Some pictures and sermon blog for Matthew 2:19-23

 



This is Adam's Falls in Grand Lake, Colorado.  It is a beautiful hike up and back.




There were many visitors today.  It was hard to get a shot without someone in it.
Here is an overlook of the mountains and Grand Lake.


And those pesky signs!  I think Stephanie's new phrase is, "Shouldn't there be a guardrail there?"  I also saw a moose in town today!


A little late getting this out but it has been a busy week with a trip to Denver and back to deposit Stephanie at the airport for a Florida run.  

Matthew is adding to his description of the Messiah.  His name is Jesus which means "the God who saves."  He will be called Emmanuel which means "God with us."  He will also be called by the prophet(s) a Nazarene which carried with it "a despised position or reputation."  Putting it all together, "The God who saves is with us and is despised."  With the introduction of John the Baptist this week, Matthew will keep painting the picture of the Messiah for his Jewish audience.

Matthew used the genealogy to tie Jesus to the covenants of God with Abraham and David.  He used the prophet Isaiah to speak of His virgin birth from Mary.  He used the prophet Micah to speak of His birth place, Bethlehem.  He used the prophet Hosea to speak of His flight to Egypt.  He used the prophet Jeremiah to speak of the suffering.  Finally, he used the prophets, plural, to speak of the initial response to Him.  

The threat on Jesus' life is gone, Herod the Great has died, and He is growing up with Joseph and His mother Mary in the little town of Nazareth.  The Gospel of Luke gives us a little glimpse of Him at the age of 12 but Matthew cruises ahead to the emergence of John the Baptist from the wilderness some 30 years later.  I keep thinking about the phrase, "The plans of men cannot thwart the will of God."

This time man cannot get rid of this one born King of the Jews, as the wise men said, because "it is written" but there will be a time when He allows man to cut off the Messiah on a cross so that God's will will be accomplished for our salvation.  I keep reminding myself that, "It is all in God's hands."

Adam



A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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