A Pattern of Grace

Sunday, 17 December 2023 by

Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 17 December 2023

A Pattern of Grace

Matthew 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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