Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 17 December 2023
A Pattern of Grace
Scripture References: Matthew 2:13-15, Psalms 47:1-9, Hosea 11:1-11
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CloseMatthew wants us to notice the patterns of God’s dealing with this world. It is one of the key threads in the fabric of his good news account of Jesus. In these four Old Testament references in Matthew 1-2, three of them are about the patterns of God – and today’s is one of them! There is a pattern of people here – you cannot help but notice the parallels between Jesus’ life and that of Moses. But Jesus is greater! There is a pattern of representation here – in the reference to ‘out of Egypt’, we are meant to see that as the representation of God by humans generally, and Israel more specifically, failed, Jesus is THE perfect representative of God to the world. And, there is a pattern of grace here – unmerited kindness to those who merited judgement, reaching its climax in the One who merited no judgement taking all judgement for sin upon Himself.
Scripture References: Matthew 2:13-15, Psalms 47:1-9, Hosea 11:1-11
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Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
The book of Esther recounts a period where God's people are in exile, aliens in a foreign land. Sounds like our time doesn't it? Even when God seems absent, He is at work. The great reversal of power at the heart of the universe has already taken place. Jesus won victory over death on the cross and in His resurrection. Satan the great enemy of God and His people, has been defeated. We wait in the now but not yet. Waiting for the Lord Jesus to return and give His people relief and rest. But as we wait, we share the good news of the gospel, call people to faith in Jesus, faithfully endure persecution, knowing that our deliverance is assured.
We love a turning point. Whether it is a story or a football game. Hope dawning at the darkest time. Where is the great turning point in Esther? It could be our memory verse, when Esther is persuaded by Mordecai to act to save her people. It could be when the king looks with favour upon Esther and holds out the golden scepter to her. It could be when Haman is forced to lead Mordecai through the city mounted on the king’s horse and proclaims that he is the man the king delights to honour. They are major events in the story of Esther. They are turning points of a sort. But the writer of Esther points us to another event. That looks so trivial.
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