Matthew 1.18-25 Matthew introduces Jesus conception as miraculous. There was no human father. The Holy Spirit brought the child to conception in Mary’s womb. It was a virginal conception. Mary was engaged to be married, so her pregnancy caused her fiancé consternation. Joseph did not want her to be publicly shamed and prepared to sever the engagement, until a messenger from God told him what was happening. This was nothing less than a fulfillment of the promise in Isaiah that a young woman will give birth to a son and he will be Immanuel (God with us). Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7 This is God among us in a way like never before. Not just God alongside us but God WITH us – he is on our side. He understands us from the inside. He came to stand with you in the greatest crisis you face: Your sinful self and death. He came to ‘save you from your sins’ (v21). Who else will do that for you? No one else is qualified except him.
Matthew is declaring that Jesus is God expressing himself through the soul, mind and body of person. He did not possess a person – like an evil spirit does. He formed a unique new person that grew normally in Mary’s womb, like any pregnancy. They called his name Jesus. God’s Son took to himself a human life and made it truly his own. Two natures (God and Man) joined and interacting in perfect harmony so that it is true to say that Jesus is God and that God became man.
What will you do with Matthew’s declaration about Jesus Christ? Matthew is claiming that this one person, Jesus the Son of God, is the sole person through whom the promises of God will be delivered to a person. Because he is the son of Abraham in whom God said his blessings would be secured. Will he be delivering those promises in your life?
Matthew is claiming that this one person, Jesus the Son of God, is the one and only leader he has chosen for humankind. He is one the liberator, shepherd and leader that can lead people to safety out of sin and death. He is the son of David that exceeds David and that God demands we give our allegiance to. Will you be coming under his leadership?
B. Matthew also connects Jesus Christ back to David.He calls him the son of David. He makes this connection because God promised a Leader par excellence – a King of Kings who would be the ultimate role model, protector, leader, shepherd and provider for his people.To a small degree, King David was a shallow model of the coming Christ, which is why Jesus was sometimes called the ‘Son of David’ – but he far, far superseded David.
We need a conquering King who can defeat all that defeats us. Jesus Christ is that King – the Messiah – the promised Liberator. He comes to set up a kingdom – God’s kingdom – to remove sin, establish righteousness and peace that never ends.Jesus Christ ushers us in to unending, ever-expanding life!
Jeremiah 23:5, "'The days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.'"
Isaiah 11:10, "In that day the Root of Jesse [i.e., the Son of David, Jesse's offspring] will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious."
Matthew is announcing the good news that this Man – this appointed King has arrived.Isaiah spoke about it. Isaiah 9:6-7 says, "The government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end."Isaiah 35:10, "the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away."
Matthew begins his good news with the declaration that Jesus is both the fulfillment of the promises first given to Abraham and the fulfillment of the prophecy that God would provide a fit leader for humankind. Jesus was rooted firmly into the family tree of humanity but he was more than a man.He was the man prepared by God to fulfill his promises, but he never stopped being God.He is the only God-Man.
Matthew introduces Jesus to us as the son of David, the son of Abraham.We must try to understand what is the significant of those connections with David and Abraham.
A. Go to Abraham first. God made some promises to that man - very big promises that didn’t just benefit him. They were promises to him, his family, a nation and the whole world. Promises from God are deeply significant.They are not just ‘nice’ favours that God sprinkles on lives to make them happier.They are loud, clear calls to come this way.God’s promises don’t decorate the path of life you have chosen for yourself. They are God’s way of marking out his safe path for you through this world. But most importantly of all, these promises are tied directly to Christ. No Christ – no promises.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaim among you, is not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen (let it be) to God for his glory.(2 Cor 1.19,20)
God is not two-faced or double-minded.When he declares his promises, there is no doubt at all that Jesus Christ can fulfil them and give a resounding YES to them.All we do is say our AMEN to them – that means, our “Let it happen as you have said, Lord.”
The particular promises that Matthew has in mind are the direct promises God gave to Abraham about the coming of Christ into Israel for their sake and the blessing of the whole world.God gave Abraham an amazing set of promises:
Gen 13.14-17 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.”
That promise tells that there will be a nation arise from Abraham’s offspring and that they will be vast in number and live in the land of Canaan where Abraham was currently camping and which then belonged to fierce nations.
Genesis 15.3-6 Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.”And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
That promise assured Abraham that even though he hadn’t started a family with Sarah, his wife, and they were getting too old to have children, God would give them a son of their own (Isaac) and through him a vast number of descendants would look back to Abraham as their father.Abraham believed that God could do what he promised and that faith was credited to Abraham as his right standing with God.
Genesis 22.17,18 “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
This promise confirmed that he would have many descendants, but it focuses on one particular offspring – a particular descendant of his – who would ‘possess the gate of his enemies’ and that in him ‘all the nations of the earth shall be blessed’.This man is Christ. Galatians 3.16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
So, Matthew begins his gospel by identifying Jesus Christ as this special promised ‘offspring’ who would be a blessing to people of all nations – especially to those who followed Abraham’s example and believed God could give them right standing with himself.Where does that place you?Do you have the same faith as Abraham?He turned his back on the future that his family and culture was pushing him into. Hebrews 11. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
The promise to Abraham about Christ said that he would possess the gate of his enemies and be a blessing to all nations.Christ is presented as the Redeemer.To redeem is to buy back.Jesus came to buy back from sin and death, people for God.This is the whole point of the coming of the offspring of Abraham (Christ) in whom all the promises of God are fulfilled.The whole world is shut up in captivity to sin and death.The law (God’s decisions and judgements about human guilt) holds everyone accountable.
Galatians 3.23,24 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
Matthew wants us to know that Christ has come to release us from being locked up under God’s wrath. This is good news (gospel) and Matthew identified Jesus as the Promised One. Galatians 4.4-7 When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Jesus Christ is the redeemer who buys us out from under the judgement rightly looming over us through the law. He takes us out of slavery and into son and daughter relationship with God.
Do you feel a little bit ashamed of your sketchy understanding of Jesus Christ, when you hear of his greatness?When you learn that he is the hinge on which the entire history of humankind hangs and turns on?Do you feel the need to fall face down before him to worship him?Do your interests seem a bit petty when you consider the scope of his work?Do you feel uneasy that he has so little of your time and passion?Now is the time to put that right.Now is the time to confess Jesus as the Redeemer in whom all the promises of God are located.
What was God doing through the Word? No one has ever seen God; The only God, who is at the Father’s side has made him known. V18
In the Word, God was making himself known. You want to know God? Find out the truth about Jesus Christ? How? Open your heart to God, pray for the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment and read the gospel of John. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. _____________________ Listen to what John urges upon us: (He wrote in his letter, 1 John 1)
1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
Jesus Christ, the man, who John and the others met, touched and knew, is the Eternal Word of God. Through him God has openly revealed eternal life. When we come into relationship (fellowship) with him we share that life.
2.that is how the Spirit of God revealed him to John.
Word means language – communication.The Son of God (the Word) is the one who communicates God to his creatures (us!).The Word matches our need.We were created to know and respond to God.It was sin that interrupted that communication and fellowship.The Word comes to open our sin-deafened ears and allow us to learn about God’s grace, whereby he will rescue those who come back to the Father through the Son.
The Word matches the way we were created.We were created with intellect, feelings and will – not like the animals.We were created to process language and respond to it.
If we were animals then food, or mating, or the environment might have been the best way to communicate with us.You train a dog by rewarding him with food – you don’t sit down and reason with him why it would be wise to come when you call, sit or fetch a stick!Sadly, sin has ruined humanity.People now seek ultimate meaning, not be humbly opening their hearts and minds and will to the Word.Now people seek ultimate meaning like animals.They have their own personal ‘scriptures’ that read:
In the beginning was the FOOD;or in the beginning was the SEX; or in the beginning was the STUFF!
They look to these things for their ultimate satisfaction.Those coming to Christ look beyond these things to the WORD – Christ as our ultimate reason for existence and the ultimate satisfaction – and the promise of eternal well-being.
God made us different to the animals.We have feelings, intellect and a will.The Word speaks to these.He is the good news that connects with us to bring joy to our feelings, understanding to our thinking and happy submission to our wills.
Why is Jesus called the Word? Because he has something to say to us.John says that he came, full of grace and truth.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
This is the message you need to hear from God (not your numbers read out for the Lotto draw; not your name read out for the representative team; not the A+ for your assignment; not the words ‘I love you’ from the person you are attracted to – though some of these (not all) are good things)… the message you need to hear from God is what the Word brought into the world when he came in human flesh.You need to hear grace and truth.
These you desperately need – as do I!Grace (the undeserved favour of God towards those who actually deserve his wrath) is what brought the Son into the world to rescue you. Philippians 2.5-11
Christ Jesus,6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So you need the grace he brings.You also need the truth.You need to understand the truth of your deadly condition.You need to know the truth about God’s justice and how it is satisfied by Christ suffering death at the cross for you.You need to understand the truth of new birth so you can receive God’s grace and get Christ’s resurrection life at work in you.
When you transfer your trust from everything else to Jesus Christ, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Free from guilt.Free from controlling sins. Free from anxiety.Free from the fear of death.Free to live as a son or daughter of God – confident, joyful and at peace.
So why exactly, did John call Jesus WORD?Because when he heard Jesus speak and he watched his life, he was not just hearing a message.It was a total package.His message. explained and reflected his living and his living shed light on his message. At various times, people stood open mouthed and said: “He speaks as someone with authority, not like the religious men”.They noticed that not only did he explain the Scriptures, not only did he tell amazingly rich, meaningful parables – but he lived them and exemplified them.This is why he is the Word.He makes happen what he says.He said “Let their be light” and there was light.He told demons to remove themselves and they fled.He made dead legs work again.
Jesus is God’s living message to us.Are you paying attention?If you miss THIS Word, you have proven yourself to be dead in your rebellion against God.Will he send another messenger! No.He has sent the best. Listen to what Jesus taught about this:
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servantsto the tenants to get his fruit.35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
There is one Word and we must pay attention to him.
What or who is the Word? John first locates the Word in a period he calls the beginning. [In the beginning was the Word]. This means existence outside time, because the beginning is before the universe and days, months, years and light years were created. The Word is located as existing in the eternal past before any created things were made. (Genesis 1.1)
So, John’s first statement about Jesus who he followed around Israel, heard, touched, ate with, slept near to, walked with and listened to, is that he existed before created things, including time and space. He is not dealing with a mere man, he is speaking of an eternal one. Get that into your thinking. Get into your thinking that the man Jesus is vastly greater than you can imagine. He towers above every created thing – because he WAS before any of it existed. He is magnificent, uncontainable, irresistible, all-knowing and all powerful. Get that into your thinking about Jesus! Get Jesus out of church buildings, out of stained glass windows, out of “Jesus” movies, off CD covers, out of kid’s illustrations, off Xmas cards, out of political parties and off the WWJD bracelet – and in your understanding get him before everything and at the beginning of everything. If you are left only with a plastic Jesus, you will NEVER know God through him. If you are to know God, you MUST come to understand who Jesus really is.
So, first point: The Word has always existed and is not a created being. He was in the beginning. He has no starting point – he is the starting point of everything else!
In the beginning was the WORD! That is how John sets the scene to talk about Jesus Christ. He goes back before pregnant Mary and before the stable and manger and wise men. He introduces Jesus Christ as the forever past existing Word.
Let’s pause and find out what John’s purpose is in telling us about Jesus Christ. Here it is (look it up): John 20.30,31 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Clearly, John wants you to have a proper grasp of just who Jesus is – because if you are believing in a Jesus that is less that who he is – you will fail to possess the life he came to bring. ______________________ So, to continue to answer the question: Who is the Word? … John says that the Word was with God. So, in at least some important sense, he was distinct from God. You can’t be WITH someone if you ARE that someone. I am not with myself today – I AM myself.
But John doesn’t only say that the Word was WITH God but that he WAS God. [And the Word was God]. This is a category that is outside any other thing. This is a unique relationship that cannot be classified along with any other or likened to any other. You can’t, for example say that God and the Word are LIKE twins, or LIKE a person who is say a father and a school teacher (having two main roles in life). None of those categories fit the relationship between God and the Word. They are in a totally unique relationship – but that is not surprising, because we are speaking about the Originator of everything: God. It would be surprising and impossible if God was like a Fijian, or like a tiger, or like a school principal! He is the originator and maker of all these. You don’t compare a well-made set of stairs to the carpenter. They are totally different categories. God is his own category.
John says that the Word (whom he identifies as Jesus) existed before all things were made and that he was WITH God and WAS God. According to John, the Word is God and yet distinct from God. He shares the nature of God, and yet he has his own personality, because he was with God. That is different to being part of God or absorbed into God. He has his own personality and identity and yet he shares the life of God. He is God along with God. He is the Son of God. So John describes the Word (the Son of God) alongside God, the Father. Verse 18: No one has ever seen God; God, the only God, who is at the Father’s side has made him known.
Now we have our second main point: The Word is God and is with God. He has his own distinct identity and yet he shares the same nature as God. That nature is shared so intimately that it is correct to say that there is one God.
Be very careful how you think of Jesus. Be careful how you speak about him. Be careful to pay attention to him, for he is the Eternal God. The people of Jesus’ home town, Nazareth, were really offended by him when he spoke from the Scriptures. They actually drove him out of town and wanted to stone him to death. Why? Because they said: This is just Jesus the son of Joseph, we know his family, who does he think he is telling us to turn to God? They were familiar with Jesus, but they hadn’t paid attention to him. They hadn’t listened to him. They hadn’t considered that he was bringing the light of the truth of God to them. In him was life and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
There is the exact point that you need to bring yourself to pause at. You need to stand in the spotlight that this Word is shining in a dark and blinded world: The light shines in the darkness. That light is Jesus Christ. It is he that holds life – your life in his hand. He is very great. He is God. He is God. Son of God means equality with God. You are not dealing with some plastic, storybook character. You are under his personal light that searches every person. What is your response?
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.and his own people
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God,who is at the Father's side,he has made him known.
John had heard about Jesus before their first personal meeting.But on a particular day, when he and his brother were mending their fishing nets on the edge of LakeGalilee, Jesus came down to the shoreline and spoken to them both.He told them to come and follow him because he was going to make them fishers of men.John and James put their nets down and immediately walked away from the family business.John didn’t understand too much about Jesus yet, but from the little he had heard when Jesus has spoken publicly and because John the Baptist – a prophet that John respected greatly – had pointed Jesus out as the Man from God (the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world); John followed.
Now hear what John wrote about Jesus, many years after he had reflected on everything Jesus said and did:John 1.1-18 (above).John introduces Jesus Christ to us, calling him the WORD.This is the same person as the man he met on the shore of LakeGalilee. The same one, whose footsteps crunching in the shingle on the shoreline of Galilee John followed. So when you hear ‘Word’ in this passage it means Jesus.It doesn’t take much thinking to work out that he is saying some sensational and tremendous things about that man.
From John’s introduction of Jesus Christ, we are going to consider three questions:
This is the first of 3 studies about the incarnation – the word that describes the first coming of Jesus Christ. Incarnation means the act of coming into flesh. We can work that out when we break down the basic Latin root words that incarnation is made up of: In = into carn = flesh or body –ation on the end of a word, turns an act into a word that names the action. (E.g. educate turns into education.) Incarnate turns into incarnation and it describes the act of something, or in this case someone, coming into flesh. God came into flesh – human flesh. Incarnation is the word used to mean the coming of God into human flesh. This is what happened at the conception and birth of Jesus. And this is what we are studying. We are not studying Christmas. You won’t find Christmas - as you experience it - in the Bible. Much of what we know as Christmas is actually a contradiction of what the Bible teaches. The only slight connection between Christmas as we experience it (i.e. trees, decorations, Santa, presents, holidays, big meals) and the coming of God in a human life, is that some of the facts about Christ’s birth have been muddled up with a commercial and cultural tradition. These studies focus on what the Bible emphasises as the most important feature of the birth of Jesus: God coming into his world in human flesh and blood.
In between these verses (1 and 15) we learn that Nehemiah’s enemies had one last determined effort to upset Nehemiah.Their strategy was to get him away from Jerusalem to some place out in the open (the plain of Ono).But Nehemiah thought O NO!He realised that this was an attempt to get him isolated from his people.They said they wanted to have a discussion with him.
Nehemiah’s reply was: Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?Notice this attack. Because you will also have such desperate attempts to stop you in pursuing your Christian calling vigorously.Family, employers, friends, business and legal matters will press in on your life to get you to engage with them and get bogged down in their business.You will be tempted to turn away from a whole-hearted focus on Christ’s business. You will need to be firm like Nehemiah.
And then, Nehemiah was tempted by religious persons.They claimed to have a message from God – a prophesy – that he was in danger and should rush to the Temple building and lock himself in.Nehemiah knew this was wrong on two counts:
All of the people were in danger from their enemies and he must give a strong example of faith in God.
Taking over the Temple as a fort, would have sent the message that God’s work was on the defensive.That they were battening down the hatches to try and protect a little space for themselves.
This contradicts what Jesus said:I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not be able to withstand it.
God’s work is an offensive work (not designed to offend! But designed to demolish the lies that hold people captive to unbelief).
So Nehemiah stood firm and the walls were completed.
You must stand firm too.
Others are looking to you.
We all need each other in this mission to build the Church.
Here is encouragement:
6.15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah invites us.Jesus Christ calls us.To build up our lives together.To build the church through thick and thin.This is how we lift high the name and worth of Jesus Christ.This is how we bring our family and friends (and enemies) into God’s Kingdom so that they can live forever.There is much at stake.It cost Christ suffering, shame and death.Hebrews 12.2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joyset before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
With Jesus in charge we cannot (and dare not) fail in our life's mission.
The key verse here is verse 9 where Nehemiah said: The thing that you are doing is not good.Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?He challenged them about a community sin that they were putting up with.He asks them whether it seems right that God should be dishonoured by their wrong-doing, because their behaviour gave unbelievers ammunition to mock and disregard God?
This teaches us in two ways:
It forewarns us that as we get serious about getting our personal lives in sync with the Spirit of God and as we stand together to build up the church, that our wrong ideas and behaviour will be brought out into the open.This is a good thing that will cause us to grow stronger and be much more fruitful in God.
It suggests to us that we should consider what qualities of Christ-like living that we as a church family might be neglecting or plain wrong about.
The problem that came to light in the Jerusalem community was to do with money and status in the community.Greed was causing some to rip off others and the people with money were looking down on the people with none.
The economy in those times was in ruins.Food was expensive and hard to get. Many people in the community had to sell their property or at least mortgage it so they had money enough to buy food for their families.Some had to lease out their own children as slaves to the wealthy, in order to get an income to buy food and pay the taxes to the Persian king.A great divide was opening up between the rich and the poor.The four complaints were:
People with no land couldn’t grow food and had to buy it from others – but they didn’t have the money to do so.
People with land were having to mortgage or sell their land in order to support their families.
Because money was short, those who lent it did so at astronomical rates and everyone had to have money to pay the king’s taxes.
Some had nothing more to trade with except their own children – who they were selling into slavery.
The rich got richer and the poor got poorer.
Nehemiah called a meeting of the community to get this unequal treatment sorted out.Remember that this was not just a social problem in the world at large.This was a problem occurring among God’s people.Of course we should help those outside the church as God gives us resources and opportunity to do so.That’s why there was a garage sale yesterday.But inside the church family, there must never be people using people.
Nehemiah pointed out that he and some others had paid to free Jews who had been enslaved to outsiders - but people in the community were selling on their employees to outsiders who were then being purchased back into the Jewish community and set free by Nehemiah and his supporters.This could not go on and so Nehemiah confronted the community about it. He went right to the core of the issue and identified it as a God-dishonouring practice.The thing you are doing is not good.Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?(v9).
The community accepted Nehemiah’s challenge.They restored people’s land and children to them and began working together to make sure that no one went without.Nehemiah shook out the folds of the clothes he was wearing and called on God to shake out any person and his family like crumbs, if they would not keep this promise.The people responded with ‘Amen’ – so be it – and they praised the Lord.
I don’t think that there is anyone oppressing others within our church family.However, what goes on behind the closed doors of our houses may not be known to others but might as well be done in a shop window as far as God is concerned.So before moving past this point, each of us should check that we are not the oppressor of anyone.This dishonours God’s good name, contradicts everything Christ said and did and offends the Holy Spirit. I will leave that matter hanging for each of us to answer before God.
What is important for us to notice together as members of this church family is that when we get serious about developing and building ourselves up spiritually, the Spirit of God brings Jesus Christ and his will more sharply into focus.Things become less vague and general.We begin to hear and understand more precisely what he wants our lives to become.As he comes closer to do his work in a fuller and more dramatic way, he also exposes those things that are hindering his work.And that his the point of this teaching:If we expect to be a lively, growing, effective church, then we must expect that the Holy Spirit will shed his light on the ideas and behaviours that lead outsiders to taunt and mock Christians and their God.
If you were the owner of a hairdressing salon and one of your employees constantly arrived at work with ‘bed-hair’ and dandruff on her shoulders, you would be offended.Because the very person who is supposed to be promoting healthy attractive hair in your salon, is turning people off your business.A zillion times greater on the scale of importance, God is offended when those who claim to be his representatives in the world have lives that give godly living a bad name.
In Nehemiah we are learning how to work together to build the church.We are learning that our personal Christian growth and our work together must go hand in hand.We are learning that just as Nehemiah and the people had to build up walls that would make a clear distinction between those inside and those outside God’s family, we must build up each others understanding of the Word of God so we have lives that are clear evidence of God’s character and will.We are learning that just as Nehemiah and the people had to rebuild the gates to the city, we must make sure that we are clear what the gospel is, so that those who are born again came be brought right into the safety of God’s family.
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As the Jewish community began to work together, rather than each family simply occupying themselves with their private interests, issues came to light that needed to be addressed.Matters that had previously been ignored or not clearly understood came out into the open.Although this was painful, it was necessary.It was God at work truly reforming their lives, not merely as individuals but as a community.
