Version - Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25 - Advent 4a - 12-18-22

 

Sermon podcast from the Fourth Sunday of Advent, 12-18-22 worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL.  Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25.  My last Sunday as pastor at St. Paul's.

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Sermon podcast from the 4th Sunday of Advent - December 22, 2019 - at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL.  Isaiah 7:10-16, Matthew 1:18-25.  Let's talk about the virgin birth . . .

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This week's Bible reflection (Clarification) led into a, uh, mildly controversial sermon this morning at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL.
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Clarification

Here's this week's brief Bible reflection:

Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV):  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

“Young woman” is a translation of the Hebrew word “almah,” which means, “young woman.”  The Hebrew word for virgin is “betula.”

Matthew 1:22-23 (NRSV) All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us.”

“Virgin” is a translation of the Greek word, “parthenos”  It can mean “virgin”, “maiden,” or “unmarried daughter.”  In Matthew 1:23 “virgin” is an acceptable translation of the Greek.

However, Matthew is quoting from the prophet Isaiah.  Matthew’s translation from Hebrew to Greek is wrong. 

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This week's "bordering on controversial" Bible study post (Just to clarify) provides inspiration in what is Sunday's "borders a little more on controversial" sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
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Just to clarify

Here's this week's brief Bible reflection:

Isaiah 7:14(NRSV):  Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

“Young woman” is a translation of the Hebrew word “almah,” which means, “young woman.”  The Hebrew word for virgin is “betula.”

Matthew 1:22-23 (NRSV) All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us.”

“Virgin” is a translation of the Greek word, “parthenos”  It can mean “virgin”, “maiden,” or “unmarried daughter.”  In Matthew 1:23 “virgin” is an acceptable translation of the Greek. 

However, Matthew is quoting from the prophet Isaiah.  Matthew’s translation from Hebrew to Greek is wrong. 

A Righteous Man

I started with some "There's no way you should ever think things like this!" questions that Joseph may have thought when he found out Mary was pregnant. Those thoughts (This week's Bible study entry for i.ucc.org - "Joseph's thoughts?") continued and became this week's sermon at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Somonauk.
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Joseph's thoughts?

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc.org:

While studying this week's Bible reading from Matthew 1:18-25, I thought of some things Joseph might have thought when he found out Mary was pregnant:

• “The timing’s not going to work out perfectly on that one.”
• “I’ll kill whoever did this!”
• “Did I really dream about this?”
• “I’m so angry! I can’t go through with this anymore.”
• “I’m never going to get married.”
• “No one would blame me for sending her away.”
• “Why would God do this to me?”
• “When will we discover DNA and then be able to test for it?”

I don’t imagine that Joseph was, at first, as calm as the story makes him out to be. I think that after the anger, feelings of betrayal and confusion, Joseph did calm down and do something kind, caring and unexpected for a man of the time.

Does the description of Joseph being a “righteous man” bring about images of gentleness and compassion? Or does it maybe bring about an image of someone who felt justified to send away someone he thought broke the rules?

What kinds of things do you think Joseph thought when Jesus was a baby? As Jesus got older?