Not So Silent Joseph | Matthew 1 18-25 - Clint Leavitt

Whether you’ve been raised in the church or not, we all know the centrality of Jesus to the Christmas story. While Jesus is certainly the “reason for the season,” the stories surrounding His birth include a variety of other perspectives. The bible sees Christmas as the historical culmination of God’s grand story of redemption, and when the Gospel authors tell that story, they want their readers to see it through the eyes of those involved. During this Advent season, we will spend our Sunday gatherings exploring the characters of Christmas, and how their perspectives might speak to us as we approach Christmas this year. We’ll explore Matthew’s genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17), a reminder that Christmas is the culmination of God’s faithfulness through millennia; we’ll see the tale through Zechariah’s eyes (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66), reminded of the importance of believing the promises of God, even when they sound impossible; we’ll hear of the quiet, simple trust of Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25); we’ll explore the liberating nature of God’s care for the lowly from Mary’s eyes (Luke 1:26-56); and then we’ll unpack the importance of the birth of Christ for all of us, from our own perspectives, on Christmas together! Listen as Pastor Clint explores the story of Silent Joseph, the husband of Mary, and what his wordless story tells us about who God is, who we are, and what it means for us today. Sermon Resources: 1. Millennial Nativity -https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2016/nov/23/segways-and-selfies-its-the-hipster-nativity 2. “They either hated him and wanted to kill him, they were afraid of him and wanted to run away, or they were absolutely smitten with him, worshiped him, and gave their whole lives to him.” -John Stott, "Basic Christianity" Join us below: Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtownpreschurch Instagram: www.instagram.com/midtown.pres Website: www.midtownpres.org Community Groups: www.midtownpres.org/community-groups Sunday Services: www.midtownpres.org