“The Knowledge of the Law”

(Romans 3:1-20)

Series: Romans – United in the Gospel [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

February 6, 2022

Introductory Comments:

Have you ever received a lot of information about something and after a while you get to  the point where you just need to ask some clarifying questions? That’s how I am when my kids try to explain a new board game to me. I listen to them for a little while and then I just start asking questions.

Well, Paul has been sharing with the Roman Christians a lot of different information pertaining to the wrath of God towards Gentiles, the wrath of God towards religious pretenders, and the judgment of God towards Jews who were not truly faithful to the Lord. 

Now, it’s almost as if Paul is anticipating questions that the people might be asking him in response to what he’s said. So, he’s addressing these hypothetical questions that may arise from all that he’s said thus far in his letter to the Romans. 

Before we get into these questions, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to bless us.

(prayer)

So, Paul asks these questions and then provides some answers for them. Here are the questions that Paul will ask (we’ll look at these in more detail as we progress along):

In verse 1 – What advantage does the Jew have? [on screen]

In verse 3 – Does the unfaithfulness of some Jews compromise the faithfulness of God? [on screen]

In verses 5-7 – Is God unfair to punish us if our unrighteousness points to the greatness of God’s grace? [on screen]

In verse 8 – Should we sin so that God can look good by forgiving us? [on screen]

In verse 9 – Are the Jews better off than the Gentiles? [on screen]

These are some important questions. I’m not going to take each one independently. Instead, I’ve narrowed these down to three questions for us to consider today.First, . . . 

I. What’s the point of the law? (1-8) [on screen]

So, Paul has spent some time in the previous passages pointing out that the Jews are not made right with God simply because they have the law of God. The law, given by Moses, in and of itself does not save us from our sin. So, what’s the point?

Well, let’s see what Paul says. Look at verses 1-8:

1 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God. 3 What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Absolutely not! Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar, as it is written: That you may be justified in your words and triumph when you judge.

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

So, Paul doesn’t say at all that receiving the law is a waste. No! Instead, he says that, “ . . . they were entrusted with the very words of God.”

The law of God is a blessing, not a curse. In and of itself, it does not save us. However, it does point us to the God who can save us. It does point us to our great need for the God who can save us. It does show us more about God, more about God’s ways, and more about ourselves and our need for God’s ways. 

So also, I said this last week: growing up in church, having access to biblical teaching, and being surrounded by other Christians can’t save you from your sins. However, all of those things are blessings because they draw us closer and closer to who God is, what He wants for us, and the knowledge of how He can save us from our sins through the work of Jesus!

Paul goes on to p

“It’s a Matter of the Heart”

(Romans 2:17-29)

Series: Romans – United in the Gospel[on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 30, 2022

Introductory Comments:

When I was a teenager, one of my favorite bands was DC Talk. One of my favorite DC Talk songs was a song called, “What if I Stumble?” At the opening of that song are powerful lyrics, which are actually a quote from author Brennan Manning. The song says, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world, simply finds unbelievable.”

That quote stuck with me all these years later. Those words are impactful and should stir the Christian’s emotions to consider how his or her lifestyle has an impact on the spread of the Gospel around the world.  

In our study of Romans, the apostle Paul has been on a journey talking about the wrath of God shown in the world, to the wrath of God shown towards religious people who are merely religious, to today’s topic of talking about what really matters is what God is doing in our hearts. God wants real change in us because we are Christians, not just a claim by us that we are Christians. This real change starts in the heart. 

Today’s sermon is entitled, “It’s a Matter of the Heart”[on screen]

Before we go any further, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us through His Word.

(prayer)

Some may think that Paul’s being kind of tough in these opening chapters. I agree, he is. However, remember it is only in understanding the bad news of our sin that we are able to understand the good news of the Gospel. 

Remember when John the Baptizer was preaching in the wilderness. He was laying it on the people. 

John called his listeners children of snakes. He said that they were about to be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

However, look at what Luke says about John the Baptizer in Luke 3:18. He says, “Then, along with many other exhortations, he proclaimed good news to the people.” [on screen] After John had shared all the bad stuff; after he had shared all about the judgment of God towards sin, then John shared the good news of the coming of Jesus. 

So, Paul is continuing to share the seriousness of sin and now he is focusing on those who consider themselves as God’s exclusive chosen people, the Jewish people. After Paul shares all about the seriousness of sin, he will shift to the salvation offered in Jesus.

As Paul speaks to the Jewish people in Rome, he’s going to center on three major issues. 

The first issue is this: 

I. Misusing the law (17-23) [on screen]

In order to understand this misuse of the law, let’s back up just a bit. 

Remember, God decided to choose a people as His own special people, so He chose a man out of the land of Ur, named Abram. Through Abram (who would become Abraham), God would bring a promised son, named Isaac, and he would have a promised son, named Jacob. Jacob would have his name changed to Israel and Israel would have many sons from whom the twelve tribes of Israel came. The people of Israel would go through all kinds of hills and valleys, but since they were God’s chosen people, God continued to bless them. One of the ways that God blessed them was to deliver them from captivity in Egypt and lead them into a land He promised to them, called “The Promised Land.” As the people settled in the Promised Land, God blessed them again by providing something they needed to know God, to know God’s ways, and to know themselves: they needed the law and God gave it to them through a man named Moses. 

So, God has chosen His people and given them His law. They are indeed a special people because they have been chosen by God. However, some of them started to think of themselves as being special a little too much. That is what Paul is addressing today as we continue our

“God’s Impartial Judgment”

(Romans 2:1-16)

Series: Romans – United in the Gospel [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 23, 2022

Introductory Comments:

Some of you may remember the biblical story of David sinning by taking Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, into his bed. Not only that, David had Uriah killed to try and cover his sin. This is how Nathan, the prophet, responded to David. Listen to 2 Samuel 12:1-9: 

1 So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him:

There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very large flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”

7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the Lord’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. 

You see, sometimes we easily see the sins of others, but we don’t notice our own sin. In fact, if we hear of someone doing exactly what we did, as David did, we are quick to see the act as a sin because we didn’t do it. 

However, God is the holy, righteous, perfect Judge. He sees all and knows all. He sees the sin of all and judges the sin of all. Today’s sermon is entitled, “God’s Impartial Judgment” [on screen]

No matter who we are, where we are from, how religious we think we are, God sees our sin. 

Last week, we learned that God will show His wrath towards sin and sinners. He does not excuse sin, He judges sin.

This week, Paul is going to continue that message but he is going to change the focus a bit.  

Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

As I was studying this week’s passage, one Bible teacher pointed out something that I thought was very helpful. In last week’s passage, Paul is pointing to the sin of godless people throughout the span of time. People had rejected God and turned towards sin. In last week’s passage, Paul used the words “they” and “them.” However, today, Paul will use the word “you.” Pay attention to how Paul shifts the focus in today’s passage. 

So, let’s see three aspects of God’s impartial judgment in today’s passage. 

First, . . .

I. Religious people will be judged. (1-5) [on screen]

When we speak of religious people, we mean people who seem to follow God but may not actually follow God. In fact, these people often think they are quite godly and others may think they are quite godly. However, Paul is saying that religiosity doesn’t necessarily help you when it comes to standing before the impartial, holy, righteous God of the universe. 

Let’s look at what Paul says about this. Look at verses 1-5:

1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the

“God’s Wrath and Humanity’s Guilt”

(Romans 1:18-32)

Series: Romans – United in the Gospel [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 16, 2022

Introductory Comments:

Do you remember the good old days? Have you ever noticed the good old days aren’t the same days for everyone? You see, sometimes we remember the good old days from when we were younger and we think that things are really bad now but they used to be good. We think, “I can remember when we didn’t have people storming the capital of the United States, we didn’t have to discuss the birth gender of an athlete, and we weren’t in the middle of a global pandemic.” Well, most of you can probably remember that because that was just about two years ago. However, sometimes we look back on history and we think that bad things didn’t always happen in our “good old days.” We forget about a president that was impeached because of the Watergate scandal. We forget that two other presidents were assassinated. We forget about the Great Depression. We forget about rampant racism in our country. We forget about the atrocity of slavery in our country. We forget about the immorality of the Wild West. We forget about how young girls who were found to be pregnant out of wedlock were shipped off to live somewhere else. We can go back further and recall even more atrocities. 

You see, church, since sin came into the world, we have always been plagued by evil and wickedness. 

In today’s passage, Paul is going to speak about the reality of sin in the world and the reality of God’s wrath towards sin. 

Before we go any further, let’s pray together.

(prayer)

Remember, last week, Paul introduced himself and the power of the Gospel. Remember, the Gospel has dynamite power! Now, Paul is going to spend some time discussing the state that we were in as sinners before we experienced the Gospel. Paul is going to give us a picture of what life is like without Jesus. 

So, let’s see what God is teaching us through His Word. 

First, from this passage, let’s see . . .

I. God revealed (18-20) [on screen]

Look with me if you will at verses 18-20:

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made.

What Paul is saying here is that the reality of God and the reality of God’s wrath against sin has been revealed to humanity through God’s creation. 

Now, before we get too far, we need to talk about what God’s wrath is. 

I would define God’s wrath simply this way:

God’s wrath = God’s extreme and just judgment of sin. [on screen]

The ESV Study Bible simply defines God’s wrath as, “His personal anger against sin.”

It is extreme in that it is terrible to experience. It is just in that it is what sinners deserve for their sin. 

Obviously, wrath towards sin is not very well received by most people. Some people think that this is unnecessary and unfair. However, when it comes down to it, most people probably don’t actually feel this way. 

Popular Bible teacher, Jen Wilkin, pointed out that if someone hurt someone we love, we probably wouldn’t mind that person receiving a little wrath. So, when we determine someone has done something wrong, we’re ok with them receiving God’s wrath. Jen Wilkin explains: we don’t mind God judging sin, we just don’t want Him judging our sin. 

We must also understand this, church: God is not just showing wrath towards people; He is showing wrath towards sinful people. In other words, God is not just being mean, He’s giving us what we deserve because of our sin.

So, Paul says that God pours out his wrath on, “ . .

“Paul: Set Apart for the Gospel”

(Romans 1:1-17)

Series: Romans – United in the Gospel [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 9, 2022

Introductory Comments:

Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” [on screen]

So, we know that all Scripture is good, beneficial, and inspired by God. Yet, there’s something special about the book of Romans. 

The book of Romans is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is rich in theological truth and explanation and it is supremely committed to lifting up the supernatural power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Tony Evans said, “The book of Romans is the clearest and most beautiful explanation of the gospel ever written.” [on screen]

In his commentary on the book of Romans, R. Kent Hughes said, “No reasonable person would dispute that the book of Romans is one of the most powerful and influential books ever written.” [on screen]

The book of Romans has also had an impact on monumental figures throughout Church history.

St. Augustine, one of the great church fathers, after reading Romans 13 became convicted of his sin and gave his life to Jesus.

Martin Luther moved from being a Catholic monk to becoming the leader of the Protestant Reformation after reading and understanding Romans 1:17.

John Bunyan was so inspired by studying the book of Romans that he wrote the great classic book, Pilgrim’s Progress.

So, Romans is powerful and influential and I pray that you too will experience the power of the book of Romans and be influenced by God’s Holy Spirit as we study it. 

Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

Today, as we get into this letter, we will first introduce ourselves to the book and to the major theme of the book. 

First of all, it’s important to point out that the book of Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to the followers of Jesus who were in the city of Rome. This letter was probably written in 57 or 58 AD.

The letter was probably delivered by a woman named Phoebe, whom Paul would later commend to the Church in Rome. 

In this first section (chapter 1, verses 1-17), we’re going to learn about Paul’s commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The title of this first sermon is, “Paul: Set Apart for the Gospel” [on screen]

The overarching purpose of Paul’s writing the letter was to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians who were living in Rome.In fact, the major theme of this book is the Gospel, hence the name of this whole sermon series, “United in the Gospel.”

So, let’s look at the entire passage now and then we’ll talk about it some as we continue. Look at Romans 1:1-17:

1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures— 3 concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh 4 and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. 5 Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, 6 including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.

7 To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you because the news of your faith is being reported in all the world. 9 God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about his Son—that I constantly mention you, 10 always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I want very much

“Simeon – The One Who Celebrated Jesus”

Series: The Characters of Christmas [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

January 2, 2022

Introductory Comments:

Here we are at the end of our Christmas series called, “The Characters of Christmas.” We are a few days past Christmas but we took a one week break last week. Today, we’re going to pick it back up and conclude with the story of a less famous character of Christmas. 

We will pick up our study, once again, in Luke 2.  

Before we go any further, let’s pray together. 

(prayer)

Have you ever had to wait a long time for something? Perhaps you have to wait for a long time for a new movie to be released. I was always excited about the next Lord of the Rings movie. Perhaps you’re like Pastor Dirck and Pastor Richard and you’re waiting for the 45th Marvel movie to be released. Maybe you were waiting on getting your driver’s license, becoming an adult, getting married, retiring, or starting church services back in person.

Oftentimes, when you wait on something for a long time, when you finally receive that something or do that something, it leads to celebration! That was the case with the character we are studying today.

Today, we are learning about “Simeon: The One Who Celebrated Jesus.”[on screen]

So as we look at Simeon, let’s first look at . . .

I. The Life of Simeon. [on screen]

There’s not a lot that we know about Simeon, but we do know that he was in Jerusalem around the time that Jesus was a child; perhaps he lived in Jerusalem full-time. 

From what we can gather, we know that he was a faithful man who looked forward to the consolation of Israel. 

When we read “consolation” it means the comfort of Israel or the care-taking of Israel. Simeon was looking forward to God taking care of and comforting the people of Israel. 

The people believed that God’s comfort and blessing to His people would come beautifully and powerfully through the coming of Messiah. 

So, as with other faithful Israelites, Simeon believed that Messiah would come and he looked forward to that moment. 

We also know that Simeon was a devout man and a righteous man. 

Look at Luke 2:25 – There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation . . .

So, Simeon was not perfect, but he was a good man who was devoted to God, and he was a faithful Jewish man who looked forward to the day that God would rescue and bless Israel. 

Well, that’s a little bit about who Simeon was. Now, let’s learn about . . . 

II. The Legacy of Simeon. [on screen]

In order to learn more about Simeon’s legacy, let’s look at the passage as a whole. 

Look at Luke 2:25-35:

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

29 Now, Master,you can dismiss your servant in peace,as you promised.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.

31 You have prepared itin the presence of all peoples—

32 a light for revelation to the Gentilesand glory to your people Israel.

33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

As we speak about the legacy of Simeon, I want to start by pointing out how much the Spirit of God was at work in the life of Simeon.

Vers

“The Shepherds – Early Witnesses of King Jesus”

Series: The Characters of Christmas [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

December 19, 2021

Introductory Comments:

If you go to Palestine today (Israel and its surrounding areas) you can still see shepherds there. From all accounts that we have, they do their job very similar to how shepherds would have done their job in the days of Jesus. Here’s a picture of a modern-day Bedouin shepherd. [show picture on screen] Shepherds probably didn’t wear hoodies in the days of Jesus, but they probably did operate much the same way as they do today. 

Today, as we continue our series entitled, “The Characters of Christmas,” we’ll be learning about “The Shepherds – Early Witnesses of King Jesus” [on screen]

Before we get into our sermon, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

Shepherds are not rare in the Bible. In fact, shepherds are a major theme in the Bible. 

Many of the great heroes of the Bible were shepherds. Abraham was a shepherd, Isaac was a shepherd, Jacob was a shepherd. One of my favorite prophets, Amos was a shepherd. 

David was a shepherd before he was King David. Of course, many of us remember these words of David in Psalm 23:1-5, “The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” [on screen]

The theme of shepherd is strong in the Bible and it’s not by accident that these shepherds are part of the incredible story of the birth of the Savior of the world. 

So, let’s look at the shepherds now. First, let’s look at . . .

I. The Life of the Shepherds. [on screen]

Shepherds spent a lot of time with sheep (that’s obvious right?). As a result, they spent a lot of time in the field and a lot of time with animals. There were usually men, and they were usually rough, stinky men.  

Their job was not necessarily the most desired job. In fact, many times shepherds were looked down upon by others and weren’t necessarily trusted by others. 

You see, most shepherds didn’t own the sheep; they simply looked after them. So, because they were with the sheep so often, they could often steal sheep, particularly young ones, and sell them for selfish gain without the owner ever knowing. 

In fact, it’s believed that people who were good upstanding members of society wouldn’t buy milk, wool, or young sheep or goats directly from shepherds because there was a chance that it could be stolen property. 

Shepherds would often do their jobs alongside other shepherds who were tending flocks nearby (as we’ll see in the accounts of the birth of Jesus). Of course, sometimes they were by themselves instead. 

It was also very likely that the shepherds in the days of Jesus tended flocks that contained lambs that would be sacrificed at the temple in Jerusalem. 

These sheep and goats were very vulnerable to danger, particularly at night, so the shepherds spent a long time with them during the day and night and really throughout the whole year. So, these shepherds weren’t really integrated much into the society at large. 

From what we know, these shepherds were stinky, untrustworthy, yet tough loners who were sort of a group of their own. 

That’s a little about the life of a shepherd. 

Well, now let’s talk about . . . 

II. The Legacy of the Shepherds. [on screen]

As we begin this section, let’s look at the entirety of what Luke says about the shepherds in Luke 2:8-20:

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them

“Herod – An Earthly King Trying to Stop the Heavenly King”

Series: The Characters of Christmas [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

December 12, 2021

Introductory Comments:

One of the most famous Christmas stories is A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The main character is Ebenezer Scrooge. My favorite depiction of Scrooge is the Disney one. [on screen]Here’s another depiction of Scrooge. [on screen] Scrooge was a man who was all about himself. As the story goes, Scrooge would come to see his future and realize that no one really loved him because he loved nobody but himself and his money. In fact, he would see his own funeral in the future and realize that nobody was there except other businessmen who came because they thought there was a free lunch. If by chance you’ve never heard the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, read the book or watch the movie. 

There was another man who was associated with Christmas time, who, unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, actually lived on this earth. His name was Herod. Today’s character in our series “The Characters of Christmas” is “Herod – An Earthly King Trying to Stop the Heavenly King.” [on screen]

Before we go any further, let me correct something from last week. Something minor, but important. I said last week that Joseph’s father was Heli. That’s not correct. Heli was Mary’s father, so he was Joseph’s father-in-law. The irony is, I explained this in the week that I taught on Mary. Both genealogies of Jesus lead to Joseph at the end, because the husband was the head of the household. So, Mary’s father was Heli and Joseph’s father was Jacob. 

Ok, week one we spoke about Mary, week two we spoke about Joseph, and now we’re speaking about Herod. Before we go any further, let’s pray together.

(prayer)

So, what can we learn about Herod? Let’s look at this popular, yet troubled, character. 

First, we’ll look at . . .

I. Herod’s Life [on screen]

Herod did not just stumble into power. He was the son of a member of the Hasmonean dynasty, which was the ruling party of Palestine before it was under Roman control. 

However, Herod did have to fight for his position, and fight he did. 

After some struggle, he finally won power and earned the support of Rome. 

Herod’s quest for power, and his many achievements helped earn him the name “Herod the Great.”

Even though he was under the power of the Romans, Herod ruled as “King of the Jews” from 37 BC to 4 BC.

To be sure, even though he was referred to as “King of the Jews,” he was not a faithful Jew. 

In fact, Herod was not even fully from the Jewish line. Herod was actually an Idumean, or Edomite, meaning that he was a descendent of Esau, not of Jacob (the Jewish people were descended from Jacob). 

During his reign, Herod’s main goal was to protect his own power, which meant squashing his enemies and keeping Rome happy (because they helped maintain his power). 

As many kings did, Herod was a man who liked to have ladies around him. In fact, Herod had ten wives!Herod eventually died in 4 BC. We actually read about his death in the sermon last week.

We learned this fact in the story of Joseph. Let’s look again at Matthew 2:19, “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt.” [on screen]

After Herod died, his power would be divided among three of his sons: Archelaus, Herod Antipas, and Philip. 

Well, that’s a little about Herod’s life. Now, let’s talk about . . .

II. Herod’s Legacy [on screen]

In terms of an earthly legacy, the greatest part of Herod’s legacy was his construction of magnificent buildings and structures. 

Among other places, Herod constructed the port city of Caesarea Maritima, the fortress of Masada, fortifications around Jerusalem, a magnificent palace, and he brought an extreme makeover to the temple in Jerusalem. 

Caesarea Maritima was a port city and was one of Herod’s greatest accomplishments

“Joseph – The Earthly Father of the Heavenly Son”

Series: The Characters of Christmas [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

December 5, 2021

Introductory Comments:

Imagine for a moment that you are engaged to be married. You’ve been waiting for a long time to get married and to start your own family. Imagine that marriage is a huge part of your society and it’s one of the ways that you feel you can fulfill your purpose as a follower of God. Then, imagine that the person you’re engaged to says that they are having a child and the child is not yours. How do you think that will affect things going forward?

Well, this is exactly what Joseph faced when he was betrothed to Mary and found out that she was pregnant with a baby who was not his baby. This baby would be named, “Jesus.”

Today, we’re continuing our series called “The Characters of Christmas.” Today’s message is “Joseph – The Earthly Father of the Heavenly Son.” [on screen] We’re going to learn about the life of Joseph, how God used him, and what we can learn from the story of Joseph. 

Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

As with Mary, today we’re going to look at who Joseph was, how the Lord used him, and what we can learn from his life. 

First, let’s look at . . .

I. Joseph’s Life [on screen]

Joseph was a Jewish man who was the son of a man named Heli. 

Luke 3:23 says, “As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the son of Joseph, son of Heli.” [on screen]

We know that Joseph was a carpenter by trade. Matthew 13:55 says, “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?” [on screen]

Also, Matthew 1:19 tells us that Joseph was a righteous man. 

Now, let me just say, if people don’t know a lot about you, it’s good when one of the things they know about you is that you are righteous. Joseph was righteous. 

What makes Joseph most famous, of course, is that he was engaged, or betrothed, to Mary. We’ll read about that in a moment. 

Matthew 2:22-23 tells us that Joseph and his family settled in Nazareth. 

Nazareth was not really a cosmopolitan location. In fact, remember that Nathanael the apostle, when he first heard about Jesus said in John 1:46, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” [on screen]

How do you like that? Nazareth wasn’t exactly the best town around. 

Joseph was not famous, not wealthy, and not spectacular, but he would be used by God. 

As we read about the adult years of Jesus, we don’t hear any mention of Joseph, which implies that Joseph may not have lived into Jesus’ adult years. 

In fact, the last time we hear about Joseph being involved in the life of Jesus is when Jesus went missing in the temple when he was twelve years old. You can read about this in Luke 2:48 if you would like to do so. 

So, that’s most of what we know from the life of Joseph. We don’t know a lot but we do know those things. 

Now, let’s discuss what we know of . . .

II. Joseph’s Legacy [on screen]

Most of what we know about Joseph is found in the book of Matthew. So, let’s look at Matthew chapters 1 and 2. Follow along as I read.

Let’s start in Matthew 1:18-25 – 18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”