Christmas Sermon – Matthew 1:18-25

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

Sermon – Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas Eve 2007

This evening is the eve of Christmas. Christmas is a period of 12 days when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. So we prepare ourselves for a joyous celebration by worshiping God on this most important night.

During the period of Advent we have been like the wise men from the east. We knew that a messiah was coming, but wondered what did this mean? So we searched the ancient Hebrew scripture and found the Book of Samuel, which told us about David who was anointed by God to be king of all of Israel and God’s promise to David that his descendants would sit on his throne forever. Tonight we are on our way to Bethlehem to see for ourselves the newly born Messiah.

Will you pray with me? “Glory to you, almighty God, for you sent your only begotten Son, that we might have new life. Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, for you became flesh and dwelt among us that we might become your people. Glory to you, Holy Spirit, for you direct and rule our lives. Glory to you, almighty God, and to your Son, Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.” (Book of Common Worship 178)

Matthew 1:18-25 ¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. ²⁰ But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ²³ "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." ²⁴ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, ²⁵ but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Christmas is a joyous time. It is a time for visits with family and friends, gift giving and all the preparation for food, tree and presents. In Washington DC I used to spend Christmas day in the car. I would drive to Middletown MD to bring gifts to my nieces and nephews, the children of my brother Keith. Then I would get back in the car and see my parents. We would then go to my sister Jamie’s house in Lorton VA where I had another group of nephews and nieces. Christmas is a wonderful time for a single uncle to spend with children. And Christmas is a time when we celebrate the gift of new life. In our church we celebrate the new grandchildren of Ruth and David and Cora and Joselito and a new child for Cecile. Christmas is a time when we celebrate new life as we come together to celebrate the birth of our Messiah, Jesus.

Christmas is a wonderful time, unless, of course, you really need a messiah. I know many of you are facing giants in your lives. You have been diagnosed with a debilitating disease. Your mortgage payment is due and you have no money in the bank. You are facing the loss of your independence. At times like these celebrations seem inappropriate. You need a messiah to save you. Others of you are dealing with the effects of sin. The abuse of drugs and alcohol has taken its toll. Words you wish you had never said destroyed a relationship. You are ashamed of your behavior. You need a messiah to forgive you. And some of you are experiencing grief this time of year because a loved one is not here to share the holiday with you. You need a messiah to comfort you during this time of grief and loss.

There was a man named Joseph who really needed a messiah. Joseph was a good man. He listened to the rabbi carefully when scripture was taught. He kept the Sabbath. He went to Jerusalem to worship in the temple. He always tried to do the right thing. But one day his life came crashing down around him when he found out that his finance was pregnant with someone else’s baby. We can only imagine the emotional trauma he experienced and the intensity of his feeling of anger and grief. He was afraid of the great shame that would cover himself and his family. When he was finally reconciled to the fact that the relationship was over, exhausted, he finally went to sleep.

Matthew tells us that while Joseph was sleeping he dreamed about a messenger from God. This angel reminded Joseph that he was a descendant of David. But he should not fear to take Mary as his wife because the child she was carrying was not from another man but from God, the Holy Spirit. The child Mary was carrying was the messiah. But this messiah was not the child of Joseph, the descendant of David. Our expectation was that the messiah would be descended from David. Now when the messiah is born he is not from David’s line at all. Later, Saint Luke will show that Mary too was a descendant of David, but this is beside the point here. In Matthew, Joseph is the son of David, but he is not the Christ, and the Christ is not the son of Joseph, son of David.

The prophets of the Old Testament were all very clear on this. As Samuel had said many years before Israel did not need a king because God was their king. Isaiah made this very clear when he called the coming messiah Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We have been expecting a messiah from the Davidic dynasty. But the real messiah was God himself, born as a small baby.

No earthly messiah could come to heal us when we are sick, repair our broken relationships, find us when we are lost, save us when we are in trouble, bind up our wounds, battle the giants facing us, forgive our sins, and comfort us as we grieve. No child of David could bring about a kingdom of justice and righteousness so that the world could live a peace. Only God can do these things. And the good news of Christmas is that God has come.

When the angel spoke to Joseph he announced that the child to be born on Christmas was not the son of Joseph, the son of David, but this child would be the son of God. So what we celebrate on Christmas is not the coming of a messiah, a king, but the coming of God into the world. We are celebrating the birth of Immanuel, God with us. This is really good news because it means that God is neither distant nor uncaring. Rather God loves us so much that God wanted to be with us and to experience what we experience, to feel what we feel. God wanted to die for us so that our sins would be forgiven. Yahweh, the LORD God of Israel saves us from our sins. Yahweh saves us. Yahweh saves us. Yahweh shua. Yahweh shua. Ya shua. Ya shua. Ja shua, Jesus, Jesus. The child that is born tonight is Yahweh who saves us from our sins, Jesus.

So the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ that we have been waiting for has come, but not in the way we expected. We thought that the messiah would be a descendant of David and would rule as king. Instead we find that the Christ is really God Incarnate, God in the flesh, a human being, like you and I. Our wait is over and we can rejoice because the messiah has come and is named Jesus.

When Joseph woke up from the dream he knew exactly what he had to do. As always, he was obedient to God. He married Mary and named their son Jesus. He protected Jesus from King Herod by hiding his family in Egypt. And he brought the young Jesus back to Nazareth when he would grow and prepare himself for ministry. So Joseph fulfilled his role in the biblical drama. We don’t know what happened to him after that. All we know was that he was a carpenter and had a large family. From all accounts he was just an ordinary person who had an extraordinary encounter with God.

That is what happens at Christmas, ordinary people have extraordinary encounters with God. You should expect tonight that your encounter with Jesus will have extraordinary effects on you. Whatever problems are facing you, Christ has come to help. Whatever evil you have done in the past, Christ has come to forgive you and restore you to proper relationship with God. And if you are grieving over the loss of loved one, or a job, or health, of something else, Christ has come to comfort you. This is the good news and the great gift from God at Christmas.

“God of mystery and might, we praise and worship you, for you came in silence, while all lay sleeping, to enter our world as a child of humble birth. We thank you for your Son, Jesus Christ, born of your handmaid Mary. In his face we behold your glory, for in his life as in his death is your gift of salvation. By your Spirit, make our hearts burn with thanksgiving, that we may give as we have received. Let our whole lives be gifts of praise to you, God of love and peace, in the gracious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, by the power of your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen” (Book of Common Worship 185)

Pastoral Prayer for Christmas

Great God of power, we praise you for Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins. We thank you for the hope of the prophets, the song of the angels, and the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. We thank you that in Jesus you became flesh and dwelt among us, sharing human hurts and pleasures.

On this holy night you gave us your Son, the Lord of the universe, wrapped in swaddling clothes, the Savior of all, lying in a manger. On this holy night draw us into the mystery of your love. Join our voices with the heavenly host that we may sing your glory on high. Give us a place among the shepherds that we may find the one for whom we have waited, Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Lord,

Give us, O God, such love and wonder that with shepherds and magi, and pilgrims unknown, we may come to adore the holy child, the promised King; and with our gifts worship him. As you came at night when all was still, so enter our lives this night. Illumine our paths with the light of Christ’s presence, that we may clearly see the way before us, the truth to speak, and the life to live for him, our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Sermon - Isaiah 9:2-7 – God Promises a Messiah

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon - Isaiah 9:2-7 – God Promises a Messiah

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

December 23, 2007

Today we have arrived at the fourth and final Sunday of Advent. We have been looking at the Book of Samuel to understand why Jews in the first century were looking for the messiah, the Christ, and why many in the first century thought they had found one in Jesus of Nazareth and thus were called Christians. In the Book of Samuel we have been following David who was anointed by the prophet Samuel and became the ideal of what an anointed one, a Christ, should be. Last week we heard God’s promise to David that his descendants would occupy his throne in Jerusalem forever. Today we will see that hope for the Davidic dynasty continues, even though two hundred years later David’s successors were not always up to the task.

Will you pray with me? God Most High, your only Son embraced the weakness of flesh, to give us power to become your children; your eternal Word chose a dwelling among us, that we might live in your presence. Grant us a spirit of wisdom

to know how rich is the glory you have made our own, and how great the hope to which we are called in Jesus Christ, your Word made flesh, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, in the splendor of eternal light, God forever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 9:2-7 ² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. ³ You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

As God had promised, David’s Son Solomon built a massive temple in Jerusalem for the Lord God of Israel which seemed to confirm God’s promise that a descendant of David, the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ would always sit on David’s throne in Jerusalem. But after Solomon’s death the kingdom ruled by David’s children was much reduced in size, power and wealth. The northern ten tribes broke away when Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king. This plunged the region into a period of internal instability and subjected the nation to external military threats. By the 8^th century BC the northern kingdom had been destroyed. Only Judah with her Davidic king in Jerusalem remained as an independent nation.

King Ahaz was a direct descendent of David and sat on the throne in Jerusalem. When the Assyrians attacked the northern tribes Ahaz refused to come to their aid. Instead he formed an alliance with Assyrians which left him on the throne, but as a vassal to the king of Assyria. King Ahaz was required to appear before the throne of Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, in Damascus to pay homage to the Assyrian gods at a bronze altar. Ahaz was also required to make a replica of this altar and to place it in the Temple of God that Solomon had erected in Jerusalem. No longer would the Lord God of Israel be only god worshiped in Jerusalem. Ahaz permitted pagan religious practices to take place in his capitol and even offered his own son as a human sacrifice. Later generations would regard Ahaz’s apostasy as the worst Israel ever saw.[1]

Would God keep his promise to David when David’s descendents behaved so badly? This is the question that bothered the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was the Prophet of God as the Assyrians destroyed the northern kingdom and made Judah a vassal state. The religious charter of the nation was threatened by Ahaz’s actions as the new Assyrian religion took hold. The covenant that God had made with Moses in the wilderness, that the nation should always obey God, was forgotten. The government counted on the covenant with David to continue regardless of what they did. Even if the nation began to worship other gods they assumed that David’s dynasty would continue forever. But if Assyrian gods were permitted into the Temple, would the promise God made David continue?

The prophet Isaiah said no. Isaiah told Ahaz not to form the alliance with Assyria, but instead rely on the faithfulness of God as his ancestor David had done. When Ahaz refused, Isaiah prophesied that a young woman, a virgin, would conceive and bear a child who would symbolize God’s faithfulness if only Ahaz would trust God. But Ahaz refused and sent tribute to the Assyrians.

Isaiah watched as the nation abandoned its God. He saw it become a place of injustice as God’s law was ignored. No longer were the poor and the needy, the widows and orphans cared for as they should be. But he foresaw the day when a descendant of David would be born with full authority in Jerusalem who would return the nation to its God. Isaiah’s hope was that when this child matured he would dispense justice fairly as a Wonderful Counselor. He would have the strength of a Mighty God to overcome the nation’s enemies. He would reassure and protect them as a great tribal leader, an Everlasting Father. And he would bring to the nation great peace and prosperity as the Prince of Peace. Isaiah was predicting that a messiah, like David, would come and return the nation to its religion and faith in its God. This messiah would restore the Mosaic covenant and would rule the nation with justice and righteousness. This messiah would free the nation from oppression and bring about a period of peace and prosperity. This messiah would do what the prophets had always hoped for, be a faithful king who would do God’s work in the world. Isaiah was confident that his faithful God would provide a messiah from the Davidic dynasty for a nation that desperately needed one.

But the messiah Isaiah hoped for did not come during his lifetime. When Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC even the Davidic dynasty seemed to have come to an end. It must have looked to the people at that time that God had completely abandoned them. The nation had not cared for the poor and needy. The nation had not been faithful to God. Did God turn his back and reject his people? Was the covenant between God and his people finished? The prophets said no. Our God is a faithful God. They looked back and remembered that God had promised to that descendant of David would sit on the throne forever. They remembered Isaiah’s prophecy that child of David would be born and named “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. They believed that a faithful God would send this messiah soon. So they waited.

They waited nearly six hundred years hoping and believing that God would send his promised messiah, a descendent of David, born in Bethlehem, the shepherd of the sheep, an eternal king who would rule with justice and righteousness and bring about peace and prosperity, anointed by God, who would slay the giants facing us, forgive our sins, and comfort us in our time of grief and loss. For six centuries the faithful people of God waited for the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. Then one evening in a field near Bethlehem a group of shepherds saw an angel. The angel told them "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

The shepherds quickly made their way into Bethlehem where they saw a newly born baby wrapped in bands of cloth and laying in a feeding trough. They told the baby’s mother what they had heard, this is the Messiah whom God had promised, and his mother pondered this in her heart. Meanwhile the angels returned to heaven where they praised God and joined in singing “Glory to God in the Highest.”

This Advent season we have been waiting for coming of the messiah into our lives. We see the world around us abandoning God. We see injustice as the rights of the poor are violated. We see a world a war with the threat of terror reigning over us. We are waiting for a messiah who will search for us when we are lost and bind up our wounds, who will slay the giants that are facing us, forgive us when we sin, and comfort us when we grieve. We are waiting for the coming of our king who will rule the world with justice and righteousness and will bring about peace and prosperity for all. Our wait is almost over. When you come tomorrow evening do not be afraid because I will have some really good news for you. The Messiah we have been waiting for has arrived. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is time to spread the good news that Messiah has come to bring Joy to the World. He was born and placed Away in a Manager, in a Little Town of Bethlehem on a Silent Night as Angels were Heard on High during the First Nowell as Shepherds Watched their Flocks by night. So as you meet your family and friends this Christmas tell them of the good new and great joy you have found in Christ who slays the giants we are facing, forgives our sins and comforts us when we are grieving. So tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, invite your family and friends to church to find the true joy of Christmas. Come all ye Faithful to worship and adore him, Christ, Christ the Lord.

All glory to you, great God, for the gift of your Son, whom you sent to save us. With singing angels, let us praise your name, and tell the earth his story, that all may believe, rejoice, and bow down, acknowledging your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

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[1] John Bright, A History of Israel 3^rd Edition, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press 1981) 276-7.

Sermon 2 Samuel 7:8-17 God Makes a Promise

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon 2 Samuel 7:8-17 God Makes a Promise

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

December 16, 2007

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. This Advent Season we have been preparing ourselves to receive the new born Christ by studying the Book of Samuel which tells us what to expect. So far in Samuel we have been following a young man named David. We saw him first as a boy caring for the sheep at his father’s farm in Bethlehem. Then as a young man we saw as he delivered bread to his hungry brothers on the front lines of battle and slew the giant facing Israel. After the death of King Saul we saw David accept the kingship of all of Israel peacefully and in fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham that God would make of his offspring a great nation. Last Wednesday we watched in horror as this David used his power to seduce another man’s wife and then take his life. But after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan and responded with repentance and confession David was restored to a right relationship with God. Today we will see David’s final test of obedience and the eternal promise God made to his beloved, the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ.

Will you pray with me? Lord God in heaven, bless us this day as we approach your throne and the anointed one sitting at your right hand. Help us to understand your word in worship today and to see you at work in the world as we go about our busy lives this week. We pray this in the strong name of Christ Jesus, amen.

2 Samuel 7:8-17 ⁸ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; ⁹ and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰ And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹ from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. ¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. ¹⁴ I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. ¹⁵ But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. ¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever. ¹⁷ In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

David had a great idea. He had already brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, but it was sitting in a tent. His own palace had been completed with the help of Hiram King of Tyre with limestone from the quarries of Israel and cedar paneling from the forests of Lebanon. Why not use the stone masons and carpenters who where already in Jerusalem to start another massive project, building a suitable temple for God. God had blessed David so richly by giving him success over Israel’s enemies and allowing David to increase Israel’s prosperity during a time of peace. David owed God so much it was time to give something back.

But God told the prophet Nathan that he did not need a temple and had never asked for one. Other cities had built temples for their gods, but the creator of the universe could not be contained in a temple. God wanted a house, but had another kind of house in mind. God’s idea of a house was not a physical building. Rather God’s house was a dynasty built around David, the anointed one. Because of David’s obedience and God steadfast love God offered David this different kind of house. God offered to establish David’s house, his dynasty, forever.

This is how we know that the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ, is coming this Advent. God promised that a descendant of David would come to continue David’s kingdom. So our expectation is that when the Messiah comes he will be descended from David and will be our king. David was promised that his name would come down to us as one of the greatest kings the world has ever known. God promised that David’s kingdom would live in peace and security on the land God has given them. David was promised that he would live a long life and that his son would succeed him to the throne and this new king would be loved by God as much as David was. And God promised that David’s dynasty and David’s throne would last forever. So this is what we are waiting for this Advent season: Christ our King who will establish the eternal Kingdom of God.

We see in this that the way God relates to his people, to us, is through covenants. God promises to do something for us and we promise to obey God. The first covenant in scripture was between God and Noah. God promised that he would never again send a flood to erase creation. This covenant was symbolized by a rainbow which reminds all of creation of God’s great love. The second covenant God made was with Abraham. In it God promised that Abramham’s descendants would be more numerous than all the stars of heaven or all the grains of sand in the sea. And God has promised to bless all of Abraham’s offspring with land from Egypt to the Euphrates. God’s covenant with Abraham was symbolized by circumcism which set aside Abraham’s descendants as God’s own people. The third covenant that God made was with Moses. This covenant was in the form of instructions so that God’s people would live in conformity with God’s will thus blessing them with a good life. This covenant was written in book, placed in an ark, and was symbolized by the blood of the sacrifice. God’s fourth covenant was with David that a successor for his throne and dynasty would never be lacking. This is the covenant we are looking at today that resulted in the expectation of a coming messiah. And a fifth covenant is still coming, the covenant that Jesus Christ will mediate for us and is linked to the previous four, that God will write the law on our hearts and he will be our God and we will be his people. This covenant is symbolized by the sacrament of baptism. All of these covenants are still in force today. God offers to bless us richly and expects our obedience.

For God covenants are unconditional. We can count on God’s faithfulness to do what God has promised to do. God graciously enters into a covenant relationship with us and extends to us an invitation to enter the covenant. But, for us, covenants come with a condition. Our participation in these covenants depends on our obedience. David showed his obedience by not building the temple he wanted to build. We show our obedience by obeying God’s law and living according to God’s instruction.

In our lifetimes we enter into many covenants. There are big one such as when we buy a house and promise to pay the mortgage, or when we marry a spouse and promise love and faithfulness. And there are smaller covenants such as the one you made last month when you pledged to support our ministry here in Eagle Rock. Covenants are important ways for us to order society so that we can work together for our mutual benefit.

But there is a misunderstanding about the covenant that God has with us. Many believe that our covenant with God works this way: we obey God so that God will love us. Nothing could be further from the truth. God loves us because that is who God is. God’s love for us is as a creator loving the creation. God’s love for us is gift to us from God. And this is the greatest gift we can receive this Christmas.

We can see this clearly in the covenant God made with David. As we have seen David was far from perfect. And he was on the verge of building a temple that God did not want. But before David could make a decision to build or not, to obey God or not, God declared his steadfast love for David by making the extraordinary promise of an eternal kingdom. This has led thinkers, such as Martin Luther, to question if there even is a covenant in place between us and God. For Luther, if a covenant does exist it is one sided. The Grace of God is offered to us and nothing is expected in return.

But we do offer something in return. It is certainly true that God loves us first. God always fulfills God’s side of the covenant. But we, experiencing the overwhelming love of God, have a strong desire to obey God’s law. We are obedient not because we are bargaining for God’s love, but because God has already loved us so much we just have to respond with obedience.

For nearly seventy years, Presbyterians have responded to God love each year with the Christmas Joy Offering. Half of this offering is given to the Presbyterian Board of Pensions for the support of retired pastors. Some of it is used to help pastors and other church workers in their retirement years to live modestly and continue their independence. Some is given through presbyteries and synods to help current church workers and retired pastors. And emergency relief is given to church workers and retirees with urgent financial needs. The other half of the Christmas Joy Offering supports our Presbyterian racial-ethnic schools and colleges. The Presbyterian Church supports nine institutions which give many racial-ethnic students a second chance resulting in confident and competent women and men who become leaders in our society and church.

When David heard what God had told the prophet Nathan he was shocked. God have given him more than he ever expected. David marveled at the extravagance of God gift that would bless his kingdom for eternity. His response was to praise God in worship for redeeming his people and magnifying his name. David was thankful for all God had done for him and for the faithful people God had given David to lead. David realized that God had also promised to be the God of his people forever. David told God that by fulfilling the promise God had made God’s name would be magnified forever. And David asked for God’ eternal blessing on his descendants and on God’s people.

God kept his side of the covenant. In just eight days we will gather together here in this sanctuary to celebrate the birth of the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ who was descended from David and now sits on his throne in heaven reigning forever as our king. We are truly blessed.

Lord Jesus, prepare us for your coming this Christmas. Settle our minds, calm our hearts, and help us to hear the voices of angels singing, “Glory to God in the Highest”, amen.

Sermon 2 Samuel 5:1-5 His Reign Begins

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon 2 Samuel 5:1-5 His Reign Begins

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

December 9, 2007

We are gathering together this morning for worship on the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time, when we prepare our hearts and minds to receive the coming Messiah on Christmas. As part of this preparation we have been looking at the Book of Samuel whose central theme is “the anointed one”, “the Messiah”, “the Christ”. As we prepare ourselves to receive coming Christ it is crucial that we understand what we are waiting for.

Last Sunday we watched as the old prophet Samuel made his way to Bethlehem with a ram’s horn filled with olive oil to make a sacrifice to the Lord, God of Israel, and to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the new king. Jesse’s youngest son David, the shepherd of the sheep, was chosen by God to be the anointed one, the Messiah the Christ. On Wednesday evening we watched as the anointed one brought tens loves of bread to his brothers who were preparing for battle with the Philistines and then slew the giant that was facing the Israelites. Today we will watch as the elders of Israel gather together in Hebron to make the anointed one of God their king.

Will you pray with me? Father in heaven be with us this day as we read and study your word for us. Give me the gift of preaching so that the words I speak and the words the congregation hears may be your words for us today. We pray in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

2 Samuel 5:1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, "Look, we are your bone and flesh. ² For some time, while Saul was king over us, it was you who led out Israel and brought it in. The LORD said to you: It is you who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you who shall be ruler over Israel." ³ So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel. ⁴ David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. ⁵ At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

King Saul had led Israel into battle with Philistines. A Philistine archer wounded the king and he had to be carried off the battlefield. As the battle was coming to end King Saul realized that Israel was about to be defeated. He did not want to be taken alive so he fell on his own sword. Three of his sons also died in the battle. After the battle a succession struggle between Saul’s son Ishbaal and his general Abner commenced leaving both dead. The elders of the twelve tribes of Israel met in Hebron to anoint a new king. This group included David as the leader of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

When the elders convened at Hebron, they asked David to be their king. The elders gave three reasons why David should be anointed king of all twelve tribes. Let’s look carefully at these three reasons for clues on what we should expect of the coming Messiah at Christmas.

The elders of Israel told David that he should be their king because he was their own flesh and blood. David was a descendant of Abraham and Sarah, their grandson Jacob and Leah and great grandson Judah and Tamar. Our expectation therefore is that the Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah. But David was not as ethnically pure as you might expect. His great grandmother was Ruth. Ruth was not a descendant of Sarah and Abraham; rather she descended from Lot, Abraham’s brother, and was part of the tribe of Moab. And Ruth was married to Boaz whose mother was from Jericho where she worked as a prostitute. So we see in David’s past a multiethnic background which influenced his actions as king.

Once David became the king he captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Scripture tells us that Jerusalem became the capital of his kingdom and Jebusites were included in David’s government. So the anointed one, rather than coming to destroy his enemies, came to include them in God’s kingdom. We also see this as David worked with Hiram, the King of Tyre. Tyre has a terrible reputation in the Book of Kings because that is where Jezebel came from and her religion of Baal. But for David and Book of Samuel Hiram King of Tyre is considered a friend who helped both David and Solomon in their building efforts.

What we see in all of this is that unlike the elders of Israel, the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ, was inclusive. All peoples of the earth, regardless of nationality, were welcome in his kingdom. So we should expect that when the Messiah comes he will announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that all people from every nation and tribe is welcome into it fellowship. And we should expect that the church Messiah leaves behind will also welcome into its doors people of every tribe and nation. This is our great opportunity in Eagle Rock as people, from every tribe and nation, come here to begin new lives, and are welcomed at this church to learn English and share their gifts.

The second reason why the elders of Israel wanted David to be their king was that he had been a great general under King Saul. And this was certainly true. David had in fact become so successful as a general the people began singing “David has killed his ten thousands, Saul has killed his thousands.” You can imagine how jealous that made King Saul. He was so jealous he conspired to have David murdered who was saved just in the nick of time by Saul’s son Jonathan. David escaped but there was no place in Israel to hide, so David went to the Philistines and lived with them.

Now you might expect that while living with the Philistines David would lead an army against his former country and become its king by force. But David, the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one did not come leading an army. David was absent from the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites because he was busy dealing the Amalikites who had raided his own village. This gives us the expectation that when the Messiah comes he will not come leading a mighty army but leading a movement of peaceful change. As Christians we may be called like David to engage in battle to save our nation, but the kingdom of God will not come about violently. God’s kingdom will be brought to us by the Prince of Peace.

The third reason the elders of Israel wanted David to be king was because they believed that God had called David to be their soverign. You will remember that Samuel certainly thought that God was calling David to be king when David was anointed in Bethlehem. But this anointing was only known by Samuel, David and David’s family. If anyone found out then the lives of all the participants would be in jeopardy. We don’t know if anyone else found out, but it is quite possible that David himself told of the anointing to the elders after the death of Saul. So the elders may have known of Samuel’s anointing but it is more likely they just recognized God’s call in David.

As Christians we believe that God is calling each of us to some form of ministry. I have been called to the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament. How do I know that God is calling me to this ministry? I know that God has called me because I have an inner experience of that call. I knew when I was still in Washington that God had called me to teach and preach God’s word. I felt compelled to study and teach the Scripture at my church even when this left less time for my business. I felt that teaching the Bible was something I had to do. I did not really have a choice. This was a very strong call. But this inner call has to be confirmed by others to be sure that it is really from God. I knew internally that God wanted me to be a pastor. What was needed was for a congregation to confirm that call. This is where you came it. When you called me to be your pastor you where confirming my experience that God was calling me to this role. And once you confirmed my call the presbytery in Washington DC was confident that the call I experienced truly came from God. This, I believe, is what happened with David. He knew through his anointing by Samuel and the blessing he had received from God that God was calling him as King of Israel, but it was not until the elders of Israel confirmed this call that everyone knew God was truly calling David as king.

With God’s call confirmed David became the greatest king Israel ever had. He picked the nation up from defeat and made it the most powerful nation in region. He made his capital in Jerusalem and brought the Arc of the Covenant, the most important symbol of God’s presence with his people into the city. This gives us the expectation that the Messiah will come into Jerusalem and God will be present. These expectations will be met when God himself is taken to Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph just twelve days after the birth of the Messiah.

With the presence of God in Jerusalem David’s kingdom began to grow and prosper. This gives us the expectation that whenever God is present in a church that church too will grow and prosper. There is no doubt that God is present here in this church. So watch out as God does amazing things right here in Eagle Rock. I believe that with God’s presence here God will bring new people to this church and its future is very bright indeed.

What all of this shows, is God’s great faithfulness for his people, Israel. God had promised Abraham to make of his descendants a great nation, and in David, that promise was fulfilled. But God’s promise to Abraham went beyond what David had accomplished. God told Abraham that in him all the families of the Earth would be blessed. This means that in David only part of God’s covenant with Abraham was fulfilled. We are still waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one. And that is what Christmas is all about. The Messiah is coming who will cause all of the families an Earth to be blessed.

Lord Jesus, we can hardly wait for you to come. Like little children waiting for Santa Claus we are waiting for you. Help us to relax during this frantic season of Christmas so that we can hear the voices of angels in heaven singing “Glory to God in Highest”, Amen.

Sermon 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – A King is Chosen

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon 1 Samuel 16:1-13 – A King is Chosen

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

December 2, 2007

This morning we begin the Season of Advent. Advent is a period of four weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas. This season has been overtaken by our culture with a period of frenzied shopping for gifts and of course Santa Claus, reindeer and if you are in the north, frosty snowmen. But as Christians we need to remind ourselves that Advent is the time for us to spiritually prepare ourselves for the coming of the Messiah into our lives. Spiritual preparation requires a timeout from the frenzy of Christmas preparations for prayer, meditation and worship. This is why we will be gathering for worship on Sunday mornings and for candlelight vesper services on Wednesday evenings in Advent to settle our hearts in quiet meditation and to prepare ourselves to hear the voices of angels singing, “Glory to God in Highest”.

Will you pray with me? Father in heaven, we join with you in anticipating the birth of your son. Prepare our hearts and minds that we may receive this gift from you. And we thank you, God, for your steadfast love and faithfulness. Amen.

^NRS 1 Samuel 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." ² Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." ⁴ Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" ⁵ He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is now before the LORD." ⁷ But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." ⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." ¹⁰ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." ¹¹ Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." ¹² He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." ¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

This Advent season we will be looking at the Book of Samuel. Samuel is one of the great epic literary works of antiquity. We have it preserved for us in the Old Testament as First and Second Samuel. The reason we have two books is originally the Book of Samuel could not fit on one scroll. It had to be divided into two scrolls, and long after books were invented and Samuel no longer needed to be divided we continued the practice of having two books. But the Book of Samuel is one integrated work that begins with the birth of the prophet Samuel and ends in 1Kings 2 with the death of David.

The book of Samuel was originally written during or shortly after the reign of King David and provided the kingdom with its national history. This makes the story nearly 3000 years old. Sometime during the reign of King Josiah it was edited and incorporated into a longer historical work that included Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Kings, and became part of the Hebrew Scriptures and later our Old Testament.

The central theme of the book of Samuel was whether or not Israel needed for God to anoint a king. This question was important because a new people had immigrated to the land from across the Mediterranean Sea. The Philistines had settled along the coast and had brought with them a terrifying new technology. They had mastered the art of smithing iron, and used iron to make swords, spears, helmets, shields and chariots. The Israelites with their bronze weapons were no match. So they cried out for God to anoint a king who would unite the twelve tribes and defeat the feared Philistines. But their prophet, Samuel, told them that there was no need for an anointed king because the LORD, God of Israel, was their king and would protect them. Eventually, though, a king was anointed named Saul, and Saul was able to unite the twelve tribes and deal effectively with the Philistines. But Saul and Samuel constantly argued over the role of the king and prerogatives of prophets and priests. Eventually God decided to anoint a new king to replace Saul.

The reason all of this is important for us is that in Hebrew the word used for “anointed one” is x;yvim; , and when the Old Testament was translated into Greek in the 3^rd Century B.C. the Greek interpreters translated x;yvim; into the Greek word cristo.j. English translators have taken x;yvim; and have transliterated it into “Messiah”, and they have transliterated cristo.j into “Christ”. So literally, “Messiah” and “Christ” both mean exactly the same thing, “the anointed one”. As Christians in Advent, we are waiting for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one. So understanding the Book of Samuel is crucial in knowing what we are waiting for.

Reading the Book of Samuel teaches us what the words “Christ”, “Messiah” and “the anointed one” are all about. We see in the stories of David what the first century expectations were for the coming of a Messiah. And we can understand why people, when they encountered Jesus, called him the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah. This will help us to prepare ourselves for the coming of the anointed one into our lives the Christmas.

The first thing we see in our scripture today is that “the anointed one” was literally anointed with oil. Samuel was told by God to fill up the ram’s horn with olive oil and anoint a new king. In scripture we are told that three offices were anointed, prophet, priest and king. This anointing set a person aside for God’s purposes not unlike my ordination by the National Capital Presbytery last Sunday. There I knelt down as pastors and elders who have gone me before placed their hands on me and prayed. This ceremony marked my anointing by the Holy Spirit which enables me to preach this Word to you and administer the sacraments at this table.

Next we see that the anointed one of God was a son of Jesse who lived in Bethlehem. This makes the Messiah the descendent of Ruth and Boaz, Rehad and of course Abraham and his great grandson Judah. This gives us the expectation that the coming Messiah will be a member of the tribe of Judah and will be born in Bethlehem. As we will see this expectation will be met when a baby is born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph of the tribe of Judah and descended from the anointed kings of Israel.

Anointing a new king is a dangerous act. In fact it is an act of treason. Samuel had every reason to believe that if Saul found out that he was anointing a new king his own life would be in jeopardy. So Samuel was instructed by God to make a sacrifice in Bethlehem to cover his actions. This links together “the anointed one” with “sacrifice for our sins”. Our expectation is that when the Messiah comes his life will also be in jeopardy, and that his body will be offered as a sacrifice for us in payment of our sins. As we will see these expectations will be met with the death of the Messiah on the cross.

The selection of a Messiah is not up to us. There are no political campaigns for the position of “the anointed one”. Rather the selection of a Messiah is up to God. And God has little concern for looks or age or education or even accomplishments. Being tall and handsome may be an asset when running for political office, but when God chooses a Messiah God looks at the person’s heart, his or her insights and understandings. God is more concerned with how the chosen Messiah thinks then how he or she might look. And God does not always select someone who is older or more experienced or the one everyone else expects will be chosen. Sometimes God chooses the youngest brother out tending the sheep or maybe even a little baby sleeping in a manger, the sheep’s feeding trough.

The anointed one whom God chose was a shepherd of sheep. He cared for the sick and injured lambs. He found the lost sheep and brought them home. He delivered the sheep from the mouths of wild animals, and protected the flock from danger. Our expectation is that the coming Messiah will be the Good Shepherd who lays down his own life for his sheep, who gives his life so that we can live without the judgment of sin hanging over us.

When David was anointed by Samuel the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. This is the Holy Spirit which enabled David to go beyond his work as a shepherd and become a talented musician, a great general of the army, and the greatest king of all. God selected and empowered David to be what God created him to be. And this Holy Spirit also descended upon Jesus empowering him to be the Messiah. The Holy Spirit is still at work today in all of us making us all that we were created to be.

The anointing of David was only the start. As we will see this anointing empowered David to slay a giant, avoid King Saul who was trying to kill him, and deliver the Israelites from the Philistines. It will make him the king of all twelve tribes of Israel and remembered as the greatest leader Israel ever had. But the anointing will not save David from sin. As David’s power grows we will see the harmful effects of sin on David’s life. Being anointed by God is not sufficient to remove sin. For that we need a savior who comes to pay the price the price of our sins so that by the grace of God we are set free from sin. Thankfully when a Messiah does come he is the Savior of the World and in his sacrifice we, the chosen of God, receive the forgiveness of our sins and rebirth into new life.

This is why we gather around this table today. To remember the time when “the anointed one”, the “Messiah”, the “Christ” broke the bread and shared the wine with his chosen people. And told us to keep doing this to remember the sacrifice he made for us and seal his promise of eternal life on our hearts.

Father in heaven, prepare us for the coming of the Messiah. Anoint us as your chosen people. Fill us with your Holy Spirit. And empower us as shepherds to find the lost, heal the sick, feed the hungry and bind up the wounds of the injured. And we thank you for the coming of Christ in the days ahead. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.