Nov 30th am ~ Hope Worth Waiting For

Devotional

Day 1: Christmas assures Jesus is the hope of the world.

Matthew’s opening genealogy reminds readers that Jesus is the long‑awaited fulfillment of God’s promises, a hope that arrives into our brokenness to bring light where darkness reigns; rest in the goodness of God who orders history toward Jesus and let that assurance steady you when your feet have been swiped from under you. [07:29]

Matthew 1:1–17 (ESV)
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, and Ram the father of Amminadab,
and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab,
and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah,
and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.
And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor,
and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud,
and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.
So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations,
and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Reflection: What one specific worry or uncertainty can you place before Jesus today to remember he is your lasting hope? Write it down, pray aloud asking Jesus to hold it, and tell one trusted friend that you are handing this worry to him tonight.

Day 2: God’s promise to bless all nations through Abraham.

The promise to Abraham shows God’s purpose to make blessing overflow beyond one people so that all families of the earth might be blessed through one offspring; receive the humility of being part of a larger story where God’s blessing is meant to reach others through you. [19:46]

Genesis 12:2–3 (ESV)
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Reflection: Name one person from a different background or community than your own whom you can intentionally bless this week—send a note, offer a meal, make a practical gift, or commit to pray for them—and do that specific act within the next three days.

Day 3: God promises an everlasting Davidic throne fulfilled.

The Davidic promise points to a king far greater than an earthly restoration: Jesus brings an everlasting throne and kingdom that will not be overcome by sin or decay, inviting people to trust his sovereign, long‑term rule rather than short‑lived fixes. [15:43]

2 Samuel 7:16 (ESV)
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.

Reflection: Where are you trying to “re‑establish” control or security by your own efforts? Choose one specific action today that demonstrates trust in Christ’s sovereign reign (for example, releasing control in a strained relationship, choosing forgiveness, or making a generous gift) and do it as an act of faith.

Day 4: Christ’s wounds bring healing for our sins.

Isaiah’s prophecy declares that the suffering Servant would willingly enter into human pain and be wounded for sin so that by his wounds people might be healed; let the truth of his substitutionary suffering draw you into repentance and healing rather than despair. [30:47]

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.

Reflection: Is there a specific hurt, guilt, or broken habit you need healing from? Spend five minutes confessing it to God, ask him to apply Christ’s healing, and identify one practical next step (e.g., seek counsel, make restitution, begin a habit change) to take within 48 hours.

Day 5: Belief in Jesus determines blessing or condemnation.

The choice to believe in the name of the only Son of God is decisive: through faith people receive blessing and restoration, and without it the consequence is spiritual condemnation; this calls for urgent and compassionate witness to those who do not yet believe. [20:24]

John 3:18 (ESV)
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Reflection: Who is one person in your life you can name in prayer and take one concrete step toward introducing to Christ this week (invite them to church, offer to read a passage together, or share your story); do that specific outreach within the next seven days.

Sermon Summary

Advent gives us permission to slow down and really look at Jesus. In a season full of good busyness—meals, gifts, gatherings—I invited us to open Matthew 1 and notice that God begins Christmas with a genealogy. That list is not filler; it’s the steady drumbeat of God’s faithfulness across the centuries. Matthew, an eyewitness and one of the twelve, writes to show that Jesus truly is the Christ—the promised King and the long-awaited hope of the world. In the face of our instability—diagnoses, broken relationships, bills, and that ache for “more”—God shines a light that doesn’t flicker with circumstances.

Matthew highlights two great promises. First, Jesus is the Son of David. God did not merely promise a return to Israel’s political glory days; he promised a forever King. Jesus’ throne isn’t restored; it is unrivalled and everlasting. Second, Jesus is the Son of Abraham. God’s intent was never a tribal blessing but a global one—“in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” In Christ, forgiveness and life are offered to all who believe.

The structure matters too: three sets of fourteen generations. It’s Matthew’s way of saying, “God is not meandering; he’s meticulous.” We often pray, “How long, O Lord?” and mistake orchestration for delay. Yet across forty-two generations, God was neither late nor idle; he was weaving a story far larger and kinder than human expectations.

And he still is. Jesus enters our darkness, not to airbrush it, but to redeem it. God is not the author of sin, yet in grace he refuses to waste it. The genealogy includes surprising names—messy stories God folded into salvation’s line—to teach us that our brokenness is not the end of the story. In Christ we already taste the coming kingdom: a future with no decay, no death, and not even the pull to sin—peace without a clock, joy without a ceiling. Until then, we learn trust in the waiting, and even in suffering, because the One who keeps promises has come. This is a hope worth waiting for, worth living for, and safe to rest in.

Key Takeaways

1. Slow down to receive Advent hope Busyness can numb us to the nearness of Jesus. Choosing daily, unhurried Scripture allows the Spirit to re-order our loves and restore perspective. Shared accountability—simply asking one another, “What did you see today?”—turns intention into formation. Slow is not wasted; it is where hope takes root. [05:22]
2. Jesus, David’s Son, true eternal King God didn’t promise a nostalgic rerun of David’s reign; he promised an unending kingdom under a flawless King. Jesus exceeds our low expectations by bringing peace that isn’t fragile, political, or seasonal. His reign answers our restlessness with a stability history can’t give. Allegiance to him is freedom, not constraint. [15:43]
3. Abraham’s promise, blessing to nations God’s heart has always been the world, and Jesus is the hinge of that blessing. In him, forgiveness and life are offered to every family and language, shifting faith from inheritance to response. Blessing is not vague positivity; it is reconciliation with God. Refusing him leaves us as we are—condemned by our unbelief. [20:24]
4. God’s timing forms durable trust Forty-two generations tell us God is patient, not passive; precise, not panicked. Waiting is not the absence of God’s work but the shaping of our sight so we can recognise it. Faith matures when we rest in his cadence rather than our clocks. His order is often clearest in hindsight—and that is enough to trust him now. [22:11]
5. Suffering becomes a sanctifying teacher God never wastes pain; he tutors us through it into deeper dependence. In suffering, the cross stops being theory and becomes the path of love we actually walk. We learn to want God for God—more than outcomes, speed, or ease. Even darkness must serve his purposes, because the Light has already entered it. [30:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:03] - Advent: slowing down in a busy season
[05:22] - Building a daily Bible habit
[06:24] - Who Matthew is and why he wrote
[08:14] - Light in a destabilised world
[10:08] - Genealogy of Jesus is read
[13:48] - Jesus the Christ: promised Messiah
[15:43] - Son of David and the true Kingdom
[18:13] - Beyond Israel’s glory days
[19:46] - Promise to Abraham: blessing all nations
[22:11] - A hope worth waiting for
[25:13] - The pattern of three fourteens
[26:54] - Imagine the everlasting Kingdom’s peace
[32:10] - Living now in the coming Kingdom
[34:52] - Closing prayer and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 1:1–17 — 1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Observation Questions

Why does Matthew start with the phrase “the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham”? What claim is he making about Jesus in that opening line? ([13:48])
Which names in the list are surprising (foreigners, women implied, morally complicated figures)? What effect does their presence have when you read the list? (look at vv. 3–6, 11, 16)
Verse 17 highlights three groups of fourteen generations. What does Matthew do here by arranging the list this way, and how does that shape the reader’s sense of God’s work in history? ([25:13])
The genealogy includes the deportation to Babylon. How does Matthew mark that historical break, and what does that interruption teach about the flow of God’s promises? (see vv. 11–12)

Interpretation Questions

How would a first-century Jewish reader likely understand the title “son of David,” and in what specific ways does Matthew intend to expand that expectation beyond a merely political restoration? ([15:43])
What theological point is Matthew making by including Gentile and morally complex ancestors (for example Rahab and Ruth) in the Messiah’s line? How does that connect to the promise to Abraham that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”? ([30:47])
Matthew compresses Israel’s history into forty-two generations. Should this compression be read primarily as a statement about delay, about order, or about God’s intentional shaping of history? What evidence in the text supports that reading? ([22:11])
In what ways does the genealogy link human brokenness (sin, exile, moral failure) with God’s unfolding plan of redemption and the coming everlasting kingdom? How does that help explain why Matthew would begin his Gospel here? ([26:54])

Application Questions

The preacher encouraged forming a short daily Bible habit in Advent. Which three consecutive days in the coming week will you commit to reading Matthew 1 (or praying through the passage) for 5–10 minutes, and whom will you tell to hold you accountable? ([05:22])
Try the simple accountability question the sermon suggested: “What did you see today?” Who will you ask that of this week, and when will you text or call them to start that habit? ([06:24])
Identify one situation in your life where you feel God is “slow” or where you’re tempted to insist on your timetable (a relationship, a health worry, a job/bill). What is one concrete step you will take this week to practice trusting God’s timing instead of forcing a solution? (For example: stop checking results daily, set a daily 2-minute prayer, journal once nightly.) ([27:59])
The sermon said God can use suffering to teach deeper dependence. Name a particular recent struggle you are carrying. What one specific thing will you do this week to give that struggle to God and to invite help from another believer? (Examples: share it with one trusted friend, book one counselling session, pray 5 minutes each evening.) ([30:47])
Matthew points back to Abraham’s promise that blessing would reach the nations. Who is one non‑Christian person you can intentionally bless this week (practical help, a listening ear, an invitation)? What exact action will you take and when? ([19:46])
The sermon invited imagining the coming kingdom to reshape present living. Pick one desire or habit (e.g., impatience, material chasing, frequent worry) that you want to reorder in light of the coming kingdom. What is the one small, measurable change you will begin this week to reflect that kingdom hope? ([26:54])

Sermon Clips

The reality is we just don't know what's coming around the corner, globally or personally. Some of us are already knocked off our feet with an unexpected diagnosis, a broken relationship, unexpected bill, or even just a deep sense that there must be more to life than this. And into this darkness, a light shines. God has been consistently making promises that he would bring a lasting hope that can't be taken and it can't be corrupted and it can't be broken. [00:08:57] (34 seconds) #UnbreakableHope

King Jesus comes, and his kingdom and his throne will have no end. An everlasting king who will reign in the everlasting kingdom, which will not be ruined by the presence of sin or death or decay. An everlasting peace, which will know no end. See, for the Jews, they had this low expectation of what it would look like. Wouldn't it be great if we got back to the glory days when David was king? [00:17:35] (39 seconds) #EverlastingPeace

``God says, that might be a great idea, but I've got a greater idea. I'm going to send Jesus, who is a descendant of David, but he's not going to just reestablish a throne. He's going to create an everlasting throne. And he won't just fight and bring peace. He'll bring an eternal peace. And his kingdom will have no end. And Christmas and Christianity is about discovering that God's plans are not our plans. And thank the Lord for it. [00:18:23] (40 seconds) #EternalKingdom

As we begin to reflect on Christmas, we're confronted with this incredibly loving God who sent his only son into the world, who lived this wonderful life of obedience all the way to death, even death on the cross. God's love and commitment really isn't up for question when you believe he is willing to give so much of himself for our sake. [00:25:26] (25 seconds) #SacrificialLove

But through the Son who chooses to become a servant, comes a kingdom which is so much more. Can you picture it? I can't picture it, but I love to try. Imagine a day when we won't fail God with our own fleshly desires. We won't have the desires. Today we wrestle with flesh and blood. One day we won't. There'll be a day when we will delight in God's presence continually. [00:26:22] (32 seconds) #ServantKingdom

And when we step back and look at these 42 generations, we see that God is being consistent and faithful to his people. We don't always see it. But that makes God so wonderful is that he sees what we don't see. I can rest assured and I can assure you that God hates the corruption of sin in the world more than you do. But somehow in his great mercy and power, he chooses to use even the brokenness of the world to bring about his glorious plan. [00:28:39] (40 seconds) #FaithfulThroughGenerations

You see, these tragedies that happen to us come to us out of the blue. But Jesus is totally different. 800 years before Jesus is born, Isaiah says he's going to be wounded for your sins. But by his wounds, you'll be healed. Jesus willingly, lovingly, enters into this world to join us in the brokenness and to bring light into the darkness and hope in our situation. [00:29:22] (38 seconds) #HealedByHisWounds

That so often without suffering, we refuse to listen to him. We refuse to turn to him. We refuse to depend on him. And even the brokenness of this world, God uses. That he might teach us what it is to pick up a cross and follow him. And he does it all with this beautiful promise. And he's fulfilled and kept so many promises in the scriptures so that we might realize that when God promises something, he is faithful to keep it. [00:30:53] (34 seconds) #LessonsFromTheCross

We're going to discover that though God is not the author of sin. He weaves into it his wonderful, glorious gospel so that nothing in our lives will be wasted. Even the darkness will have to submit to him. Even the darkness ends up being used by him. [00:31:51] (25 seconds) #NothingIsWasted

This morning, our encouragement this Christmas is to rest in the fact that God is sovereign, that he will use every means and opportunity to teach us the beauty of his light and to teach us to depend upon it. And the wonderful reality of Christmas is that this is a hope that is worth waiting for. It's a hope worth living for. And it's a hope that we can rest in. [00:32:17] (33 seconds) #SovereignRest

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

How does Jesus surpass David's promised kingship?

Why is Matthew's genealogy divided into three fourteens?

How does God use suffering to teach us?