Everybody is waiting for the Messiah. But what do they do while they wait? In this message, Bob reminds us that ministry is what we do while we wait. We dedicate ourselves to acts of service, spiritual disciplines, and quiet ways of ushering in the kingdom, while we anticipate the return of the Lord.
Jesus comes as Emmanuel who will be with us. But what does that mean? In Isaiah it meant military victory. The same is true in the New Testament. The kingdom of God in the ministry of Jesus wages war against the forces of evil that resist God's agenda in the world.
Jesus is from Nazareth, a town with a poor reputation. So why does Matthew emphasize this aspect of Jesus's life? In this message, Bob suggests that Jesus's humble upbringing is not a distraction to his ministry, but instead the preparation for it.
41 men’s names are listed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew. It turns out none of them are actually related to Jesus. Because of the faith of one man, Jesus became part of the family. And because of one man’s faithfulness, we became part of the family too.