The Wonder in the Searching

Matthew 1:22–23 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). CONSIDER THIS In the summer of 1977, NASA launched two different spacecrafts from Cape Canaveral, Florida, named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Their primary mission was to take pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, which they did successfully. But the mission didn’t stop there. They just kept going, sending back data. In August of 2012, the first of both ships made history. Voyager 1 made the historic entry into interstellar space, the region between stars filled with material discarded by the death of nearby stars believed to have happened millions of years ago. Three months later, Voyager 2 crossed that milestone as well. Ever since I was a little boy, things of space and spaceships have fascinated me. So I have followed these spacecrafts’ travels for as long as I can remember. I loved seeing the images that were sent back and learning about the updates from the spacecrafts. However, what they have sent back was only part of the mission. They were also sent into space with a message. Attached to both spacecrafts was a golden record.1 On each record were a variety of natural sounds, such as the wind, waves, and various animal sounds like those of birds and whales in the ocean. Also attached were spoken greetings in more than fifty-five ancient and modern languages. There were also samplings of music. What’s a golden record without music, right? The music that was added to the records consisted of everything from Bach to Mozart, Beethoven to Stravinsky, and my personal favorite, the addition of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”2 I love the intentionality of the golden record, saying, “This is who we are,” and sending that into outer space. However, the beauty of Advent is the reminder that what we’ve been searching for has already made contact with us—that which is beyond what we can see stepped into our world and literally came to us. Reflect on that truth for just a moment. This is the story of the God of wonder, the Creator of the universe, the very one who breathed the stars into existence, stepping into our story, making contact with us to say, “Not only do I see you, but I am also becoming one of you.” It’s a divine search-and-rescue mission that meets us all. When you learn this truth, you realize it changes everything. That which was lost has been found. This leads us to our next story found in Matthew’s gospel. When I preach from the Gospels, I like to remind people that each gospel written is not just a book of the Bible, but it’s a person’s story—a personal narrative written from someone’s perspective on what they have seen, heard, and learned about Jesus, God in flesh. Matthew’s perspective is written from someone who was a tax collector, overlooked and often despised by the Pharisees and Sadducees and often lumped in with prostitutes, lepers, and sinners. Yet Matthew was also the one who encountered Jesus and, from the Savior’s lips, heard two words that would impact him and his story forever: “Follow me” (Matt. 9:9). Perhaps this is why the gospel of Matthew begins and ends with a common theme. In Matthew 1, he records the angel’s words to Joseph that Mary would have a son and he was to be named Immanuel, which means “God with us” (vv. 20–23, emphasis mine). Then in Matthew 28:20, the last words we see from Jesus are: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (emphasis mine). The good news for us today is to sit with this truth: God is not a God who plays hide-and-seek with his creation. The season of Advent serves as a reminder for us all that no matter how lost or on the outside we may feel, not only have we already been found, he’s with us this very moment. THE PRAYER  Loving Father, what a gift your presence is in our lives. Today, may we keep open hands, inviting your Holy Spirit to guide us in the ways we should go. Thank you for your presence and provision. In Jesus’s name we pray, amen. THE QUESTIONS Does God seem near or far to you in your story? How does Matthew’s story mirror your own today?