Sermons from December 2022

4 Advent – December 18, 2022 Matthew 1:18-25          This morning we hear about Jesus’ birth from Matthew, through the perspective of Joseph. We don’t hear much about Joseph in the scriptures, he is the would-be husband of Mary, a quiet, unassuming descendant of the House of David. As Matthew tells the story, the God-fearing carpenter wakes up one morning to find that his world has shattered.  His fiancée is pregnant, he knows for sure that he is not the father,…

3 Advent – December 11, 2022 Matthew 11:2-11          So, today we hear that John the Baptist is in prison.  Imagine John’s cell was dark and dank, because most prison cells are. He paced back and forth, fettered less by his chains than by his misgivings. Allowed at last to see one of his followers, he sends the man to carry a message — a single question, really — that will settle his doubts once and for all. All that…

2 Advent – December 4, 2022 Matthew 3:1-12                So today, in Matthew’s gospel, we are introduced to John the Baptist. This odd fellow in the wilderness, preaching about repentance. In doing so, Matthew is orienting us to the story to come. And it is a story of repair. Confession and repentance loom large in John the Baptist’s prophetic language. John knows no one can repair things without first conducting a thorough exploration of what’s wrong. John insists…