Moments

Matthew 1:18 (She was Found with Child Through the Holy Spirit)

Charlie Garrett Gospel (written), Matthew, Matthew (written), Moments, Other, Sermons, Special / Holiday, Special / Holiday (Written), Writings 0 Comment

Matthew 1:18
She Was Found with Child Through the Holy Spirit

As we celebrate this day, just as we do each year, let us remember that it isn’t a day which is founded on myths or superstitions. It may have devolved into that for most of the world, but that was never its original intent.

It has become common for people to find fault in all the assorted things we do at Christmas. We put up pine trees, and someone finds fault in the symbolism. We hang up ornaments, and someone finds fault in our doing so. Even the word “Christmas” is there for people to find fault in.

And it is true, that we should never let these customs and traditions obscure our vision of what this day actually symbolizes, but even the fault finders are to be found at fault over that. The day has real significance, and it has the greatest of importance. And so, whether traditionalist or fault-finder, most of us have never understood the true connection to the meaning of the 25th of December.

It is, in fact, the day that Christ was born, but not in the sense that most people understand. People in Korea would, but for most of the rest of the world, there is little comprehension of the day’s meaning.

You see, Korean people reckon the span of their lives differently than we do. When you ask how old they are, they will tell you an age that is different than what we are used to. I was born on 18 August 1964, and so I would be, as of today, 52 years, 4 months, and a couple of days old.

But a Korean would tell you they were 53 years old. The reason for this is that they reckon life from conception, not birth out of the womb. To the liberal left in the western world, that thought would be utterly scandalous. How can you justify killing someone in the womb if their life had actually already begun. The horror of the thought for them would certainly drive their bloodthirsty minds to madness!

But this is when life begins, whether the left likes that or not. The Koreans got it right. It is a moment to celebrate and to cherish. It is a time of light and happiness. It is the beginning of the time of our life. Our text verse today is Isaiah 7:14 –

Text Verse: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Seven hundred years before the coming of Christ, Isaiah said that something unimaginable would occur. A virgin would conceive and bear a Son. The two things are separate and yet complementary events. First she would conceive, and then she would have a Son. One follows logically after the other.

But in the normal course of events, the first would be impossible. A virgin simply cannot get pregnant. People argue over the Hebrew word that Isaiah used which we translate as “virgin,” claiming that it doesn’t necessarily have to mean “virgin.”

However, the context necessarily demands it, the Greek translation of the Old Testament supports that fact, and Matthew’s use of a word which can only mean “virgin” settles it. The virgin would become pregnant, and the Child would be called Immanuel – God with Us. The verse itself then tells us when life begins. It is not as the child leaves the womb, but when the womb is impregnated. The word “virgin” explains the matter.

As Isaiah wrote, he may or may not have had any idea what he was writing, but if he did, his mind surely went back to the first pages of the Bible where a promised Deliverer would come who was the Seed of the woman. When speaking of genealogies, it is always the seed of man which is referred to. But in Genesis 3, it is the Seed of the woman.

Whether Isaiah realized the importance of the words he penned or not, we can and should realize them. We who have the whole story penned out for us can see the whole picture. It is a picture clearly revealed in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Spark of Life

Much has been said of both the Deity and the Humanity of Jesus Christ – on both sides of the debate. There are those who believe that He is fully God and fully Man. There are those who believe He is God, but was never really a Man. There are those who believe He is a Man, but is not God. There are those who believe He is not God and that even His manhood is just a made up fable – in other words, He never even existed. And then there are those who just don’t care.

Within those views, there are more divisions – He was both a Man and God for a spell, but now is only God; He became God after being only a Man; and so, on and so on. And yet, if we take the Bible simply and at face value, even from the few words of the one verse which comprises the sermon’s title, we can really only come to one conclusion. Matthew 1:18 says

εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου –
heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou
“She was discovered in womb holding from Spirit Holy.”

Two things must be admitted here from a simple reading of the Bible. One is that Mary is a human and this Child is the product of her womb, and thus this Child is a human being. The second is that the Holy Spirit is not a human.

If one then accepts the obvious interpretation of Scripture which shows that the Holy Spirit is God, then the Child is the product of God. There is no human father, and it is the seed of the father that determines lineage in the Bible, thus this Child is Deity – He is the Son of God.

Of course, there are those who will do anything possible to diminish the Deity of the Holy Spirit because by doing so they can then tear apart the central message of the Bible. However, this stupidly-argued premise is for a debate which is unnecessary here. The Holy Spirit, in both testaments of the Bible, is clearly defined as God and is easily defended as such, and so we will overlook that as unnecessary here.

What we have in these few words, which are so quickly passed over by our eyes and our minds, is a description of the most incredible occurrence which has ever come to pass – in all of time. Not just in human history, but in all of time itself. The very creation of the universe pales in comparison to what is described by the words heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

When God created, He created not out of Himself – ex Deo, or “out of God.” God is Spirit and is not limited to that which is created. Rather, when He created, it was ex nihilo or “out of nothing.” The psalms say –

“For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9

There was nothing. No time, no space, no matter – only God. And by the power of the spoken word, there was then something. Time began, matter stood firm, and space filled the void – both around matter and within it. Everything that we see, even to the farthest reaches of the universe, came into existence at that one moment. It is an incredible thing to contemplate, but it was of far less moment than the enormity of what occurred in the womb of Mary.

In a flash as brief as the utterance of the word of creation itself, life – the true Life of all things – sprung into existence in her womb. And yet, it was life that always existed, even before the creation of our physical realm! What a paradox, and yet what an event of the greatest marvel of all. God had united with His creation in that blessed womb – Christ had come.

Just this past year, in April, it was published that science has discovered that at the very moment of conception, a bright flash of life marks this incredible event. There is darkness in the womb, and then there is a flash of light. For Mary, there was darkness in her womb, and then there was the Light. The Light of the world had come. God stepped into our darkness and revealed Himself!. Imagine it – try to get your mind around that.

That which brought all things into existence by a mere utterance… the light of ten trillions sons, and the light of the candle on the Christmas tree, even the light of the phosphorous creatures of the deepest oceans… and all other lights that our eyes will ever behold – even for infinite days ahead – these combined are not as bright as the Light which created them… this same Light sparked in the womb of Mary. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” The Christmas Child had come.

Who can believe such a thing! Who could have imagined it in times past, and who can grasp it now that it has happened! And yet the words testify to the event. The Light has come in a form that we can experience, feel, interact with, and rely upon. In this Light, there is no darkness, and thus there is no fear.

This marvelous event is that which occurred on that cold December day in the land of Israel. We celebrate the 25th of December as the day of Christ’s birth, and it is. It is just not the birth out of the womb. Rather, the Bible points to this date as the birth within the womb.

And not without significance, this is the same time of year that the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukah, is celebrated. At times, the two events occur on the same day. Such is the case this year. This is probably what occurred that year as well. The Light of the world came into the world on that same Festival of Lights. This day is mentioned in the book of John, chapter 10, and the 22nd verse, where it is known as the Feast of Dedication –

“Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.”

It got its name from the time of the Maccabees when the temple which had been defiled was cleansed and restored to proper worship. Because of this great event, it was memorialized and held annually. A later tradition concerning a day’s worth of oil lasting eight days is merely a fable recorded in the Talmud. But Flavius Josephus tells us the reason for the annual event –

“I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival.”

The Jewish people had been given a liberty beyond their hopes, a light which shone for them that God still favored them. How much more then is the fulfillment of this marvelous picture to be found in the Light which came to provide a liberty never before dreamed of.

The true temple of God, pure and undefiled, was prepared in a human body. The defiled temple which had existed from the time of Adam was, once again, made acceptable to God and for His service. This then was to be a liberty not from human rule and oppression, but that of freedom from the spiritual forces which have waged war on humanity since its very beginning.

This Light stepped into His creation in order to restore all that had gone astray. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, prophesied over his own son concerning this Light which would accomplish these marvelous things –

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

The Light was coming and John would be there to proclaim that fact, preparing the way for Israel to meet the promised Messiah. And Zechariah’s prophecy was one which built upon the words of Isaiah, pronounced 700 years earlier –

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
2 The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
3 You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
6 For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:1-7

What a marvel occurred in the dark recesses of the virgin womb! The Deliverer had come to deliver! The Light of the world had come as God’s divine Beacon to rescue man from himself. The Lord God Almighty had condescended to come and dwell among us. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.” Christmas had arrived.

In darkness I groped, darkness of the deepest night
Looking for life that would last, but it could not be found
But then came the most marvelous Light
And with it came the heavenly chorus, a glorious sound

Through the tender mercy of our God
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us
There is now light on the path that we trod
The everlasting light of our Lord Jesus

Now there is a new hope for us, a hope eternal
To those who sit in darkness, and in death’s shadow
There is salvation from hell’s pit so infernal
There is from the Lamp of God, Christ’s eternal glow

II. Darkness and Light

The Christmas story fills our minds with wonderful pictures of days past. We revel in this time of year each year. We smell the scent of pine, we rejoice in food which fills our taste buds. The weather has returned to where it was, just twelve months before. These things delight our minds with memories of past days when we smell the same smells, taste the same tastes, and feel the same cool chill upon our necks.

It is a time to remember, and a time to make new memories. But it is a time that we should also reflect upon why we celebrate. In reality, and without the holiday, for many it is the bleakest time of the year. The nights are at their longest, painful cold has settled in, and the winter of our despair has come.

Many don’t survive the ordeal, and the true winter of eternity’s darkness arrives to claim their weary soul. God chose this unfavorable time of gloom to give us the greatest hope of all. What manner of love is it that would impel Him to do what He did? What is it about man that God takes notice of Him?

From our perspective… Oh boy, the answer is easy. “I am ME! This is MY life.” Just like the wolf whose leg is caught in a trap will chew that leg off in order to survive, we will do anything to survive and to keep on living. It is the eternal dream of man to just keep on living. Novels are written about it; movies are made about it. It is our desire to… just keep on living.

But if we try to look at things from God’s perspective, it all is so hard to figure. What on earth is of value in that mass of organisms which are nothing but rebellious, self-consumed, and hopelessly arrogant beings? We walk around in the darkness looking for anything to fill our brief existence with pleasure – going from darkness to darkness.

Maybe that’s it though. Maybe it’s because we are in darkness that we choose the darkness. No, wait… no that can’t be it. Adam was surrounded by light and yet he chose the darkness. Only after making the choice did he want the light once again. He did want it.

That must be it then, without knowing one from the other we can’t know which we want. That must be why God allowed it all to happen, and then to step in and give us a choice as to which we would choose. Surely that is it.

The Light of the world came to show us a contrast. We can choose the Light, or we can revel in the dark. The choice is ours. And sure enough, this is what the Light Himself said. In John 3, while talking at night with Nicodemus, Jesus said to him, and thus to us –

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:18-21

The distinction can be seen, the choice must be made, and all will pursue only one of two paths – towards the Light or remaining in darkness. This then is the reason for the Christmas story. It is the reason for the otherwise unimaginable thing which God has done. He has come to give us Light, if we will but just choose it.

We are here today to worship the King of the Universe, the manifestation of the unseen Father in human flesh, to behold the marvel of the Light which shines forth for us and which came to us in the most astonishing way of all. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

God created all things out of nothing. He created something separate from Himself and yet which is contained within His omnipresence. And then He joined together with that which He created – all for the sake of frail, fallible, rebellious beings who otherwise had no hope at all.

In that stupendously marvelous act, He has given us a choice. We can continue on in the darkness, or we can come to the Light. There is no tunnel of light for us to choose after death – I’m sorry, it doesn’t work that way. There is only continued darkness which will span eternal ages. But there is a Light which we can come to now, and in so doing we are surrounded with Light which shall never end, no nor even fade.

God did this thing for us, for you. The perfection of Jesus Christ is seen from His moment of conception, through His birth in a lowly manger, in each step He ever took, and in each word He ever spoke. The perfection of Jesus Christ is seen in His torturous death on a wooden cross, and it is seen in the resurrection which came just days later.

The Child in the womb, the Baby in the manger, the Teacher on the mountain, the lifeless Body on the cross, and the Man standing victorious over death itself all speak of a wisdom and a love which spans the eons of time and the length and breadth of the universe itself. All things make sense when we ponder what God has done, and which started in the sudden flash of Light in the womb of Mary. heurethe en gastri ekhousa ek pneumatos agiou – “She was found with Child through the Holy Spirit.”

Praise God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise God for His infinite love, poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Lord. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Closing Verse: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:1-4

Next Week: Exodus 40:1-16 Paths, and Lights, and even Lambs… (Seven I Am’s) (104th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if the world around you seems dark, there is the Light of Christ to guide you back to your heavenly Father. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Light of the World

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows:
After the betrothal of His mother Mary had come around
Before they came together
She was with Child of the Holy Spirit found

Then Joseph her husband
Being a just man, righteousness he did display
And not wanting to make her a public example
Was minded to put her secretly away

But while he thought about these things
Behold, an angel of the Lord
Appeared to him in a dream, saying
This he did say, his spoken word

“Joseph, son of David
Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife
For that which is conceived in her
Is of the Holy Spirit; the Divine spark of Life

And she will bring forth a Son
And you shall call His name Jesus
For He will save His people from their sins
He is God’s Christmas Child; holy and marvelous

And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, I know that you agree
You are little among the thousands of Judah, it is so
Yet out of you shall come forth even unto Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel, My word is true you know

His goings forth are from of old
From everlasting, thus you have been told

Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon
Her who is distressed or in agony
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali

And afterward more heavily oppressed her
By the way of the sea
Beyond the Jordan it shall occur
In an area of the Gentiles around the land of Galilee

The people who walked in darkness
It is they who have seen a great Light
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death
Upon them has shined a light so bright

You have multiplied the nation
And likewise its joy you have increased
They rejoice before You with great ovation
According to the time of harvest, a joy which will not be ceased

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil
When they receive the bounty and no longer toil

For You have the yoke of his burden broken
And the staff of his shoulder is taken away
The rod of his oppressor no longer an unfriendly token
As in the time of Midian, when he was destroyed that day

For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle
And garments roooooolled in blood
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire, worthless chattel
Useless implements overtaken by time’s great flood

Praise God O Israel, For unto us a Child is born
Praise the Lord Land of Judah, For u nto us a Son is given
And the government shall upon His shoulder be worn
And through Him shall man’s sins be forgiven

And His name will be called Wonderful
The Counselor and Mighty God is He
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pure and white as wool
Of the increase of His government and peace no end shall we see

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom’s realm
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever, He at the helm
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

The scepter shall not depart from Judah
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet
Until Shiloh comes and we shout Hallelujah
And to Him the obedience of the people shall be sweet

This helpless baby lying in a manger
Will rule the world in everlasting peace
Through Him will come security with no danger
And the rule of His glory shall never, never cease

All praise to our stupendous Lord of glory
Yes, all honor to this precious King
Praising God for the wondrous Christmas story
Let all the Lord’s redeemed shout aloud and sing

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

The Rapture – Old Testament Types and Shadows

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Revelation 21:5 (Return to Eden – Resurrection Day 2016)

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Revelation 21:5
Return to Eden

For those who attend the Superior Word in person, you know that most of the artwork in the church came from the hand of my paternal grandmother, Adelaide Garrett. She was a true artist, working in oils, pottery, needlepoint, and a host of other mediums. And much of her work centered on biblical motifs.

We have quite a few of her works here, but one that I never brought in until now is that of a pottery plate depicting four people in a beautiful garden setting. There is a father, a mother, and two boys. This is not an idealized picture of her own family. She had three sons and the two boys in the picture are old enough so that the third son was also already born.

This isn’t a picture of the family of one of her own sons either as it was done in 1962 which was too early for a family setting for any of them. The back of the plate gives us an insight into what she was thinking of. It is entitled “Wayfarers.”

A wayfarer is someone on a journey. Grandma knew that man, since the fall of Adam, has been on a journey. And so it seems likely that she was thinking of the first family – Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel. This seems likely when looking closely at the plate.

As I said, the family is in a garden-like setting. There is the man on the left side of the plate, meaning the right side of the family. We will call him Adam. He’s kneeling in the sand and has a butterfly on his right hand that he is curiously looking at. His left hand is on the shoulder of the younger of the two sons who is looking up at the butterfly with innocent curiosity. We’ll call this boy Abel.

The nearness of the son to dad, and the hand on his shoulder, is a sign of protection, love, and contentment. Next in the picture, to the left of the little boy is a lovely lady. We’ll call her Eve.

Her head is looking in the direction of the butterfly too, with a smile on her face. But the smile isn’t as upturned as Adam. And her eyes are wistfully looking a bit downward, as if she is lost in contemplation about something nicer than a butterfly.

He is ever the optimist seemingly taking advantage of the moment and figuring that it is what is meant to be at that time and place. She, however, seems to be remembering how much better it was at an earlier time, a time that is now seemingly gone forever. She looks lovely in the flowery lei which adorns her neck, but the look on her face steals away some of the beauty she was adorned with.

And then, finally to her left and at the furthest distance from Adam, is the oldest son. We’ll call him Cain. He is looking in the same direction as the others, to the right, but his eyes are not on the butterfly at all. Instead, they are directed down a bit from there… they are directed towards Abel.

But even more, they are looking at Abel even though they now appear closed. It seems that he looked at his younger brother, made a mental image of what he saw – standing there close to dad and with dad’s hand on his shoulder… and even seemingly guarded by mom who stands between the two boys, and his mind is contemplating what his eyes just saw.

His arms are drawn in tightly next to him, as if he’s purposely restraining them from doing what they really want to do. And, unlike his younger brother, he is partly hidden from the depiction by a wall of rocks. Maybe his mind is thinking about what he could do with one of those rocks…

Text Verse: “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5

Trouble came into the world because of one misdeed by our first father. Paradise was lost, fellowship with God was ended, and a life of toil and struggle was set before mankind. But, even in their disobedience, the Lord promised to restore that which was lost. This has been the hope of man ever since.

Everybody looks forward to something better. Nobody in their right mind gets up in the morning and says, “I hope today will be worse than yesterday.” Instead, we are always hoping for better. And no matter how good yesterday was, we want today to be even gooder than that.

But no matter how marvelous one day is over the one before, even for an infinite number of marvelous days, none will be perfect as long as we walk in this fallen world. What we need is a new world; one where all things… are new. This is the hope of man, and this is the promise of God.

This hope is found once again through another Man. What He did makes our hope possible, and in fact, it makes it sure. The proof of it is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and this is why we have come here today. We have come to celebrate our.return.to.Eden. It’s all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Vanity of Vanities

Concerning the plate and the symbolism behind it that I see, well… its all speculation. But the depiction so closely matches the account of our first family that it’s hard to not think that they are who were on the mind of Grandma Garrett as she worked the clay into a depiction for us to ponder.

Adam had brought trouble upon himself and his family and now it was his job to make the best of the situation. Eve’s state of mind concerning the place she had once been is evident in the naming of her two children. To understand the context of the names she chose, we need to look at the surrounding story.

In chapter 3, we saw that Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. They had every possible delight that they could imagine and nothing was withheld from them except the fruit of one tree; just one. But of all of the wonderful delights that they could have had, they instead had their eyes directed to the one thing that was forbidden to them.

They believed the lies of the serpent, they disobeyed their Creator, and all three of them were justly sentenced for their crime. But in the sentencing of the serpent came a promise. It was something that both Adam and Eve will later respond to in their own way. In Genesis 3:15, we find these words now known as the protoevangelium or “the first gospel” –

“And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.” Genesis 3:15

A promise was made that One would come to destroy the serpent. What is implied is that if the serpent is destroyed, then the enmity between God and man would end. And what is explicitly stated is that it would be the Seed of the woman who would bring this about. Good news indeed!

After the sentencing of the serpent, the Lord sentenced the woman and then Adam. After the sentencing, the first thing that is recorded is this –

“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” Genesis 3:20

It seems odd that this would be the first thing that man would do after being sentenced for his crimes, but it shows what was preeminently on his mind. The name Eve is the Hebrew word Khavah which means “Life.” Adam was just sentenced to death, and yet he names her Life. He had paid attention to the Lord’s words.

Eve was told that her husband would rule over her. By naming the woman, he claimed dominion and authority over her, just as when he had named the animals. But in choosing the name Khavah, or “Life,” he was demonstrating faith in God’s promise to provide a Redeemer. He had died spiritually, and he was sentenced to a physical death as well, but he looked forward to life.

He knew this Redeemer would restore them to spiritual life and fellowship with God, and he knew that He would be the Seed of the woman. He just didn’t know what seed or when. His concern was that He would, in fact, come. The Lord had spoken and the man believed the word. What was dead would be made alive. Only after Adam showed faith in the promises of the Lord do we read the next words of the story –

“Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” Genesis 3:21

By an act of faith in the promises of God through the Lord, Adam was clothed, thus hiding his nakedness. It is a pattern which is seen in the faithful ever since – demonstrate faith and then receive a suitable covering. Once the man and his wife were covered, we read the final, tragic words of Genesis 3 –

“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22, 23

For them, it was the end of the garden of God. Paradise was lost and the way of access to the tree of life was guarded. All there was left was hope of regaining that access somehow, some way… some day. The Seed would make it possible. This is where their hope lay. Surely a better day lay ahead.

Until then, they could only carry the memory of the perfection they once beheld. That must have been the most painful part of the entire ordeal. No matter how good today was, and even if ten thousand times ten thousand days lay ahead, each better than the one before, it would never compare to the day… that lay behind.

This is the context of their sad state, and this is what leads us into Chapter 4 of Genesis with these even more pitiful words –

“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man from the Lord.’ 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.” Genesis 4:1, 2

At some point after being cast from the Garden of Eden, the first thing the Bible records is the birth of Cain. In victory, Eve cried out, qaniti ish eth Yehovah – “I have acquired man with the Lord.”

The word “acquired” is the Hebrew word qaniti and it’s where Qayin, or Cain, comes from. Concerning the words she chose, the significance is that she was taking credit for what she thought would be the delivery of her Deliverer.

Instead of using the word im for “with,” she used the word eth. She was actively stating that she was responsible for what had come about. If I say that I am building a house with wood, it doesn’t mean that the wood is actually doing anything. It is just being used in a passive way for the house to be built.

However, if I say that I am building a house with Jesus, then both Jesus and I are actively building the house. This is Eve’s intent in relation to the Lord. She claimed she was an active participant in what was happening as she worked to bring in the Seed who would restore her to the Garden. Although not a literal translation, the NET Bible gives us the sense of her pitiful words –

“I have created a man just as the LORD did!” (NET Bible)

The reason for how pitiful they are is because of the very next verse –

“Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.” Genesis 4:2

There is no note of victory, no hint of joy, nothing. It doesn’t even say why he is named Abel. Instead, this is all it says. Because of this, we need to know what Abel means. Abel, or hevel, means “breath.” It is passing vapor, the kind of breath that one sees on a cold morning, just for a moment… and then it is gone. It is also translated as “vanity” or “meaningless,” and thus we can more clearly understand Solomon’s words from Ecclesiastes –

havel havelim amar qohelet havel havelim ha’kol havel, or

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher;
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

Eve felt victorious at the birth of her son. She thought that she had merited Paradise once again. Through her efforts in the pain of childbirth, she thought she was ushering in her messiah. She thought she was responsible for making a man who would redeem her and set her on high.

Instead however, with the second agony of childbirth, she realized that there was just another mouth to feed, another set of sleepless nights, and the woeful prospect of even more children ahead. She was under the dominion of her husband and she was subservient to the responsibilities she had for the children she bore.

Life under the sun was not like life under heaven. Paradise was gone and apparently the Promise was misunderstood. All is vanity; all is meaningless; all is chasing after the wind. What a sad end to the story of her life. She is never mentioned by name again in the Old Testament. She is simply referred to as the wife of Adam.

And as a final tormenting disgrace for her, her first child – in fact the first person ever born – turned out to be a murderer. He killed his little brother and he was removed by the Lord to be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. He moved to the east, even further from that wondrous spot of delight, making himself and his seed enemies of God.

“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” says the Preacher
What a woeful, mournful life we lead
It’s is even tedious to be a renowned teacher
But that’s no excuse students, so pay heed

Life under the heavens is grand indeed
But life under the sun is wearisome at best
Sit up straight and be sure to take heed
For at the end of the sermon, you will be given a test

Do you want to live out your life under the sun?
Chasing the wind, with never enough speed?
Or do you want to live life under the heavens, eternal fun
Sit up straight children, its time to pay heed

II. An Amazing Genealogy

From the early Genesis account, it can be deduced that the generations of Adam knew that a Redeemer would come. Hints of this pop up again and again in the record. Eventually, the story arrives at Abraham. About 2100 years after the creation, he was called out of his homeland and told to go to a place which God would show him.

Abraham faithfully did as he was asked and set off towards Canaan. After some years, and at an advancing age, he was made a promise by the Lord. In the exchange came wonderful words for the faithful of all ages to consider –

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” 5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

The Lord made a marvelous promise, Abraham believed Him, and we are told that He accounted it to him for righteousness. He had done nothing more than to take the Lord at His word, and he was credited with that for righteousness. Like his first father, Adam, he demonstrated faith in the word and he was covered by the Lord.

Abraham lived in faith and he passed that life of faith onto his son of promise, Isaac. From Isaac, the promise was passed on to his son, Jacob. And from Jacob, who is Israel, came twelve sons, all included in the blessing of Abraham – each son a tribe, and each tribe a part of the covenant people.

But, there were also other people of faith, and who demonstrated faith along the way. These too played an important role in what was to come. The daughters of Lot, who are so often maligned for the incestuous relations they had with their father, were looking forward to the same Redeemer that Eve had awaited.

The children they bore were to become enemies of God’s covenant people, and yet from them both (and thus from their father Lot) came sons who are in the genealogy of this Promised One. The Bible never wastes words. Each story is intended to show us something wonderful about this marvelous thing God was doing through the stream of time and human existence.

At a certain point in the life and times of the covenant people Israel, a time when they were in bondage to another nation, a child was born to a Levite. The child was named Moses and from him would come a marvelous part of the story of redemptive history.

He became Israel’s human deliverer and lawmaker. It was he who spoke with the Lord, face to face, and who received the law which would guide them for the next 1400 hundred or so years. Through him, the covenant was made with Israel which would be for many blessings and many, many curses.

Little did they know that they were being used as a picture of deeper spiritual truths for us to consider. But one thing they did know, through them would come the Promised One. The anticipation must have built each time a new prophet would come and proclaim a little bit more about Him.

Hints of His coming would be proclaimed and then be added to the corporate body of writings that they maintained. Each letter and each word would be studied and contemplated as they awaited either more words, or the promised arrival.

Backing up for a moment to a time while Jacob was still alive, it was made known to them that this Redeemer would come through his fourth son, Judah. And the record of Judah’s life gave more hints. The Deliverer would come through his own daughter-in-law that he slept with, thinking she was a prostitute.

Rather than a woman of such an ignoble profession, she was a woman of faith. She knew of the promise and she didn’t want to be denied her rights within this group of people to bear a child. In her act of faith of disguising herself as a harlot, she was granted not just one child, but two. And more, the second one, Perez, would be in the line of the coming One. Another story, another hint.

Arriving once again at the time of Moses, the story takes the people of Israel from Egypt all the way back to the borders of Canaan, the Land of Promise. There, to the east of Canaan, Moses died and was buried. After that, Joshua led them across the Jordan and to their rightful home.

From the time of the giving of the law until the time of David, history was recorded, and more hints of the Coming One were seen, but it wasn’t until the time of David that an open and explicit promise was once again made. It involved David’s house and his kingdom. Not only would the Messiah come through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Judah, but He would come through David as well –

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come 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 his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16

Because we now know that He would come through David, we know that He would come through Tamar and Perez because this is the line from which David came. But how ironic it is! Not only would He descend from a woman who Judah thought was a prostitute, but He would also come from an actual prostitute.

David’s great-great grandfather married the prostitute Rahab who was a Canaanite woman and a friend of Israel. Together they had a son named Boaz. This wonderful man of valor then married a woman of Moab named Ruth, and it is Ruth who descends from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his eldest daughter.

What an amazing God that has aligned history to take the most unlikely of circumstances, and the most curious line of people imaginable and to insert them into the history of the Savior of the world! But there is more. David, despite having received such a great promise from the Lord, failed to honor Him as he should.

One night while his army was away in battle, he arose from his bed and walked on the roof of his house. While there, he saw a woman bathing in the cool of the evening and he let his passion get the best of him. He called for her and took her, though she was married to one of the mighty men of his army.

In due time, he had the woman’s husband killed, and he took her as his own wife. From this union, to a descendant of the cursed line of Canaan, would come Solomon, the son who would continue the line of promise made to David. And from Solomon came another son who would be king, Rehoboam.

What is notable about him is that he was born to Solomon and an Ammonitess woman. Thus she was a descendant of the people from the union between Lot and his second daughter in that cave in the wilderness. Their union resulted in a son named Ben-Ammi, who is the father of the Ammonites.

What transpired in that cave between Lot and his two daughters was intended to first give us a picture of the coming Christ and secondly, to lead us to Him. In picture, the names of the children show us the Divine/human nature of the Lord. Moab means “From father.” Ben-Ammi means “Son of my people.”

Jesus is “from Father” being Divine, and the “Son of My people” being of the human stock of Israel. In blood, He comes from all five of these people – Lot, his two daughters, and their two sons. Each step of human history, each page of the Bible, and each story on each page leads us a little closer to the marvel of God’s stepping into the stream of humanity.

Unusual seems hardly the word!
What a strange set of stories, what a sordid group of people
But it is through them that came Jesus our Lord
And it is He whom we worship under the church steeple

If God could use people such as this in this way
Then surely God can use each one of us too
Don’t fret and worry your whole life away
Instead make the best of the gifts He has given to you

For Christ has come and He has redeemed Adam’s seed
In Him the victory is won; Paradise is restored
So let us follow Him and praise Him, yes indeed!
Yes, let us glorify God, through Jesus our Lord

III. Christ Died, Christ Lives, Christ Will Come Again

From David, and down through his sons, people came and went. At times, it seemed that the promise the Lord made to David would fail. Because of constant disobedience, the Lord promised to cut off the house of David and to remove it from being His line of authority. This is seen in the woeful words of Jeremiah 22 –

As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; 25 and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans. 26 So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.

28 “Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol—
A vessel in which is no pleasure?
Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,
And cast into a land which they do not know?
29 O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord:
‘Write this man down as childless,
A man who shall not prosper in his days;
For none of his descendants shall prosper,
Sitting on the throne of David,
And ruling anymore in Judah.’” Jeremiah 22:24-30

The Lord promised to cut off Coniah and remove him from the throne. Did the former promise to David then fail? Was there no hope for Israel? And if no hope for Israel, then the Gentiles had none too. Isaiah’s words said that the promise would not be for just Israel, but for Gentiles. With the line severed, was all hope lost?

The answer is, “No.” After the exile, a man name Zerubbabel came along. To him, through the mouth of the prophet Haggai, the promise of restoration was made –

And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:
‘I will shake heaven and earth.
22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.
I will overthrow the chariots
And those who ride in them;
The horses and their riders shall come down,
Every one by the sword of his brother.
23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:20-23

It is this person, Zerubbabel, or “Seed of Babylon,” that the genealogy of Christ unites in the records of Matthew and Luke. Matthew’s genealogy of Christ follows the line of Solomon; Luke’s follows the line of Nathan, another son of David. But they both unite in Zerubbabel.

The signet was restored, the line would continue, hope was stirred! However, not too long after the time of Haggai, the prophetic writings ended. The last prophet to be heard from was Malachi. He gave stern warnings to Israel, but he also gave them hope. For those who were of faith, he promised hope –

“Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1

And so the people waited. As the years passed, anticipation grew. And then after 430 years, He came. The light dawned and the heavenly host praised God saying –

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

He had arrived; the time had come; the Child was born. The long awaited Seed of the woman would come to crush the head of the serpent and restore Paradise to fallen man. However, what He did and the record of His life is confusing to so many.

The things He said, the things He did, and the path He chose seemed contradictory to a great and reigning King or a mighty Savior. And so, many of His followers fell away. They couldn’t understand what He was doing. None of what He did seemed to make sense to them. The leaders hated Him, the people for the most part scorned Him, and even His family thought He was out of His mind.

And yet, the people still questioned, “Could this be the Son of David?” The promises had been made, the lines had been set, He seemed to fit the job description in so many ways, but they weren’t sure. The things He talked about seemed hopeful, but they also seemed so distant.

If this were the Redeemer, then why doesn’t He redeem? “When will we receive the promise?” Israel couldn’t understand. The problem is that they didn’t go back to the beginning. Instead of going to the heart of the problem which was identified at the beginning there in Genesis, they worked backward to a certain point and they stopped.

They held fast to the throne of David based on the promise to him. They boasted in the law because of their great lawgiver, Moses. They called themselves Jews because they knew that they predominantly descended from Judah. They clung to their identity as Israel because they were the people of God. And they gloried in their father Abraham because he was the first Hebrew.

But that is where it stopped with them. Everything beyond that was stuff for Sabbath stories and tales of old. They missed the fact that each one of those people that they boasted in was found to have boasted not in someone who came before them, but to have boasted in the Lord. They weren’t convinced of their own righteousness; they were aware of their sin. And as for David who was under the law, they missed what he said about the law that they boasted in –

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” Psalm 32:1, 2

David didn’t look to the law for righteousness; he looked to forgiveness of the law through atonement. Israel had missed the mark and they had stumbled over the stumbling stone. The problem wasn’t oppression of people who kept them from living out the law in the right manner. The problem was oppression from sin, which the law only highlighted.

And sin was the result of the work of the…. well, of the serpent. They failed to remember the lesson of Adam. They failed to heed the naming of Abel. They missed the declaration of Abraham’s righteousness which came hundreds of years before the law.

They even failed to listen to the words of Solomon – the wisest man who ever lived. It is true that Solomon began the book of Ecclesiastes with the memorable words, “Vanity of vanities.” But he also closes the book out with them as well. In the last chapter, verse 8, he repeats the sentiment –

havel havelim amar qohelet havel havelim 

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher,
“All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 8:12

A few verses later, he closes the book with these words –

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14

The people were admonished to stand in fear of God and keep His commandments. But the lesson of their own writings under the law that they boasted in was that none could keep His commandments. The law only highlighted their sin; it only revealed what Genesis 3 taught – the commandment brings death, not life.

Jesus, and all of His curious teachings and actions, were intended to wake them up from their slumber and to show them that they needed something more – they needed Him. He even told them this explicitly. They were looking for a promised Redeemer, and well,,,, there He stood –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40

The law was opposed to them; the law condemned them; the law couldn’t bring life. And so He came to fulfill it for them. In the next chapter, He told them exactly what they needed to do in order to please God –

“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

Instead, they persecuted Him, they shunned Him, they beat Him, and they… had Him nailed to a tree. The Redeemer of the world; the One who had come through this sordid genealogy of murderers, harlots, incestuous relationships, and wayward kings… was crucified for every one of their sins.

In the wisdom of God, He set it up so that this was the inevitable end for Him, and the inevitable end of sin. From the law itself, Paul explains what Christ did for us –

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:11-14

The law said that everyone who hangs on a tree is accursed. Christ, who knew no sin, became sin so that we might be freed from the law. Now, through Him, we have become the righteousness of God in Him. When Christ died, the veil was torn. On that veil was a depiction of cherubim. They were there, guarding access to the Tree of Life, behind the veil.

Now through the torn body of Christ, we have access once again to that Tree and to the Paradise that was lost so long ago. The flaming swords have ceased turning. There behind the veil, Eden’s wonderful delights await any who will come through His finished work, by a mere act of faith.

Eve, your Redeemer has come. Rest well because He has made a way back for you to your place of contentment and eternal joy.

But how can we be so sure of this? How can we know that what He did was sufficient? It is because Christ didn’t just die on a cross and get secreted away in a cave, there to decay along with our sins. No, the reason why we are here today is because we serve a risen Christ, a living Savior, and an Anchor for our weary soul.

Christ rose, proving that He had no sin of His own. Christ rose, proving that our sin died with Him. Christ rose guaranteeing our return to Eden, and to enjoy face to face fellowship with Him for all eternity. The story is complete in Christ. The hope is grounded. The day will come when those who have waited in faith will be rewarded for that faith. May that day be soon! Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Closing Verse: “He is risen!” Mark 16:6

 

Next Week: Exodus 25:23-30 Hey Mabel, wonderful things to be found in His word! (A Table in the Presence of the Lord) (69th Exodus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and a purpose for You. Though Paradise was lost, He offers access to it once again through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So call on Him, and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

A Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

This is the gospel which was preached to you
It is also the one you received and on which you stand
It is the gospel of salvation, providing life that’s new
And which will carry you to the promised Holy Land

What is delivered to you is what was before received
That Christ died for our sins according to God’s word
He was buried and He rose and so we have believed
And many witnesses testify to this message you have heard

Now if Christ is preached that He is risen from the dead
How can some among you say the resurrection isn’t true?
If there is no resurrection after Christ was crucified and bled
Then our faith as well as yours is certainly askew

And if so, we are found false witnesses of God
Because we have wrongly testified of this mighty deed
And our faith is futile, no heavenly street’s we’ll trod
And we are still dead in our sins, fallen Adam’s seed

Even more, those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are gone
And we are the most pitiable creatures the world could ever look upon

But indeed Christ is risen from the dead
He is the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
And as death came through one Man, Adam our federal head
So Christ will make all alive, our souls He will keep

But there is an order to the Resurrection call
Christ was first, the pattern for the rest when He comes
When He does, He will make a shout out to us all
And we will rise as if to the sounds of heavenly battle drums

Then comes the time, when He delivers the kingdom to the Father
When all rule, authority, and power have come to an end
The last enemy to be destroyed is death, never more to bother
Then the Son will to the Father eternal rule extend

But you ask, what will we be like after our time of sleep
After we have been buried in corruption’s pit so deep

Our body is sown in dishonor, but it will be raised in glory
It is sown in weakness, but raised in power – the resurrection story

The first man Adam became a living being, it’s true
The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit, life to me and you

And as was the man of dust, created so long ago
So are those likened unto him, also made of dust
And as is the Man, the Lord from heaven, you know
That we shall bear His image for eternity just as we’ve discussed

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
Nor can corruption inherit that which in incorrupt
Be we shall all be changed, and so heavenly streets we’ll trod
In the twinkling of an eye, the change will be abrupt

When the last trumpet sounds we will be taken to glory
We shall all be changed, completion of the gospel story

Where O Death, O where is your sting
When Christ our Savior, us to Himself does He bring

Where O Hades, O where is your victory
When Christ translates His children to eternal glory

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin the law
But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord
My beloved brethren be steadfast in all you’ve heard and saw
And cling confidently to God’s eternal word

Know for certain that your labor is not in vain
Be of good cheer, Christ is coming again

Hallelujah and Amen…