintessential exodus that has been commenced for the people of God, which ends in a sanctuary not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, in which the grace and truth of our God in all of its fullness is mediated unto us through this one who has come for ourselves that we might be a people for him living for him in the world Matthew the unique child Luke, the unique child John, that unique child God made man for you so that you might dwell with him as he has dwelt with you O Lord, we thank you for the gospel, the good news, the coming of yourself into the world where you take to yourself our flesh, our circumstances, yes, even our sin. Through you, then, Lord, we are liberated, set free, and introduced into a service for our God, unto which we were intended from the beginning. Lord, may we set our hope in you. We pray our God these things.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • Unto Us a Child Is Born

    Unto Us a Child Is Born

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 25, 1988.

    About this sermon

    In Scripture birth means hope and barrenness means hopelessness, and God shows his power where hope has run out. In Isaiah 9:6, God’s barren people give birth to Christ. The child rules with strength.

    More sermons from Isaiah · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    Tonight we are reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. We are beginning with a part of the 8th chapter and we will be reading into the 9th. This is Isaiah chapter 8 beginning with verse 16. bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait for the Lord who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will even look eagerly for him. Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts who dwells on Mount Zion.

    And when they say to you, consult the mediums and the wizards who whisper and mutter, should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living to the law and to the testimony? If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

    And they will pass through the land hard pressed and banished And it will turn out that when they are hungry they will be enraged and curse their king and their God as they face upward. Then they will look to the earth and behold distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish, and they will be driven away into darkness.

    But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish. In earlier times he treated the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on he shall make it glorious by the way of the sea on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people The walk in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.

    Thou shalt multiply the nation. Thou shalt increase their gladness. They will be glad in thy presence as with the gladness of harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou shalt break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

    For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult and the cloak rolled in blood will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of his government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. the zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish.

    Father, there is every obstacle to our devotion compounded for. even at these times where you are to be so central to our thinking. You are pushed from our consideration by concerns for the world, concerns for ourselves. We are even liable to make idols out of things that should not, must not be worshipped. Our children, our families, thinking more of them than we do of you. O Lord, we beseech you, teach us your truth from your word, that we might live as pleases you.

    For Jesus’ sake. Amen. In the Bible, through the life, it is the child, the child, again and again, that becomes the sign of hope. It is the child that becomes the sign of hope. Let your mind wander back across Scripture. Think of things from the beginning. The circumstances after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Think of the man and his wife who received a message of hope in the figure of a child.

    There was the promise given to Eve. Her seed would come, triumphing over Satan in time. That seed would crush the head of the serpent, while in fact his heel would be bruised. Did Eve have this promise in mind when Cain was born? You can read the opening of the fourth chapter of Genesis. There we are told that Eve brings forth her firstborn.

    She gives him the name Cain, a name that signals something related to the idea of the coming or the appearance of the man. She had received the man from the Lord. Was it that she saw in this one something of her hope? Of course, her hopes were dashed as Cain turned out to be a murderer. He killed her second born, Abel.

    And then there came Seth, and once more hopes revived through Seth, that the line of promise is yet intact. We move on in the story of redemption. We come to the sixth chapter of Genesis. We read of a man named Lamech. His son is named Noah. And Lamech looks at that child as if in that child he perceives the fulfillment of the promise, the realization of the hope. The name Noah means rest. Would then God give humanity rest through this one Noah who had been born? the child, again and again, a signal, a sign, a quote.

    And that is precisely the way it is when we come to the prophecy of Isaiah. Once more, it is the child, the child, that is to be the sign the signal of God’s redemptive purpose and power. This child, spoken of in Isaiah’s prophecy, shall in fact be assigned to Jerusalem, concerning her deliverance during the days of a particularly wicked king by the name of Ahab.

    The king does not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He does not believe in the God of Isaiah. He is one who epitomizes unbelief. And when the prophet comes to him in good faith, at the direction of the Lord, and invites him to ask for a sign, he rejects the sign and the God who extends it to him. But then there comes the response of the Lord through the prophet, and Isaiah tells Ahaz, Therefore, even though you disbelieve The Lord himself will give you a sign.

    Behold, a virgin, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and she shall call his name Emmanuel. Translated it means, God with us. Here I am quoting from the 7th chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, the 14th verse. As with the birth of a child, new life not only appears but touches everyone around. So it is in the person of this child, for through this child spoken of by the prophet, God preaches hope to his people, a hope which means for them an entirely new start a completely new beginning. But as hope springs up within hearts at the birth of a child, at the event of that birth, so by contrast, by reversal Hopelessness.

    Hopelessness is seen to be joined to the tragedy that stalks humanity in barrenness. With birth, hope. With barrenness, hopelessness. Therefore, as we run through scripture and we take into account the series of births through which hope is revived, we are also there instructed by many stories that speak to us about barrenness.

    Barrenness over against hope and life is a testimony to inability, futility, a testimony to death. over against birth and hope, barrenness communicates then inability and places one before God in such a way that one must confess, accept God at my situation. Our situation is utterly, completely hopeless. What woman can make herself unbearable? Who can make themselves able to produce? Who can alter the predicament as we review the stories in Scripture? Do you remember Sarah? A woman who could not conceive?

    She will never mother a child. So impossible is her circumstance unless God intervened himself. Think of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, the prophet. She too was barren. Her reproach, her disgrace within the nation of Israel remains unless God, in His mercy, Here’s her prayer and answers. These women then, in their barrenness, are lessons to us concerning the people of God as a whole. For it says, if in the woman is the people, in seeing them, the woman, you see the people as a whole. that for which the people then hope, cannot be realized by them left to themselves. That for which they hope cannot be conceived, it cannot be brought forth, except by God.

    Note the circumstances in Israel’s day. The nation is divided, North and South. to the north of the ten tribes called Israel proper to the south are two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, described as Judah, with Jerusalem as the capital. In Israel’s case now, the northern tribes, for them Hopelessness has settled in upon these people painfully, as they are confronted with their dissolution as a nation, the destruction of their capital, and the exile of the people.

    Now you have the people in the South looking northward. They look northward only to see the ten northern tribes annihilated, destroyed for their sin. That judgment which they have observed to the north is presently moving southward. It is being brought through the Assyrian army, who were described as the Nazis of the ancient world.

    The Assyrians are besieging Judah and Jerusalem, and Isaiah has made it clear that the reason why this assault has come is because of the sin of Judah and the tragedy of the life of the nation. Irreversible judgment seems imminent. That irreversible judgment sealed for the tribes in the north and now looming on the horizon in the south.

    That judgment we are told As we look at the end of the eighth chapter of Isaiah, which we’ve read this evening, brings with it famine, brings with it such insurrection that no authority within the land will be able to prevail, brings with it the blasphemous rejection of God himself. Before the eyes of those judged Nothing appears in the land now but the stress and darkness, the bloom of hopelessness, and the next stop, oblivion. That’s a rather bleak picture as you come to the end of the eighth chapter of Isaiah.

    But now, seemingly, it is all reversed. For man is brought to the limit. He is exposed as one who has no strength in himself, one who in fact brings judgment upon himself for his sin, only then to see God intrude upon him, his life, in order to resurrect hope. Hope will come from no one else but from God. So now, as the ninth chapter begins in Isaiah, God is stepping in to announce that just when things are bleakest, when they are completely and utterly hopeless, just then he will act.

    Why? Because then it will be apparent that only he can save. Only he can save. Maybe you’re confused about your life. You don’t understand why things are going the way they are. Things don’t improve, they just get worse. Life seemingly more complicated all the time. You’re distressed at your wit’s end. Learn the lesson. God will bring you to the end of yourself, that you might begin afresh.

    He acts precisely in that environment where nothing but himself can bring hope, where no one but him and his purpose can bring resurrection. Thus it is that The prophecy of Isaiah makes such a point of bringing before us the fate of the northern tribes, already judged and vanquished. And it’s precisely to that territory that the prophet turns in his message. He turns to Galilee of the Gentiles. He turns to the land of Zebulon and Naphtholat. Those are northern tribes. already judged, already vanquished. From that territory, says the prophet, from the barren north, the glory of the Lord and the dawn of his redeeming grace will shine forth.

    And now it is through this ninth chapter, this almost incomparable ninth chapter of Isaiah, the magnificent picture builds for us through the imagery of the irrepressible light, that he’s going to shine forth from God and his activity in answer to the darkness and gloom. If there was the void and the darkness at creation, into which God spoke and said, let there be light, now you see the gloom and the darkness overshadows once more, compounded all the more because of the threat of death and the tyranny of death. God speaks once more about light. There will be the multiplication of joy in answer to distress and hopelessness.

    Liberation is effective. Such liberation as is comparable to when Israel in the days of the judges was under the yoke of Midian and through that rather bizarre and surprising hero Gideon, the nation, is liberated. What do we do with the figure of Gideon? I know what we do with him. We try to turn him into some sort of spiritual hero.

    You missed the point. Gideon wasn’t a great man of faith. He didn’t have any faith at all. You know, he used to put the Lord to the test. He said, well, if the dew is on the fleece and not on the ground, then I’ll go dwell. This time, put it on the ground and not on the fleece, then I’ll believe you. He wasn’t a man of faith. He wasn’t a man of great strength.

    It was through this man who seemingly epitomizes weakness that God effected his deliverance. At the end of all of this that the Lord is accomplishing for the sake of his great name, there is the perpetuation of a rule, a rule of peace. the fifth verse of that ninth chapter, every soldier’s boot will be burned. Every sponge used to mop up the blood will be destroyed. And the source, the source of this great reversal The reason for the end of the hopelessness and the despair, the darkness and the gloom, the reason for the arrival of such blessings as are spelled out for us here, it is the birth of a child. Through one so utterly weak and helpless, God is going to manifest His power, and that’s the mystery of the kingdom.

    You don’t expect it, you don’t even recognize it. In the figure then of the child, hope is preached and hopelessness is answered. We are told in this sixth verse of the ninth chapter, we are told this, for a child will be born to us. Now, I want you to catch hold of the imagery of that line, for a child will be born to us. You might think that, well, he’s just referring to the fact that there’s a child born into the family and all the light and the birth of the child. Well, that’s not the power of the line at all.

    You see, the people altogether, the us of that passage, are conceived out here as the mother. You are the mother. The people of God are the mother, giving birth to the child. The people then are seen. under the figure of the mother as, if you will, giving birth to this one who is their hope.

    But that birth of hope is not to be understood as some sort of natural occurrence, as if the power to do and accomplish such a thing resided with the people, resided with the people of God, resided with us. Could be brought about by our own strength. For you see, the prophecy goes on. It says a son will be given, underscore that, given to us.

    The son must be given to us, because we as a people, conceived under the figure of a woman, are as a barren woman, incapable of producing a child by our own strength. God alone, then, accomplishes the mighty work. And the fact that he must give the Son accents, magnifies, his grace. What is grace? It’s God’s gift, undeserved. His love, extended, undeserved. how great that work appears.

    However, when running it through once more in positive lines, we observe the degree of difficulty compounded infinitely. For the woman chosen, through whom ultimately the child will be born, is not one who is simply barren. who needs simply a rearrangement, we might say physiologically or with respect to chemistry, in order to produce a child.

    No, you see, the woman in view ultimately will be not just one barren, not one barren at all, but, as we were told in Isaiah 7.14, a virgin. A virgin. all of the power of God, all of the power of God.

    The calling of this child, even though here a child ascribed to us is to rule, a child who rules seemingly from birth And he shall rule in a way, in such a way, so as to contrast the misrule that has been observed in Israel to the north and is presently observed in Judah in the south.

    No longer moral and spiritual indulgence at the expense of Jehovah the Lord. Neither is this one ill-suited for rule. as if childish or irresponsible. He always remembers, you see, whose child he is. He is the one who has been given by God, but he is, after all, our child. He is the child of the people of God. He rules for us, and his rule is faithful.

    So he alone has strength to bear the load. How peculiar a child with strength to bear the load of righteous governance. Calvin says, the discharge of his office will not be daintily with his fingertips, but with the full strength of his arm of might.

    The Shorter Catechism says that Christ is our King, in that he subdues us to himself, in that he rules and defends us, in that he restrains and conquers all his and our enemies. But it is specifically now as child that he is portrayed here in this prophecy. He is portrayed in power as a child, and once more that mystery of the kingdom hits us full face. The irony of God’s dealings with the world That irony being that our powerlessness is remedied by one who is himself seemingly so absolutely powerless. But note how the verse ends. You see, this child is portrayed here as our child. And as our child, we name him. We name him. And what is the name that we give to him?

    He is the counsel, the wonderful counsel, or, as a counselor, a wonder. In his counseling, in his wisdom, incomprehensible, exceeding all human capability, dumbfounding even those who have been schooled in all that the tribes of Israel could produce with respect to wisdom. before him and his counsel, we, with them, are left speechless. He is the last counselor, the counselor who has no need of any other counselor. He needs no staff of advisors.

    And when we see that we have been preserved by his counsel, his wonderful counsel, then we name him, confess him, as that wonderful counselor, the one in whom is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. But we call him also Mighty God. Here is no king who needs, who leaves his advice suspended in air, who leaves his political theory somehow in the realm of the theoretical dangling, if you will. He is not one who is just there giving you pious advice, offering you words that would come forth from the sages of our time, sort of an intergalactic Dear Abby. Nor is he one who is to be cooped up in the sterile quarters of a counseling center.

    Rather, he executes his counsel by the power of his might, for, you see, in his might he is a god. And he proves the match for any created force that would arise to counter his rule. and in him we are enabled to endure against all forces, seen and unseen.

    Although our child, he is our God. Although our child, he is also our Father, for that is what the passage says. Irony of ironies, we call him the eternal father, or if you will, the father of eternity. That is, the one from whom issues the age to come. All eternity springing forth from him. In him we behold the author of eternal life. He is the father of it all. Life eternal proceeds from him. And as father to his children, those who would name him as such, he gives life in the age to come and tenderly cares for them that they might attain unto it.

    And finally, we named him the Prince of Peace. What of that former anguish, that former distress, that former hopelessness, we are ones congregated before this one, and in his presence, anguish, distress, darkness, gloom, hopelessness are banished forever. There is peace that comes that is more than a mere word. There is peace that comes that is more than a warm feeling. Here is peace that transcends this world and its ability to give the same. Here is peace that is everlasting, not of this world, but of the world to come. A peace which passes all understanding, capable of guarding heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

    We have confessed the song by naming him. All human titles are inadequate as we take our place in the train of all those who have so acknowledged. Will you stand with Isaac? Or do you keep company? with Ahaz. It’s as simple as that. It’s as simple as that. You stand with Isaiah or you keep company with Ahaz. There are only two choices.

    To stand with Isaiah means that you will stand with Thomas, who, before the risen Lord, fell to his knees, confessing, My Lord and My God. To stand with Isaiah puts you in the company of the fathers of the Church, who at Nicaea confessed that Jesus was God of God, light of light, very God of very God. And it puts you in the line of the Westminster Assembly that confessed Jesus Christ to be the very eternal God. So what have you seen?

    Can you pick up your Bible, can you turn to Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, can you read that verse as if you in it were naming the child? Is he, is he after all your wonderful counselor, your mighty God, your eternal Father, your Prince of Peace. Well, if He is, let me say this, you will live forever in light and blessings. If He is not, your judgment has already been prefigured by the destruction and dissolution of Israel. Our Lord, at this time of year, may we take to heart the message that is laid before us, and that clearly, Will we not then name the child? O Lord, and name him with that full appreciation and comprehension of who he is. A child for us, a son given to us, through whom our hopelessness and despair due to sin and death has been removed. Praise be to You, our God.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.

  • Out of Egypt, Called a Nazarene

    Out of Egypt, Called a Nazarene

    This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Christmas” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, December 27, 1987.

    About this sermon

    Angels warn Joseph, and the child goes down into Egypt while Herod plays Pharaoh. The two Josephs and the two tyrants run in parallel, and the name Nazareth carries its own meaning. Christ enters our experience fully, and God made him sin for us.

    More sermons from Matthew · Browse all sermons

    Sermon transcript

    This morning our scripture reading is in Matthew’s Gospel, the second chapter, and we will begin reading at verse thirteen. And when the wise men were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt. and be thou there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”

    When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “‘Out of Egypt have I called my son.’ Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath, and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamenting and weeping. and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted because they were not. But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

    And he arose, and he took the young child and his mother and came into the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee. And he came, he dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets. he shall be called a Nazarene.

    Oh Lord, your servants we would be and truly your servants we are, if in fact now we observe the wonderful imprint of the Lord Jesus in our hearts. We ask, Lord, that we might give up the ways of the world, the claims of the flesh, and commit ourselves to the Spirit, that by way of your word working in our hearts, we ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. Our messages at this season have been on the angel, or the angels of Christmas, we thought first of all about Gabriel, that angel from the presence of the Lord who spoke to Mary.

    We read and considered that account out of Luke’s first chapter. We also considered the angel who had spoken to Joseph in a dream. that concerning what he might do now with Mary, what relationship he might sustain to her in the future, seeing that she was found to be with charm. On Christmas Eve, we thought about the angel and the shepherds, and how those shepherds, remarkably, stand in the regions of David, the ancient shepherd, and speak to us about shepherds of history, and how they might respond to the revelation of the glory of God breaking in upon them. And this morning we come to the latter part of Matthew two. and the consideration once more of Joseph, the child and the mother, in light of the angel who appears to Joseph in dreams, giving him instruction about what he might do. The angel, first of all, We have seen that the angel in relationship to dreams and visions is to be appreciated in a special way.

    For we have noted that it is in particular times in the story of redemption that the angels the dreams and the visions are utilized by the Lord. We noted, for instance, that one era in which that is true was the time of the exile. Circumstances surrounding the exile and the restoration of Israel from captivity in Babylon. But we also noted that that era was predated by another. For the beginnings of Israel’s history, the time of the patriarchs, it too was characterized by visitations from angels and the occurrences of dreams and visions. stressed, as is apparent to you, I’m sure, by this complex angel’s visions and dreams, is the supernatural character of the revelation given.

    The revelation comes in this fashion so that there will be no mistake about it. The revelation does not arise from this earth, neither from the pressures exerted in the earth upon those who receive. The revelation is not the consequence of indigestion. The revelation comes from without. Thus, you see, the import of the angels, the dreams and the visions, that you might not make any mistake about it in reading the account, that those who receive the revelation might not make any mistake about it. The revelation is supernatural, through and through. The revelation comes from without, not from within.

    Also, with the stress falling upon the dreams and the visions, what we are to distill from that fact is that those who receive revelation in this fashion are utterly passive in the reception of it. And God, in His sovereignty, is having His will with them. Supernatural, the recipients, passive. Sleep, truly passivity.

    And it is in that setting, see, that the revelation then makes its impression. But also stressed now, as we have intimated before, in this complex of the angels, the visions, and the dreams, is the comprehensive character of the revelation, not just the fact that it is supernatural, but that it is comprehensive. It is comprehensive in character.

    We think once more about those times in which the angels, the visions, and the dreams were prominent. When we take stock of them, we see that those forms of revelation abounded at the beginning of Israel’s experience, in the period of the Patriarchs, in the book of Genesis. But then they abounded once more, at the end of the story of Israel’s sojourn in the closing chapters of the Old Testament. The visions of Ezekiel, Daniel, others who were moved by the apocalyptic visions and dreams, given them. So from beginning to end, you see, it seems then that the angels, the dreams, the visions, serve as bookends for God’s revelation.

    But now a new era has dawned. Here we are in Matthew, at the beginning of the new era, and the pattern is precisely the same. For once more, the angels, the dreams, and the visions are prominent. You think, possibly, of the book of Acts. it being the period for the beginnings of the church and her administration. Once more, the angels, dreams, and the visions are prominent.

    But then you rush on to the end of the New Testament, and as it was with the Old Testament, so also with the New, for there at the conclusion we have the Apocalypse. We have the book of Revelation filled as well with the angels, the visions, and the dreams. So you see, what we are being taught is not simply that the revelation given is supernatural, not of this world coming in from without, but that this revelation is comprehensive, inherent, speaking to us not only of beginnings but endings, not only of creation but conclusion. Now, it is with that comprehensive character of the revelation in mind that we take up Matthew 2, 13 through 23.

    Note the sweep of it, the encompassing character of what here transpires with regard to Joseph, the child, and his mother. Think of Joseph in light of what we’ve already said about him. Think of Joseph as one who, in a New Testament setting, bears a name which places him proximate that one in the Old Testament who had the same name. We pointed out to you before that, as it was in the Old Testament, there was a Jacob who had a son by the name of Joseph. So it is in the New Testament. This Joseph also had a father by the name of Jacob. The parallel between the two, then. But note how the parallel deepens.

    In the Old Testament, that Joseph descended into Egypt. In the Old Testament, that Joseph was driven into Egypt by the wicked envy the wicked envy of his brothers, an envy that had turned murderous. And that Old Testament Joseph, being driven into Egypt, carries down with him the hope of the people of God. Well, we read then, of the revelation now that comes to this Joseph in Matthew chapter two. A New Testament Joseph who will also descend into Egypt, who will be driven there by wicked envy emanating from murderous Herod. And this Joseph will carry with him the hope of the people of God.

    Comprehensive? As if here, at the outset of the New Testament, you have a recapitulation of things. But note, note as well, how diverse the comprehensiveness of this revelation, over which, it seems, the angel rules. For it’s as if we go beyond the times of the Patriarchs.

    Israel will not stay in Egypt, not at all. Israel will come up out of Egypt, and in coming up out of Egypt, Israel will carry, carry within his loins, the very Son of God, the child yet to be born, And so it is. So it is now. As Joseph is told that he is to ascend as well out of Egypt, he then will come forth like Israel.

    And as Israel of old, who bore that child yet in the loins, Joseph as if Israel of the latter day carries up with him God’s Son indeed. Herod is a figure who plays well in both scenarios. Insofar as this New Testament Joseph parallels the Old Testament Joseph, Herod acts in the role of the wicked brothers. But now, insofar as this New Testament Joseph becomes a figure through whom we see Israel itself being brought out of Egypt, Herod dons the role of Pharaoh.

    A fierce, wicked executioner of children. But the figure, the comprehensiveness of the revelation intensifies. Israel, having come up out of Egypt, takes up dwelling in the land. But in time, Israel is devastated. Devastated because of his sin. Devastated because of faithlessness. A faithlessness that has at its heart a preoccupation with the world and the promise of the world. Thus it is.

    In a latter day, beyond the exodus, beyond the events concerning Egypt and the exodus, we find Jeremiah, the prophet, speaking in this language recorded for us in the eighteenth verse of Matthew 2. language which speaks about Rachel, that wife of Jacob, who had set her heart upon what this world could grant, and her place in it, all her ambition, all of her energy directed towards achieving that goal of gaining the advantage over her sister, that she might have preeminence.

    That preeminence guaranteed to her, you know, Her end was death. But Jeremiah takes up the figure of Rachel, not so much in light of her own death, but in light of the death of those children through whom she hoped to gain the advantage. None are left to her, and thus there is no inheritance for her. The very thing she sought, she lost. The very thing she hoped to gain, was taken from her. Now Rachel is seen as the rift of children. Absolutely. It is a posture of absolute hopelessness.

    So, as we are carried along by Matthew two, we are also carried through the history of the people of Israel from the patriarchs to the exodus to the exile. But the exile isn’t the final word yet, for on it goes unto restoration and the preservation of a remnant.

    And that is precisely how the chapter ends. For this New Toast Testament, Joseph, returning to the land of promise, finds there enthroned one who is no different than Herod. Over the land there is still then cast that shadow, that shadow of greed and envy and murderous fire. Thus, by direction from the angel, Joseph takes the child with his mother northward to Galilee of the Gentiles. And it is in this context, then, that Matthew gives us his enigmatic formulation with which this chapter concludes.

    They came and resided in the city of Nazareth. that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled. He shall be called a Nazarene. Well, you look in the Old Testament for that statement, he shall be called a Nazarene and you can’t find it. And you wonder what in the world is Matthew talking about here? But then you realize that the name Nazareth has a meaning, a significance.

    That word means branch. It means branch. and is a reference, then, to what Isaiah had seen beyond the exile. That out of that dead stump would come a living vine. Out of that dead tree there would come a living shoot, a branch, a stem of jessic. Out of death would come life. that then becoming the meaning of the restoration from exile, and thus the comprehensiveness of the entirety of Israel’s history, subsumed in these events from verse 13 to verse 23. Now you might be asking yourself the question, to what end? Why all of this packed into the account given us by Matthew? Why is all of this here? Why should God do things in this fashion? Is it merely that through the story, if we have eyes to see, we can review the history of Israel as we look? at what is transpiring to Joseph and to the child and to his mother?

    Or is it simply that we might think on these verses and see in them an affirmation of the fulfillment that is found in Christ? That is, all that was pictured in the Old Testament now finds its fulfillment and culmination in this one. Oh yes, you are to review Israel’s history. Oh yes, you are to see in this one the fulfillment of the history of Israel. But you are to see something much more. You are to see that this child must himself live that history and experience it. Such is the character of the Incarnation. He comes down and he enters into the comprehensiveness of that telling of the story of Israel. He enters into that history thoroughly and completely. Did they go down into Egypt? He goes down. Did they come out? He comes out. Did they go into exile? He goes into exile. Do they experience restoration? He experiences restoration. And that’s so that he might be identified thoroughly and completely with them.

    There is nothing in their life that he doesn’t know of, and he doesn’t know of intimately. Well, you press it a little further. And what conclusion do you draw? why this very Christ, this child, is the one who in time, by his work and ministry, prepares himself in such a way that he is able to identify thoroughly and completely with you and your history. There is nothing in your life, there is no experience, Now, you say to me, well, certainly he doesn’t know my experience of sin. Yes, he does.

    For the depth of his identification is to the uttermost. He who knew no sin became sin for you. He has identified himself with you completely. Whatever history is yours has become his. Whatever agony of soul, the stress of mind, whatever weight and burden of sin, you have known that all has become his. He has taken it to himself because in his love he has identified himself completely with you. that you both might die well in a sense but even better that in the end you say you might be identified with him and what does that mean?

    Why? It means eternal life. It means eternal life. I’m glad to see the smiles. I know we don’t shout in them, and hallelujahs in this church, but it is good to see the smiles. You understand. You understand. Now that’s the power of the revelation from angels in visions and dreams testifying to the supernatural character of our God dealing with us and the comprehensiveness of it all. How wonderful. Oh Lord, it may take a little patience on our part to weave our way through the story given us at the conclusion of Matthew 2. But oh, what an ending.

    And in this child, we are comprehended. That as he has known thoroughly and absolutely to the uttermost, the experience of his people Israel. So we, his church, have been known by him. And now we know him who for us has become the very righteousness of God that through him we might have life and that forever. Praise be to our God.

    The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.