What is the “kingdom of heaven”? What characterizes its citizens in the age before it comes in its fullness? How do its citizens enlist other ones?

Matthew 5:1-16

To side with baby Jesus was to side with God, to reject Him was to reject God. No matter, as Jesus was divinely protected in order to this time obediently re-live the history of the nation of Israel and its prominent leaders and bring glory to the universe.

Hosea 11
Matthew 2:13-23

“King” Herod and the unbelieving Jewish rulers show us how and why people reject Christ. The mysterious eastern magi are surprisingly brought to Jesus as examples of His grace to us Gentiles, and of lives devoted to Him.

Matthew 2: 1-12

On the glorious occasion of the baptism of two children in our church, we considered the basic law-and-gospel meaning of baptism.

Acts 2:36-39

Jesus’ conception and birth was magnificent, unusual, miraculous, and extraordinary. It’s no wonder, since His birth is a destiny-of-the-universe-altering event.

Isaiah 7:1-16; 8:1-10; 9:2, 6-7
Matthew 1:16-24

Jesus’ temptation ordeal in the wilderness was His triumphant re-living of both Eve and Adam’s Garden of Eden failure, and the Israelites’ wilderness wandering failure. Jesus’ obedience here was His one summary act of obedience (Romans 5:18) by which He reversed the curse and earned righteousness for His elect.

Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew uses the sacred Old Testament genealogical list to introduce the monumental event of Jesus, the Great and Universal King, being born into the world. [please note: I meant to say “squelch our enthusiasm” instead of “quench our enthusiasm” right near the beginning of the sermon].

2 Samuel 7:11-16
Matthew 1:1-17

This closing bookend of Book 1 of the Psalms connects clearly to Psalms 1 and 2. We must align ourselves with Jesus in His weakness, because the Lord restores, sustains, and blesses both Jesus and all who are found in Him.

Psalm 41

Psalm 37 talks about two paths and their ultimate destinations. In Christ we are on the first path, and though we should not be surprised or discouraged when we don’t receive the desires of our hearts right now, this path does lead to the happy land of glorification.

The Canaanites were wrong about who was behind the extraordinary autumn storms coming off the Mediterranean Sea. The God of Israel commands the waters under Him and they work fierce destruction, showing His power, holiness, and judgement. Yet by His same commanding voice He surprisingly speaks grace and peace to His people.

This song warns us against harboring the kind of human pride and its poisonous fruit that result in the Lord’s sometimes delayed, but always severe, judgement. The song also encourages us when we fall victim to the hostility of the godless world.