Exodus opens not with triumph but with oppression, reminding us that God’s people often grow in hardship. Israel’s suffering in Egypt isn’t evidence of God’s absence but of His unfolding promise. This sermon explores how God remains faithful even when His people feel forgotten. The multiplying Israelites demonstrate the unstoppable nature of God’s covenant purposes. Pharaoh’s fearful tyranny represents the world’s hostility toward God’s kingdom, yet even his violence cannot thwart divine sovereignty. The faithful midwives show how God uses ordinary obedience to preserve His redemptive plan. Exodus 1 reveals God’s providence governing every detail—the rise of nations, the schemes of rulers, and the cries of His people. For believers today, this passage invites us to trust God’s covenant promises when circumstances contradict hope. God has not forgotten His people; He remembers, He governs, and He prepares the stage for salvation.

When Simeon takes up baby Jesus in his arms, he is experiencing and foreshadowing the comfort and joy of the Light of the World that has come into the world. When Simeon says to Mary that his son would cause the rise and fall of many and reveal the hearts of many, he is describing and foreshadowing the conviction that the Light of the World will bring to a sinful world. And when he jubilantly praises that God salvation will be seen by all nations and a light for revelation to the Gentiles, he is articulating the wonderful Gospel truth that the Light of the World is for the whole world, Jew and Gentile alike. May we be comforted and convicted to greater repentance and faithfulness as we live out our call to bring the Light of the World to the whole world.

Matthew 1:18–25 draws us into the quiet, courageous love at the heart of the Holy Family—love that shapes the Advent story and reveals God’s heart for us. This passage begins in tension and uncertainty: Mary is found to be with child, and Joseph is left with questions, disappointment, and fear. Yet instead of acting out of anger or pride, Joseph chooses a path of compassion. Even before the angel speaks, Joseph’s love leans toward mercy. When the angel reveals God’s plan, Joseph steps into a deeper kind of love—obedient, sacrificial, steadfast. He embraces Mary, embraces the child, and embraces the calling that God places upon him. Advent Love is not sentimental; it is costly. It is the love that protects, trusts, and perseveres. Mary, too, walks in love—carrying the Christ child with faith, vulnerability, and hope. Together, Mary and Joseph embody a love that welcomes God’s presence into the world through simple, faithful obedience. This passage reminds us that Advent Love is God’s initiative: “He will save his people from their sins.” In Jesus, divine love takes on flesh. And through the Holy Family, we see how human love becomes a vessel for God’s redeeming work.