December 6, 2015

Behold the Christ is Come: God's Faithfulness from Adam to Jesus

Series: Behold, The Christ Has Come. Scripture: Genesis 3:15, Luke 2:8–14


Christmas season is upon us. Today we begin our Christmas series. It is important to note that the Bible is the story of redemption, and just like any good story, To understand and appreciate the story, we need to know the entire story. The Bible is also a story and if we skip the beginning then we do ourselves great harm. I want to give us the background to the birth of Jesus. If we see the background, it will help us feel the weight and significance of the new testament and in particular the birth of Christ.


Creation
Scripture starts with God the Creator who has created all things by his Word. He is king and Lord. At the peek of his creation he created man and woman who are set apart from all other creation and who alone are made in the image of God.
As those created in the image of God, man had been given responsibilities to perform on behalf of their LORD. They were created and given relationship as sons to God, and as servants or kings to creation. God created them for steadfast and faithful relationship. They get to know God, enjoy God, and treasure him.


The Fall
Adam and Eve, the first humans rebel against God their creator. Instead of loving him and enjoying him and having dominion over the earth, they want to be autonomous, they want to be like God in having the choice to decide what is Good and what is evil. Listening to the voice of the serpent, They doubt God’s Word, rebel against his lordship. The result is that death, sin and destruction enter the world. Adam and Eve deserving death and the just wrath of God what do they get instead? God gives hope. Expecting God’s wrath they find his kindness. He is kind to them and we come to Genesis 3:15 to the serpent he says,

"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

He gives her hope. He says that there will come a seed from eve who through his work he will undue the disaster and destruction that she has caused by listening to the voice of the serpent.

Though the first humans will be expelled from the Garden of Eden, God is going to send someone who is going to restore Eden, restore their relationship with him, and going to crush the head of the serpent.In faith and hope of God’s promise to Eve, Adam names his wife eve meaning “Mother of all living”. In the midst of a hopeless situation, God promises life. How big is your God? Eve conceives and bears her first born son Cain and says

“I have gotten a man/ seed with the help of the LORD”.

Then she conceives another and names him Abel. Could Cain be the seed? Could this be the promised one? She is let down. Not only does Cain fail to crush the head of the serpent but he murders his brother Abel, the other seed who may have done so. It appears right away that the serpent has crushed the head of the seed not the other way around. It appears that the serpent is winning. But God is faithful to preserve a seed. God gives Eve Seth in replace of Abel. We follow Seth's genealogy and we come to the next character.

Noah
Since the fall, we see the destructive path of sin. Humanity doesn’t get better but spirals downhill and the earth becomes full of violence and corruption to the point where God needs to intervene. God will judge the human race by a catastrophic flood and he will make a new beginning. The human heart is evil continually from the youth. All people are corrupt. All deserve God's wrath. Total depravity deserves total judgement.But Noah, a member of the line of Seth finds favour with the Lord. God is faithful and he always does what he says he is going to do.To preserve the seed of the woman, God tells Noah to build an ark and bring his family into it to find safety and salvation from his just judgement. He spares Noah and his family and starts new. God makes a covenant with Noah which says that he will never again destroy the earth and wipe out evil by wiping out everything. That leaves us with a question “How is going going to solve the problem of sin and evil without destroying everybody? But the problem with sin is not that we need a second chance, or a new start because it just ends up the same way Adam did. Noah is presented as a new humanity, a new Adam. He receives the same commands that Adam receives and just like his father, fails. Sin continues to ravish humanity and right after this is the tower of Babel. The people want to be autonomous so God scatters them over the earth. Humanity doesn't need a new beginning we need to be re made. God is faithful.

Abraham
Through the line of Noah comes another man. Abraham. We see his story start in Genesis 12. God is going to restart with Abraham. God chooses Abram, a worshiper of false gods, and a man who humanly can not have children, and tells him that he is going to bless him. He makes him a promise that he is going to be the father to nations and through his offspring or seed, all the nations will be blessed. Abraham believes God.. After 100 years, Abraham gets to hold the child of the promise.


Isaac and Jacob
The story then moves the Isaac where God promises Isaac that through him the seed will come that will bless all the nations. After Issac comes Jacob and Esau. The promise to Abraham is reestablished with Jacob. Through Jacob comes the seed of the woman who through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed, Eden restored, sin undone. We know the story of Jacob don’t we? Jacob wrestles with God and is renamed to Israel. Unlike his father and grandfather, Jacob has many children, he has 12 in total.


Joseph
Then we come to the story of Joseph, Israel’s 2nd youngest son. God uses the sinful actions of his older brothers to put him in a position of power in Egypt and therefore preserve the lives of his family, the chosen people, in the midst of a severe famine.God is faithful to the promised seed of eve, to the promised offspring of Abraham. Before Israel dies, we see that the seed of the woman is going to be of royal descent, it is going to come from the line of Judah, who is one of Israel's sons. The book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph in Egypt. This is the precursor of Gods greatest act of Salvation in the Old Testament.

Egypt and Exodus
The book of exodus picks up the story. The people of Israel have grown dramatically. Joseph has died. A new pharaoh has come in who did not know of Joseph and his works. In fear of the great number of Israelites, this king makes the people of Israel slaves and sets over them task masters. Furthermore, for fear of the great number of people, the king demands that any born sons are to be killed at birth. But God is faithful and he hears the cry of the people and he remembers his promises. He remembers his covenant. God raises up Moses, a prophet. One of the children who should have been killed but is hidden in a basket on the water only to be found by the princess and taken into her home. If you remember the story Moses kills a man and runs but is later called by God back to be his instrument of Salvation for Israel.Moses goes to Pharaoh and demands that he let the people go worship the Lord but the pharaoh is stubborn and hard hearted and will not. Israel is called God’s son, taking the image of the seed. The people in whom the seed and promises will come. So in the book of Exodus we see Gods mighty power to redeem his people. Plague after plague and God shows that he is superior over the god's of Egypt. God brings final deliverance from his last plague called Passover. “When I see the blood of the lamb, I will pass over you and your home” Through the blood of the lamb, the people of Israel are spared from God's judgement.Moses takes them through the red sea, where the Egyptians are destroyed. Israel is free. Israel has been saved. The exodus will be the most significant act of salvation in the old testament. God is both willing and able to accomplish salvation of his promised people and he is faithful to do so.

Wilderness
God delivers them from Egypt, he brings them into the wilderness for the purpose of worship and relationship. It was a temporary period where God covenants himself with the Nation. He gives them his law. The law is instruction on what they are do as the people of God, how they are to look, and what are they to do when they fail to obey. The law is the standard for holiness and purity. With the law comes blessings and curses. If they obey, the Lord will bless them. If they disobey but repent and offer sacrifices in faith, God will bless them. If they disobey and are unrepentant they will be cursed and cut off. God instructs them to make a tabernacle, where they can offer sacrifices and where God is to dwell. God fills the tabernacle. God for the first time since eden, is in their midst. God is dwelling with his people.They are being led. We see they are stubborn and disobedient but God is patient with them.

Joshua and the Promise Land
Their time in the wilderness is over, they have been given the law, now its time to take the promise land. They send 12 spies to the land to search it out, 10 come back in unbelief saying the land is to hard to take, will 2 people, caleb and Joshua believe that God can give it to them. The people of Israel grumble in unbelief and therefore God postpones the promise land and disciplines the people. Those who did not believe will not receive the promise land. The blessings and promises can only be realized and received in faith. The generation dies out and the leadership changes from Moses to Joshua. Because of Joshua’s faith God uses him to deliver the promised land. They conquer the land and each tribe is apportioned its own lot. The people of Israel are now in the land that was promised to Abraham. God is faithful.
The people of God are in a new kind of Eden. God has covenanted himself with them, given them his law, and they are to be a representative like Adam to demonstrate God’s holiness, goodness, sovereignty, grace and faithfulness to the nations. The promise land is literally in the centre of the known world. No major power can go anywhere without passing through. They are to look different, talk different, dress different, they are to be a nation of priests. Pulpit to the world of the gentiles.

Judges
Joshua dies and things are good for a while, but the honeymoon stage is over. Next come the time of the judges, where we see the repeated phrase “the people did what was right in their own eyes”. The people stopped following the law and obeying God, and they stopped repenting and offering sacrifices. Instead of being a nation of priests, they acted just like the other nations. But God is patient and God is faithful. He sends judges to preserve the nation from other nations who invade. Even the judges were messed up. The book of judges is a very sad and depressing book. it shows the downward spiral of depravity.But God is faithful, isn't he?Meanwhile, not all is negative. There are a remnant of people who trust and love God. We see a unique story of Ruth and Boaz which is dedicated to the history of David. God uses a foreigner to show what faith in God looks like. God uses a foreigner to preserve the seed. God is faithful to preserve his seed.

Samuel
Samuel acts as the last judge and first of the prophets. Born and dedicated to the Lord he serves under Eli the priest. The people want to be like the nations and so they demand that Samuel anoint a king. So God gives them over to their desires and gives them exactly what they want.


Saul
Saul is tall, and handsome and is everything the world looks for in a king. His story starts out good as he expands the borders and removes other nations from the land. But he fails and sinfully pursues his own authority about God’s. He fails. But God promises a new king who will be a man after his own heart.

David
Man looks at the appearance but God looks at the heart. From the tribe of Judah, we see the seed of the woman appear.David sins in some ways greater then Saul did but he is repentant. He trusts in God’s salvation and grace and mercy. David is the greatest king that Israel has. All other kings in the future will be measured by his standard.David desires to build God a permanent home, a temple.But God says no. Instead God promises to build David a house. He promises to David that he will establish David’s kingdom establish the throne of his kingdom forever. He promises David that his seed will be on the throne forever.

Solomon Son of David
Israel rises to the peak of her glory through Solomon. His accomplishments bring him worldwide fame and respect. Solomon gets to build God a permanent place to dwell, the temple. Like God did with the tabernacle he does so with the temple. The glory of the Lord fills the temple. God is with his people. He was the wisest of all men. Will this be the seed, will this be the chosen one from whom all the nations will be blessed? No- he breaks every command regarding kingship. He took too many wives that enticed him to follow other gods, and had too much wealth, and those things don’t end well. He started out good but zeal diminishes and he turns to the worship of false gods.With a divided heart comes a dived kingdom

Kingdom Split
After Solomon died, Israel was split into two kingdoms: the northern, aka Israel and made up of 10 tribes ruled by Jeroboam, and the southern, aka Judah, made up of 2 tribes, Judah and Benjamin, and ruled by Rehoboam, Solomon’s son.The Northern Kingdom had to access to the temple, which they needed for repentance and offering sacrifices. The temple was in the South, in Jerusalem. So the Northern Kingdom set up two golden calves, because in order to control the people, you need to control their religious system. So immediately, the Northern Kingdom falls into idol worship.

Kings
We have chapter after chapter of the Kings of Israel and Judah. To the north, sin persists, with spiritual adultery running rampant without repentance. To the south, we see similar sins. The people set up idols, the book of the law even gets lost. Every once in a while a king attempts to purge the land, but ultimately fail. Judah they always fall back into sin. But God is patient, God is faithful, “The Lord was not willing to destroy Judah, for the sake of David”. During this time, the line of David was almost snuffed out. A king’s wife named Athaliah sought to destroy the royal line of Judah and she almost succeeds but Joash, the last king in royal line, is hidden in the temple of the LORD for 6 years. The Seed of the woman will be preserved. God is faithful. Gods patient is long and persistent. The promise to establish Davids throne forever stands in tension with the warning that he will punish disobedience and unfaithfulness.

Prophets
Meanwhile, During the time of the Kings God sends prophets who act as God’s mouthpieces to speak into the situation. They remind the people of their covenant obligations. The majority of what they say isn’t anything new, but a reminder of what God already has said. If they obey God will bless, if they disobey and stay unrepentant, God is faithful and will fulfill his obligation to give them the covenant curses. If they humble themselves and turn from their ways, God will forgive their sin. But Israel is a unfaithful wife who has betrayed her faithful husband. They love sin, they love idolatry. And so they will be judged for sin. God will send them into exile. They will be judged, But will be restored because of faithfulness and love of God. Yahweh is the sovereign saviour who will rescue. The prophets tell the people that they will be go into exile. They will be taken captive. Gods word is truth.Along with promises of judgement, they also begin to look forward to a greater solution to sin that was unattainable through the law. God promises a new redemption, a new exodus in which he would outstretch his arm and deliver his people once more. He promises a messiah, a new covenant is foretold which will both sustain and fulfill the previous ones. God will send someone truer and better then David, a shepherd, a saviour priest king in which Israel will be restored, he will be deliverer who will suffer but conquer God’s enemies, He will be a suffering servant. The seed of the woman. He will restore Eden. Through him,God will pour out his spirit on all flesh. There will be a new covenant. There will be a Redeemer who will save God's people from their sin.Their defiance of God’s holiness leads to the deportation, but god will has graciously promised a new covenant

Exile
As promised, God is holy and he deals with sin. The northern kingdom is the first to go. They are invaded by the Assyrians and as far as we can see in the biblical description, never will return again.The problem of sin and idolatry also persists and the southern kingdom is exiled as well. The temple is plundered and destroyed and the people are carried off to Babylon. Away from their promised land, away from the temple. No king is on the throne. But God is faithful. Unlike the Northern Kingdom, Judah is promised that they will return. Though the house of David has been removed from the throne, it is not the end of the story. Though the light of David is merely a smoldering wick, God will not snuff it out. There will be a son of David through whom the nations with experience the grace of God. Though the tree of Jesse has been cut down to s stump. A shoot will come from the stump, and from its roots a branch will bear fruit.

Return from Exile
As promised by both Isaiah and Jeremiah, the people are allowed to return to Jerusalem. and rebuild its walls and the temple. With much opposition from surrounding nations, the temple is finally built and those who saw the first temple, we read, wept for it was not as marvellous as the original. Additionally, unlike the old temple, the glory of God does not fill the temple. God is not with his people.There is silence. Where is the Messiah? Where is the chosen seed of the woman who will crush the head of the serpent? Who will cleanse Israel. Who will restore God’s people. Will God speak? Silence. Who will restore the kingdom? Silence.The roman empire rises, Rome has all the world in her hand.... 500 years from exile.But God is faithful isnt he?

“There were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

God is faithful.
In a small town, through a lowly family, in a lowly manger a son is born. From the seed of David, from the seed of Judah, from the seed of Jacob and Isaac and Abraham, from the seed of the woman. A saviour is born.Jesus is the one who has come to redeem the human race from its fallen estate. Jesus is the one who comes to take on sin and evil in himself to defeat it and forgive it at the cross. He is the one who is going to destroy the consequences of Adam and sin and crush Satan. He is the one who will undue the problem of Eden and restore humanity. He is God in the flesh, gods empowering presence. God is with his people.


Jesus is the seed by which all the nations of the earth will are blessed. He is the seed of Abraham and the one by whom will justify sinners by faith just as Abraham was. Jesus is the heir to the promise. Jesus is the true David, he is king and messiah and Christ who brings the kingdom and rile of God to every area he brings victory to Gods people by defeating his enemies.Jesus is the one who brings in the new covenant where forgiveness of sins take placeJesus is the true Israel, the first born son who will be faithful and steadfast and loyal takes sin and evil and defeats it at the cross where he forgives, He is the new exodus bringing out our from our slavery to sin. He is the shepherd, our redeemer. He is Son of God, the Christ. Every promise of God finds its yes in Jesus


But it will not come without a cost. “You will crush his head and he will crush your heal.” At the cross Satan is defeated and Jesus is wounded. At the cross Jesus becomes the suffering servant,The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.He is he Passover lamb by whom we have redemption and forgiveness and cleansing, escaping the flood of his judgement.It will cost him something. It will cost him our sins placed on his shoulders and he will be punished for them. He will suffer in our place and for our sin. He will die but death will not Hold him, he will be raised, there he will go to his throne and rule soveriegnly as our great king. God is faithful. He is faithful. He always does what he says he is going to do. How good is our God. How faithful are his ways.


Where do we doubt the faithfulness of God? Where do to struggle to see his faithfulness? In the midst of school, debt, work, relationships, family, ministry it is easy to be discouraged for so many reasons. Easy to have anxiety and fears for so many different reasons. In the midst of your struggles God is faithful to finish what he started. It means a change in our mind. As we go about Christmas season us first have a fresh look of what it actually is. As we see the nativity scene, let us be reminded of the faithfulness of God to send his seed. As we approach heist as let our homes be filled with talk about he faithfulness of God, let open the scriptures together. For the first time ever, we can be faithful. Our world knows nothing of faithfulness our prenuptial agreements, no fault divorce, abortion rates and business scandals show us this. We are committed for sure, just to ourselves. For the first time since the fall those who are in the new covenant community can actually be faithful. God has given us new hearts. Faithful and loyal hearts.In the midst of our sin and our every day life, God has promised that he will continue the good work he has started.

By God's grace we have seen this year a growth in our faithfulness. To God, to one another. Faithful to his word, faithful to his people. But this is something we are always growing in. Being faithful first means ceasing to be faithless. What ways do you not obey Gods word?The faithfulness of God both enables us and fuels us to be faithful people. Faithful to our families, faithful in our jobs, faithful in our word, faithful to our spouses, faithful to our God.As we go about this Christmas season. Let us be in awe and majesty of the faithfulness of God. As we look at the nativity scene, let us have a fresh perspective and reminder of the faithfulness of God.
The true gift of Christmas is the seed of the woman, the lord Jesus Christ who is not found wrapped but stripped naked, who is not found under the tree but nailed to the tree, who is opened up on Easter morning.

As we have communion, let us remember the means by which we can actually have communion. Because of sin, we are separated from God's presence, kicked out of the garden. But because of God's faithfulness and grace and kindness we can enter that presence. Our relationship with God is restored, and our relationship to one another is restored. This is only through Christ.

other sermons in this series