The idea that Jesus had a miraculous conception entered the early Christian Tradition with Matthew’s Gospel. Why did he tell the story that way? Today, lead pastor Josh Scott continues our Advent series by examining the historical and cultural context around Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth story. He also reminds us that the Christmas story is ultimately a story of peace and encourages us to spend this season acting courageously to bring about the kind of world we long for.
Episode Recap:

Advent is a season of longing and anticipation (0:10)
Matthew was the first to give us a birth story for Jesus (2:38)
Matthew uses midrash to interpret Jesus’ story (8:48)
Matthew invites us to reimagine the way we engage with stories (15:41)
Why was it important that Jesus was born of a virgin? (21:58)
Many of us want a conquering king, but Jesus came for peace (25:46)
Peacemaking is an act of courage and strength (28:47)
Sometimes peacemaking is about reminding each other that we are beloved (33:16)


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