Sermons

Jesus carries our sins, we are forgiven. Jesus is not our lamb—we did not buy Him or send Him. God did. Why? Because He loves us. He would not stand by and see us destroy ourselves with our own evil.

Jesus loves us better than anyone else. And He has shown Himself faithful, all through His life on earth, all through our lives as we call on Him in every need and trouble.

Like any man, Jesus puts His trust in God, and leans on Him for strength. The incarnate Son of God is not ashamed to behave like any believer; He is our model.

“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1b). Eve, and Adam with her, listened to the lie and questioned God’s Word. They disobeyed their Creator’s command and shattered their relationships with God, with creation, and with one another.

No doubt Joseph taught Him building skills. I expect His mother taught Him other skills—how to do chores, keeping His things neat, and even some cooking (see John 21:9).

Joseph did right to listen to God’s direction as well. And we do right when we listen, when we put our trust in Jesus, who “became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30b).

On that cross He would put a decisive end to the works of the devil and all his angels, conquering them with His own blood. And three days later He would rise from the dead, breaking the power of death forever—for Himself, and for everyone who trusts in Him.

Joseph does his part so faithfully that it looks ordinary. For him, it probably was. There would have been no way to survive Jesus’ infancy without a strong trust in God.

It doesn’t last long. The young King will soon be a refugee in Egypt; the wise men, on their way home in a hurry. But they will remember the Child to whom they gave gifts—Jesus who is God’s gift to them and to the whole world