No Longer Outsiders
Monday reflections from pastor Jonathan.
What a wonderful Sunday of worship we had together! I talked with many of you who were moved by the musical worship and encouraged by the Word as well as Heath's testimony to close our service.
We have so much to be thankful for and the ways in which God is making his care and providence known among us is such a blessing to this pastor who spent the last week reflecting on my own weakness and Jesus' strength.
We see God's provision and promises kept everywhere we look, especially in Scripture and as we looked at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-17 the good news of who is listed and why they are there should be such a comfort to us this Christmas.
This list is proof that God keeps his word. The covenant with Abraham and the covenant with David, as well as each and every promise in the Old Testament, finds its fulfillment in Christ, this babe in the manger with quite the family name and roots in the biblical story. Because we have this arrival of Jesus as proof of God keeping his word we can wait confidently for all of his promises to come, promises of sanctification and the final end to all suffering and eternity with him!
We can also notice in the genealogy that Jesus is the outsider for outsiders. The women listed (women in a genealogy would have startled first century readers) and the men the had children with, all had their own scandal, and each of them was used by God to bring about his promise.
Because Jesus was an outsider from a long line of outsiders, he came to save the equally scandalous. He came to save us. But the glorious truth that should make every Christmas bell ring is that we are not left as outsiders! By faith in Christ we are adopted in to the family of God, we are made righteous, secured, and given an inheritance. We, in Christ, have become the ultimate insiders for God's glory.
We no longer live under the old status. Christmas declares that something new has come and that we can now live in the light of Christ! What joyous news this is!
Today I am praying that the truth of no longer being outsiders is driven deep into our souls by the Holy Spirit and that our lives would be forever transformed by the goodness of Christ. Let this reminder fuel you as you make final preparations for Christmas!