The Story 2024

He is Here!
June 9, 2024
Hunter Wheatcraft, Campus Pastor, Farmers Branch Campus

Matthew 1:18-23 (NIV)
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came
about: His mother Mary was pledged to be
married to Joseph, but before they came
together, she was found to be pregnant through
the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was
faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose
her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce
her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take
Mary home as your wife, because what is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from
their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Humility of the Incarnation

• God came as a baby.

• God came in a scandal.

• God came…to Bethlehem?

Matthew 2:1-8 (NIV)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.
When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Matthew 2:13-18 (NIV)
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.
And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

Takeaways from Matthew 2…

• Jesus starts his life in exile.

• Jesus’ story is being set up alongside the stories of Moses and Joseph.

• Jesus is not only a new King, but He is bringing in a new Kingdom.

John 15:5-8 (NIV)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”